Plot: What’s it about?
Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) just watched his gas station burn to a crisp, leaving him with very little bright side to look at, to say the least. On the same day, Donald Quinelle (Robin Williams) goes into work as usual and when he is sent into the boss’ office, he discovers a parrot instead of an executive. But this feathered friend has the authority to fire Donald and that is just what happens, leaving Donald out in the cold, in the same boat as Sonny. So when both men wind up at the same coffee shop, they discuss their respective streaks of bad luck, unaware of the fact that they’ll soon become local celebrities. As they talk and drink their coffee, an armed man named Jack (Jerry Reed) enters the store and begins a robbery, thinking it will be a smooth operation. But then Sonny and Donald decide to fight back, overtake the robber, and save the day, becoming media sensations in the process. Soon however, Jack manages to get released and he comes gunning for the men who turned him in. Now if they wish to survive Jack’s assault, the two men will have to work together and overcome their bad luck, no matter what it takes!
Although I have watched bits & pieces of this film on cable television, I could never catch it from the start and as such, this was my chance to see The Survivors from start to finish. The premise seemed humorous, Walter Matthau & Robin Williams are a potent leading duo, and director Michael Ritchie (The Bad News Bears, The Golden Child) was also talented, so I had solid expectation for The Survivors. In the end, it didn’t live up to the standards I had built for it, but The Survivors is a humorous film with some terrific moments. The scene in which Williams is fired by a bird is classic and in addition to that one, this movie has many memorable scenes, but fails to be consistent with the large scale laughs. But you can’t stack this against a normal comedy, as it has a darker tone and more social commentary than usual for the genre, which means jokes don’t come as often or hard as in some comedies. It is fun to watch Matthau and Williams however, to the point where their antics alone make The Survivors worth a look. I recommend this release as a rental to those interested, especially fans of Matthau and Williams.
Although we’ve seen him as the abrasive old man in countless films, Walter Matthau was always fun to watch in such roles. His character here is often surly and cantankerous, but as usual for Matthau’s sour roles, there is a human side that makes us want to like him, even when he is getting into more trouble than he can handle. In The Survivors, we get to watch him play off of Robin Williams and that partnership works very, very well and after seeing the movie, I wonder why the two weren’t costars in more pictures. Matthau is able to deliver some great lines in his usual manner, as well as do some humorous physical antics, which adds a lot to his performance, especially with Williams to bounce off of. Other films with Matthau include Grumpy Old Men, The Odd Couple, The Couch Trip, The Bad News Bears, and Cactus Flower. The cast also includes Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting), Jerry Reed (The Waterboy, Smokey and the Bandit), and James Wainwright (Killdozer, Mean Dog Blues).
Video: How does it look?
The Survivors is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As this is a film from the early 1980s, I had some worries about how good this treatment would be, but all doubts were erased once the film started. I guess Columbia found some excellent source materials, as the film looks very clean and shows minimal grain, even in the darker scenes and that often plagues films from this time period. The colors remain bright and show no fade signs, while contrast is well balanced and consistent also, no real problems to report. I commend Columbia for their work here, as I never expected this movie to look so good here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here won’t turn any heads, but it is a clean and acceptable treatment, with no serious flaws to report. The vocals sound crisp and never thin in this mix, while sound effects are a tad on the thin side, but not to the point of distraction. The music has some nice body to it at times and on the whole, this is a more than solid audio option. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai, should you need those options.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
