Road to Rio Blu-ray Review
Score: 55
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
Road to Rio, full of Hope and Crosby's comedic charm, maintains its energetic and musically satisfying allure despite minor transfer issues and lack of bonus features.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 62
The Blu-ray presentation of 'Road to Rio' offers a decent AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 1.34:1 aspect ratio, showcasing fine film grain and satisfactory detail despite minor speckling and scratches, though it lacks depth in some scenes and suffers from the occasional soft shot and debris in the early reels.
Audio: 69
The Audio presentation of "Road to Rio" features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix that balances clear dialogue, spirited musical numbers, and atmospheric effects with minimal interference from age-related issues, though some muffled sounds and hiss are noted.
Extra: 6
Despite the lack of meaningful supplementary material, this Blu-ray includes a trailer montage of upcoming Bob Hope features from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, providing brief previews of titles such as 'My Favorite Brunette,' 'The Lemon Drop Kid,' and 'Son of Paleface.'
Movie: 77
1947's Road to Rio, the fifth installment in the Road series, keeps Hope and Crosby busy with musical numbers and comedic shenanigans, despite a thin plot. Exceptional interplay between the duo, supported by Dorothy Lamour, The Andrews Sisters, and standout comedic moments, ensures an engaging viewing experience.
Video: 62
Restored and preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, "Road to Rio" makes a noteworthy Blu-ray debut. This AVC encoded image, presented in a 1.34:1 aspect ratio, offers a balanced sense of dimension and clarity, even with the softer period cinematography. The image quality secures detail on costuming, set designs, and facial particulars, which support the feature's comedic elements. While the film shows some wear and tear, with thicker scratches and speckling apparent, grain is fine and naturally filmic, upholding the movie’s artistic integrity.
The 1.37:1 theatrical aspect ratio is faithfully maintained in 1080p using the AVC codec. However, this transfer shows its age, particularly in the initial sequences where notable dust specks and debris are present, revealing its old print origins from an HD-DVD transfer. Despite these imperfections, the grayscale rendition is commendable with inky blacks and satisfactory shadow separation. Detail levels vary from adequate to strong, enhancing facial features and production values despite occasional baked-in soft shots. While some scenes lack depth, rendering them flat even under bright lighting, overall delineation remains satisfactory.
In summary, while "Road to Rio" may not represent the pinnacle of restoration efforts among recent black and white releases, it successfully delivers a charming visual experience. The fine grain and grayscale management coupled with respectable detail levels enhance this classic comedy, despite minor technical flaws.
Audio: 69
The audio presentation of the Blu-ray release of "Road to Rio" is anchored by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix that delivers solid performance, particularly given the film's age. The dialogue comes through with reasonable clarity—allowing the rapid-fire one-liners to be fully appreciated—though it carries a slightly muffled quality and some pronounced hiss. Musical numbers, while not precisely defined, are vibrant and maintain a spirited presence with agreeable instrumentation. Atmospherics, particularly crowd activity, add depth, despite not being highly refined.
Dialogue and music are given primary focus in this mix, with clear presentation throughout and minimal interference. Sound effects serve their purpose for mood-setting, especially during the carnival sequence and musical interludes, providing a commendable sense of atmosphere. Levels are well-balanced, ensuring consistent listening without the need for constant adjustment. Remarkably free of serious age-related artifacts like hiss, crackle, or flutter, the mix blends dialogue, background music, and atmospheric effects in a well-integrated manner.
Overall, the DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track offers good fidelity for a vintage film, preserving the essential elements of dialogue and music effectively. This makes for an enjoyable listening experience that honors the original audio while enhancing it to meet contemporary standards.
Extras: 6
The Blu-Ray release of "Road to Rio" includes a limited set of extras, focusing primarily on promotional materials from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. While the disc lacks supplementary material directly related to the film itself, it does feature a preview collection highlighting various Bob Hope projects. These previews showcase a montage of excerpts from upcoming Bob Hope features, providing an engaging glimpse into his other works. This approach may disappoint those expecting comprehensive extras but offers a neat preview for Bob Hope aficionados.
Extras included in this disc:
- Also From KLSC: Trailer collection for Kino Lorber Studio Classics' upcoming Bob Hope releases.
- Hope Movie Montage: Excerpts from Kino’s upcoming Bob Hope features: "My Favorite Brunette," "The Lemon Drop Kid," "Road to Rio," "Road to Bali," and "Son of Paleface."
Movie: 77
"Road to Rio," the fifth installment in the beloved Road series starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, delivers a delightful blend of comedy and music, maintaining the franchise's charming, whimsical spirit. Directed by Norman Z. McLeod, the film features Hope as trumpeter Hot Lips Barton and Crosby as nightclub singer Scat Sweeney. After causing mayhem at a circus, they stow away on a ship to Rio de Janeiro, setting the stage for a series of hilarious escapades. The narrative, though admittedly thin, is laden with comedy and musical numbers that showcase Hope's comedic genius and Crosby's smooth vocals. Highlights include energetic performances like "You Don't Have to Know the Language" featuring The Andrews Sisters.
The plot revolves around their efforts to rescue Lucia (Dorothy Lamour), an heiress under the influence of her hypnotic guardian. Despite its 100-minute runtime, the longest in the series, "Road to Rio" trades on its leads' dynamic chemistry rather than a strong storyline. The comedic timing of Hope and Crosby allows either to seamlessly alternate between straight man and goofball, keeping the audience entertained. McLeod’s direction ensures that the movie retains its fresh appeal, despite some familiar gags reminiscent of his earlier work with the Marx Brothers in "Monkey Business." These elements contribute to a light-hearted, engaging experience, perfect for a fun night in.
