WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Legal Eagles
Genre:Comedy/Thriller

Reviewed In Issue 08 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Daryl Hannah, Brian Dennehy, Terence Stamp, Steven Hill.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 3
Sound Rating: 4
Download WSR Review
Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): MCA/Universal Home Video
(Catalog Number): 41782
(MPAA Rating): PG
(Retail Price): $34.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 116
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1986
(LD Release Date): 02/01/94
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Ivan Reitman
(Screenplay/Written By): Jim Cash & Jack Epps, Jr.
(Story): Ivan Reitman, Jim Cash & Jack Epps, Jr
(Music): Elmer Bernstein
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): John DeCuir
(Visual Effects): NA
(Costume Designer): Albert Wolsky
(Editor): Sheldon Kahn, ACE, Pam Herring & William Gordean
(Supervising Sound Editors): William L. Manger & Tom C. McCarthy
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Joe Medjuck & Michael C. Gross
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Ivan Reitman

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.20:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo A
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Ivan Reitman’s Legal Eagles is a comedy thriller about art fraud and murder. Robert Redford stars as an assistant attorney and Debra Winger as an imaginative defense attorney. Normally courtroom adversaries, they team up on the same side of the legal process to defend spaced-out “performance artist” Chelsea Deardon (Hannah), who is accused of theft and murder. The partners, while searching for evidence and witnesses, come in contact with New York’s dazzling art world and deadly underworld.

LaserDisc Picture:
The transfer is cropped to 2.20:1 which represents the current recommended 70mm blow-up ratio, from the 1.85:1 35mm original photography. Thus headroom is extremely restricted in this excessively cropped widescreen version. Overall clarity suffers with grain prevalent throughout. Flesh tones are pinkish but otherwise colors are vivid.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
Sound is well recorded but stereo is virtually limited to the music score, which provides a nice surround envelopment. Otherwise the sound is mono except for some effective sound effects.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: