Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Stan & Ollie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 29, 2019

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy probably imagined that their legacy would live on in some form or fashion long after their deaths, but they may never have considered that a movie would be made about them some 80 years after their professional peak. Director Jon S. Baird's (Filth) Stan & Ollie is a dual-subject biopic about one of the great comedy tandems in Hollywood history, the slender Laurel and the rotund Hardy, focusing less on their talents and performances -- though their acts both on stage and on the screen are certainly central to telling their stories -- and more on the men under the costumes, men whose bond is built and and tested through time, whose sharing of fame and fortune and professional hard luck has seen them share much the same life trajectory. These are men who have found platonic soul mates in one another. It's a well-crafted and exceedingly well realized production that will appeal to audiences intimately familiar with the duo or those who simply recognize the names in passing as part of days long gone by.

Ollie & Stan.

In 1937, Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy's (John C. Reilly) stage and screen comedy routines have taken the world by storm. They are megastars in every sense of the term, beloved all over the world. But less than two decades later, their shared careers seem to be on their last legs. They are touring together through the United Kingdom to small crowds and shrinking prospects. Contractual obligations are splitting them up, too, putting a strain on their relationship and dimming the prospect of ever making their dream film, a collaborative, comedic take on Robin Hood. But as their tour gains momentum, the pair again find more success. Unfortunately, Hardy's deteriorating health puts a strain on the tour and adds another threat to Laurel & Hardy's future personal and career prospects.

The film explores a complicated relationship of complimentary talent, shared highs and lows, exceedingly great fame and fortune, and fall and fatigue. What’s unique about the story isn’t that the two found shared success, it’s that they grew alongside one another, as performers and as men, forging a bond that connected them on the screen but also in the souls. Laurel and Hardy are portrayed as something akin to a married couple involved in a longtime platonic romance. They need one another more than they need their careers. They thrive on collaboration and time spent together, and even in the end, with Hardy profusely ill, Laurel finds he cannot perform with a stand-in and Hardy finds comfort in performing one of the duo’s classic routines and stepping up to dance in the finale, despite that he is obviously, and gravely, ill. Baird and Writer Jeff Pope (Philomena) script the characters with remarkable insight and depth into the connection that binds them well beyond the stage and screen.

Coogan and Reilly shine as the title characters. Their screen presence and chemistry is vital in shaping the story, which plays out in the physical and verbal realms but always feels as if it's grounded in the characters' hearts and souls. The two feel like old friends, friends who have been through the highs and lows and shared their life-defining experiences in one another's presence. Their lives have been indelibly shaped by all of the positive bonding and strengthened through some of the frays that come with that time together, that understanding of one another and the co-dependence which is so vital to not only their performances as actors but also their performances as human beings. Both Coogan and Reilly are special in the movie, but it's the latter who dominates the film in an award-worthy performance. Aided by seamless prosthetics, Reilly finds a character depth and detail and inhabitation that he has never found before. This is his finest performance.

Stan & Ollie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Stan & Ollie's 1080p transfer is in good working order, presenting the digitally sourced material with steady, reliable accuracy. That pertains to detailing and color alike. The movie's period textures come alive with robust density, including those that make up stages, hotel rooms, and other locations seen throughout the film. Costumes are revealing, showcasing fine fabric and stitch definition in close-up. Skin details are excellent, with special note of the seamless prosthetics Reilly in particular wears in the movie. While seams are hidden, the Blu-ray does reveal the spongy "fat" qualities and applied skin details quite nicely. Colors are a little warm, reflecting a slight period adjustment. Skin tones are healthy and black levels are consistently deep. A little noise expectedly creeps into the image during lower light scenes but is the only "blemish" on an otherwise fine presentation that satisfies from end-to-end.

Stan & Ollie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Stan & Ollie's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is front-heavy with scant surround usage and nothing of prominence. Essentials are presented with perfectly acceptable clarity, whether music, effects, or dialogue. Crowd applause and laughter, environmental city details, and the like enjoy satisfying and scene-complimentary clarity but the lack of a more immersive stage does mean the listener never feels fully drawn into the world, at least sonically. Dialogue is the primary audio component, though, and placement and prioritization are just fine.

Stan & Ollie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Stan & Ollie contains a few featurettes, a cast & crew Q&A, deleted and extended scenes, and a trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not appear to ship with a slipcover.

• Making Stan & Ollie (1080p, 4:43): Discussing the characters, the cast and performances (including the importance of Coogan and Reilly forming a real-life friendship), makeup and prosthetics, and more.
• Playful Prosthetics (1080p, 3:20): Expanding, albeit slightly, on the mention of makeup and prosthetics from the previous supplement (including a few recycled lines and images).
• The Dancing Duo (1080p, 3:35): Cast and crew discuss the characters, their legacy and iconography, Laurel & Hardy's relationship and personalities, and more.
• Q&A With Cast & Crew (1080p, 30:47): Moderator Jenelle Riley speaks with Director Jon S. Baird, Prosthetics Make-Up Designer Mark Coulier, and Actors Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, and Shirley Henderson. Discussions are wide-ranging and more informative than any of the other extras.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (1080p, 10:28 total runtime): Included are Double Doors & Hats, Hard Boiled Egg, and Way Out West Dance.
• Stan & Ollie Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:24).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Stan & Ollie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stan & Ollie is the second recent film in which John C. Reilly has played the second-billed character in a two-man "&" titled show, this one being a good bit better than the other. Both he and Coogan are terrific as the classic comedy duo Laurel & Hardy, bringing a depth, heart, and soul to the characters because they build them from those inside qualities first and allow them, and some amazing prosthetics, makeups, and costumes, to help them define the characters secondarily on the outside. This is a terrific little movie that is not to be missed. Sony's Blu-ray delivers high end video, solid audio, and a few good extras. Highly recommended.