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Major League
Paramount // R // September 24, 2002
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
An R-rated sports comedy that became a surprise hit in 1989, "Major League" managed to connect with audiences thanks to the energetic performances and occasionally funny dialogue. The characters are stereotypes that have been used in countless films before and after, but somehow the film makes it all feel mostly fresh, which is certainly more than the two terrible sequels this film spawned.
The film opens with the owner of the Cleveland Indians (Margeret Whitton) deciding to make the team so incredibly awful for the upcoming season that she'll get the approval and the bucks to move the team towards Florida. The result: a team put together of an manager (James Gammon) who doesn't really want to be there; a pitcher (Charlie Sheen) who just got out of jail and looks like he could return shortly; a fast runner who calls himself Willie Mays Hays (Wesley Snipes); an old catcher (Tom Berenger) and last, but not least, a guy who practices voodoo (Dennis Haysbert). There's also announcer Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker, essentially playing himself).
Obviously, the team starts off as total losers, but decide to come together to be the best team they can be. That out of the way, the movie often skips over the predictable elements quite well. The performances are really the key to the movie's success, and most of them are actually quite good. Sheen's pitcher is really the role he was born to play, while Wesley Snipes and Berenger provide solid support. Rene Russo also turns up in a few scenes as the ex-wife of the Berenger character who he's trying to convince to return to him.
"Major League" certainly isn't high art, but it's a fun film that simply does what it sets out to do: get some sloppy, silly laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount offers "Major League" in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (this is the first time that the film has been presented in its original aspect ratio on home video). The presentation is pleasant enough, with the handful of flaws scattered about not causing a whole lot of distraction. Sharpness and detail are fine enough, with acceptable detail and clarity, although a few scenes present Reynaldo Villalobos's cinematography with a bit of softness. Shadow detail is fair, too.
As with some of Paramount's catalog titles, the first few minutes have a bit of a gritty appearance before the film starts to appear brighter and cleaner. In regards to "clean", the print used does appear in pretty good shape, with only occasional specks and minor marks. A bit of edge enhancement here and there creeps into view, but never becomes too bothersome.
The film's natural color palette was well-rendered, with no smearing or other faults. Flesh tones were accurate and natural, while black level remained solid. A very nice, although not terribly noteworthy, presentation.
SOUND: As per usual for most of the studio's catalog releases, the soundtrack has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Although the effort is appreciated, the soundtrack is that of a comedy over ten years old - in other words, there's not a whole lot of improvement. James Newton Howard's decent score is really the only element that is distributed to the surrounds. The score and dialogue are clear and crisp.
MENUS: Very basic non-animated main menu.
EXTRAS: Nothing. Given the film's box office success and sizable following, I'd think there'd be at least some supplements included.
Final Thoughts: A solid comedy that still stands up pretty well, "Major League" does a praise-worthy job winning over the formula it closely follows. Paramount's DVD disapoints in the supplements department, but offers respectable audio/video quality. Recommended.
An R-rated sports comedy that became a surprise hit in 1989, "Major League" managed to connect with audiences thanks to the energetic performances and occasionally funny dialogue. The characters are stereotypes that have been used in countless films before and after, but somehow the film makes it all feel mostly fresh, which is certainly more than the two terrible sequels this film spawned.
The film opens with the owner of the Cleveland Indians (Margeret Whitton) deciding to make the team so incredibly awful for the upcoming season that she'll get the approval and the bucks to move the team towards Florida. The result: a team put together of an manager (James Gammon) who doesn't really want to be there; a pitcher (Charlie Sheen) who just got out of jail and looks like he could return shortly; a fast runner who calls himself Willie Mays Hays (Wesley Snipes); an old catcher (Tom Berenger) and last, but not least, a guy who practices voodoo (Dennis Haysbert). There's also announcer Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker, essentially playing himself).
Obviously, the team starts off as total losers, but decide to come together to be the best team they can be. That out of the way, the movie often skips over the predictable elements quite well. The performances are really the key to the movie's success, and most of them are actually quite good. Sheen's pitcher is really the role he was born to play, while Wesley Snipes and Berenger provide solid support. Rene Russo also turns up in a few scenes as the ex-wife of the Berenger character who he's trying to convince to return to him.
"Major League" certainly isn't high art, but it's a fun film that simply does what it sets out to do: get some sloppy, silly laughs.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount offers "Major League" in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen (this is the first time that the film has been presented in its original aspect ratio on home video). The presentation is pleasant enough, with the handful of flaws scattered about not causing a whole lot of distraction. Sharpness and detail are fine enough, with acceptable detail and clarity, although a few scenes present Reynaldo Villalobos's cinematography with a bit of softness. Shadow detail is fair, too.
As with some of Paramount's catalog titles, the first few minutes have a bit of a gritty appearance before the film starts to appear brighter and cleaner. In regards to "clean", the print used does appear in pretty good shape, with only occasional specks and minor marks. A bit of edge enhancement here and there creeps into view, but never becomes too bothersome.
The film's natural color palette was well-rendered, with no smearing or other faults. Flesh tones were accurate and natural, while black level remained solid. A very nice, although not terribly noteworthy, presentation.
SOUND: As per usual for most of the studio's catalog releases, the soundtrack has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Although the effort is appreciated, the soundtrack is that of a comedy over ten years old - in other words, there's not a whole lot of improvement. James Newton Howard's decent score is really the only element that is distributed to the surrounds. The score and dialogue are clear and crisp.
MENUS: Very basic non-animated main menu.
EXTRAS: Nothing. Given the film's box office success and sizable following, I'd think there'd be at least some supplements included.
Final Thoughts: A solid comedy that still stands up pretty well, "Major League" does a praise-worthy job winning over the formula it closely follows. Paramount's DVD disapoints in the supplements department, but offers respectable audio/video quality. Recommended.
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