Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Roxanne Blu-ray Movie Review

One of Steve Martin's most famous Comedies debuts on Blu-ray sans extras.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 4, 2009

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?

C.D. Bales (Martin), a local fire chief and minor celebrity thanks to his inches-long nose, one evening acrobatically rescues a beautiful local, Roxanne (Hannah), from an accident that saw her locked out of her own home -- and in the nude. As the two become friends and slowly develop feelings for one another, local gossip says Roxanne has fallen for C.D., nose and all. Unfortunately, she reveals to her hero that she is really in love with the handsome new arrival in town, Chris (Rick Rossovich, Top Gun), himself a firefighter working under C.D. Each man possesses that which the other lacks: Chris rugged good looks and C.D. a gift for the spoken and written word. Though a ladies man, Chris struggles to be himself in front of Roxanne -- and enlists the help of C.D. to pen her the perfect love letter. When the fire chief reluctantly does so, it becomes his words -- and his love -- that is expressed in the letters. Will true love seek out the real author of the words that have touched a young lady's heart, or will Roxanne settle for a man that offers little more than good looks?

Though dated by its hairdos and music, Roxanne retains a timeless theme of love and individuality, of the connection between souls and the disconnect between physical appearance and emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity. The movie is no more about a nose than it is about baseball; C.D.'s nose is simply a device incorporated into the story to show that true love sees past the physical and instead gazes into the soul, where beauty is defined by actions and words, not dreamy blue eyes, a muscular build, or, yes, the size of one's nose. However, the nose does serve as a plot device to allow for the telling of several jokes, most of which work nicely in the context of the movie. Roxanne embraces the nose and gets an enormous amount of play out if, and for the most part, the avalanche of jokes and references work. The jokes never interfere with the flow or message of the movie, and while many of the situations are utterly predictable (how to keep the nose out of a glass full of wine or moving around to find the right angle for that awkward first kiss), they work nicely, thanks mostly to the solid outing turned in by Steve Martin, his comedic timing and physical performance both shining brightly throughout.

Roxanne turns in a very precise three-act story with each third clearly delineated by theme. The first act sees character introduction and development, both handled rather well with enjoyable banter between characters, including several memorable scenes delivered by Martin, not to mention a classic sequence introducing the nose. The second act sees plenty of laughs but serves as a discovery period where C.D.'s true feelings for Roxanne are revealed as he acts as an intermediary of sorts between Roxanne and Chris. The third act, unfortunately, seems to slow considerably compared to the light, swift, and charming first and second. Here, the film seems to take forever to reach the inevitable conclusion, and given that there is never any doubt as to the resolution, it seems to overextend its welcome while lowering the LPM (Laughs Per Minute) considerably compared to the rapid-fire speed of the humor in the earlier segments of the film. Thankfully, the first and second acts, where the film takes its time in developing its characters and setting up the primary conflict of the story, makes it well worth watching. All things considered, though, Roxanne makes for a solid entry into the annals of the Romantic Comedy. Martin and Hannah share good chemistry, and Rick Rossovich turns in a good performance as Chris.

Roxanne Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Roxanne Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

Roxanne Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.