Plot: What’s it about?
This movie has a basic premise, but I wouldn’t say it follows a rigid storyline and as such, this synopsis might be shorter than usual. Those two dope smoking derelicts, Cheech (Cheech Marin) and Chong (Tommy Chong) are back once again and this time, they’re taking their search for the ultimate high all the way across the Atlantic. Yes, these two end up being invited to a celebrity loaded film festival in Amsterdam and whatever can happen, does happen to them along their path. Of course, Amsterdam is their kind of town and in between joints, they manage to get into some hijinks. It seems that the man who invited them has run off with all the cash, which leaves the entire festival on fumes and with little to work with. But while Cheech & Chong might not be Burt Reynolds, they do have some tricks up their sleeves and they might be able to salvage the whole deal in some way, shape, or form. What will come of the parties, festival, celebrities, and our beloved heroes in the end?
Although none of the Cheech & Chong films were ever acclaimed by the critics, this installment was panned even by their fanbase, which isn’t a good sign. I happen to like most of their movies and I love a couple of them, but even I can’t find a whole lot to like with Still Smokin’. While I don’t think it is as miserable as most people claim, I also don’t think it is that good either and I know these two could have done better with the material. A few sequences live up to the potential that Cheech & Chong have, but the great majority of the material is dead on arrival. The characters seem annoying at times and downright unfunny as well, which are not things you want when you watch a comedy like this. The basic premise seems to have some spark, but somewhere down the line, this one just sort of breaks down and never picks up again. If you’re a diehard Cheech & Chong fan, then this disc belongs in your collection, but in all others cases, a rental will more than suffice.
I am unsure why this film fails, as Cheech Marin and Tommy (Thomas here) Chong wrote and starred in Still Smokin’, with Chong even serving as the film’s director. By no means was Chong an experienced director, but this film’s flaws don’t reside in the visuals or pace, but with the jokes and performances within it. Who knows, maybe some bad reefer found its way into the writing room, which rendered their skills helpless. A few hopeful spots do emerge and those provide some nice laughs, but on the whole, Still Smokin’ just doesn’t measure up. So we have Up In Smoke as the standard for these two, which means this film falls as the lowest rung on their ladder. But as bad as this movie is, their cinematic legacy is still intact and we have the other films to make up for this one. Other Cheech & Chong epics include Up In Smoke, Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, The Corsican Brothers, Nice Dream, and Things Are Tough All Over.
Video: How does it look?
Still Smokin’ is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This transfer looks better than previous editions, but it still nothing to write home about. The image looks very soft most of the time, which means the detail level is low and that is not too cool. I think the colors look too soft to be sure, not very sharp at all and even flesh tones display some distortion at times. The contrast isn’t much better, as black levels seem too dark and that means detail is murky at best. I suppose it is better than VHS or laserdisc, but I wouldn’t go any further than that.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes the original mono track, which performs better than the video on this disc, but not that much better. Some age related issues surface here, such as harshness and distortion of all kinds. I knew the range would be less than stunning, but this track seems flat, even by normal mono standards. The music sounds decent enough at times, but then other times it seems harsh and out of line. At least the dialogue is passable, though it isn’t as crisp and clean as I would have liked. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
