Plot: What’s it about?
When they were young, these four men ruled the streets with an iron fist, no one told them what to do and lived to tell the tale. Bobby (Richard Dreyfuss), Joey (Burt Reynolds), Mike (Dan Hedaya), and Tony (Seymour Cassel) were the toughest crew of mobster you’d see, but those were the old days and now, things have changed more than a little. The four now share a rundown apartment in Florida and don’t rule much of anything, including their own lives. Not even their miserable apartment is safe, for as more young people move in, the owner raises the rent and this time, the boys can’t afford the increase and face eviction. But as usual, these guys won’t go down without a fight and in this case, they have a plan. The plan involves finding a corpse no one will miss, planting it within their apartment’s lobby, then shooting it and making it seem like a mob hit of some kind. The plan unfolds well, until the son of the dead man is revealed to be a powerful drug dealer, who thinks the action was from a rival of his. As time passes, the four men find themselves in all sorts of trouble, when all they wanted to do was relive a little of their good old days.
This one had some actors I like and a solid premise, but I had heard a lot of negative reviews. I still went to see The Crew at the theaters however and I am glad I did, as it is one heck of a fun flick to take in. I know the humor isn’t non stop and some jokes fall short, but the cast is terrific and enough of the gags work to make this worth a look. I mean, I’d buy this disc just to see Burt Reynolds behind a Burger King counter again, hands down. Reynolds is joined by such names as Richard Dreyfuss, Seymour Cassel, Dan Hedaya, and Carrie-Ann Moss, among others. The acting is not good in the usual sense, but fits the nature of the film very well, so no harm done overall. The direction is also solid and keeps it all tied together, which is good, as this one could unravel at times. This was released at the same time as Space Cowboys and in the race of the old man movie, this one came in a distant second, at least in terms of box office returns. I like both movies a lot, but The Crew is more light and funny, whereas Space Cowboys has a more serious edge at times. So if you want to see some old timers ham it up in an over the top comedic effort, I recommend The Crew, as it has a lot to offer in the end.
Ah yes, a vision of Burt Reynolds working the counter of Burger King, what more can you want from a flick? I’ve been pleased with Reynolds’ work all through his career and in more recent years, he’s been more impressive than ever. His dramatic abilities have shone through in a few films and while that’s very good, a return to offbeat comedic antics was more than welcome. In The Crew, he seems so off the wall at times, as if he was back making flicks with Dom DeLuise and yes, he is that insane in this one. I wouldn’t hand him an award for his turn here, but he nails his character and brings a lot of humor into the picture, which is what he was hired to achieve. You can also see Reynolds in such films as The Longest Yard, Stroker Ace, Deliverance, Mystery Alaska, Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights, and Striptease. The cast here also includes Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland’s Opus, Jaws), Seymour Cassel (Animal Factory, Rushmore), Dan Hedaya (Clueless, Dick), Carrie-Ann Moss (The Matrix, Red Planet), Jennifer Tilly (Bride of Chucky, Liar Liar), and Jeremy Piven (Very Bad Things, Grosse Pointe Blank).
Video: How does it look?
The Crew is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This one uses a lot of black shades and tons of color, so the transfer needed to be excellent and in this case, Buena Vista has delivered the goods. I found the colors to be vivid and always rich, but never too much so and flesh tones seem right on the money also. No complaints in terms of contrast either, as black levels are razor sharp and detail is solid from start to finish. A couple small print flaws and an instance or two of compression errors force me to lower this one a shade, but this is still an excellent visual presentation in the end.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t the kind of movie you watch for dynamic audio, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track handles the material well and that’s what counts. The surrounds don’t see much action, but between the music and a handful of scenes with punch, they don’t go to waste much. Also, this material simply doesn’t need more surround presence, so the track ensures a natural presentation. The main focus is on the dialogue, which comes across in fine form throughout and is clear from any volume related errors. This disc also includes English subtitles, in case you might need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an “action overload” piece, some talent files, a brief behind the scenes featurette, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
