City Slickers Blu-ray Review

Shout Factory's re-release of "City Slickers" on Blu-Ray, featuring a new 4K scan, significantly elevates the visual quality of this beloved comedy. The picture, encoded in MPEG-4 AVC with a 1080p resolution and presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio on a BD-50 layer disc, benefits immensely from this upgrade. The enhancement in clarity and detail is immediately noticeable, setting a new benchmark compared to its previous 2011 MGM transfer. This updated version maintains the film's natural grain, an essential element that contributes to its filmic aesthetic. The grain behavior varies across scenes, adding a rich texture that complements the outdoor settings and character close-ups with remarkable fidelity.

The color reproduction in this release is noteworthy; the vibrancy and saturation breathe new life into the visuals, making the scenic greenery and blue skylines pop with an unprecedented vividness. This 4K scan manages to strike a harmonious balance between brightness and contrast, ensuring that high brightness levels do not overshadow the deep black levels. However, it's worth noting that while the blacks are rich and contribute to the overall depth of the image, grain becomes more apparent in darker scenes. Despite minor specks and scratches from the source material, which remain unobtrusive, the disc’s visual presentation largely remains pristine and inviting.

In terms of technical achievements, this Blu-Ray excels in delivering heightened detail and a substantial depth of field. The skin tones are rendered naturally and consistently throughout the film, capturing nuances like facial textures and expressions with exceptional clarity. Colors lean towards a more natural palette, with robust browns and striking blues making a significant impact while maintaining realism. Although not devoid of minor artifacts like mild banding and the aforementioned specks, the overall video quality is significantly improved, making "City Slickers" a visually delightful experience that arguably surpasses its original cinematic release.

The City Slickers 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio mix strikes a commendable balance between clarity and immersive sound field, enhancing the viewing experience with meticulous attention to both musical score and environmental sounds. The mix handles Marc Shaiman's dynamic score with finesse, placing emphatic compositions and tender, softer cues with precision, thereby enriching the film's emotional landscape. Dialogue is crisply rendered, maintaining natural-sounding tonality across both high-energy comedic exchanges and more subdued moments, ensuring no loss in performance depth. The soundstage demonstrates restraint in its use of surrounds, creating a more enveloping experience during key sequences such as the third-act storm, effectively using the available channels to convey the expansive outdoor environments and the bustling ranch life, alongside quieter campfire scenes and indoor settings.

In addition to the main 5.1 mix, this release includes a 2.0 stereo mix in DTS-HD MA, offering flexibility in audio setups. While primarily dominated by the 5.1 setup, the stereo option does not skimp on delivering a solid auditory experience, with well-integrated effects and music. Sound effects, particularly those involving cattle and other action elements like the thunderstorm finale, exhibit a pleasing blend of sharpness and weight. Despite being slightly lower in overall mix volume - requiring a slight adjustment - both arrangements ensure that critical elements like the rumble of stampedes and atmospheric weather conditions are felt with enough impact to leave a memorable impression.

The inclusion of an informative and entertaining audio commentary track with director Ron Underwood along with stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern adds significant value, offering behind-the-scenes insights enriched by their camaraderie and humor. This component underscores the release's appeal not just on a technical level but as an engaging companion to the film. Together, these audio features underscore an adeptly mixed presentation that does justice to the on-screen action and dialogue, secured by balances in volume levels and spatial dynamics, ensuring a robust auditory experience that complements this cherished cinematic journey.

The "City Slickers" Blu-ray extra section, while exhaustive, suffers from technical setbacks that mar the viewing experience. All bonus content, inclusive of an engaging director and cast commentary, a collection of informative featurettes, and a set of deleted scenes, has been directly ported from the 2011 release. Nonetheless, these extras are plagued by low resolution and inconsistent frame rates which significantly detract from their enjoyment. Notably, the featurettes provide a deep dive into the film’s production, from its conceptualization to the peculiarities of working with livestock. The commentary is a highlight, offering personal insights from director Ron Underwood alongside stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern. Despite its historical value to fans, the technical issues present an unnecessary hurdle to full appreciation.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: By Director Ron Underwood and Stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern.
• Back In The Saddle: City Slickers Revisited: A reflective look at the making of the film with cast and crew.
• Bringing In The Script: Writing City Slickers: Insight into the writing process with Billy Crystal and the screenwriters.
• A Star Is Born: An Ode To Norman: A featurette dedicated to Norman the cow and his significance to the film.
• The Real City Slickers: Exploring the impact of the film on ranch vacations and interviews with vacationers inspired by the movie.
• Deleted Scenes: Commentary over cut scenes from the film.
• Theatrical Trailer: High-definition preview of the film.

