The Cutting Edge (1992)
MGM Home Entertainment
Cast: D.B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly
Extras: Theatrical Trailer
Rating:

As much as we hate to admit them, we all have our guilty pleasure movies. And typically, it’s easy to explain why we like the films. ’I like the action.’ ’I like the music.’ ’I think Bridget Wilson is beautiful.’ Whatever. But, I can’t tell you why I like ’The Cutting Edge’. I don’t like ice-skating. I don’t really like the cast. But, everytime it’s on cable, I watch it.

Well, those days are over, as I can now watch the DVD. ’The Cutting Edge’ tells the story of two athletes with Olympic dreams. Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) is a hockey player who is injured in the Olympics and is told that he can never play again. Kate is a prima donna – a rich, spoiled figure skater who is very talented, but chases off every partner. After she too fails to bring home an Olympic medal, her coach Pamchenko (Roy Dotrice) brings the two together to skate. Doug is hesistant to try a sport which he considers feminine, and Kate doesn’t want to skate with a brute. But, Pamchenko is persistent and the pair soon fall into an undeniable groove. And believe it or not, they also begin to fall in love. But, do they have what it takes to bring home Olympic gold?

The film is very predictable and director Paul Michael Glaser (yes, the ’Starsky & Hutch’ guy) loads it with MTV-esque style, but it all works somehow. ’The Cutting Edge’ falls squarely into the genre of ’sports films where you know exactly what’s going to happen’, but the believable characters (I’ve known some women like Kate) and the nicely choreographed skating numbers definitely add to the film.

’The Cutting Edge’ arrives on DVD from MGM Home Entertainment. The movie has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and it is enhanced for 16×9 TVs. The image is sharp, however it is hazy at times. Also, there are many defects, such as scratches and white-spots, evident from the source print. The colors come across well, as the fleshtones look natural and the colorful costumes stand out against the ice.

The audio on this DVD is a Dolby 2-channel surround mix. For the most part the audio stays in the center and front channels, with the surround sound speakers being used primarily for musical cues and audience noise. The dialogue is clear and audible, and there is no hiss on the soundtrack.

The only extra on the disc is the theatrical trailer for ’The Cutting Edge’, which is presented full-frame. As part of MGM’s ’Contemporary Classics’ series, ’The Cutting Edge’ is available at a reasonable price at most outlets. And I for one am glad to have it on DVD. Just don’t tell anybody.