The film also benefits from its notable guest stars and memorable musical sequences. Dorothy Lamour's presence adds elegance, while the Andrews Sisters' performances enhance the film's musical charm. Supporting roles by actors like Gale Sondergaard, who excels as the villainous hypnotist, and entertaining cameos by Jerry Colonna maintain the narrative's lively pace. This entry into the Road series remains a standout, ensuring that Hope and Crosby's antics continue to be cherished by audiences for their effortless comedic flair and melodic interludes.
Total: 55
Kino Lorber Studio Classics has skillfully brought the fifth film of the iconic Road series, "Road to Rio," starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, to Blu-ray. Despite its simple plot, the comedic duo showcases their undeniable synergy, delivering a blend of inside jokes and fourth-wall breaks that keep the audience engaged. While some of the humor feels slightly dated, particularly a barber shop gag involving shoe polish, the film maintains a vigorous and delightful pace. The musical elements further enhance the viewing experience, staying true to the series’ signature charm.
Among the most popular entries in the Road series, "Road to Rio" contributed significantly to both Hope and Crosby's box office success in 1947. The Blu-ray transfer, although not reaching the highest standards, still presents a satisfactory visual and audio quality that will please fans. Releasing the film in high definition has made it accessible for modern audiences, ensuring its comedic genius is not lost over time. However, it should be noted that this edition lacks any supplementary features, which might disappoint collectors and enthusiasts looking for additional content.
As with the other Road pictures, "Road to Rio" is crammed full of inside jokes and Hope's fondness for breaking the fourth wall, keeping viewers involved in the mischief. While some of the antics are a bit dated even for 1947 (including a barber shop mix-up that has Barton and Sweeney screwing up a shave, trying to cover it up with shoe polish), the overall endeavor remains energetic and musically satisfying, preserving the brand name's appeal.
Blu-ray.com review by Brian OrndorfRead review here
Video: 70
The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a sense of dimension, achieving clarity even with softer period cinematography, securing detail on costuming and sets, and facial particulars...
Audio: 70
Musical numbers are appealing, and while they're not precise, they maintain a spirited presence with agreeable instrumentation....
Extras: 0
...
Movie: 80
Keeping up with their customary charms and wit, along with plenty of musical numbers to help win over audiences, "Road to Rio" is a largely successful installment of the comedy series, keeping Hope and...
Total: 70
While some of the antics are bit dated even for 1947 (including a barber shop mix-up that has Barton and Sweeney screwing up a shave, trying to cover it up with shoe polish), the overall endeavor remains...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
The opening is a little rough with some speckling and a few scratches but once that's out of the way, the rest of the show evens out with only negligible speckling apparent....
Audio: 80
Sound effects are serviceable, they're really only there to set the mood with only a few flourishes during the carnival routine and during the song and dance interludes....
Extras: 0
What is included is a trailer collection for Kino Lorber Studio Classics's upcoming releases of various Bob Hope pictures....
Movie: 80
A big reason Crosby and Hope were such a great partnership boils down to the simple fact that either one of them could be the goofball or the straight man....
Total: 60
When you have the combined efforts of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, you can count on a great time....
Home Theater Forum review by Matt HoughRead review here
Video: 70
It’s from an old print (it appears to be the same transfer used on the HD-DVD release of the movie), and while sharpness is fine, the grayscale timing seems a bit darker than it needed to be....
Audio: 90
Dialogue is always clear and easily understood, and the background music, the numerous song interludes, and atmospheric effects have been blended with the dialogue quite professionally....
Extras: 10
Hope Movie Montage (4:17, HD): excerpts from Kino’s upcoming Bob Hope features are presented in a montage: My Favorite Brunette, The Lemon Drop Kid, Road to Rio, Road to Bali, and Son of Paleface....
Movie: 80
The addition of the Andrews Sisters is a plus as they have a smashing number with Bing “You Don’t Have to Know the Language” as part of the ship’s entertainment, and later the wonderfully endearing Wiere...
Total: 70
While the transfer is a slight disappointment (and Kino has inserted a still from Road to Singapore on the back cover), it looks good enough to earn a recommendation especially for those who don’t already...
Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Actors: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
PlotTwo vaudeville performers, Scat Sweeney and Hot Lips Barton, wander the United States after accidentally causing a fire at one of their performances. To avoid getting caught, they stow away on an ocean liner bound for Rio de Janeiro. On board, they meet Lucia, a down-on-her-luck performer who's under the influence of her manipulative aunt, Catherine Vail. Scat, immediately smitten with Lucia, decides to help her escape from Catherine's clutches. Along the way, they encounter numerous comedic misadventures and form a band to earn their keep on the ship while trying to evade detection as stowaways.
Upon arrival in Rio, the trio finds themselves tangled in a series of miscommunications and schemes involving Lucia's unforeseen engagement and Catherine's mysterious plans. They navigate the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, facing obstacles that test their wit and camaraderie. Scat and Hot Lips must use their entertainer's charm and resourcefulness to ensure Lucia's happiness and their own safety, leading to a thrilling chase through the city's lively streets. With their enduring friendship and comedic resilience, they strive to overcome the odds stacked against them.
Writers: Edmund Beloin, Jack Rose, Barney Dean
Release Date: 25 Dec 1947
Runtime: 100 min
Rating: Approved
Country: United States
Language: Portuguese, English