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Traveta reviews
Touchstone Home Entertainment
- Cert: PG-13
- Cat.no: 24021
- Running time: 85 minutes
- Year: 2002
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 1, NTSC
- Chapters: 12
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: $29.99
- Extras:Audio Commentary, Five Minute Movie
Director:
- Barry Sonnenfield
Screenplay:
- Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone
Cast:
- Eliot Arnold: Time Allen
Anna Herk: Rene Russo
Alan Sietz: Omar Epps
Snake: Tom Sizemore
Matt Arnold: Ben Foster
Puggy: Jason Lee
Walter Kramitz: Patrick Warburton
The last movie delayed by the terrible events of 9/11 has finally arrived with mixed results.Originally slated to premiere on October 29, 2001, a plot at the end involvinga bomb on a plane sent it to the dismal February 2002 slot.
Was anyone suprised when it tanked? I wasn’t. If it had been releasedback then I think it would have done more than 8 million. Theyadvertised the hell out of this movie summer 2001 and that’s usually theformula for success (i.e. xXxandSigns).So here it is, another Barry Sonnenfield group comedy for better or worse.
Big Trouble has a very complicated plot. It’s pretty much just a typicalstar-filled comedy. Something about a man who has a hit on him becausehe squealed about a mafia job and terrorists obtaining a nuclear bomb.Two convicts end up stealing the nuclear bomb towards the end and thereyou go. It’s nearly impossible to define the plot. So I’ll just say thatit’s got some big actors and it’s a comedy. Pretty basic, huh?
Barry Sonnefield films have to be taken lightly. I lost some respect forhis work after the terribleMen in Black IIbut this shows him at his roots. Seemingly like the pacing ofFight Clubin a way but it workswell. Clocking in at 83 minutes it’s pretty fast paced but there arealot of plot holes missing. Some that would have added to the overallsense of the film I presume. But despite it’s convoluted plot, thecleaverness is there in spades and provides for an average way to killan hour and 23 minutes.
The video is typical Touchstone again. Not great, not bad as always.Presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen, the first thing you’ll noticeis a sufficient amount of grain. Even though it was delayed from lastyear this shouldn’t have been a problem. Next up you’ll find somepixelization here and there. Since there are no real extras here thisshouldn’t have been a problem either. The transfer just has a flat,murky feel to it and just doesn’t do it enough justice. Now don’t thinkit’s like watching a VHS tape or anything, it’s good but not as great asit should have been. Most people won’t even notice but hey, I have toreview the video right?
Sound is provided in a decent enough Dolby Digital 5.1 mix offered inEnglish only. This is not very aggresive but for a comedy what can youexpect? On the level of comedy it works well but there were sometimeswhen dialouge interlaced somewhat. During action scenes it gets prettygood, but don’t expect this to wake up your neighbors.
An audio commentary with director Barry Sonnenfield is the only realextra we get here. I tend to find one man commentaries a little blandand gravitate more towards the group commentaries. But it’s here forpeople who want it. Oh and I almost forgot about the other extras, maybebecause they’re pretty weak. Sneak Peeks for some of Touchstone’supcoming movies and a worthless five minute (7:50 to be precise) cut ofthe film. Packed, huh?
Overall, like many releases from this studio, this is a decent moviecoupled with a bad DVD. The movie is cleaver and has some funny parts,the video is just alright, the sound is also just alright, and theextras are pretty nilch. Oh and did I mention this DVD only has 12chapters? Give it a rent though and save the $29.99 (a rip-off if I everdid see one)
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLEmailTraveta
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.