6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A lonely and disturbed cable guy raised on television just wants a new friend, but his target, a designer, rejects him, with bad consequences.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, Jack Black, George SegalComedy | 100% |
Dark humor | 17% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
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 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 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.
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.
Special Edition
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Unrated
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Extended Cut
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