6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
The large-nosed C.D. Bales is in love with the beautiful Roxanne; she falls for his personality but another man's looks.
Starring: Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah, Rick Rossovich, Shelley Duvall, John KapelosRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 16% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
There will never be another tonight.
Quickly, rattle off 20 jokes about a man with an extra-large sniffer. The 1987 Steve Martin
(Father of the Bride) and Darryl Hannah (Wall Street) Comedy
Roxanne provides that material and more as it tells the tale of a man who loves a woman --
but cannot see past his own nose, a physical nuisance and mental handicap he both embraces and
despises. Based on the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, Roxanne offers a modern
(in a 1980s sort of way) retelling of a classic tale about the true meaning of love. Featuring a witty
script penned by Martin, several good performances, plenty of laughs, and a message on the
importance of individuality and reaching for the stars, Roxanne remains a lighthearted and
breezy Romantic Comedy more than 20 years after its initial release.
The most distinctive profile in movie history?
Roxanne inches onto Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. The transfer features heavy layers of grain in some scenes but is practically free of it in others. It's also a bit soft in some shots yet adequately sharp in others. The transfer is sometimes dim, but at other times nicely rendered, crisp, and clear. Roxanne is a rather colorful film, the colors nicely rendered, be they a pink neon sign, green outdoor foliage, or the red of the town's fire engine. Interior shots also fare nicely; the inside of Roxanne's home features a nice level of detail as the camera pans around the warm, inviting interior, the wood panels on the walls, kitchen countertops and kitchen tables, for example, offer an adequate level of visible information. Flesh tones are good, and black levels are decent. All things considered, Roxanne looks fine on Blu-ray, even if some shots aren't as pretty as others.
Roxanne doesn't smoke Blu-ray with a powerful and engaging soundtrack. Instead, its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless offering presents the limited and somewhat bland sound design as intended. The smooth Jazz heard over the opening credits plays crisply and clearly, delivering adequate notes throughout the entire range. It's soft and spacious, filling the room nicely. As the film goes by, the vast majority of the track is placed across the front and primarily in the center channel. A few effects manage to move noticeably between the speakers to add some dimension and flow to the track. The rear channels seemingly remain silent throughout the experience. Dialogue reproduction suffices in nearly every scene. Roxanne doesn't offer much range, but this lossless soundtrack provides all the information one needs to hear to make the movie work.
This Blu-ray release of Roxanne features only 1080p trailers for The Pink Panther and Made of Honor and BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality.
Mention Steve Martin, and Roxanne cannot be far behind. Though perhaps not the actor's best work or most famous role (Father of the Bride, The Jerk, and Neal Page from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles may have those markets cornered), his effort here -- and certainly his nose -- represents the actor's most memorable and identifiable feature. Though the movie fades in its final act, Roxanne delivers the goods most of the way through and is well worth watching for the classic Martin performance. Sony's Blu-ray release is fine from an audio and video perspective, the 1080p transfer and lossless soundtracks both adequate in presentation, but the absence of special features is sure to disappoint fans. As such, the disc comes recommended as a rental for most and a purchase only for Blu-ray completists and lifelong Steve Martin and Roxanne fans.
2014
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