Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Cable Guy Blu-ray Movie Review

Plug this disc into your Blu-ray collection.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 17, 2011

You might want to put on a bathing suit because you'll be channel surfing in no time!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was this magic little word that promised untold amounts of entertainment for adults, forbidden fruits for children eager to learn about their world through the medium of television, and the opportunity to watch programming so diverse that there might be an entire channel devoted to sports, cooking, gardening, movies, and who knows what else. That word was "cable," a wonderful little invention that through a single coaxial wire dangling from the wall behind the television brought with it, literally, a world of entertainment opportunity. For most people, cable was an outlet, an escape from the rigors of daily life, and freedom from the limitations of rabbit ears and local stations. The Boob Tube was redefined, for a generation or two, anyway, until the advent of small, practical, and affordable personal satellite dishes that made the then-thirty or so channels on cable look as limited as that fuzzy old black-and-white image that seemed like magic in the 1950s. There was only one problem with cable, though: the cable guy. Sure, most of them were regular, everyday people engaged in the old 8-to-5 grind, working tirelessly to install the magic wire in places of residence all the live long day, even though it seemed like everyone, somehow, managed to have their cable guy show up at the very end of the nine-hour window. Still, it was an in-and-out job, a small price to pay for the pleasures of sharper pictures and countless more channels. But what if the cable guy was more than he seemed? What if professional courtesy and a polite smile somehow morphed into an overly-friendly and frighteningly but at the same time jovially forceful manner? Sure it could happen with any professional -- doctor, lawyer, drive-through bank teller, plumber -- but the cable guy, he holds the power, the on/off switch to the gateway to happiness, the final say in whether the cable works and the picture is clear. Befriend him, and enjoy the benefits of free movie channels. Cross him, and he's liable to turn it all off and ruin a perfectly good life.

The sweet spot.

Steve Kovacs's (Matthew Broderick, Godzilla) television is on the fritz, or, at least, his cable box is. He's all but given up on waiting for the cable guy to show, and of course he arrives four hours late while Steve is in the shower. It's a routine fix, but the Cable Guy (Jim Carrey, A Christmas Carol) is anything but an Average Joe. He passionately caresses the wall behind which the cable rests, rearranges Steve's furniture just-so to ensure perfect reception, laments in an off-the-cuff sort of way that he never really gets to "know" his customers, and chums it up with Steve, even going so far as to give him his personal pager number in case of a future cable emergency. The Cable Guy offers to take Steve out to the satellite array to give him a glimpse of how cable really works; Steve takes it as a kindly throwaway remark and brushes it off, but the creepy Cable Guy is deadly serious. A play date is set and the two form an uneasy friendship, with the Cable Guy making like they've been lifelong pals and Steve wondering how far this oddball Cable Guy creature will take things and how to politely break it off. When the Cable Guy begins to dig into his new friend's personal life and offers relationship advice that gets Steve his girlfriend Robin (Leslie Mann, Drillbit Taylor) back in his good graces, Steve begins to feel that, just maybe, his new friend isn't all that bad. As the relationship awkwardly grows, Steve realizes that his initial instincts may have been correct. The Cable Guy isn't so easy to lose and not exactly the man to make mad; not only does he have the power of the cable company at his fingertips, but he has a more sinister knack for making life a living hell.

The Cable Guy. It's a classic, Jim Carrey's best Comedy (yeah, yeah, Dumb & Dumber, no need to send angry letters), a lively, laugh-a-second romp that might be a bit dated in terms of the basic technical jargon and whatnot but that nevertheless holds up incredibly well. The story is clever and the laughs are regular, but it's Jim Carrey's performance that sells the movie in every frame. Never mind his co-stars; sure, Matthew Broderick, Jack Black, Leslie Mann, et. al. are fine, but they fall under Carrey's gigantic shadow. This is his best character, the one in which he seems the most passionate and involved, giving a life force and energy to a fictional person that's quite rare and reserved, generally, for the absolute finest of comedians. Carrey not only has the Cable Guy down pat, he is the Cable Guy; he's as fantastic verbally as he is physically, and the actor shows incredible range in his ability to give the character so much depth, goofiness, and an appearance of friendliness that slowly but surely morphs into some kind of over-the-top maniacal evil that he plays with so much fun and enthusiasm that it's hard not to root for the character even when he's solidified himself as a kind of outwardly menacingly monster but nevertheless an inwardly well-meaning loner who just wants a friend. He's almost a Frankenstein's Monster-type creature, a person electrified to life by old television shows but who is so socially awkward that he's rejected for being himself and forced to find "creative" ways of getting what he wants and, really, needs out of life. Does he mean harm? Is he a monster? Or is he just really that socially inept?

