Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 97 mins – 1995 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p – Widescreen 1.85: 1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio

 

 

The buddy comedy film has been around since the days of Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, and Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. Times have changed and so has comedy, but the pursuit for a new comedy team continues. In the mid 90’s two Saturday Night Live players made a go at taking the comedy duo throne, David Spade and the late Chris Farley. Tommy Boy, the most successful film from the team is now available on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment, hoping to take you down nostalgia road.

 

THE MOVIE

 

Chris Farley plays Tommy Callahan III, a fat slob who has finally graduated college after many attempts, and goes back home to learn the ropes of his father Big Tom’s (Brian Dennehy) auto part business, which he is supposed to eventually one day take over. Tommy is basically an idiot child trapped in a fat man’s body, so Big Tom assigns one of his best workers, Richard (David Spade), to show him the ropes. Big Tom is set to marry a younger woman (Bo Derek), so he wants Tommy to get close to his future brother-in-law Paul (Rob Lowe).

 

Things turn for the worse when Big Tom dies and Tommy Boy is left with the task of saving the company. Tommy Boy and Richard go on the road in hopes of selling the auto brake part that his dad created and prevent the company from going under. Obviously, every attempt at getting a laugh is thrown at you, some are funny and most will make you wonder what they were thinking.

 

Directed by Peter Segal and produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, Tommy Boy already feels dated, with the only reason to watch is to see one of the final films of comedian Chris Farley who died two years after the film was released. Tommy Boy is a cute movie with it’s heart in the right place, but unless you saw and liked it fourteen years ago, there’s not much here for new viewers who probably don’t know who Chris Farley is.

 

VIDEO

 

Presented in full 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Tommy Boy looks acceptable for a film over a decade old, offering sharp colors and solid skin tones, but there are certain scenes that are filled with grain. If you own the standard DVD this is definitely a step up, but it won’t blow anyone away.

 

AUDIO

 

With a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio mix, Tommy Boy only attempts to get the job done with no bells and whistles. The dialogue is clear, but whenever a loud audio effect is heard, it doesn’t sound natural at all like you’re hearing it through bad speakers. Don’t expect much here.

 

EXTRAS

 

This is a straight port of the DVD, so if you own that one, all the bonus features have been carried over.

 

Director Peter Segal provides an audio commentary, which he mainly talks about Chris Farley than the film itself.

 

Six deleted scenes are accessible, but beyond 90’s nostalgia there’s nothing that would make you view this twice.

 

This version is called the “Holy Schnike Edition” and offers an hour-long series of featurettes that look at the making of the film, as well as the short and wild life of Chris Farley.

 

Six alternate takes and fifteen extended scenes are up for grabs, but these are for the hardcore fans of this film, because all others may find themselves fast-forwarding.

 

Rounding things out are 19 TV spots, the theatrical trailer in HD, gag reel, a photo gallery and storyboard comparison shots.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

Tommy Boy is for Chris Farley fans only, and this special edition Blu-ray has their name all over it. If you’re looking for an upgrade for your old scratched DVD, then this is a step up. For all others it’s only a rental.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

 

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 2.5

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 2.5