The Film
Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Rushmore, Zombieland, and countless other films all celebrate Bill Murray's comedic talents. When rattling off the actor's theatrical achievements, Meatballs is usually left off the list. That's strange, too, since he's the entire movie.
Murray signed on to the summer comedy right in the middle of his short stint on Saturday Night Live. It isn't such a crowning achievement in Murray's resume, but it is the beginning of a lengthy film career, as well as a 4-movie stint with director Ivan Reitman. The two went on to work together on classics such as Stripes, Ghostbusters, and Ghostbusters II.
Meatballs offfers a blip of one incredibly goofy summer at Camp North Star. It's obviously a bit of a discount camp, and not just because Murray's Tripper is considered to be an authority figure. He's the chief counselor in charge of the CITs (counselors in training), a crop of misfits whose main summer objective seems to be hooking up. Wisely, the film never gets too involved in the extras; it's mostly about Murray's one-liners and his relationship with social misfit Rudy (played by My Bodyguard's Chris Makepeace).
The movie is dated, as if you couldn't tell by the presence of "Makin' It," the only musical hit by actor David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London). Still Meatballs is pretty funny and much funnier than the three sequels it spawned -- none of which included Murray or Reitman.
The Picture
Lionsgate's 1.78:1 transfer isn't a total mess, but never elevates above the level of adequate. Some of the close-ups are decent, but the film offers up very little detail throughout. Those wide shots get noisy and there are flecks here and there. Without a doubt, the release's strongest suit is the color palette, which looks pretty nice for a 33-year-old low budget comedy.
The Sound
It's sort of a bummer that Lionsgate only offers up a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track with this release. The dialogue is pretty clear, but considering all of the wacky hijinks and the very '70s soundtrack, the rest is limited.
The Extras
Don't expect to see Bill Murray reminisce about his first major film role. There are no extras dedicated to Murray or his young costars. Lionsgate didn't even include the original trailer. Instead, the lone extra is an audio commentary with director Ivan Reitman and producer Dan Goldberg. Fans will want to listen in, though, since the two do offer up interesting tidbits about the production.
Final Thoughts
If you're in the mood for funny Bill Murray, there are a lot of options out there. Still, Meatballs offers up a few chuckles. Fans may find themselves saying, "It just doesn't matter" when it comes to this release. However, you'd better be a pretty big fan. This Blu-ray is sort of a disappointment.
Product Details
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