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My Cousin Vinny is directed by Jonathan Lynn (Clue),
and stars Joe Pesci (Goodfellas), Ralph Macchio (Karate
Kid series), Fred Gwynne (The Munsters), Marisa Tomei (The
Wrestler.) ***
Billy and Stan are two buddies driving across the country
to visit UCLA’s campus. Unfortunately, the visit takes a
turn for the worst when the two are accused of murder and
put on trial in a small town. Their only chance for clearing
their good names is Billy’s lawyer cousin Vinny Gambini,
who just passed his bar exam (after 6 attempts) and has
never been in a trial before. Vinny clashes with the judge,
the townspeople, and even his wife, but means well and intends
to do what it takes to save his cousin from being wrongfully
prosecuted. ***
Let me start this review by saying this – Joe Pesci
is a criminally-underrated actor. The guy is generally well-known
for short-fused characters that curse up a storm and cause
chaos in Martin Scorsese’s films – but there is so much
more to this guy than meets the eye. Pesci is every bit
as good at comedic roles. We saw his comedic side in the
first two Home Alone films, but perhaps no film demonstrates
his comedic talent better than My Cousin Vinny. ***
Another great thing about the films is it takes actors
that were generally only known for a single role in the
past, and gives them new roles. We finally get to see Ralph
Macchio playing a role other than the Karate Kid – and he
plays this young defendant very well. Likewise, Fred Gwynne
gets to play a role other than Herman Munster – and he’s
absolutely brilliant as the judge that frequently clashes
with Vinny’s way of doing things. Tragically, Gwynne died
not long after the film’s release. And of course, who could
forget Marisa Tomei as Vinny’s hot-tempered wife to be?
***
There are classic moments galore in this film. Comedies
based aroun d the legal/trial system are nothing new, but
My Cousin Vinny is the best movie of its kind. Once Joe
Pesci goes on a rant in the courtroom, the laughs simply
do not stop. With great performances from the entirety of
the cast (including a bunch of townspeople-type actors that
don’t get enough credit for their authentic performances)
and laughs around every corner, My Cousin Vinny is every
bit as comical now as when it was released nearly two decades
ago (has it really been THAT long?) ---
Image and Sound:
This is not the kind of movie that gets a massive upgrade
with its Blu-Ray release, but it’s still at least a marginal
improvement over earlier issues of the film. Clarity and
detail are definitely a few notches up from the old SD issues,
though depth tends to be a bit inconsistent. The grain level
remains consistent throughout and never distracts. Most
likely, Fox used the same transfer as on their most recent
SD release. While improved, it’s not worth a double dip
for the sake of visuals alone. ***
The main upgrade is in audio with the addition of a
lossless track. It’s mostly a dialogue-based movie, and
it’s louder and clearer than on any past release of the
movie. Again, as a dialogue-intensive film it won’t rival
the sound quality of a recent action-packed blockb uster,
but it’s just fine for what the movie is.
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