“What my associate is trying say is our new brake pads are really cool. You’re not even gonna believe it. Like, let’s say you’re driving along the road with your family. You’re drivin’ along, la-de-da, woo. All of a sudden there’s a truck tire in the middle of the road. And you hit the brakes. Eeee. Whoa, that was close. Ha-ha. Now let’s see what happens when you’re driving with the “other guy’s” brake pads. You’re drivin’ along, the kids start shouting from the back seat, “I gotta go to the bathroom, Daddy!” “Not now, damn it!” Truck tire. I can’t stop! There’s a cliff. Aaahh! And your family’s screaming, oh my God, we’re burning alive!” “No! I can’t feel my legs!” Here comes the meat wagon. And the medic gets out and says, “Oh my God.” New guy’s around the corner puking his guts out. All because you want to save a couple extra pennies.”
There are a ton of parallels between the Chris Farley/David Spade comedy team and that of John Belushi/Dan Aykroyd. Both teams began in the Saturday Night Live arena. It was that physical big/little guy combination that has its roots with Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello. Both teams were at the height of their careers when a drug overdose would claim the wilder member of the team. Both of the deceased comedians left behind at least one successful brother to carry on the name in show business. Tommy Boy was by far the best of the films this duo made before Farley’s tragic overdose in 1997. It’s now the 30th anniversary for the film, and Paramount has released a nice steelbook UHD Blu-ray (4K) version of the film to celebrate.
Tommy Boy Callahan has been a screwup since he was a kid. It wasn’t looking much better as he matured into adulthood. After seven years Tommy finally graduated college with a celebrated D+ grade. Now his father, Big Tom (Dennehy) wants Tommy Boy to come and take his place as the heir apparent in their auto parts manufacturing plant. Tommy’s best friend since childhood is Richard (Spade), who has been Big Tom’s right hand man all along. He feels cheated, but is tasked with getting Tommy Boy ready to eventually run the company. Big Tom is also getting ready to marry a hot babe 20 years his junior, Beverly (Derek). At the wedding Big Tom suddenly dies, and now a group of con artists are trying to take control of his plant so that they can sell it to their biggest rival, Zalinksky (Aykroyd). Now it’s up to Tommy Boy and Richard to hit the road and sell a half million worth of brake pads to keep the company from defaulting to the bank, and falling into the hands of the con artists, who are working to place roadblocks in their way. Can they save the plant?
Most of the film is merely a playground for Farley’s particularly physical comedy. Spade is mostly the straight man, and the dynamic works, for the most part. A lot of it is a road film, giving Farley and Spade the necessary time together. The systematic destruction of Richard’s prize car is one of the better running jokes in the film. Don’t look for an overly complicated script or innovative cinematography here. This film delivers exactly what it claims to: Chris Farley and David Spade. Most of the time the film is merely an extension of some of their more famous Saturday Night Live skits together. Director Peter Segal is smart enough to put them into the best positions he can and just get out of the way. The Aykroyd character is definitely underused. He does a great job of turning what was essentially a cameo into a rather rip-roaring performance. It would have been nice to see the three of them work more in the future.
Video
Tommy Boy is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The ultra-high-definition 2160p image is arrived at by an HEVC codec with an average bitrate of 65 mbps. This was originally shot on 35mm so it is a native 4K source. you have to love how good this thing looks. Colors pop, and the film just comes alive with detail. Detail is solid enough to notice quite obviously the stunt double in Richard’s car when the hood flies off. Everything has been improved from the earlier release. Contrast and black levels are relatively solid throughout. There is a touch of grain, particularly in the early stages of the film, but it should not be considered a flaw in the presentation. It looks pretty good. I wasn’t that keen on the earlier HD version, but this upgrade is much more worth the double dip to own the film as good as it looked in that multiplex seat 30 years ago.
Audio
The Dolby True HD-MA 5.1 audio presentation is another huge step up from the Blu-ray. I was disappointed in that release. The wonderful songs on the soundtrack felt like a really bad CD release. Now they pop with the kind of clarity and dynamic range like you haven’t heard. They are the lifeblood of this audio presentation, and you’ll find them fully restored here. Subs kick in and add a wealth of depth to everything from the music to the dialog. I was hoping for an Atmos option here, but I can absolutely live with what we have here.
Special Features
The extras are found one on the Blu-ray copy, and they are the exact features and menu, I might add, from the previous release. There’s nothing new to see here.
Final Thoughts:
Sometimes a film is intended simply to entertain. Tommy Boy fits that bill perfectly. I guess there are some bittersweet moments when viewed after Farley’s death. I still get the same feeling when I watch The Blues Brothers. Aykroyd once said years after John Belushi’s death that his friend was missing a hell of a ride. That pretty much sums up what I feel when I see Tommy Boy. I see a ton of potential that will never be realized. So you do get your comedy, but the emotions can’t be avoided. It’s like this comedy “comes with a thin candy shell”.
