Wackiness ensues in the super comedy Super Troopers. Fox's work on this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is excellent save for a small amount of edge enhancement in the image. Overall, the colors, fleshtones, and black levels are all very solid and clear. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and French, as well as Dolby 2.0 Surround in Spanish. While the film doesn't utilize a vast array of directional effects (except in a few key scenes), the bulk of this 5.1 mix if free of any excessive hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The extra features on Super Troopers are bountiful, starting with two commentary tracks: the first by director/actor Jay Chandrasekhar and actor Erik Stolhanske and a second by actors Kevin Heffernan, Paul Soter, and Steve Lemme. Both commentaries are filled with many humorous stories, anecdotes, and thoughts about the film's production and history. A series of outtakes and deleted scenes are broken up unto four different sections and should please fans looking for more gags and jokes in the vein of the film. Finally, there is a very fluffy making-of featurette, a "Road Trip Newswrap" that follows the comedy troupe on the road, and theatrical trailers for the film.
One of the earliest popular DVD releases, Luc Besson's fanciful, visually striking 1997 sci-fi epic The Fifth Element has a surprisingly spare presentation: it includes standard and widescreen aspect ratios, as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 and Stereo Audio in English and Spanish -- and that's it. While both the sound and audio preserve the film's intricate, and often witty, details, it's still a slightly disappointing package; filmographies, a making-of featurette, or even a trailer would make the disc more substantial. Though the film's fans would want it in any DVD version, The Fifth Element deserves a more thoughtful presentation than this, and Columbia TriStar obliged by releasing a deluxe edition in early 2005.