Plot: What’s it about?
Wally (Richard Pryor) and Dave (Gene Wilder) both work at a newsstand, where lots of things happen around them. But when a murder happens right in front of them, both witnessed the event, but neither is much help to the police. Wally hears the incident and Dave sees the event, but since one is blind and the other is deaf, the police have their doubts. As they’re considered unreliable witnesses and were the only ones confirmed on site, the two are hauled in as the primary suspects, even though both are as innocent as can be. So in an effort to clear their names, the two escape and make a run for it, with hopes of nabbing the real criminals. The real killer is Eve (Joan Severance) and with the help of her assistant Kirgo (Kevin Spacey), she plans to make sure neither man is ever able to point the finger toward her. Can these two unlikely partners manage to evade the police and Eve’s schemes, or will their differences be too much to overcome?
This is one wild comedic picture, but the skilled acting team of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder make sure it remains on course. As usual, the two pull off the “odd couple” act very well and while not too original, this film delivers in terms of laughs & entertainment. The events range from utter slapstick to a more reserved approach, but no matter how the humor is arranged, it always ends up as hilarious. See No Evil, Hear No Evil is based more on the physical kind of humor, but some nice dialogue is also found here, though not too much. The focus on physical gags is a wise one however, as Pryor and Wilder make sure the antics are as humorous as possible, which ensures it all turns out to be a fun, wild ride. I suppose the movie’s appeal rests on how the viewer feels about Pryor and Wilder however, since they’re the main elements here. But unless you really dislike their style, it is hard to not like this movie, so it is more than recommended. I do wish Columbia had packed some extras, but the improved video is reason enough to upgrade, I think.
This is a two man show, but for the sake of this review, I chose to highlight the work of Gene Wilder, who plays deaf here. I’ve always been a fan of Wilder’s cinematic performances and while this one isn’t his best, it is a more than solid turn. Of course, Wilder has to elevate the moments of recycled humor, which add to his effort, I suppose. Wilder nails all the funny faces, outlandish gestures, and even the sharp lines of dialogue, with minimal missteps to mention. I just wish this one had a more original script at times, as we’ve seen Wilder do most of this before, although it is still fun to watch it again. You can also see Wilder in such films as Stir Crazy, Will Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Silver Streak, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and Blazing Saddles. The cast also includes Richard Pryor (The Toy, Brewster’s Millions), Joan Severance (Black Scorpion, No Holds Barred), and Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, Outbreak).
Video: How does it look?
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. I’ve owned both the laserdisc and VHS editions of this movie and both were full frame, so the upgrade to widescreen was a real welcome change, right off the bat here. In addition, the image is cleaner & sharper from the start, I was quite surprised and pleased with the source print used for this transfer. I saw minimal grain and wear signs, which is good news here, as previous versions have been lacking in that respect. The colors remain within a natural spectrum, as they should and in terms of contrast, black levels look right on the mark. This is a sizable improvement over prior editions, great work from Columbia here.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not too much to discuss on this end, as the movie is driven by dialogue and this mix is the basic comedic formula. The included 2.0 surround track does all we could ask of it, but in this case, that still leaves behind an unmemorable experience. Even so, the dialogue is crisp and never hard to understand, thanks to well balanced volume levels. The music and sound effects come through well also, about as well as can expected here, that is. A more than adequate mix and in truth, I doubt this material could sound much better. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
