The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 13, 2023

James Frawley's "The Big Bus" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson; vintage trailer; and a couple of vintage TV spots. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Big Bus is not Airplane!. Yes, The Big Bus is defined by most of the same silliness that flourishes in Airplane!, but the end product is different. The funny in The Big Bus is all over the place, floating around, trying hard to be part of a witty mockery that never materializes. As a result, there are a few moments that look great because of a solid solo performance or two, but the rest is instantly forgettable material.

The Cyclops is a special bus. It has a massive engine that is powered by nuclear energy. It has two steering wheels that must be operated by two highly skilled drivers. It can automatically replace one or multiple tires that are no longer reliable. It has a bowling alley, a luxurious pool, and a fancy bar with a real piano and a professional piano player. It has a passenger area that imitates a tropical paradise overflowing with stunning colors. It has state-of-the-art electronic equipment that can communicate with a control room that is thousands of miles away.

A bus this special can be operated only by an equally special crew. But a few days before the bus is supposed to make its highly anticipated first trip from New York to Denver, a bizarre explosion hurts its creator, the main driver is replaced, and an overworked engineer in the control room cracks under pressure and later refuses to perform his duties. A very wealthy maniac with ties to the oil industry then instructs his loyal brainwashed assistant to plant a bomb on the bus so that it is the first and last of its kind.

Despite the concerning developments, the special bus welcomes its first clients and shortly after exits New York, but in a matter of hours, it begins malfunctioning in the most unusual ways imaginable.

The shortest and most accurate description of the screenplay that writers Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen handed to director James Frawley would be safe. Indeed, at the center of this screenplay is a well-tested concept that all big disaster films used during the 1960s and 1970s -- a large cast, typically of established stars, is spread out in multiple episodes, each functioning as a variation of a gigantic disastrous event, and encouraged to improvise as best as possible. In the ensuing chaos, which in the best such films is always quite well controlled, a lot happens and the camera attempts to capture as much of it can.

In The Big Bus, the chaos is initiated almost immediately after its opening credits disappear and the large cast can be seen improvising all over the place. For example, while Stockard Channing attempts to figure out how to keep her supposedly brilliant father’s experiment alive, elsewhere there are important developments with her ex-boyfriend (Joseph Bologna), his future epileptic partner (John Beck), and a nervous engineer (Ned Beatty). After the bus leaves New York, several other characters begin engaging each other too, and as unexpected developments complicate the trip to Denver, the chaos is documented from a variety of different angles, each introduced in a new episode.

Unfortunately, the chaos produces the type of silliness that only occasionally looks funny. It is not because the cast mishandles important parts or relationships while struggling to figure out the right tone for the improvisations that occur in it. It is because the screenplay does not produce the right material with the right opportunities for the fireworks that were needed for the The Big Bus to become a great comedy.

What partially redeems The Big Bus is the quality of its visuals, which are often stunning. This may seem a bit surprising now but it is how the major studios made these types of films during the 1960s and 1970s -- they spent big to ensure authenticity and have their investments show on the big screen as best as possible.

*The fancy bus that is seen in the film is real. It cost Paramount approximately $250,000 and even made a few real trips in Southern California.

The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Big Bus arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared after the film was fully restored in 4K at Paramount Pictures. I am so impressed with the quality of this master that at the moment I would enthusiastically place it amongst the top five to be prepared at Paramount Pictures and licensed to Kino Lorber. Excluding a few areas where darker areas could have been handled just slightly better -- and they probably look perfect in native 4K -- I think that this master is flawless. For example, delineation, clarity, and depth are so good that it routinely feels like they are part of a native 4K presentation. Density levels are outstanding, too. The party that graded the master did a phenomenal job as well. Indeed, all primaried look sensational, while the many supporting nuances are perfectly balanced. Unsurprisingly, the entire film is something of a visual feast, especially when experienced on a big screen. There are no traces of digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. (Note: This is a Region-A Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I started viewing the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track but quickly switched to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and stayed with it for quite some time. To be honest, I think that the latter is very, very good and does some tremendous things with the terrific music score and action footage. It is very easy to tell that the folks at Paramount Pictures have fully remastered both because the audio is exceptionally healthy, too.

The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Big Bus, sourced from a VHS. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Spots - presented here a couple of vintage TV spot for The Big Bus, sourced from a VHS. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson. The two commentators discuss in great detail the genesis of The Big Bus, its production qualities and blending of humor and satire, the film's reception, the careers of director James Frawley and some of the stars that made the film with him, etc.

The Big Bus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have been praying to get a definitive release of The Big Bus, your wish has been granted. The film has been fully restored in 4K at Paramount Pictures and the 4K master that was prepared for it is sensational. To be honest, it impressed me so much that at the moment I think it is one of the top five such masters to be licensed to Kino Lorber, quite possibly even the best. If you reside on the other side of the Atlantic and wish to acquire this release, please keep in mind that it is Region-A "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.