6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Sgt. Bilko is in charge of the Motor Pool at an Army base. He's also a good-natured con man, providing gambling facilities for the soldiers on base. When an old enemy from his past shows up to inspect his records and steal away his fianceé, Sgt. Bilko has to put his skills to creative use...
Starring: Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Phil Hartman, Glenne Headly, John Marshall JonesComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Director Jonathan Lynn's (Clue, My Cousin Vinny) 1996 Comedy Sgt. Bilko has its roots in the popular 1950s TV show The Phil Silvers Show which was often simply called "Bilko." The film adaptation shares many of the same character basics and arcing plot dynamics but has been, of course, updated for modern audiences and times, with advanced military technology the center around which much of the humor revolves. The film plays well in isolation, particularly as a vehicle for Martin, one of his generation's most gifted Comedians, to shine, but so much of the noise around him ultimately amounts to little of value.
Universal's Sgt. Bilko 1080p transfer is not a disaster, but neither would it be appropriate to call it quality work. Disappointment, yes, and far from perfect, but the studio has released far worse in the past. The picture shows signs of classic digital processing that plague so many of the Universal's catalogue efforts, including smoothing, sharpening, and edge enhancement. It lacks the crisp definition and desirable filmic veneer, leaving behind a capable but downgraded image where a pleasant, organically grainy picture should be. Overall clarity is fine and details remain hearty though certainly not healthy. The image has not been denoised to excess to be sure – there are not really an plastic-like textures to be found – but things could certainly be improved. Colors are likewise good but not great. They lack nuance but not pop, offering bold output that is absent fine-point finesse. That's the real story here. Everything is OK, nothing is great. At least there is not much in the way of print deterioration or encode issues, like macroblocking. It's watchable, but don't expect the next great catalogue release.
Sgt. Bilko's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack offers a fairly lively output with music over the opening tug-of-war between Doberman and a horse spilling into the stage with verve and vigor, plenty of front side width and a hearty surround component, too. It intermixes with surrounding crowd din to quality immersive effect. Music is always well versed, perhaps lacking the finest fidelity though certainly giving the listening audience its money's worth. There are plenty of other well defined and high energy sounds to enjoy throughout. Helicopter rotors slice through the stage in chapter three (and at two or three more points within the film) to immersive, seamless surround usage. The track offers positive depth to the explosions during the tank test sequence late in the film, which is followed by cold, blustery winds in a shot in Greenland that pushes across the stage to momentarily chilling effect. Dialogue presents well in all areas of concern.
This Blu-ray release of Sgt. Bilko contains no supplemental content. There is no "top menu;" pressing that button on the remote simply restarts the movie. The "pop up menu" only offers crude selections for toggling subtitles on and off. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipover.
Sgt. Bilko plays well thanks to Martin's good work. He's not challenged, but because the movie allows him to work in an obvious comfort zone a modest effort is all that's required. A few solid supporting performances surround him, as do some scattered laughs. It's a watchable movie that offers the warm fuzzies of comfort cinema, a movie that is no legend but that is well worth a relaxing escape. Universal's featureless Blu-ray is unfortunately devoid of any and all supplemental content. The video quality falls in that gray area of "could be better, could be worse." Audio is fine. Worth a look.
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