6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The true story of the greatest rivalry and friendship in drag racing history, between Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and his longtime friend and on-the-track nemesis Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.
Starring: Jesse Williams, Richard Blake (VII), Noah Wyle, Ian Ziering, Tim Blake NelsonSport | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
You've gotta think big to make it big.
Sometimes it's all too easy to forget that there are human beings under the sports uniforms or inside the race cars. The thrill of the score, the
finesse and
the skill, and the excitement of the speed frequently take center stage, and for good reason. Fans don't pay to see personalities -- unless the
personality is so outrageous that they earn, rightly or wrongly, attention away from their performance -- but instead pure sporting skill at play, be
that on the baseball field or from within the cockpit of a blazing-fast automobile. Sometimes, however, the two worlds meet and both the people and
their
profession together make for compelling storytelling both in and away from the spotting world. Snake & Mongoo$e is one such tale of
two rival racers who are brought together first through a shared skill set, then a desire to expand their notoriety and pocketbooks, and finally through
personal tragedy. Theirs is a compelling story, one that's certainly made of rather straightforward, base emotions but that carries a rather
entertaining and frequently moving film about the intersection of profit, sport, friendship, family, triumph, and heartache.
Let's race.
Snake & Mongoo$e arrives on Blu-ray with a good 1080p transfer presented in a 1.78:1 frame. The HD video image produces acceptable detailing and color throughout, with only an occasional look that favors a lightly washed out appearance distracting from an otherwise fine Blu-ray effort. Textures are adequately revealing, nothing remarkable against the best Blu-ray has to offer but displaying fine clothing lines, skin textures, and general odds and ends around the frame, whether under the bright sun or under warmer interior conditions, with the sort of accuracy and attention to detail viewers expect of a new release. Colors are bright and cheery, showing everything from fire engine red paint jobs to polished chrome with commendable accuracy. Black levels are slightly pale at times, ditto flesh tones, but never to a seriously distracting level. The film incorporates a good bit of archival footage that's in various states of wear and tear but that, generally, holds up nicely. This is a good effort from Anchor Bay, unremarkable in the grand scheme of things but a quality, watchable, not particularly problematic transfer from beginning to end.
Snake & Mongoo$e zooms onto Blu-ray with a high-powered and almost endlessly entertaining Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track begins with a thunderous engine revving that all but fills the listening area with exhaust. It's tight, heavy, loud, room-filling, and a real pleasure to behold, the next best thing, certainly, to standing within feet of the car in real life. The heavy engine revs and roars are track hallmarks that are heard throughout the film and are equally aggressive and satisfying with every new occurrence. Music is dynamic and exciting, particularly layover montage songs such as I Just Want to Celebrate heard in chapter three and (Don't Fear) the Reaper in chapter nine. The track also produces excellent ambient sound effects, noticed immediately as the film flashes back to 1958 where distant radio music and nighttime insects fill the stage with natural period and place harmony. Dialogue is delivered cleanly, clearly, and efficiently from the center. All in all, an excellent soundtrack from Anchor Bay.
Snake & Mongoo$e contains only one supplement. 'Snake and Mongoo$e: Behind the Movie (HD, 11:56) is a basic overview in which cast and crew discuss the the real story and characters, film authenticity, working with the cast and the real people they portray, and more. The feature appears sourced from the Internet, complete with a very shallow, unevenly spaced soundtrack.
Snake & Mongoo$e is an imperfect but fun and mostly feel-good tale of rivals turned business partners turned friends turned people who grow to better understand the world in which they live and what it means to be who they are and do what they do. The film offers a good blend of racing action, characterization, drama, and heart, smartly mixing them all together and never chocking the film with any single element. It works well, enjoys good performances, and benefits from its blending of recreated and real footage. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release is sadly short on supplements but does offer good video and excellent audio. Recommended, particularly to auto racing fans.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1966
2012
1973
2021
2014
1992
Remastered
1976
2001
1988
1984
1969
2016
2005
2012
Retro VHS Collection
1996
Unrated Extended Edition
2005
2013
2001
15th Anniversary Edition | Director's Cut | Includes Theatrical Cut DVD
1999
2001