STREET DATE: JUNE 6
Official Synopsis:
Paul Newman and Robert Redford set the standard for the "buddy film" with this box office smash set in the Old West. The Sundance Kid (Redford) is the frontier's fastest gun. His sidekick, Butch Cassidy (Newman), is always dreaming up new ways to get rich fast. If only they could blow open a baggage car without also blowing up the money-filled safe inside... Or remember that Sundance can't swim before they escape a posse by leaping off a cliff into rushing rapids... Times are changing in the west and life is getting tougher. So Butch and Sundance pack their guns, don new duds, and, with Sundance's girlfriend (Katharine Ross), head down to Bolivia. Never mind that they don't speak Spanish - they'll manage somehow. A winner of four Academy Awards (including best screenplay and best song), here is a thoroughly enjoyable blend of fact and fancy done with true affection for a bygone era and featuring the two flashiest, friendliest funniest outlaws who ever called out "hands up!"
Our Take:
As much as I love Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (and make no mistake, it is one of THE great American movies), I was a bit baffled by Fox's decision to release a new edition of it on DVD. After all, the special edition the studio released before came out barely two years ago, and it included a documentary, cast and crew interviews, and a commentary. So while I question the necessity of this release, I can't argue with its quality. It definitely steps up the extra features quite a bit over the previous version.
Ultimately, I can't complain. Any excuse to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid again is okay with me. I've never been an overtly huge Paul Newman fan (although I certainly don't dislike him), but I will watch Robert Redford in just about anything. And if ever there has been a better onscreen duo than Redford and Newman, I wish somebody would clue me in as to who they are. As much as I love The Sting, this movie is their best work together. It's as charming, endearing, and exciting a film as I think you can find, and most of the credit for that goes to the two lead actors.
So what makes this new DVD the "Ultimate Collector's Edition"? Here goes:
* Commentaries - The one with director George Roy Hill, Lyricist Hal David, documentarian Robert Crawford Jr. and cinematographer Conrad Hall is a carryover from the previous release, but the one with screenwriter William Goldman (also the author of The Princess Bride) is new. Of course, I would have given a limb for one with Newman and Redford, but I guess that will have to wait for the Super Ultimate Edition.
* All of What Follows is True: The Making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (35 minutes) - A 2005 documentary that includes new interviews with Newman and Redford, among others.
* The Wild Bunch: The True Tale of Butch & Sundance (25 minutes) - A look at the real-life Butch and Sundance.
* History Through The Lens (90 minutes) - An in-depth documentary that looks at both the film and the real-life outlaws, as well as the American movie climate of the time. It’s much more in-depth than the previous two featurettes.
* 1994 Interviews - Interviews with Paul Newman (10 minutes), Robert Redford (11 minutes), Katharine Ross (9 minutes), William Goldman (14 minutes), Burt Bacharach (3 minutes), and two short interview-clip compilations.
* Miscellaneous - A deleted scene, a Paul Newman film trailer collection (where’s Redford’s?), production notes, an alternate credit roll, and a trailer gallery.
Like I said, you can't argue with the quality. And as far as extras go, I'm impressed that the producers delivered new features and interviews, not just archival fluff pieces dug out of the vault. This is one of those rare double dips that I feel is actually worth the upgrade, even if you already own the previous version.
RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: A+
- Mike Spring
Editor
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