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My Cousin Vinny (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

8K views 21 replies 20 participants last post by  Philnick 
#1 ·


The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )

79






Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 1992
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 119 Minutes
Genre: Comedy

Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Fred Gwynne, Ralph Macchio, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill, Austin Pendelton, Mitchell Whitfield
Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Music by: Randy Edelmen
Written by: Dale Launer
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: August 4, 2009







"A classic comedy of trial and error"



Film Synopsis:


When Bill and Stan are mistakenly accused of murder on a trip through Alabama, they recruit Bill's cousin Vinny, a New York lawyer who's never gone to trial, to represent them before the formidable Judge Haller. Will justice follow Vinny and his girlfriend Lisa south when they try to save the day? It's the most hilarious culture clash ever when they hit the road in this tried-and-true favorite.



My Take:


Two college bound New York teenagers travel down south through rural Alabama when a series of coincidences lands them in jail charged with first-degree murder. Not being able to afford an attorney Bill (Ralph Macchio) and Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) turn to Bill's cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), an inexperienced lawyer who took six tries to pass his bar exam. Never having been in a trial, Vinny has to defend his clients and battle an uncompromising judge, some tough locals, and even his fiance, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) who just does not know when to shut up, to prove his clients' innocence.

My cousin Vinny is a comedy classic that contains so many memorable moments, funny lines and indelible characters. It is hard to imagine that it has been nearly 18 years since its release. It is one of those movies that hold up very well under repeat viewings and is difficult to pass up while channel surfing. Personally I find that the interplay between Gwynne's Judge Chamberlain Haller and Pesci's Mr. Gambini transcends the other established relationships in My cousin Vinny. It is a shame that Fred Gwynne and Lane Smith are no longer with us but they will live on through these great characters as well as those that they portrayed throughout their distinguished careers. It's funny but when Marisa Tomei originally won the Academy Award for her performance I didn't understand it. I thought she was okay but Oscar worthy? In the years since and having watched this movie numerous times I came to appreciate her grasp of this character and the contribution she made to this film. It is one of those movies that seem to transcend genre lines among movie lovers. I have owned it on DVD since it was originally released and was elated when I saw that it was being released in high definition. As I watched it during my evaluation I found myself laughing at all the familiar scenes and reveling in the fact that from now on I can enjoy it looking and sounding better than ever.



Parental Guide:


The rating is for language.





AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


Audio: 78


  • Dynamics:

  • Low frequency extension:

  • Surround Sound presentation:

  • Clarity/Detail:

  • Dialogue Reproduction:





Video: 80


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Resolution/Clarity:

  • Black level/Shadow detail:

  • Color reproduction:

  • Fleshtones:

  • Compression:

My cousin Vinny comes to Blu-ray from Fox featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 19 mbps and lossless DTS-Hd 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.6 mbps.

This high definition presentation from Fox marks a discernible improvement over the 2003 DVD release. It doesn't offer the high gloss imagery and razor sharp clarity of today's films that come to Blu-ray but its elements are rendered cleanly. Detail during close up and mid level camera angles revealed an appreciable amount of depth and delineation. I could detect the texture in clothing and physical features as well as the variations on the surfaces of objects within the frame. This wasn't strictly the case as some shots weren't as definitively resolved but fidelity was rarely questionable. Blacks were punchy and a deep shade of black and low level detail during segments that contained limited or uneven light was clearly evident which enhanced depth and the perception of objects in backgrounds. I didn't find colors to be noticeably snappy but they appeared tonally balanced. Fleshtones were on the drab side and sometimes yielded pasty looking complexions among the fairer skin types in the cast. I was pleased to see that the rendering of grain appeared natural with an evenly layered texture which occasionally took on more prominence but never rose to an objectionable level. Images were stable even during potentially difficult video segments, such as the dark, smoke filled bar sequence, as noise and artifacts were kept to a minimum. Overall I was very pleased with quality of this encoding.

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack easily conveyed the elements present in this recording and clearly bested the Dolby Surround track on the 2003 DVD release. I was impressed with the clarity and articulation of spoken dialogue as well as the reproduction of the variety of sounds contained within this essentially front heavy mix. This included everything from the loud screech of the steam whistle, a clap of thunder or the weight of the freight train to the sizzle of lard on a hot griddle or the rustling of Vinny's cloth suit as he walks. There was ample dynamic range which presented Randy Edelman's music score with full bodied dimension and discerning low level punch as it enlivened the soundstage. Channel separation was notable there were several instances where discretely placed sounds were used to good effect. An example of this occurs as Vinny and Lisa arrive in Wazoo City. The loud music coming from their car can be heard by people on the street as drive through town. The camera pans back and forth to the various onlookers as they watch them. The music seemingly continues to emanate from their vehicle as the vantage point changes according to the camera's perspective which moves it around the soundstage. The court room sequences retained a front loaded orientation with mild rear channel ambience applied to give it a more open and dimensional feel. I thought it sounded great.



Bonus Features:

  • Commentary by Director Jonathan Lynn

  • Theatrical trailers - A & B

  • TV Spots - Up to his ears and Lover





Final Thoughts:


My cousin Vinny is a thoroughly entertaining comedy classic that is deservedly a favorite among movie fans. I can't speak for everyone but I looked forward to its release on Blu-ray Disc. This high definition audio/video presentation from Fox shines and presents fans with the opportunity to see My Cousin Vinny looking and sounding better than ever. The sparse bonus features are certainly disappointing as I had hoped that this release would be the first to offer a decent round of extras. Regardless, this disc is easily worth adding to your collection and is highly recommended.















Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





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Carada Precision Brilliant White 96" Screen

Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

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Denon AVR 5308CI THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor

Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

Philips TSU9400 Pro Series Touch Panel Remote Control

Canton "Ergo" Series speakers

Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers

SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)

APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector

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Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
 
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14
#5 ·
"Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water - BAM. A f$%kin' bullet rips off part of your head. Your brains are lying on the ground in little bloody pieces. Now I ask ya, would you give a f$%$k what kind of pants the son-of-a-b!tch who shot you was wearing? "
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by FoxyMulder /forum/post/16947376


Marisa's legs in high definition....What more could anyone want!!

uh, more of Marissa in HD ala The Wrestler or Before the Devil Knows Your Dead



Actually I didn't care for either of those movies but My Cousin Vinny is a must own, thanks for another great review Ralph.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
So, here are my options. Option A: I get my ass kicked or Option B: I kick your ass and collect the 200. I think I'm gonna go with Option B: Kickin' your ass and collecting $200.

My favorite line
 
#13 ·
Vinny Gambini: I object to this witness being called at this time. We've been given no prior notice he would testify. No discovery of any tests he's conducted or reports he's prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of all witness who will testify, particularly those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as give the defense an opportunity to have his reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Mr. Gambini?
Vinny Gambini: Yes, sir?
Judge Chamberlain Haller: That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
Vinny Gambini: Thank you, sir.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Overruled.
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jiopsi /forum/post/16950385

vinny gambini: i object to this witness being called at this time. We've been given no prior notice he would testify. No discovery of any tests he's conducted or reports he's prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of all witness who will testify, particularly those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as give the defense an opportunity to have his reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.
judge chamberlain haller: mr. Gambini?
vinny gambini: yes, sir?
judge chamberlain haller: that is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
vinny gambini: thank you, sir.
judge chamberlain haller: overruled. :d

rotfl
 
#16 ·
stunning movie it and christmas vacation.......
 
#17 ·
Well some of my favorite lines were when she said that's a BS question when the judge asked her what the timing was for a 327 in a 56 chevy or whatever the exact engine was
then she replied that a 56 chevy didn't come with a 327 but that the timing for a 62 327 would have been 10 degrees before top dead center, the first year a 327 was available


After that he said she could be a expert witness about cars and mechanics and they then proceeded throughout the movie to point out many more true car facts that most car nuts go crazy about when they screw everything up just to make a cool scene or something with a car.

And of course everything else mentioned about lines and things just made the movie that much better.
 
#21 ·
And the scene where he argues with the man in the pool hall whether he would prefer to have his ass kicked or collect 100 dollars; priceless



And I love the hilariously patronising and over the top dialogue delivery of the prosecuting attorney. 'Iiiiii-dent-icall' hahahahha
 
#22 ·
Not to gratuitously resurrect an old thread, but auto mechanics are not the only ones who are blown away by the film's technical accuracy - and that accuracy's role in increasing the film's humor and power. Trial lawyers love it as well - this is what it's really like to try a case, not the glorified, idealized way it's usually presented!


There's an element of everyone being on truth-serum throughout that makes it more delicious. No judge would really admit that an objection was correct as he overruled it, and no lawyer would really say "I wore this rediculous outfit for you" - but the film's telling of forbidden truths just makes it more of a delight.


When the film's 20th anniversary rolled around last year, there were whole web sites set up by lawyers to pay tribute to it!
 
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