City Slickers emerges as a beacon of early '90s cinema, demonstrating that a blend of comedy, soul-searching, and adventure can coalesce into a box office titan, reminiscent of Billy Crystal's golden era. It intricately weaves the tale of Mitch Robbins (Crystal) and his cohorts facing mid-life crises, opting for a cattle drive escapade in pursuit of rekindled spirits and laughs amidst the backdrop of the American West. Not just a comedic journey, the film enriches its narrative with moments of introspection and masculine vulnerability, defying typical genre constraints. The ensemble cast, spearheaded by Crystal with noteworthy support from Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, and an Oscar-winning Jack Palance as Curly, shines brightly, their dynamic interplay bringing depth to the film's humorous and emotional layers.

The narrative ambitiously tackles themes of aging, friendship, and self-discovery, setting it apart from run-of-the-mill comedies. Palance's portrayal of Curly offers a gritty authenticity to the cowboy archetype, providing not only comic relief but also serving as a pivotal catalyst for the protagonists' transformation. Meanwhile, the film's setting acts as both a canvas and character, encapsulating the allure and hardships of cowboy life, further accentuated by a rousing score that underscores the journey's highs and lows. Despite occasional deviations into conventional territory, City Slickers manages to navigate these with grace, ensuring its legacy within the comedy genre.

At its core, City Slickers surpasses being merely a comedic escapade through the wild West; it delves into the essence of life's second acts and the quest for purpose amidst existential quandaries. Its blend of sharp wit, heartwarming camaraderie, and character-driven storytelling crafts a narrative that resonates beyond its laughter-inducing antics. As both a critical and commercial triumph, its status remains unscathed by time, maintaining relevance and endearment among audiences, with its impact subtly inspiring later works. The film stands as an enduring testament to its era, cast, and creative vision, harmoniously melding humor with a poignant exploration of man's perennial search for meaning.

City Slickers," a beloved comedic gem that successfully melds humor with heartfelt themes of mid-life crisis and personal renewal, remains a significant cultural artifact from the early '90s. This 2018 Shout Factory Blu-ray edition does justice to the original film's charm and wit, providing fans and new viewers alike with a superior viewing experience. Featuring a fresh 4K transfer, this edition enhances the film's visual appeal, offering crisper details and more vibrant colors that highlight the production's achievements. However, it is noteworthy that while the video quality sees a substantial upgrade, the audio and bonus features remain unchanged from earlier Blu-ray releases. This includes carryovers such as deleted scenes, which offer intriguing insights into the film's editing choices but do not benefit from the enhanced visual treatment.

The high-definition upgrade gives "City Slickers" a much-deserved facelift, ensuring that its portrayal of urban men grappling hilariously with cowboy life in wide-open spaces looks better than ever. Despite the lack of new extras, the inclusion of existing special features like the deleted scenes adds value for fans interested in the filmmaking process and further deepens the appreciation for this comedic endeavor. While some may argue that the improvements primarily cater to a niche market of hardcore fans, there is undeniable appeal in experiencing this film in the best quality possible.

In conclusion, the Shout Factory’s 2018 Blu-ray release of "City Slickers" represents a definitive version for collectors and aficionados of this classic comedy. Although the added enhancements mainly revolve around visual upgrades, they significantly contribute to a more immersive and enjoyable viewing experience. Despite its somewhat niche appeal due to the lack of new supplemental material, this release stands out as an essential acquisition for enthusiasts eager to revisit the hilarity and warmth of "City Slickers" with revitalized visual clarity.