Something Big Blu-ray Movie

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Something Big Blu-ray Movie United States

Kino Lorber | 1971 | 108 min | Rated PG-13 | Jun 14, 2016

Something Big (Blu-ray Movie), temporary cover art

Price

List price: $29.95
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Buy Something Big on Blu-ray Movie

Movie rating

6.5
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer3.0 of 53.0
Overall3.0 of 53.0

Overview

Something Big (1971)

Joe Baker has a dream. He wants to do 'something big.' When he needs a Gatling gun to accomplish this, he seeks out a black marketeer. The price he wants for the gun? A woman! So Baker kidnaps a woman off of the stagecoach, only to find that she is the wife of the commandant of the local Cavalry detachment. Things get further complicated when a girl named Dover McBride shows up. She has come to force Baker to marry her and return east.

Starring: Dean Martin, Brian Keith, Carol White, Honor Blackman, Ben Johnson
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen

Western100%
ComedyInsignificant

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

  • Subtitles

    None

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie3.5 of 53.5
Video3.0 of 53.0
Audio4.0 of 54.0
Extras0.0 of 50.0
Overall3.0 of 53.0

Something Big Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 25, 2016

Emerging from the success of 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” 1971’s “Something Big” aims to sustain the freewheeling good times with another folksy western, this time pitting Dean Martin against Brian Keith. “Something Big” (which could inspire a drinking game, finding characters working the title into dialogue any chance they get) isn’t a dynamic production from director Andrew V. McLaglen (“The Wild Geese”), but it gets the job done thanks to the charms of the cast and its askew sense of frontier priority. The screenplay by James Lee Barrett isn’t always interested in Gatling gun action and chases, but pursues a lightly romantic tone as female characters become treasures to cowboys and military men, with the adventure straddling the border between America and Mexico.


Martin is always up for a good time, and his relaxed ways help “Something Big” achieve a comfort level that welcomes laughs and action. The tale concerns the daily dealings of outlaws and Army men struggling with female entanglements while hunting for a Mexican treasure, taking the emphasis off broad masculinity and squinty showdowns, keeping the vibe of the picture alert and pacing on the move, periodically stopping to reassess Wild West goals. Camaraderie is enjoyable, with performances taking control of the effort, easing dramatic demands until the final act, when a sense of severity returns to land “Something Big” with a touch of gravitas.


Something Big Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  3.0 of 5

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation struggles with erratic cinematography. Outdoor adventures tend to register with the most power, finding passable detail as distances are explored and leathery characters are surveyed, achieving a modest level of clarity that frequently battles with softness. Interiors are intentionally hazy, aggressively so at times, delivering bloomy whites. Colors are a tad faded, but costuming preserves more vibrant hues, and skintones remain appealing. Delineation isn't problematic outside of a day-for-night sequence. Source is in decent shape, but scratches and speckling remain.


Something Big Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  4.0 of 5

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides a clean listening experience that doesn't find much difficulty with dialogue exchanges, keeping voices detailed throughout. Scoring is also nicely balanced, supporting without disruption. Instrumentation remains appealing during the soundtrack cut as well. Atmospherics supply expanse, and action preserves snap, delivering heavier gunfire and explosions.


Something Big Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  n/a of 5

No supplementary material is included on this disc.


Something Big Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  3.0 of 5

Substance isn't completely welcome here, and hilarity isn't achieved, but "Something Big" delivers a satisfying viewing experience that respects the essentials of western adventure while adding period-ready touches to help the effort compete in the marketplace, including a pop song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, meant to mirror "Butch Cassidy," or at least siphon a bit of the feature's success.