Honeymoon In Vegas (Blu-ray)
I remembered having a soft spot for HONEYMOON IN VEGAS. It was entertaining the last time I saw it, which was about 15 years ago. I wanted to see if I got the same satisfaction out of it as an adult. This was a time before Sarah Jessica Parker grew tiresome and Nicolas Cage was trying out new ways to not go bald. Did I gain a new perspective on the film or was it the same romp I had witnessed many years ago?
Let’s start by mentioning that I should have seen the comparisons between this film and INDECENT PROPOSAL. This is like the kiddie version of that. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all. In fact, if Lifetime had enough money to afford these actors at the time, it would have been logical to throw this on their schedule. Obviously I did not pay a lot of attention to the film the last time I saw it.
If it wasn’t for the plot, then maybe it could have faired better. Jack (Cage) has had a hard time committing to any female in his life, even when the right one comes along. He’s one of those guys who swears that he’ll never get tied down by marriage. Jack’s girlfriend Betsy (Parker) is everything he could ever want so instead of remaining stubborn, he decides to propose. The pre-engagement bliss does not last long. During a game of poker, Tommy Korman (James Caan) is struck by Betsy, who very much resembles his late wife. Jack comes very close to winning the big hand, but in the ends bites the dust. With no money to fork over, Tommy finds a way to make them even. All Tommy wants is to spend the weekend with Betsy. Left with no other options, they agree and Betsy goes with Tommy.
At first I was really into the dynamic that Jack and Betsy shared until I realized she was more interested in material stuff rather than a solid commitment. All Tommy wants to do is live on borrowed time. Betsy will never replace or fill the void that his late wife left in his heart. But as soon as Betsy gets to their Hawaiian destination, she is struck by all the connections in life that Tommy has. Mr. Miyagi, or Mahi Mahi (Pat Morita) as he’s known here as an associate to Tommy, has spent all his time in the states keeping Jack away from Betsy. When Jack finds out about the arrangement he gets mad and this only fuels Tommy’s desires. So in response to Jack lashing out at him, Tommy decides to force Betsy into marriage (because you can do stuff like that). This is where it gets past being mediocre and dives into silly.
Yes, Jack gets Betsy back. There are Elvis impersonators and sky diving to save the girl and what not. The only part of the film you don’t expect are the sky diving Elvis impersonators. It’s not even a good surprise. Being a massive Elvis fan, I wonder if Cage planned this at all. I guess that’s what really separates this from INDECENT PROPOSAL—sky diving Elvis’.
So what was the lesson learned here? Sometimes the stuff we watch at a younger age doesn’t always resonate with us when we get older. If there was nothing else on and it was a Sunday, I would totally be up for watching this. Instead I have a vast collection of amazing films that would be a great sub for this at any time. HONEYMOON IN VEGAS isn’t the most terrible thing I’ve ever seen, but it’s so bland of every level. The best part about the whole thing is James Caan and he’s the mediocre bad guy. I’m sure there are some women out there who still really enjoy this film. I just couldn’t find the same relationship with it.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video (1.85:1 Widescreen): The brightest colors come off the best here. It’s still nothing more than an effortless transfer.
Audio (5.1 DTS-HD): I guess this is another one of the throwaway titles. Both the audio and the video are mediocre. In this case, the audio is okay, but at times the dialogue is a little shifty along with the backing track.
Theatrical trailer
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