The plot, such as it is, is a pastiche of several episodes of the TV series, all twisted just enough to send them into a sunny version of the Twilight Zone. So the Bradys are going to lose their house if they don’t raise $20,000.00 by the end of the week, and Marcia’s nose is flattened by a football before the school dance, and Jan is jealous of the attention her big sister receives, and so on. The Brady’s are just as oblivious to how the rest of the world perceives themas they are to the (sometimes very funny) innuendos and double-entendres they constantly (and inadvertently) utter. While not exactly hysterical, the film did have me grinning much of the time.For those who can actually remember the original show (I’m afraid I can’t), the effect should be even better.
Audio
The soundtrack comes in both 5.1 and 2.0 mixes. The sound effects could be a bit stronger coming from the rear speakers, but they still aren’t bad, and the twittering birds and what not certainly add to the deliberately saccharine sitcom land the Brady’s live in. The music is especially well served, be it a rock version of the show’s song, or faithful (and thus now funny) renditions of series’ incidental music. The music does take pride of place in the mix, but doesn’t overwhelm the dialogue, which rings through with perfect clarity and zero distortion. The voice-over dialogue (when Jan starts hearing voices) has got a particularly good surround echo.
Video
Another 1.78:1 ratio, from the looks of things, while the theatrical ratio was 1.85:1. That aside, the picture is excellent. The colours are very bright with strong, even contrasts, and this becomes even more the case when we are at the Brady’s, with their ultra-green astro turf lawn and other horrendous 70s colour crimes. There is no grain or flicker, and no edge enhancement problems either. Good stuff.
Special Features
None at all.
Closing Thoughts
The total lack of extras is surprising, given that this was a pretty major release in 1995. There are enough laughs to warrant a rental, however.
