DVD Review - Blue Streak

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Site created 12/15/97.

review added: 2/9/00

Blue Streak
1999 (1999) Columbia TriStar

review by Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits

Enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Film Rating: B+

Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/B+/A-

Specs and Features

94 mins, PG-13, letterboxed widescreen (1.85:1), 16x9 enhanced, full frame (1.33:1), single-sided, dual-layered, Amaray keep case packaging, featurette Blue Streak: Setting Up For the Score, featurette HBO First Look: Inside and Undercover, music videos for Girl's Best Friend by Jay-Z, Criminal Mind by Tyrese featuring Heavy D, and Damn (Should've Treated U Right) by So Plush and Ja Rule, theatrical trailers for Blue Streak and Bad Boys, film-themed menu screens with animation and sound, scene access (28 chapters), languages: English (DD 5.1), subtitles: English, Closed Captioned

"Watch out! He has a gun!"

Martin Lawrence is back, and this time he's clothed and keeps his gun hidden... for the most part. Blue Streak is an amusing, but sometimes contrived, action-comedy where Martin (make the two syllables pronounced) plays a jewel thief fresh from jail. He's on the prowl for a diamond worth $17 million, that he accidentally hid inside police headquarters. The only real funny bits come from Lawrence's schtick and how he reacts to it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but most of it plays out like a Beverly Hills Cop sequel that Eddie Murphy decided to pass on. I'm not saying that that's a bad thing, I'm just saying.

This DVD from Columbia TriStar features yet another top-notch film transfer. The picture quality is a shade on the soft side, and there are a few moments of artifacting. But for the most part, it looks pretty great. It certainly beats most other DVD transfers out there. Sound-wise, you would have expected a bit more play with the rear channels, but there isn't too much going on. Again, that's not saying it's bad, because it sounds like the filmmakers just didn't give it as much punch as they could have. The music however, sounds great.

Columbia TriStar is starting to make a lot of their discs special editions in some way - all the studios should pay attention. Here we get three videos, two nicely done documentaries about the making of the film, trailers for this and another Martin action-fest (Bad Boys), some talent files and pretty peppy menu screens. If you thought this film was fun in the theater, the disc will definitely make you a bigger fan.

Martin Lawrence is a funny guy. Sometimes he tries a bit too hard (both comedically and physically), but he's lovable enough. That is... when he's not running around naked in real live L.A. traffic, waving a gun in his hand. That's when it gets a bit twisted. But here... I have to say that I think you'll like both him and the movie.

Todd Doogan
todddoogan@thedigitalbits.com