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Also part of the Mel Brooks
Collection on Blu-ray
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Review by Leonard Norwitz
Production:
Theatrical: Brooksfilms
Blu-ray: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Disc:
Region: FREE!
Runtime: 1:44:22.256
Disc Size: 35,356,074,241 bytes
Feature Size: 29,128,335,360 bytes
Video Bitrate: 27.96 Mbps
Chapters: 32
Case: Standard U.S Blu-ray Case
Release date: May 11th, 2010
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080P / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio English 4045 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4045
kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 2060 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4045
kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
/ Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
/ Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
/ Dolby Surround
Subtitles:
English, French & Spanish
Extras:
• Commentary with Mel Brooks
• Funny Men in Tights: Three Generations of Comedy – in HD
(13:49)
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights - The Legend Had it Coming – in
SD (26:14)
• Isolated Score Track in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Theatrical Trailer
Description: Fox’s Mel Brooks Collection, released in
December 2009, included nine of Mel Brooks' ten films -
absent only The Producers. At that time three of his movies
were already available on Blu-ray (Blazing Saddles, Young
Frankenstein and Spaceballs) and it seemed only a matter of
time before the other six would find their way to becoming
available outside the collection. Fox is releasing three of
them separately on May 11: Robin Hood: Men in Tights,
History of the World: Part 1, and High Anxiety. Presumably
the remaining three will come out on their own at some later
date.
The Film:
4
Well, Mel, it's been quite a climb, sort of like the one by
Dante and Virgil. He started with the likes of The
Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein and ended
with Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Itself a parody of the
Reynolds/Costner Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Brook's
final movie to date is a better vehicle for sending up, or
hommaging, or whatever, than To Be or Not To Be - this much
is certain. I like the title and the line by the generally
underrated Cary Elwes ("Unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can
speak with an English accent.") A couple of the supporting
actors are worth our time: Roger Rees as the Sheriff of
Rottingham and the awesome Tracey Ullman as Latrine, the
ugliest witch on the planet with a yen for Prince John. Amy
Yasbeck is a Maid Marion lovely to look at, but Richard
Lewis as Prince John is a bore, and Dave Chappelle as Achoo
is not nearly as funny as he can be. Mel Brooks' direction
here is lazy and without a clue as to how to fill his frame.
There is no excuse for a parody to look amateurish in the
bargain.
Image:
8/8
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were obtained directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Wouldn't you know that one of the lesser movies in this
collection gets one of the better transfers! Such is comedy,
I guess. In all fairness I should add that the visuals
benefit from its highly resolved, color-rich image.
Dimensionality would be better is it were lit accordingly;
on the other hand, detail and contrast are very good, with
perhaps a touch crushing of the blacks.
Audio & Music:
8/8
The DTS-HD MA mix does what it can to breathe some life into
this otherwise dull movie, and I have to admit it almost
succeeded. The music score, once again ably supplied by John
Morris, as he has from the start for Mr. Brooks, offers some
majesty and the occasional humping. Effects busily engage
the surrounds with everything from whistling arrows to
Latrine's bubbling pot.
Extras:
7
Imported from the DVD is the commentary with Mel Brooks –
anecdotal and entertaining, as expected. "Funny Men in
Tights: Three Generations of Comedy" considers the cross
generational talents of the likes of Dom DeLuise, Dick Van
Patton, and Dave Chappelle, using this as a springboard to
talk about the making of the movie. Robin Hood: Men in
Tights - The Legend had it Coming" is a very good vintage
HBO special that would have been nice in HD. The title is
self-explanatory. John Morris's excellent music is
accessible in uncompressed audio in the Isolated Score
Track.
Bottom line:
6
The movie has its moments, but is not one of Brooks’ better
efforts. The PQ is very good, as is the audio. Extra
Features are entertaining and worth the effort, better than
the movie, as it happens.
Leonard Norwitz
May 15th, 2010
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Also part of the Mel Brooks
Collection on Blu-ray
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