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Life Without Dick
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG-13 // February 5, 2002
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
If one was to venture into the local video store, they would be presented with all of the latest blockbusters and...a whole lot of other stuff. Other stuff that, for one reason or another, never made it to your local theater. While 9 times out of 10 these pictures star a group of people you've never heard of, occasionally, there's a few stars in the mix. Take "Life Without Dick", for example. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City"), Harry Connick, Jr. and Johnny Knoxville, the film at least could have gained some interest in a small theatrical release.
...That is, if it actually had a story that proved to be very interesting. Parker plays Colleen Gibson, a painter who's married to Dick (Johnny Knoxville, TVs "Jackass"). Dick has been fooling around and Colleen accidentially ends up killing him. Colleen runs into Daniel (Connick, Jr.), a hit man who's never killed anyone. He's supposed to kill Dick, but Dick's already dead.
There's possible potential in this kind of story, maybe if it had been directed by a Barry Sonnenfeld or some other director familiar with how to work quirky material. First-timer Bix Skahill, unfortunately, isn't that person. The screenplay, not very funny to begin with, isn't assisted by the fact that the stars simply state these lines matter-of-factly. The performances aren't bad, especially Parker and Craig Ferguson ("Drew Carey Show"), who plays Daniel's boss.
"Life Without Dick" isn't without a few minor laughs here and there, but there's just too much time in-between that drags. Maybe worthy of a rental for those who are fans of the stars.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Life Without Dick" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with an additional full-frame presentation included on the dual-layer disc. The picture quality is generally quite good, although there are a few more flaws on the picture than I'd expected from a new movie that didn't get a theatrical release. Sharpness and detail are generally very good, as the picture only had a few softer moments during the dimly-lit scenes.
Flaws were visible, but they didn't bother me too greatly. Some specks and a couple of marks on the print used were seen and low-light scenes showed some grain. No pixelation or edge enhancement were seen. Colors looked vivid and bright, with no smearing or other flaws. Overall, this is a nice transfer.
SOUND: The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 according to the box, but it seemed like 3.1 for the majority of the program, as little or no surround use was detected. The focus of the soundtrack is dialogue and the dialogue came through clearly.
MENUS: Basic, non-animated menus that literally re-use the cover art.
EXTRAS: Trailers for "Life Without Dick", "Striking Distrance" and "If Lucy Fell".
Final Thoughts: The performances in "Life Without Dick" aren't bad, but the material is bland and simply rarely funny. Those who are fans of the stars might consider a rental, but otherwise, I'd skip it. Columbia/Tristar's DVD is essentially a movie-only affair, with decent audio/video quality and minimal supplements.
If one was to venture into the local video store, they would be presented with all of the latest blockbusters and...a whole lot of other stuff. Other stuff that, for one reason or another, never made it to your local theater. While 9 times out of 10 these pictures star a group of people you've never heard of, occasionally, there's a few stars in the mix. Take "Life Without Dick", for example. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker ("Sex and the City"), Harry Connick, Jr. and Johnny Knoxville, the film at least could have gained some interest in a small theatrical release.
...That is, if it actually had a story that proved to be very interesting. Parker plays Colleen Gibson, a painter who's married to Dick (Johnny Knoxville, TVs "Jackass"). Dick has been fooling around and Colleen accidentially ends up killing him. Colleen runs into Daniel (Connick, Jr.), a hit man who's never killed anyone. He's supposed to kill Dick, but Dick's already dead.
There's possible potential in this kind of story, maybe if it had been directed by a Barry Sonnenfeld or some other director familiar with how to work quirky material. First-timer Bix Skahill, unfortunately, isn't that person. The screenplay, not very funny to begin with, isn't assisted by the fact that the stars simply state these lines matter-of-factly. The performances aren't bad, especially Parker and Craig Ferguson ("Drew Carey Show"), who plays Daniel's boss.
"Life Without Dick" isn't without a few minor laughs here and there, but there's just too much time in-between that drags. Maybe worthy of a rental for those who are fans of the stars.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Life Without Dick" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with an additional full-frame presentation included on the dual-layer disc. The picture quality is generally quite good, although there are a few more flaws on the picture than I'd expected from a new movie that didn't get a theatrical release. Sharpness and detail are generally very good, as the picture only had a few softer moments during the dimly-lit scenes.
Flaws were visible, but they didn't bother me too greatly. Some specks and a couple of marks on the print used were seen and low-light scenes showed some grain. No pixelation or edge enhancement were seen. Colors looked vivid and bright, with no smearing or other flaws. Overall, this is a nice transfer.
SOUND: The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 according to the box, but it seemed like 3.1 for the majority of the program, as little or no surround use was detected. The focus of the soundtrack is dialogue and the dialogue came through clearly.
MENUS: Basic, non-animated menus that literally re-use the cover art.
EXTRAS: Trailers for "Life Without Dick", "Striking Distrance" and "If Lucy Fell".
Final Thoughts: The performances in "Life Without Dick" aren't bad, but the material is bland and simply rarely funny. Those who are fans of the stars might consider a rental, but otherwise, I'd skip it. Columbia/Tristar's DVD is essentially a movie-only affair, with decent audio/video quality and minimal supplements.
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