Fun With Dick And Jane
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Cast: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, Alec Baldwin, Richard Jenkins, Angie Harmon
Extras: Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Publicity Junket Outtakes
Rating:
Becoming more and more common these days, Hollywood has once again decided to re-visit a previous film, breathing new life into an old story. This time it's an update of the 1977 comedy "Fun with Dick and Jane", which starred Jane Fonda and George Segal. In this 2005 version, we have the always hysterical and rubber-faced Jim Carrey in the role of Dick Harper and Tea Leoni as his loving wife and sidekick Jane.
Achieving the American dream seems to have become a reality for Dick Harper. The prize house in the suburbs, new cars, good cash flow and now he is about to begin his move up the corporate ladder. Yes, Dick's patience and hard work at corporate giant Globedyne appears to have finally paid off as he accepts a promotion at work and convinces wife Jane to quit her job. As the worst of luck would have it, Dick's "promotion" turns out to be nothing more than a position as media spokesperson and basic fall guy for the company's ensuing financial fiasco. Seems Dick's boss Jack McCallister (Alec Baldwin) knew of the looming devastation and took precaution by liquidating all of his personal stocks, sending a ripple effect throughout the stock market and inevitably bankrupting Globedyne.
Now in complete shock and disbelief, Dick and Jane attempt to maintain the appearance of success, by liquidating all unnecessary then eventually necessary assets to keep their home and themselves afloat. Quickly running out of options, Dick and Jane decide to turn to a life of crime. "Fun with Dick and Jane" actually manages to put a comedic spin on what would normally be considered unfortunate and desperate times for most. Providing bumbling antics and goofball situations that easily places Dick and Jane as the two most inexperienced criminals on the planet! If you have seen the original, you pretty much know the story, except this 2005 remake throws in its share of jabs at the recent corporate disasters, lead by the infamous Enron fiasco.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment presents "Fun with Dick and Jane" on DVD in an anamorphic enhanced 2.40:1 widescreen presentation. Good color saturation and a decent black level provide the visual presentation with a wealth of detail that is overall pleasant to the eye. The transfer is free and clear of any noticeable dust or dirt particles. "Fun with Dick and Jane" also comes devoid of any edge enhancement or problems associated with over compression of the video, another fine example of a good showing for a film on DVD.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is more than adequate to support the visual content. Just as you would expect from a comedy themed film, the soundstage is not overly aggressive and the presentation is mainly focused on the front three channels. Vocals are naturally reproduced throughout, with minimal usage of surround channels, except when utilized to enhance a few of the action sequences.
Special features on this DVD of "Fun with Dick and Jane" are geared to extend the comedy of the feature presentation. Offering up some rather humorous deleted scenes, a gag reel and more silliness from Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni during hilarious outtakes from their publicity junket, you are sure to fulfill you comedic intake. There is also a full feature length audio commentary from director Dean Parisot and screenwriters Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller.
Never treading on the serious side of the subject matter, remember this is full out Jim Carrey comedy here, "Fun with Dick and Jane" is a delightful surprise that had me aching from all of the laughter brought on from the pure silliness and sometimes over-the-top humor! Believe me when I say that to witness Dick rob a Starbucks-style coffee shop for a couple of lattes and low-fat muffins is something nobody looking for a laugh should miss out on.