Of course, Carrey's performance is at the top of reasons to watch The Cable Guy, but he's also the beneficiary of a fantastic script. The way it weaves in so many old TV show and movie references -- from My Three Sons to Sleepless in Seattle -- is not only critical to the plot but a pleasure to watch unfold, culminated by the film's unforgettable parody of the "Star Trek" episode Amok Time. Still, the film's many references are only the tip of the iceberg; the script is incredibly witty, well-paced, and has a knack for meshing awkward dialogue with semi-serious drama to more greatly enhance the comedy. Director Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder) crafts the movie carefully so as to engage the audience and make them feel like a party directly involved in the up-and-down friendship between the Cable Guy and Steve Kovacs rather than merely detached observers. Though only his second feature film, Stiller handles The Cable Guy with the confidence of a veteran director, the film always as visually engaging as it is verbally funny. Stiller balances the film well, giving due time to the laughs but also making sure that character development, personal drama, and even a sprinkling of sweetness all work their way into a polished, entertaining, endearing, and long-lasting end product.

The Cable Guy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Cable Guy doesn't look as crisp and fresh as a brand new picture, but Sony's 1080p Blu-ray transfer breathes new life into this 15-year-old movie. Though the transfer yields a balanced color palette and a fair amount of detail in skin textures, clothes, and the like, it lacks the absolute definition of superior titles. Fine object detail in material such as chain mail armor comes up lacking and looking a little flat, and the colors lack a vibrancy that, to the transfer's credit, is probably more a result of Director Ben Stiller's palette that favors something of a black-and-blue look than it is any fault of the transfer. Grain is retained over the image, but so too is a touch of background noise. Black levels are generally solid but not spectacular, with a hint of crush appearing in a few spots. Wobble is also evident over the opening credits, and a hint of banding and blocking appear in a few instances. This is far from a perfect transfer, but all things considered it's quite good, besting by leaps and bounds the DVD that was released way back in that format's infancy.

The Cable Guy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Cable Guy features a serviceable DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's not always active, but Sony's audio presentation handles the film's core element -- dialogue -- efficiently and without hitch. Many sound effects, too, play straight up the middle; the Cable Guy's persistent knocking and doorbell ringing signaling his entrance into the film are met by some heft but not much range. Light atmospherics linger across the front, but heavier elements enjoy a fair bit of surround support. Amped-up TV effects in a flashback sequence, crowd cheering at Medieval Times, a driving rain in chapter 10, a symphony of honking horns in chapter 13, or booming thunder in chapter 14 all demonstrate a wider range than most of the film's other effects and enjoy a lively surround sound element. Music is nicely spaced and crisp across the front; whether the beats of "Somebody To Love" or the refrain as originally heard in "Amok Time," Sony's lossless track delivers music with a good deal of energy and enthusiasm. The soundtrack isn't a revelation, but it's a good all-around listen that makes The Cable Guy all the more enjoyable.

The Cable Guy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Cable Guy hooks viewers up with a premium package of extra content, highlighted by a new audio commentary track, a collection of deleted and extended scenes, and several featurettes.

• Audio Commentary: Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, and Jim Carrey deliver a lively all-new-for-Blu-ray commentary that's almost as funny as the movie. It's light in tone but informative, the participants discussing random anecdotes from the set, the origins of the project, Carrey's decision to give the character a lisp, the film's budget and Jim Carrey's salary, shooting locales, secrets behind the script, and even a real-life story that inspired the Medieval Times sequence. This is a wonderful commentary with three Comedy legends; it's worth the price of the disc alone.
• Gag Reel (480i, 6:31).
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (480i, 24:03): Robin Turns Steven Down, Chip & Robin Lunch, Sam Sweet, Dinner, Steven & Robin After Dinner, The Terminator, My Three Sons, Nightmare Alt., and Ending Part 1 Alt.
• HBO First Look (480i, 24:14): The cable channel's humorous behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Cable Guy, featuring interviews, backstage footage, and clips form the film.
• Comedy Central Canned Ham Presents: The Cable Guy (480i, 21:38): Another behind-the-scenes, making-of sort of piece built around interview clips and scenes from the film. This one does occasionally feature real-life cable guys discussing their craft.
• Rehearsals (480i, 17:14): Basketball, Medieval Times, Breakfast, Ending Mud Fight, and Karaoke Alt. -- Bust a Move.
• Nightmare Camera Test (480i, 1:15).
• Leslie Mann Audition (480i, 3:01).
• "Leave Me Alone" Music Video (480i, 4:34).
• The Cable Guy Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:28).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• BD-Live.

The Cable Guy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Cable Guy is a fantastic Comedy, Jim Carrey's best comedic work and second only to, maybe, The Truman Show as his finest film regardless of genre. Uproariously funny, perfectly paced, smartly-directed, and featuring one of the highlight comedic performances of the 1990s, The Cable Guy is the complete package; it has all the channels, is hooked up just right, contains no fuzzy stations, and is a breeze to enjoy. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Cable Guy is quite good for a mid-1990s Comedy earning its initial Blu-ray release. A good-looking 1080p transfer, a multichannel lossless soundtrack that's not very far behind, and a nice assortment of extra content round this disc into shape as a bona-fide winner. Highly recommended.