Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

My Cousin Vinny epitomizes the classic '80s movie. OK -- it was released in 1992, but it does follow the '80s playbook to a tee. We have Karate Kid Ralph Macchio, a cheesy soundtrack, a fish-out-of-water plot, and an Oscar winner. Hey! That's not part of the program, but Marisa Tomei surprisingly got her statue from this comedy -- and it wasn't even directed by Woody Allen. Apparently, the Academy bought her whole "positraction" rant.

This time, Jonathan Lynn (The Whole Nine Yards) is behind this tale of two kids, Billy and Stan (Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield), who find themselves caught in a case of mistaken identity while heading south from New York City on a road trip. The kids are treading on new territory, however, since that confusion leads to allegations of murder in the middle of rural Alabama.

That could be a fun movie in itself, but this one is really about Joe Pesci's not-always-so-smart-talking lawyer, who just happens to be Billy’s cousin. The two enlist Vinny’s arguing skills, as well as fiancée Mona Lisa Vito (Tomei), to help prove their innocence.

It sounds goofy because it is. Stereotypical New Yawk-ers and Southerners aside, though, the film works because of its great casting. Also look for Fred Gywnne (aka Herman Munster), Bruce McGill and Lane Smith, who all put in noteworthy performances. Put any other cast in this comedy and it could have been another Soul Man. However, 17 years later, My Cousin Vinny is still funny.

The Picture

For a movie that appears so played out on cable, My Cousin Vinny has received a nice refresher on Blu-ray. This 1.85:1 transfer does have a lot of hazy moments. Still, it's also got a decent amount of detail, too. Tomei's lips, Gwynne's hair and Pesci's various suits and jackets all have lifelike color and texture. Other areas also pop, including the textured floor of the courtroom and brick on some of the buildings.

The Sound

At the beginning of the film, that cheesy '80s-style soundtrack rings out louder than a 4:10 a.m. freight train. It does calm down in other parts of the movie, but dialogue is surprisingly low -- especially when Fred Gwynne appears. Other than that, the DTS-HD Master Audio track has some very interesting moments, including the aforementioned train, shots fired, forest creatures, and the occasional passing thunderstorm.

The Extras

We find Fox guilty of releasing a great movie with lame extras. Yes, My Cousin Vinny is a fun movie. However, it's also available on cable every other weekend. If Fox expects people to shell out for the Blu-ray, they should have thought about giving the people a few extras. This release has a commentary by director Jonathan Lynn and just a few trailers and TV spots. Wouldn't Marisa Tomei's Oscar win warrant its own featurette?

Final Thoughts

My Cousin Vinny is in regular rotation on cable TV. In fact, at the time of this writing, we saw three upcoming airings -- on one station alone. If that doesn't say classic, we don't know what does. Overall, we could have used a little more Macchio. Still, the casting is what keeps this comedy funny after all these years. The Blu-ray does offer a slightly fresh peek, even though we feel very cheated on the extras.

Product Details

• Actors: Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Bruce McGill
• Director: Jonathan Lynn
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Surround (English, French), Stereo (Spanish)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: R
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: August 4, 2009
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• List Price: $34.98
• Extras:
  • Audio Commentary by Director Jonathan Lynn
  • Original Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spots