Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Disney/Buena Vista – 107 min – 1997 – Rated R -1080p – 1.85:1 widescreen – DTS-HD 5.1 Audio

Many great films came out of the decade of the 90’s such as The Matrix, The Shawshank Redention and Pulp Fiction, but there were also some hidden gems that still stand out, and every time your flipping cable channels and you see that it’s on you will stop and watch it. Grosse Pointe Blank is one of those movies. For the last 6 years every other film has been released on Blu-ray, except for this one. Finally the wait is over and Disney/Buena Vista has opened its treasure chest to release Grosse Pointe Blank, calling it the 15th Anniversary Edition. Grosse Pointe Blank is still a good movie, but this Blu-ray leaves a lot to be desired.

THE MOVIE

John Cusack stars as Martin Blank, a high paid assassin who is ready to hang up his gun and live a normal life after one last job. An act of faith positions his final kill in his old hometown of Grosse Pointe, where his 10th high school reunion is taking place. The one reason he agrees to the gig is his hope of once again seeing Debi (Minnie Driver) his ex-girlfriend that he last saw on prom night ten years ago when he stood her up and mysteriously vanished. Added to this is a rival assassin named Grocer (Dan Aykroyd) who has tracked him back to his hometown in an attempt to have him killed. Blank now has to keep Grocer from putting a bullet in his head, find a way to win back his true love Debi, and attend his high school reunion.

I’ve always liked Cusack, but in my opinion this is his best movie. He plays Blank in a very deadpan style, but from frame one he is completely likable as man who is filled with demons that his is constantly trying to shake out of him. He even has to see a shrink (nicely played by Alan Arkin) to constantly get his head clear. One of Grosse Pointe Blank’s best features is the supporting cast who are Blank’s former schoolmates attending the reunion, including Jeremy Piven (from Entourage) who plays his best friend, who at one point flips out when it hits him that its been ten years since he last saw him. And as always, Cusack finds a way to add his big sister Joan Cusack into the mix.

The one true payoff is the relationship between Cusack and Driver, because even though this is not a traditional romantic comedy, the chemistry between the two of them is so good that even after the credits roll, you want to keep following their lives. Grosse Pointe Blank is a comedy at heart, but it’s also an action film, and when the bullets start flying it is well executed without being over the top. Blank is a killer, when he re-sparks his romance with Debi and she realizes what he does for a living; he realizes that every time he pulls the trigger, there are consequences.

Directed by George Armitage and co-written by John Cusack; even though the film was shot in the 90’s, watching it today doesn’t feel dated at all. The film is fun and funny, and Dan Akroyd is given the opportunity to play a psychotic over the top character that only he can pull off and make likeable. The 80’s soundtrack is another character in the film, featuring classics songs like 99 Luftballoons, Blister in the sun, Armagideon Time, and Let My Love Open the Door. It’s all very nostalgic and 15 years later it still works, which tells you how good this movie is. If you have never seen Grosse Pointe Blank, this film gets one of my highest recommendations. And if you haven’t seen this film in a long time it is definitely worth revisiting. “Welcome back, Pointers.”

VIDEO

The 1080p transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio looks decent, but it’s not Blu-ray fantastic. The color palette is not as strong as it could be, and this is a very bright film with mostly outdoor daylight scenes, so it shouldn’t look this flat. Skin tones don’t look as accurate as they can be and certain scenes feel soft. Darker scenes display hints of grain, and Cusack, who always wears black, gets lost if he stands in a dark spot. Despite it’s flaws, the transfer is still a leap over my old standard DVD copy, but I wish more care was put into it.

SOUND

The audio makes up for the image quality, offering a DTS-HD 5.1 mix that is worth cranking up your speakers, especially to hear the kick-ass soundtrack. Dialogue is clear, and action scenes with bullets whizzing around are solid. You can nit-pick, but overall for a 15 year old catalogue title with a small fan following, the mix is satisfactory enough.

EXTRAS

WTF?!!! For a film that displays 15 Anniversary Edition on the cover you would expect some sort of bonus features or retrospective. But no, there is nothing. Would it have been too much to get Cusack, Driver and Aykroyd to sit down in a room for five minutes to talk about the film? Come on Disney, you have a pile of money sitting around that you just made from The Avengers, so there’s no excuse for this.

The only thing included is the film’s original trailer, but still…come on!

BOTTOM LINE

Grosse Pointe Blank has aged gracefully like a fine wine, and will always be placed on my top shelf. The Blu-ray unfortunately gets the bargain bin treatment with acceptable image and sound, but the lack of no bonus features can’t be forgiven. If you can get this film for $10 or under, don’t hesitate, especially if you’re already a fan. But this film should have been given better treatment, and maybe one day a more complete version will be released.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 1.0

Bottom Line: 3.0