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SPACEBALLS
Blu-ray
Edition
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, voice
of Joan Rivers
Director: Mel Brooks
Audio: DTS HD 5.1, Dolby Stereo
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: MGM
Features: See Review
Length: 96 Minutes
Release Date: June 16, 2009
"Dim
the lights."
"Dimming
the lights!"
"Switch
to infrared."
"Switching
to infrared!"
"And
pray to God..."
"Praying
to God!"
Four
years after the first Star Wars trilogy wrapped, Mel Brooks decided to
delve into George Lucas' magic box and pull out a spoof.
I remember eating it up at the time it was in theatres, being both a
Lucas fan and a Brooks fan, and having not had a good Star Wars fix in
too many years.
Now
that the world has had its chance to overdose on the return of Star Wars, fans can look at
Spaceballs for what it really was...just another in a string of attempts
to ridicule the groundbreaking franchise, and one that didn't quite distinguish
itself from any other.
The
story centers around some intergalactic nasty people known as the Spaceballs,
who have used up all the air on their planet, and now plan to steal the
atmosphere of Druidia. So President
Scroob (Brooks) sends his evil henchman Dark Helmet (Moranis) to kidnap the
royal princess Vespa (Zuniga) on her wedding day.
But
the Druish princess has her own ideas, fleeing the alter with her droid
companion Dot Matrix (voice of Rivers). Dark
Helmet pursues, but a renegade space hero named Lone Starr (Pullman) and his Mog
(half man, half dog) cohort Barf (Candy) aim to intervene...but can they rescue
the princess and save Druidia, and leave enough set up for a sequel?
The
movie is mostly a collection of gags, some better than others, wrapped around a
flimsy string of a plot. Watching
it for the first time in ages, I was surprised at how little I really laughed.
The only bit that had me in hysterics was near the end of the film, and
it involved a cameo by John Hurt...I'll say no more.
The
cast is mostly spirited, but Brooks and company seem to be trying too hard to
please. The result is a moderately
amusing diversion, but not something anyone could call a classic comedy.
BONUS
TRIVIA: Mime great Lorene Yarnell
was the physical embodiment of Dot Matrix.
Video
***1/2
Space themed movies tend to look quite nice in high definition, and this Blu-ray of Spaceballs follows that form well. The transfer is clean, with solid and natural looking colors and crisp, well-defined images throughout. There are some minor instances of noticeable grain, but overall, this is definitely one of the better looking offerings from the 80s on disc.
Audio
***
Thanks to DTS HD audio, Spaceballs sounds more alive on Blu-ray than in any previous incarnation. There is plenty of dynamic range thanks to the comedic action, effects and music. The surrounds bring the space flight scenes to vivid, clear life, and the subwoofer, though only occasionally employed, adds some boom to the battles. Dialogue is clean and rendered nicely in the midst of the mix.
Features
****
This is a nicely loaded double disc combo, including both a
DVD and a Blu-ray version of the movie. Most of the extras are with the
Blu-ray, including a commentary by Mel Brooks, who shares his memories with great
warmth and humor. Or, if you really have
nothing better to do, you can opt for a commentary track in either Mawgese or
Dinkese, though I'm guessing neither one of those languages will reach the
status of Klingon among sci-fi fans. And for the
attention impaired, you have the option to watch the entire movie in ludicrous
speed, reducing 90 minutes to about 30 seconds.
A documentary features
new cast and crew interviews and a look at the filming, special effects and
other processes. There is also a
conversation with Mel Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan, and a loving tribute
to the late John Candy.
There
are film flubs that have to be accessed one at a time (as opposed to a straight
out gag reel), art, costume and photo
galleries, storyboard-to-film comparisons, and a pair of trailers including
Mel's original one presented to theatre owners.
The DVD also features Mel's commentary, the trailer, and some behind-the-scenes footage.
Summary:
Mel Brooks is a comedy genius, but Spaceballs rarely flies. For fans, though, there's never been a better way to experience the movie than with this quality Blu-ray offering from MGM.
