License to Drive Re-release

I like this movie, I have since I was a teenager and I'm glad it was rereleased on DVD finally.

Sit back and enjoy a classic teen movie from the 80s. The hair, the posters, the cars, etc. All 80s rolled into a fun movie.

You aren't supposed to learn anything, it won't win any awards or be critically acclaimed. It's a Haim/Feldman movie that I find a lot of fun.

I used to dislike The Coreys one more than the other,However,I no longer dislike them.(RIP Corey Haim.)I did not see this movie until recently,despite growing up in the 80's.I love the movie it is Hilarious and it reminds me of When I was growing up,The quick scene with the 80s Ferrari is neat(don't like Modern Ferrari),A Young Heather Graham is funny in her role as "Mercedes",I don't understand why the Main Character did not aspire to a Corvette but a Bmw,However,the Fact that there is a Classic Beautiful Blue Stock 1972 Cadillac Sedan De Ville(I prefer the coupes though.)and it takes quite a Beating,the Drinking and Driving scene is good and the Best Part The DMV and the Driving Instructors.I saw it on Netflix but I would buy it.Although What they put the poor Caddy through should be a crime.

With the recent loss of Corey Haim I've noticed a decent amount of newly released older titles, staring the late actor, gracing the shelves of my local department store. Of course this is nothing new. A celebrity passes away & studios generate more income for their previous work (i.e. Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson & Heath Ledger) thus releasing everything they can in response to the recent publicity. I suppose it's a win/win for both consumers & studios. After all, true Corey fans can finally get their hands on a few of his obscure 80's films such as Dream A Little Dream 2 & Demolition University (which, by the way, has "Remembering TheTeen Idol" prominently displayed on the front cover) but I can't help but feel his death is being slightly exploited here. I mean, just a few short months ago the License To Drive DVD was out of print, leaving fans of the movie SOL if they wanted to pick it up for a fair price. I suppose that's show business though....

Nonetheless we have License To Drive on Blu-Ray; my personal favorite Corey's movie. By now, we consumers, know how this works. Just because an older film is finally released on Blu-Ray it doesn't guarantee its been given the Blu-Ray treatment. Transfers can sometimes be atrocious. Thankfully this is not the case with License To Drive.

Presented in a 1080p picture the images are strong & steady perhaps slightly soft in places but sharp for the most part. Details are steady with strong clarity and a slight grain structure. Facial complexions have a soft edge, but generally the texture is satisfactory. Colors are decent, not exactly vibrant, not exactly dull, which results in a intermediate shading that works fairly well. Darks are fine, but can't match the deepness of newer titles. The print itself has been cleaned up removing the dust & nicks that accompanied previous releases. Truth be told, this is probably the best License To Drive has, or ever will, look... but don't expect Mission-Impossible-Ghost-Protocol-type picture quality here.

Like the picture, sound is good through the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, but leaves something to be desired. Music is strong with fair clarity but solid spacing; a noticeable surround element is achieved nicely. The action scenes toward the end of the movie have all the desructive sounds of automotive chaos; very crisp accuracy. Certain scenes, however, sound indistinct; like a bus crashing through an alleyway early in the opening chase scene. For the most part the sound is rewarding, but not top notch. Still... not too shabby for a 1987 title.

If anyone here is thinking of replacing their DVD version I would say yes, this is a justifiable upgradable; especially for the price. Corey Haim will be missed by fans, but it's Blu-Ray titles like this that keep his memory alive. Normally I would give four stars for a Blu-Ray of this quality, but considering what they had to work with & the fact that certain Corey titles have yet to even be released on DVD (Dream Machine) I'm giving it the extra star. Like I said... this is the probably the best License To Drive will ever get.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 13 reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars