The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see performance by Reginald Denny.

The Reckless Age is a 1924 silent production released by Universal Pictures. The release comes from the legendary Hollywood producer Carl Laemmle. Adapted from the novel Love Insurance by Earl Derr Biggers, the film stars the great Reginald Denny. Fans of Denny and his comedic style will be thrilled with the new 4K restoration by Universal as distributed by Kino.

Dick Minot (Reginald Denny) is a successful insurance agent who finds himself getting more than he ever bargained for – and plenty of surprises along the way. Involved with a beautiful and enormously wealthy heiress, Dick finds that happiness might be around the corner. Can Dick win the heart of his lass?

The first thing that struck me about the feature-film was the leading performance by Reginald Denny. An impressive performer with a knack for the craft of silent-film performances, Denny managed to craft a compelling role out of his character and bring a sense of life and vitality to the silver- screen. Bringing a sense of comedic chops to the role, Denny used his style to make the film become more entertaining and engaging for audiences – and the results can be seen in the success of the film.

"Are you going to eat that flower?"

The cinematography by William Fildew (The Great Secret, Outside the Law) also makes a strong impression throughout the motion-picture. For a silent production circa 1924, the cinematographic styling manages to hold up remarkably well. The color-tinting is creative and adds to the experience. It is certainly impressive and gives the entire film a more unique energy.

The music by Jake Monaco (Flora & Ulysses, Think Like a Dog) is one of the best strengths of the production. The score manages to convey the heart and humor of the piece and it does so with an outstanding sense of timing. The music matches the visuals and helps lead audiences through the storytelling with ease.

The screenplay by Rex Taylor (Sporting Chance, The Power God) is one of the more inconsistent elements. Although the script has a good concept and it is generally well executed, there are also occasional racial undertones that seem questionable for modern times. These scenes could have certainly been better but one must remember the historical context of the time-period in which the production was made.

Directed by Harry A. Pollard (Tonight at Twelve, Show Boat), The Reckless Age is entertaining for the most part. Though I could have done without some of the racist undertones in the filmmaking, this is nonetheless a charming film if one can focus squarely on the main storyline and the performance by Reginald Denny. Denny steals the show and Pollard brings the best out of his as director. While The Reckless Age isn't a perfect film, it still carries some merit to this day.

The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Reckless Age is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original 1.33:1 full frame. The release comes from a brand new 4K restoration completed by Universal. Sometimes miracles do happen: the stunning new 4K scan of the film is a resounding success that showcases the silent classic in the best possible quality.

Though the film presentation still showcases some occasional specks and thin scratches, the resolution increase is remarkable. The level of detail and clarity on the print is outstanding and is the kind of loving scan audiences seek for classic film preservation. A resounding success by Universal Pictures and Kino Lorber.

The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio track is extraordinary and manages to showcase the music score composed by Jake Monaco at its absolute best. The score is entirely crisp, clear, and resoundingly clean. As a silent era feature with a high-resolution score accompanying it, there are no pops, clicks, hiss, warps, clicks, and other audio-related anomalies. Universal Pictures and Kino loving preserve the film with an exceptional audio track.

The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Anthony Slide

The Reckless Age Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Reckless Age is an entertaining production which is highlighted by a strong performance by Reginald Denny. While the script has some inconsistent elements (including some dated and unnecessary moments), The Reckless Age is still worth a look for Denny alone. The Blu-ray is exceptional and features a stunning 4K restoration by Universal Pictures.