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Rustler's Rhapsody
Paramount // PG // May 11, 2004
List Price: $14.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
THE MOVIE
Director Hugh Wilson, who helmed the original Police Academy film, bypasses the slapstick and aims for sweetness in the comedy Rustlers' Rhapsody, a pleasant – if not always funny – send-up of those great (and not-so-great) B-movie Westerns of yesteryear.
Perhaps the most admirable thing about Rustlers' Rhapsody is that it doesn't try to tread the same ground as Blazing Saddles. Instead of going for slide-spitting laughter, Wilson's comedy is more subdued – and in many ways, smarter…although some of his attempts at humor come off more like skits than they do part of a motion picture.
Tom Berenger stars as Rex O'Herlihan, "The Singing Cowboy", who is a throwback to matinee idols like Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Ken Maynard and Buck Jones. Rex is such a straight-shooter that he'll order milk in a bar, sing to his horses in front of the campfire, and shoot bad guys in the hands instead of the chest or the head.
Joining Rex on his latest adventure is a drunkard (Police Academy alumnus G.W. Baily), a hooker (Marilu Henner), and the daughter (Sela Ward) of the town's richest cattle rancher (Andy Griffith) who wants revenge on Rex after one of his men is killed.
The best section of the film comes in the last half-hour, where Rex meets up with fellow straight-shooter Bob Barber (Patrick Wayne), who has been hired by Griffith's character to kill Rex. Since Bob is a good guy too, the two men have an entertaining conversation about the "dos and don'ts" of being a cowboy hero.
Now nearly 20 years old, Rustlers' Rhapsody holds up pretty good, although I must admit not enjoying quite as much the second time around as I did back in the 80's when I first saw it. Still, it's a fun, breezy movie that manages to offer a bit of entertainment for fans of those old cowboy movies.
THE DVD
Video:
Made in 1985 and making its first appearance on the DVD format, I was surprised at how good the picture looks. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and although there is a slight tinge of grain present every now and then, there is hardly any dirt or defects noticeable in the print at all. I've seen much newer films look much worse, so Paramount has done a nice job here. My only other complaint was that the color seemed to be just a tad oversaturated…not enough to affect the overall tones of the picture, but just enough to be noticeable. Overall though, a very nice transfer for this film.
Audio:
Viewers will get two options here: a 5.1 track or 2.0 Dolby Surround. Listening to the 5.1 Track, the voices were nice and crisp, and although the movie doesn't allow for a lot of aggressiveness in the sound, you'll notice how good the audio is during the few gunfights in the movie, where you'll hear the bullets whizzing around from one speaker to another. There's also an English subtitle option.
Extras:
Sadly, aside from the typical chapter selection, the DVD offers no bonus features whatsoever. The good news is that Paramount has offered the film at a bargain-basement price to compensate for the lack of extras.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I know a few people who are big fans of this movie, as well as others who just don't "get it". So the obvious choice here is to rent first (or maybe catch a TV airing) and then make your purchasing decision. Even then, I think for most people – even those who enjoy it – this isn't going to be something you'll watch over and over again, so I'm going with a rental recommendation – but it's still a fairly positive recommendation.
Director Hugh Wilson, who helmed the original Police Academy film, bypasses the slapstick and aims for sweetness in the comedy Rustlers' Rhapsody, a pleasant – if not always funny – send-up of those great (and not-so-great) B-movie Westerns of yesteryear.
Perhaps the most admirable thing about Rustlers' Rhapsody is that it doesn't try to tread the same ground as Blazing Saddles. Instead of going for slide-spitting laughter, Wilson's comedy is more subdued – and in many ways, smarter…although some of his attempts at humor come off more like skits than they do part of a motion picture.
Tom Berenger stars as Rex O'Herlihan, "The Singing Cowboy", who is a throwback to matinee idols like Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Ken Maynard and Buck Jones. Rex is such a straight-shooter that he'll order milk in a bar, sing to his horses in front of the campfire, and shoot bad guys in the hands instead of the chest or the head.
Joining Rex on his latest adventure is a drunkard (Police Academy alumnus G.W. Baily), a hooker (Marilu Henner), and the daughter (Sela Ward) of the town's richest cattle rancher (Andy Griffith) who wants revenge on Rex after one of his men is killed.
The best section of the film comes in the last half-hour, where Rex meets up with fellow straight-shooter Bob Barber (Patrick Wayne), who has been hired by Griffith's character to kill Rex. Since Bob is a good guy too, the two men have an entertaining conversation about the "dos and don'ts" of being a cowboy hero.
Now nearly 20 years old, Rustlers' Rhapsody holds up pretty good, although I must admit not enjoying quite as much the second time around as I did back in the 80's when I first saw it. Still, it's a fun, breezy movie that manages to offer a bit of entertainment for fans of those old cowboy movies.
THE DVD
Video:
Made in 1985 and making its first appearance on the DVD format, I was surprised at how good the picture looks. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and although there is a slight tinge of grain present every now and then, there is hardly any dirt or defects noticeable in the print at all. I've seen much newer films look much worse, so Paramount has done a nice job here. My only other complaint was that the color seemed to be just a tad oversaturated…not enough to affect the overall tones of the picture, but just enough to be noticeable. Overall though, a very nice transfer for this film.
Audio:
Viewers will get two options here: a 5.1 track or 2.0 Dolby Surround. Listening to the 5.1 Track, the voices were nice and crisp, and although the movie doesn't allow for a lot of aggressiveness in the sound, you'll notice how good the audio is during the few gunfights in the movie, where you'll hear the bullets whizzing around from one speaker to another. There's also an English subtitle option.
Extras:
Sadly, aside from the typical chapter selection, the DVD offers no bonus features whatsoever. The good news is that Paramount has offered the film at a bargain-basement price to compensate for the lack of extras.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I know a few people who are big fans of this movie, as well as others who just don't "get it". So the obvious choice here is to rent first (or maybe catch a TV airing) and then make your purchasing decision. Even then, I think for most people – even those who enjoy it – this isn't going to be something you'll watch over and over again, so I'm going with a rental recommendation – but it's still a fairly positive recommendation.
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