DVD Reviews

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Oct 18, 2011, 14:20 GMT

Neal Page is an advertising executive who just wants to fly home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family. But all Neal Page gets is misery. Misery named Del Griffith - a loud mouthed, but nevertheless lovable, salesman who leads Neal on a cross-country, wild goose chase that keeps Neal from tasting his turkey. Steve Martin (Neal) and John Candy (Del) are absolutely wonderful as two guys with a ...more

You’ll have to travel to Best Buy by one of those methods, but there you will find the high definition disc of John Hughes’ hilarious ode to travel… and the perils thereof.  Candy and Martin are hilarious as is their trip to make it home for Thanksgiving. 

Neal Page (Steve Martin) is a tightly wound ad executive.  He’s trying to get from a New York business meeting to his family in Chicago with two days till Thanksgiving.  Neal is late for his flight and tries to hail a cab with little success.  He appeals to the good nature of someone who has already gotten a cab.  That person turns out to be a lawyer and lacking of a good nature and while Neal is “buying” the cab from the shyster someone loads up their luggage and takes the cab. 

He chases it down and flings open the door to tell the rider to get out, but the cab takes off with the startled occupant.  Neal finally makes it to the airport and notices the person from the cab sitting across from him.  That fellow is accident-prone shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy).  He tries to make nice with Neal for grabbing his cab, but Neal is just ready to get on the flight and go home. 

Sadly his secretary booked coach instead of first class and he ends up sitting next to Del.  Further horrors ensue when the flight is diverted to Wichita because of a blizzard.  In order to get home Neal and Del join forces and the results are comedic gold. 

Martin and Candy are a dynamic comedy team.  They should’ve teamed up years ago, but add in comedy writer Hughes and you’ve got hilarity.  Martin and Candy bounce off one another so well you wonder why nobody paired them in a film before.  Both Hughes and Candy would be taken from us too soon (ironically both from heart attacks). 

This comedy is only available at Best Buy so you’ll have to get it from there, but it may be more appealing that this release is one that features new special features where the others (Naked Gun, Airplane) only recycle their DVD releases’ special features. 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.85:1).  Special features include the 16 minute “Getting There is Half the Fun” that has vintage interviews with Hughes, Candy, Martin, and Kevin Bacon with new footage with executive producer Neil Machlis, Michael McKean, casting directors Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson, and Edie McClurg, the 4-minute “John Hughes for Adults” which talks about the director was going for a more adult picture, the  3 minute “Tribute to John Candy” and a 3 minute deleted “Airplane Food” scene that appears in television showings of the film. 

Those are in standard definition, but the new 60 minute “John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast” is in high definition.  It’s a two-part tribute to the gone too soon Hughes and is not just devoted to this film but is a career retrospective. 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles benefits from the triumvirate of Candy, Martin, and Hughes and the results are a hilarious road trip.  This edition also adds some new features in tribute to Hughes that will have fans tearing up.

Visit the DVD database for more information.