5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Bandit goes on another cross-country run transporting an elephant from Florida to Texas, with Sheriff Buford T. Justice hot on his tail once again.
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Dom DeLuise, Sally FieldComedy | 100% |
Crime | 12% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Hal Needham's "Smokey and the Bandit II" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. There are no bonus features on the this release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Meditating
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hal Needham's Smokey and the Bandit II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
The release is sourced from an older but healthy master. To be honest, even though there are some minor but obvious limitations on it, it is one of the most attractive such masters that I have seen emerge from the studio's vaults. The best news here is that there are no traces of problematic digital corrections, which means that you do not have to worry about the big offenders: sharpening, degraining, and contrast boosting. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the close-ups boast pretty good delineation; the panoramic footage has good depth as well. There are a few areas where it is easy to see that shadow definition could be better and nuances can be improved, but on a big screen the visuals are still quite wonderful. Colors are stable and the overall balance is convincing. A few tiny flecks and scratches remain, but there are no large debris, cuts, or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track handles the original soundtrack really well. It is easy to tell that it was remastered because stability, clarity, and balance are great. I also think that dynamic intensity is as good as one can expect for a film from the early 1980s. For the record, there are no background distortions, pops, or audio dropouts to report.
Most unfortunately, there are no bonus features to be found on this release.
Smokey and the Bandit II does not match the quality of the original film, and this is an indisputable fact. The script that was used to do it isn't good, but I think that the real problem is the lack of good chemistry between the leads, which is a bizarre flaw because the same people that made the original film were brought back for the sequel. However, there is still plenty of wild action and some decent jokes, so the end result is a bit like Sam Peckinpah's Convoy, which is another odd film that can be rather entertaining if seen at the right time. (For me, the right time to view these types of films is always the wee hours of the night). Universal's release is sourced from an older but nice organic master. RECOMMENDED.
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