I know most of us have probably seen Tommy Boy, time and time
again; I saw it in the theater when it came out in 1995 and to
me Chris Farley and David Spade will always be funny as hell.
Tommy Boy is an all time classic for me and I was happy when I
stole it out of the Val cave (yes! I know where it is). The blu-ray
came out right before Christmas on Dec. 16, 2008, released by
Paramount. It's of course in 1080p and 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the
audio is, English/Spanish: Dolby true HD 5.1 and French Dolby
2.0.
A recap of the movie for those poor souls who haven't seen it. Thomas R. Callahan III (Chris Farley) just graduated college, barely scraping by with a D+. He comes back welcomed in his hometown of Sandusky, OH. Where his dad is an owner of an auto parts factory. Since he is the boss's son he gets an office and all the perks. His dad ends up dying at his own wedding leaving the factory to him. Tommy boy has to keep his father's company going and keep everyone employed. So he and Richard (David Spade) go out all over the Midwest trying to sell his father's invention - a hi-tech brake pad. Well, it's funny as hell to watch these two trying to pitch this new brake pad as well as try to get along. They end up failing on the road and coming back to find themselves fighting for the company. This is a great movie to watch and you'll have to see it to truly enjoy the end of it.
The Good:
The upgrades to the film make for a very nice Blu-ray. The people look solid, the colors look a bit sharper and the Dolby 5.1 is an improvement. The Extras on the Blu-ray are enjoyable. You get "Tommy Boy: Behind the Laughter", which covers the acting careers of our major players. "Growing up Farley" is kind of like an homage to the late Chris Farley, interviewing his brothers and having them tell stories of their youth. "Stories From the Side of the Road" is about the improv that all the actors brought to the movie. I also really enjoyed the "Gag Reel". I had to stop and start it many times since I couldn't pay attention from laughing so much. If you like commentary (I usually don't), then the commentary by Director Peter Segal was worth checking out - you actually catch him laughing a few times.
The Bad:
The movie is much improved as far as appearance is concerned and some of it look nicely done. But in all reality, there isn't much to wow you. The picture quality is sharper but not by that much. If you look in the background you'll see it's sometimes grainy. The voices sound clear but the music and the background sound weren't up to par. It's not that the BD transfer wasn't well done, but I felt that this wasn't the type of movie for it to be noticeable - it really doesn't have a need for that much detail. Yet Tommy Boy is a great comedy and the sharper image and the improved sound quality is just an added bonus.
The Ugly:
None what-so-ever.
The End:
Tommy Boy Blu-ray has a lot of "little" features to enjoy and if you're a true fan of the film or you just like a good comedy, then it is worth adding this to your collection. There is enough here for you to get a few hours of enjoyment. I give this a TOV 5 out of 5 for the Holy schnike of it.