Plot: What’s it about?
Miles Logan (Martin Lawrence) is a master jewel thief, who was in the middle of a $20 million diamond heist when things went sour. The heist got botched, with Logan getting the diamond, but forced to hide it in a construction site, just before the cops nab him. The cops never find the loot, but Logan spent the next two years in a small concrete cell. After his release, Logan returns to the site where he hid the “ice,” to discover he has a rather large problem. What was a construction site two years ago is now a high security police department, with $20 million worth of stolen goods hidden inside. Logan thinks fast, and decides to pose as a detective and search the place for his bounty. What Logan does not expect is that his act is a little too good, and the cops love him! He has to keep up his acting until he finds his goods, but that could be a long time. Will Logan ever find his hidden treasure, or will he made Captain before he has the chance?
I have to admit up front, I am a big Martin Lawrence fan. If he’s in it, I’ll watch it, no exceptions. So, I might be a little biased about this flick. This is one of the first times Lawrence stands on his own, as opposed to playing a “buddy” of a larger star, so if you don’t like him, keep away. The trailer made me expect more of an action movie, but this is really a comedy driven picture. As a comedy, this movie is excellent, with plenty of laughs and chuckles. While the premise is a bit outlandish, so are most movies’ stories. I liked this movie, and the antics of Lawrence and the supporting cast. Director Les Mayfield knows how to do comedies, with Encino Man and Flubber under his belt. Even though it’s a comedy, Blue Streak is filled with great placement and framing. If you’re in the mood for a disc with a great movie and some excellent extras, you can’t go wrong with this one.
As I mentioned above, Martin Lawrence takes the lead in this movie, and does a fine job of carrying the movie. Lawrence (Life, Nothing to Lose) is one my favorite comedic actors, and he gives his usual side-splitting performance here. Lawrence is not a favorite of everyone though, so if you don’t like his previous offerings, chances are you won’t like this movie either. If you do appreciate his style, this is a good chance to see him at his best. Luke Wilson (Home Fries, Scream 2), Dave Chappelle (Half Baked, Con Air), and Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, The Mask) all give some nice supporting performances, which help flesh out the movie well. The interaction between these actors and Lawrence is classic, chemistry is outstanding within these main actors. Also appearing in Blue Streak are Nicole Parker (The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love), William Forsythe (The Substitute, The Rock), and Tamala Jones (Next Friday, Booty Call).
Video: How does it look?
This disc offers you the best of both worlds, with both a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and a full frame version. The overall image is pristine, with few signs of print wear or damage, due mainly I’m sure to the quick move from theaters to home video. Color levels are strong, but are of a natural spectrum, not juiced like most comedies. This is intentional, so no worries on that front. Black levels are perfect, with deep detail levels and no shadow errors to report. The disc is free of compression problems as well, this is yet another high grade transfer from Columbia!
Audio: How does it sound?
The disc uses an active Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which sounds excellent. The main source of surround activity is the soundtrack, which is filled with hip-hop music. The music style is fitting to the setting of the film, and will have your subwoofer working double time and then some. The movie isn’t filled with high impact audio, but the surrounds will be active throughout most of the film. Dialogue comes through loud and clear, even during the most intense audio driven portions.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Oh yeah, baby! This is a special edition, and it’s loaded with goodies. The disc includes some decent production notes on the insert, talent files, and trailers Blue Streak and Bad Boys. Not one, not two, but three music videos are included, by Jay-Z, Heavy D, and So Plush. Can’t say that I am a fan of those artists, but it’s nice to see the videos jammed on the disc. The main draw of the supplements however, is a pair of featurettes, including HBO’s First Look segment on the film. Nearly an hour’s worth of behind the scenes footage is found between the two, both of which are interesting and worth a watch or two.
