Stars:
Martin Lawrence, Tom Wilkinson, Marsha Thomason, and Vincent Regan
Writers:
Darryl J. Quarles, Peter Gaulke, and Gerry Swallow
Director:
Gil Junger
Feature
length: 95 minutes
Extras:
Feature Length Audio Commentary By Director Gil Junger, Scene-Specific
Commentary By Martin Lawrence, Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary,
Choreography Featurette With Paula Abdul, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette,
Outtakes, Storyboard-To-Scene Comparison, Theatrical Trailers
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French and Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 28
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2001/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Home
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Martin
Lawrence is a self absorbed, fast-talking grounds keeper and maintenance worker
at a medieval themed castle park who somehow goes back in time to 14th
century England where he puts his street smarts to surviving in this new era and
restoring a queen to her rightful place in the realm. I was pretty disappointed
with “Black Knight” because I simply did not find it very funny. Does that
mean “Black Knight” is an unfunny comedy? Absolutely not! I know a lot of
people who really enjoyed it.
These
feelings aside, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s DVD edition of
“Black Knight” features a great anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer with
no grain and blemishes whatsoever. The presentation is clear and sharp
throughout. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is well mixed and
quite aggressive while presenting an effective atmospheric theatrical sound
quality that sounds better than some mixes I’ve heard in theaters in the past.
French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack options are also included
along with English Captions and Closed Captions encoded on to the dual layered
DVD. Director Gil Junger provides a screen specific detailed feature length
audio commentary track as well.
The
packaging states that Martin Lawrence also proves scene specific commentary, but
it is more of a featurette with a videotaped Martin Lawrence window boxed into a
picture-in-picture type frame discussing his character’s first encounter when
he arrives in 14th century England and a gag about horse riding. The
first commentary lasts just over five minutes while the second lasts for almost
three minutes. There is also an outtake reel that runs for nearly two minutes.
The
DVD also features three letterboxed (2.35:1) deleted scenes with optional
Director Commentary. The scenes run from just less than one minute to almost two
minutes. There is a promotional
featurette with behind-the-scenes videotaped cast and crew interviews from the
production that lasts about eight and a half minutes as well as a featurette
about physical comedy that has a length of nearly seven minutes. There is also a
featurette on the production design for the castle that runs just over four
minutes and a choreography featurette with Paula Abdul that runs for
approximately three minutes.
Two
picture-in-picture style storyboard-to-completed scene comparisons are included
as well. Two (1.85:1) trailers for
“Black Knight” and preview trailers for Fox upcoming theatrical releases of
“Unfaithful” and “Minority Report” wrap up the extra features included
on this DVD.
The
main menu is animated while the subsequent interactive menus on this DVD are
standard interactive still frames that are easy to navigate. “Black Knight”
will debut on DVD-Video day and date with a priced for rental VHS counterpart on
Tuesday, April 16, 2002 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.