Men at Work – MVD Rewind Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1990
Director: Emilio Estevez
Writer: Emilio Estevez
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Leslie Hope, Keith David, Dean Cameron, John Getz, Hawk Wolinski, Geoffrey Blake, Cameron Dye

Release Date: January 24th, 2023
Approximate running time: 98 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG-13
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $24.95

"With little respect for their superiors, and even less for the law, garbage collectors Charlie Sheen (Wall Street, Platoon) and Emilio Estevez (Young Guns, The Breakfast Club) have made trouble a way of life. Practical jokers with a gift for the truly twisted gag, the two pranksters glide through work with one eye on the ladies and the other on the surf shop they dream of owning. But their fun-loving life is turned upside down when they discover the corpse of a local politician - and realize they will be prime suspects. Pursued by both the police and the real killers, Sheen and Estevez know that to save their hides, they'll have to solve the case." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Men at Work comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB

Though no information is provided about the source for this release's transfer, it appears to use the same source Shout Factory used for their 2015 Blu-ray release. That said, the source is in very good shape, and any imperfections in the source are always minor. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, a collectible mini-poster, and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Other extras are trailers for Canadian Bacon, Panther, and Ski Patrol.

Summary:

Men at Work was written and directed by Emilio Estevez (The War at Home), who is most known for starring in films like Repo Man, Maximum Overdrive, Young Guns, and The Mighty Ducks. Men at Work's cinematographer was Tim Suhrstedt (The House on Sorority Row, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), and its composer was Stewart Copeland (Rumble Fish, Wall Street).

Despite the fact that a lot of comedy transcends its time period, most comedy is pigeonholed by those who evaluate humor from the past by today's standards. A film like Men at Work falls into the latter category.

Based solely on its premise, Men at Work is ripe with possibilities, and director Emilio Estevez exploits every moment for all its worth. Sure, most humor is sophomoric, and yet that is why Men at Work works as well as it does.

Without a doubt, Men at Work’s greatest asset is its cast, who all give enthusiastic performances that embrace the absurdity that unfolds. Also, brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez make a formidable duo whose chemistry is off the charts. with the scenes where their characters prank two co-workers being some of the funniest moments.

From a production standpoint, there are no areas where Men at Work comes up short. The delirious premise is well-executed, and the narrative moves along at a brisk pace, ensuring there is never a dull moment. And when it comes to humor, it rarely misses the mark. Ultimately, Men at Work is a highly entertaining film that never tries to be anything more than an amusing farce.

Men at Work returns to Blu-ray via a strong audio/video presentation from MVD as part of their Rewind Collection, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer