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PARAMOUNT

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Walter Hill
Cast:
Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James
Writing Credits:
John Fasano, Jeb Stuart, Larry Gross

Synopsis:
Jack Cates once again enlists the aid of ex-con Reggie Hammond, this time to take down The Iceman, a ruthless drug lord operating in the San Francisco bay area.

MPAA:
Rated R.

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio:
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French Dolby 2.0
Japanese Dolby 2.0
German Dolby 2.0
Subtitles:
English
Japanese
French
German
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
English
Japanese
French
German

Runtime: 95 min.
Price: $24.99
Release Date: 7/6/2021

Bonus:
• “Filmmaker Focus” Featurette
• Trailer


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-Marantz SR7010 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD AV Surround Receiver;
-Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-Ray Player
-Chane A2.4 Speakers
-SVS SB12-NSD 12" 400-watt Sealed Box Subwoofer.


RELATED REVIEWS


Another 48 Hrs. (Paramount Presents Edition) [Blu-Ray] (1990)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (July 4, 2021)

With 1982’s 48 Hrs., Eddie Murphy made his cinematic debut. In one fell swoop, Murphy went from SNL castmember to movie star, as 48 Hrs. became a substantial hit and launched his film career with a bang.

Eight years later, Murphy reunited with director Walter Hill and co-star Nick Nolte for 1990’s Another 48 Hrs. When we last saw them, San Francisco cop Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) and convict Reggie Hammond (Murphy) joined forces to stop a killer. After Reggie went back to prison to finish his sentence, Jack found himself in pursuit of “The Iceman”, a violent drug kingpin.

As Jack continues to go after Iceman, he learns that Reggie appears to be a target as well. With Reggie now formally released from the hoosegow, he gets back with Jack to stop Iceman.

On the surface, Another looks like it did as well as the first film. The latter made $78 million US whereas the former took in $80 million US. Sure, inflation means the original sold more tickets, but both performed fairly similarly.

However, given the hype for Another, it had to be viewed as a commercial disappointment. Whereas the first movie cost only $12 million, the sequel boasted a $50 million budget. Because it brought in more than $150 million worldwide, Another made a profit, but it still clearly underperformed studio expectations, at least in the US.

Beyond finances, Another simply didn’t enjoy nearly as much affection from fans. It sold tickets based on name recognition but didn’t seem much loved.

The original movie was so popular that it took 15 weeks to fall out of the US top 10. On the other hand, Another dropped below number 10 after only seven weeks. Those aren’t terrible legs, but I remain convinced that the studio expected much better from the sequel.

I know I saw Another during its 1990 theatrical run, but whereas I remember my 1982 screening of the original movie well, I possess next to no memory of this one. That seems like a bad sign.

I guess I can see it as a minor positive that I don’t recall that I hated Another. If I’d genuinely loathed the flick – like I did with that same summer’s atrocious RoboCop 2 - it likely would’ve stuck in my wee brain.

Nonetheless, it seems like an ominous sign that a big-budget, hotly-anticipated sequel like Another left my memory so long ago. As I rewatched the film 31 years later, I figured out why I forgot it: because it’s eminently forgettable.

Not that this makes Another a bad movie. At its core, it offers a watchable affair, one that musters sufficient entertainment value across its 95 minutes.

However, Another doesn’t remotely threaten to recapture the magic of the original. Indeed, it feels more like a semi-lazy rehash of the 1982 movie than anything creative in its own right.

Another goes out of its way to remind us of the prior flick. We find the same antagonistic dynamic between Reggie and Jack, and a number of scenes consciously echo memorable sequences from the first film.

Because of this, Another comes with a feeling of obligation more than inspiration. I get the impression the movie exists to churn out box office dollars, and it feels like a calculated attempt to create a hit than anything clever or creative.

Murphy and Nolte do little to alter this impression via their less than stellar performances. While both do okay in their roles, both seem a little bored with the project and fail to demonstrate the chemistry that they showed in 1982.

In particular, Murphy looks vaguely annoyed to play Reggie again. He seems semi-peeved through the whole movie and lacks the dynamic charisma he showed the first time.

Like the original, Another exists more as a series of action and/or comedy scenes that revolve around a loose plot. The 1982 flick boasted enough charm and vivacity to overcome its lackluster narrative.

The sequel’s other flaws make the limp story more problematic, though. We find ourselves stuck down a series of dead-end streets as we await the inevitable confrontation with the Iceman, and the plot just doesn’t offer much substance.

Again, I can’t call Another 48 Hrs. a poor movie, as it keeps the viewer with it. Nonetheless, it remains a shadow of the original and remains a disappointment 31 years after its debut.


The Disc Grades: Picture B+/ Audio B+/ Bonus C

Another 48 Hrs. appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a solid presentation for a 31-year-old movie.

Sharpness worked well. A few interiors felt a little soft, but the majority of the film offered accurate, distinctive delineation.

No issues occurred related to jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. Grain felt fairly natural, and I saw no print flaws.

Another opted for a fairly subdued palette, one that favored ambers and cool blues. These seemed well-rendered and clear.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows offered appealing smoothness. I felt impression by this quality image.

In addition, the movie’s Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio also fared well, as the soundscape proved to be fairly active and involving. The front channels demonstrated the best movement/integration, but the surrounds got a fair amount of work as well.

The rear channels brought a nice sense of place, and they bolstered the music as well. A few good instances of split-surround action occurred, and the whole thing fit together nicely.

The quality of the track seemed fine. The lines were always intelligible and usually appeared reasonably natural, without edginess or other issues.

Music was peppy and bold, while effects came across as clear and distinctive. I felt we got a solid “B+” soundtrack here, with some compensation for age.

How did the Blu-ray compare to the original DVD? Audio showed better involvement and quality, as the lossless track lacked the Dolby 5.1 mix’s mild distortion.

Given that the DVD offered a non-anamorphic image from 1999 – one that probably recycled an old laserdisc - it came as no surprise that the Blu-ray boasted major improvements. It seemed better defined and showed superior colors and blacks as well as a lack of artifacts or print flaws. The Blu-ray gave us a massive step up compared to the awful DVD.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we find a Filmmaker Focus featurette with director Walter Hill, though we also get a smidgen of circa 1990 comments from actors Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. It goes for 14 minutes, 35 seconds.

A companion to a piece on the first movie’s Blu-ray, “Focus” looks at the sequel’s path to the screen, sets and locations, stunts, challenges related to the creation of the second chapter and related criticisms, and other stories about the film.

I liked Hill’s discussion for the 1982 flick and he makes this another solid program. Hill gives us an honest account of his experiences and turns out an insightful chat.

Eddie Murphy revisits his breakout film role via Another 48 Hrs. but he and Nick Nolte fail to make this a memorable reunion. While the movie brings passable entertainment, it lacks anything to create a truly worthwhile sequel. The Blu-ray offers very good picture and audio as well as an informative featurette. This turns into a major upgrade over the ancient DVD, even if the movie itself remains mediocre.

To rate this film visit the DVD review of ANOTHER 48 HRS.

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