Barbershop, the surprise hit of 2002 comes to DVD from MGM as a not-so-surprising special edition. Though the supplements are very good, the highlight of this disc is the image. Framed at 1.85:1, and anamorphic, this transfer is nearly flawless. Detail is amazingly strong, while colors are precise. Skin tones are perfectly realized as well. This is one of those pictures that is equal to the theatrical print in every way. The sound is also quite good, but not outstanding. The 5.1 Dolby Digital track shows some separation, but is basically centered up front. The surrounds show no life, which is a shame, but not altogether a surprise for this type of lower budget, character-driven film. As for those extras, a nice variety is included. For starters, there is a commentary track from director Tim Story, writer Don D. Scott, and producers Robert Teitel and George Tillman Jr. that is a pleasure to listen to. Four featurettes are also quite entertaining. The longest, "The Final Cut," covers the making of the film, while the three shorter ones look at the costumes, set design, and a humorous piece on "hair-do's" and "don'ts." In addition to this are seven deleted scenes. Each is very brief and would have added little to the movie. A standard photo gallery is also included, with pictures of the cast, shots from the movie, and a behind the scenes. Along with trailers for this film are those for Rollerball and What's the Worst That Could Happen?, as well as an MGM promotional spot, and wrapping thing up is a multiple choice barber trivia game. Fans of this film -- and there are plenty -- will no doubt be happy with what is offered.

Bigger isn't always better. Case in point: Bad Boys II. On the other hand, this ample two-disc DVD set from Columbia/TriStar is nothing to complain about. The first disc, with the film, offers both picture and sound that is stunning. The 2.40:1 transfer, enhanced for widescreen televisions, is beautiful in every way. Colors are vibrant, blacks are solid, and detail is constant throughout. Director Michael Bay -- known for style over substance -- doesn't disappoint, and this digital transfer is up to the task of recreating his "vision." Equally impressive is the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, available in either English or French. Aggressive and exciting, sound alternates from speaker to speaker, both front and back, highlighting every gun shot or obligatory bass-heavy song. This is an remarkable mix, bound to take advantage of any decent sound system. While this disc is slim on extras -- only containing trailers from both Bad Boys films, S.W.A.T., Radio, The Missing, Underworld, and a handful of others -- the second disc holds the meat of the supplements, including a handful of deleted scenes and two featurettes: a short nine-minute look at the stunts and another, twice as long, on the visual effects. Both could have benefited by being more in-depth, but they're still very good. In addition, a music video from Jay-Z for "La-La-La" will appeal to his fans, but the highlight of this disc are two separate sections: the "Sequence Breakdowns," where six sections of the film are extensively studied, and a comprehensive "Production Diary," made up of 19 short, but revealing, featurettes covering just about everything, including the original Bad Boys film. Oddly enough, a Bay commentary is missing, and while his brand of filmmaking is often critically questioned, this set has everything one would expect.

Academia will never be the same when Rodney Dangerfield enrolls to become the wackiest student ever in the quintessential 1980s comedy Back to School! Presented in non-anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen, MGM has done a fair job on this transfer. Although there are some dirt and imperfections present, overall the color levels are dutifully even, with solid blacks. It is a shame that MGM decided not to make Back to School enhanced for widescreen TVs, but what is available should please fans of the film. With only a slight amount of edge enhancement present, this transfer ranks well above average. Also included on side B of this disc is a standard 1.33:1 version of the film (same quality as side A, only this version of Back to School is chopped off on the sides). Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround (in English, French, and Spanish) and could have really benefited from a Dolby 5.1 remix. As it stands, this Dolby 2.0 Surround track works well, with center and front directional speakers utilized (though not to the fullest extent). The dialogue, effects, and Danny Elfman's energetic score are all distortion-free, with minimal hiss present. Also included on the disc are French and Spanish subtitles. Back to School certainly could take a few lessons from other DVD editions, as MGM has decided to make this version very basic. The only supplemental feature included on this disc is a humorous, full-frame theatrical trailer. For audio and video this disc makes the grade. For bonus materials, Back to School is going to need some serious extra credit work to pass.