The story follows Phil, an aging football player, through a week of his life. Recently benched after six years as a starter, Phil has to come to grips with sitting out of the game and being second best. The coach constantly rides Phil, chiding him for his immaturity, though when push comes to shove, Phil shows that he'll do anything for his team – including popping numerous pain killers and taking shots. However, after he meets Charlotte, he begins to realize that maybe football isn't worth it, and that maybe he should grow up and "put away childish things."

While watching North Dallas Forty, I couldn't help but compare it to Any Given Sunday, and while that might not be fair, North Dallas Forty is especially tame compared to Oliver Stone's film. North Dallas Forty, of course, predated Any Given Sunday by 20 years, and its rather disturbing the similarities between the films. I would've hoped things would've gotten better rather than worse in the arena of professional football, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The acting in North Dallas Forty was pretty average, and that's putting it nicely. And I still can't see Mac Davis and Nick Nolte as real football players – they are far too skinny and out of shape compared to some of the other brutes in the film.

Picture:
North Dallas Forty is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print used is remarkably clean and free of scratches, marks, or debris; however, the transfer is overly soft throughout the film that results in some color bleeding. Also present is some minimal film grain and edge enhancement, though neither is as distracting as the softness of the image. Blacks are fairly decent, though flesh tones are slightly too orange.

Sound:
North Dallas Forty is presented in both a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and a restored 1.0 track. The 5.1 track, though, sounds hollow in some areas and the dialogue is often hard to hear. The surrounds in the 5.1 track sound forced, and rather than add to the film, they detract. The 1.0 track also has a few problems, but overall, its leaps and bounds above the 5.1 track. Also included are English subtitles.

Extras:
No extras are included.

Summary:
Paramount's effort on North Dallas Forty is rather disappointing given that the picture and sound quality are rather average, and that no extras are present on the disc. The film makes a decent rental for fans of football, though, so it might be worth a look. Rent it.