Bulletproof (HD-DVD)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: D     Film: D

 

 

Ernest Dickerson was one of the best cinematographers in the business, especially associated with the key early works of Spike Lee, but decided to strike out on his own as a director and after some ambitious features made the horrid 1996 would-be action comedy Bulletproof.

 

Hoping to be another hit in the mode of Walter Hill’s 48 HRS. from 1982, which already had a sequel before this mess was released, Adam Sandler is the criminal officer Damon Wayans has captured, but Sandler convinces him they might have a chance to do very well if they trust each other, especially against a major drug kingpin (a very bored-looking James Caan getting a paycheck) and the endless 85 minutes is on its way to nowhere.

 

The film is an embarrassing mess, has not aged one bit, is the kind of film that ruined such films and led Dickerson to more TV work than more feature films.  Wayans was being groomed at the time to be the next Eddie Murphy, but kept picking projects like this guaranteed to kill his career, while Sandler kept making hit junk that has kept him a moneymaking star to this day give or take some recent bombs.  The Joe Gayton/Lewis Colick screenplay is condescending as it can get and the film also wastes James Farentino, Bill Nunn and Monica Potter, not to mention anyone who had to watch the whole thing.  Lame!

 

The 1080p VC-1 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot by Director of Photography Steven Bernstein in Super 35mm and it is not the best example of how to do such a shoot.  Composition is odd, this transfer is not much above a DVD and the source looks a bit aged.  The film was one of the early, lesser DTS theatrical releases and not even a score by the great Elmer Bernstein could save this mess.  The DVD was Dolby only and this HD-DVD is Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, with a mix that was never that good as well as one that has not aged well.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo