Fun With Dick & Jane
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Cast: Jane Fonda, George Segal, Ed McMahon
Extras:
Rating:
Wildly funny is the term that comes to my mind as I think about this great comedy from the 70s that has now found its way to DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Dick Harper (George Segal) is a highly paid executive in an aerospace company on the way to the top. One day he comes to the office and is fired. Just like that, because of company cutbacks. In debts over their ears, he and his wife Jane (Jane Fonda) soon struggle making ends meet as they run out of money. One day they are caught in a robbery and Jane steals $2000 in the midst of the struggle from the actual robbers. Feeling empowered and a bit proud Dick and Jane figure that maybe they could make a living as robbers. They start successfully holding up small convenience stores for a living. Then, one day they decide to do one last coup…. the big one. A daring heist that could land both of them in jail.
As the title suggests, "Fun With Dick & Jane" never takes itself seriously. It is really a fun romp about these two guys who happen to discover a certain talent for robbery as friendly, charming and forthcoming criminals who couldn't hurt a fly. It makes for great entertainment.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is presenting the movie in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. I was shocked at the first seconds of the film. The image is unbelievably grainy but it subsides once the credits are over and we enter the actual movie. While some grain is still evident there, it is never distracting or harming the viewing experience. Occasional speckles are visible in the print but other than that we are looking at a decent transfer with good detail and color reproduction. Black levels are solid and deep and the transfer nicely restores the slight pastel color palette that marks so many 70s movies. The compression is without problems.
The DVD features the original stereo audio track of the movie that makes for a good viewing. Dialogues are well integrated and always understandable. The somewhat limited frequency response gives the film a dated quality but it is never distracting or distasteful.
"Fun With Dick & Jane" is a great little film that has just been remade with Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni in the lead. Here you have the chance to see the original. It may be a bit dated but it still is absolutely hilarious.
