Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Crew Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 19, 2020

Michael Dinner's "The Crew" (2000) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary with the director and vintage trailer for the film. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A.

"You said the good times were gonna last forever." "I thought we'd be dead by now."

Had Michael Dinner made The Crew in the early 1940s, around the same time Preston Sturges began directing, right now a lot of people would have enthusiastically argued that his film is a genre classic. The script that Dinner used to make it is pure dynamite and the aging stars that worked with him are sensational together. The entire film also looks really, really good.

The cool period prologue pays homage to Marty Scorsese’s GoodFellas in a way that essentially sets the tone for the entire film. Even before it ends you just know that the rest of the film will be a hoot. Four young and handsome wise guys rough up some loser, set a big truck on fire, and then disappear into the thick shadows of the night. Those were the good times, the narrator explains.

Now, quite a few decades later, the four wise guys -- The Brick (Dan Hedaya), Mouth (Seymour Cassel), Bats (Burt Reynolds) and Bobby, for a very short period of time also known as Bobby The Jew (Richard Dreyfuss) -- share the same lousy room in an old but evolving hotel in Miami Beach, and they are pissed because even though they are in their seventies and have part-time jobs they can barely make ends meet. It is that broad Madonna’s fault, the narrator explains, because after she declared that Miami Beach is the place to be the area permanently changed -- the average age of eighty went down while the average rent went up, and in both cases rather dramatically. So, to be able to keep their room the guys decide to stage a ‘gruesome murder’ inside the hotel, which would hurt its image, drive away prospective tenants, and force the landlord to do whatever it takes to keep them there. But the corpse that they steal from the morgue where The Brick works and then ‘execute’ in the hotel turns out to be related to powerful drug lord Raul Ventana (Miguel Sandoval), and when the local media begins reporting on the ‘shocking assassination’ he vows to track down and punish the ‘enemies’ that are trying to hurt him and his business. As Ventana’s men begin digging around the guys remain cool, but Mouth accidentally reveals to striptease dancer Ferris (Jennifer Tilly) that he is part of the crew the drug lord is looking for and she politely asks that they also whack her stepmother (Lainie Kazan), which of course will guarantee that she keeps her mouth shut.

The Crew unleashes an avalanche of spectacular jokes that are delivered with such remarkable precision that it really does feel like Dinner and writer Barry Fanaro tried their best to match the brilliance of the many classic comedies that Sturges and Ernst Lubitsch directed and are now remembered for. Many of these jokes have the Sturges edge as well, which then charges the action with an equally impressive energy. (If you are unconvinced, or even think that this is a sacrilegious exaggeration, take a closer look at the brash character Akim Tamiroff plays in The Great McGinty and compare it to the four wise guys from this film. They actually look like close relatives).

The best part about the humor is that it is very witty as well. Indeed, if the occasion allows it, it is suggestive enough to be refreshingly cynical, but never crosses the line of decency to become either tasteless or rude. Nowadays this exact type of loose yet respectful humor is very much a lost art.

Reynolds, Cassel, Hedaya and Dreyfuss are an awesome team together and the longer the camera follows them around, the easier it becomes to recognize the fact that they inspire each other. It is beautiful to watch, especially when their antics are part of an elaborate piece. Tilly’s playfulness perfectly complements these special actors as well.

The only questionable contribution comes from Jeremy Piven, who becomes a cheating detective desperately trying to regain the respect of his colleague and former girlfriend played by Carrie-Anne Moss.

Juan Ruiz Anchia, who lensed James Foley’s cult crime drama Glengarry Glen Ross, takes full advantage of the beautiful Florida locations and fills the film with terrific panoramic vistas.

The Crew Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Crew arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master. However, its basic characteristics are good. For example, there are no traces of compromising digital adjustments, which is why generally delineation and clarity are quite pleasing. Close-ups with plenty of light in particular can look very attractive. The darker areas is where you will begin to notice the shortcomings of the master, and primarily because these are the areas where finer details and nuances usually begin to struggle. The crushing that pops up also impacts color balance, and specifically the manner in which select nuances appear aligned (you can see good examples in screencaptures #11 and 17). Even with these limitations, however, the visuals remain quite pleasing. On a larger display they also hold up rather nicely. Yes, I would like to specifically mention that a brand new master will improve fluidity, but there is nothing seriously wrong with the fluidity on the current master. Image stability is very good. There are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Crew Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the 5.1 and did not perform any tests with the 2.0 track. I thought that it was very solid, boasting strong depth and clarity. I liked the overall balance as well. For a modern film, separation is quite excellent, though I would not say that I was in any way impressed. The dialog is stable, clean, and very easy to follow. I don't know why optional subtitles were not included, but I did not not need any.

The Crew Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Crew. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, director Michael Dinner discusses in great detail how The Crew was conceived and shot in Miami, what it was like to work with such a spectacular cast, and the style and sense of humor of his film. It is a terrific commentary. It is moderate by Kino Lorber producer Douglas Hosdale.

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. Fuzz
  2. Malone
  3. Gator
  4. White Lightning

The Crew Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Action comedies with old guys are a bit like blind dates -- they look good on paper but rarely meet the expectations. Michael Dinner's film The Crew, however, is a very rare gem that instantly grabs your attention and then does just about everything right to make sure that you have a good time with it. It is so nicely acted, so spirited and funny that I would be willing to argue it is amongst the best of its kind. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old but good master, and features a very interesting and informative exclusive new audio commentary with Dinner. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.