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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 1.85:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English
  Extras
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Cast/crew biographies
  • Production notes

Happy Gilmore

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 88 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

After watching Waterboy 2 weekends ago, not one of my favorite movies bar the illegible hill-billy, I was in a slight Adam Sandler mode so when receiving his latest release in region 4 I was more than eager to review this disc.

Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) is your typical jock, wanting to play in the big league ice-hockey, but he has a problem - he can't skate and has a fuse as short as a bee's ... stinger. As his life couldn't get any worse, his girlfriend leaves him and his grandmothers home will be sold in 90 days if she can't fork out $270,000 to pay off her taxes for the last 10 years.

In a moment of macho "mine's bigger than yours" chivalry, Happy is duped into a $20 bet to see if he can hit a golf ball down the street. He does, and more than 400 yards at that. Double or nothing, he does it again, one more time and he does it yet again. He takes it upon himself to start betting against people at the local driving range that they can't hit further than he can when he is spotted by Chubbs Peterson (carl Weathers), still looking good for his age. Chubbs, sees this raw talent as an opportunity to help Happy achieve the heights in gold that he himself missed out on after having his arm bitten off by a now one-eyed alligator.

Happy makes it into the pro tour and finishes mid table for most of the tour earning almost enough to help his grandmother. His arch rival Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDondald) has now bought the house and Happy offers to quit the tour if he loses the last tournament or that Happy gets ownership of the home if he wins. It's a fun movie, with some really funny moments that certainly made myself and my comedic movie partner in crime reach for the rewind button many a time.

  Video
Contract

Another good transfer from Universal. I must admit, Universal transfer are not as great as the likes of New Line or Columbia Tristar. They have that certain edge enhanced look and when viewing them via the dvd-rom and software decoder to get the raw image on the disc, it seems that the scanning process of film-to-digital is not as focused as it could be. Alas, this is still a good transfer.

We benefit from an anamorphically enhanced 1.85 transfer here whereas region 1 is stuck with a full frame version. That extra resolution coupled with the PAL format produces a bright and colorful picture that will please any sandler fan more than enough. Don't expect perfection from this disc.

  Audio
Contract

This movie uses Adams witty dialogue to compliment the onscreen slapstick and you are not disappointed in the dialogue department. As for the use of the 5.1 soundtrack, well it wasn't. The surrounds were sparingly used, if at all, which was a shame. Low end bass was non-existent, to the extent felt in some other similar genred movies.

If this was a stereo or surround soundtrack, you wouldn't notice any difference.

  Extras
Contract

Your basic extras here. A few production notes, cast/crew biographies and your now standard theatrical trailer. Move along.

  Overall  
Contract

As an Adam Sandler movie, it's of a pretty high standard. I've yet to see Big Daddy and the Wedding Singer was a hoot. This one ranks up there somewhere and is a good quality slapstical laugh.


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      And I quote...
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    - Steve Koukoulas
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Pioneer DV-505 Gold
    • TV:
          Hitachi CMT2979 68cm
    • Amplifier:
          Yamaha DSP-A1
    • Speakers:
          Peterson Labs 100Watts
    • Centre Speaker:
          Sherwood SC-60E
    • Surrounds:
          Sherwood LS-502
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
      Recent Reviews:
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