Puerto Ricans In Paris Blu-ray Review

Luis Guzman stars in this funny New York to Paris Comedy

Two streetwise police detectives from New York are hired by a French company to track down a stolen (and extremely valuable) designer handbag. Puerto Ricans in Paris is the kind of comedy that plays it safe but entertains in the end thanks to leads Luis Guzmán and Edgar Garcia. Targeted at middle-aged adults, the R-rated comedy provides laughs and a surprisingly sweet story. The movie isn’t a sophisticated comedy but mostly avoids lowbrow humor, a real plus in my book.

The basic formula for a movie like Puerto Ricans in Paris is familiar to most everyone. Take two strong, wisecracking New Yorkers and put them in a completely new environment. The culture clash is supposed to produce hilarious results. Can their street savvy work in the high fashion world of Paris as they meet beautiful models? It’s the classic fish-out-of-water formula seen many times before and works once again.

While the movie’s name is certainly descriptive of the premise, the title will likely undercut its appeal outside niche audiences. Puerto Ricans In Paris is a name you give to low-budget, direct-to-video junk. I think some will ignore this comedy due to the name and its associated marketing, which is unfortunate. This is a funny, entertaining movie with a lot to offer everyone. While some ethnic jokes are inevitable in this kind of material, Puerto Ricans In Paris could have been made with almost any pair of New Yorkers in mind.

Luis (Luis Guzmán) and Eddie (Edgar Garcia) are partners in the NYPD that bust counterfeit rings selling designer knock-offs. Luis fashions himself a ladies’ man, dating an on-and-off again girlfriend played by Rosario Dawson in a cameo appearance. His sister happens to be married to Eddie, played by Rosie Perez in yet another cameo appearance.

In one of the bigger leaps in plot logic, the two partners are hired by Colette (Alice Taglioni) and her French company. Why a French company would bother recruiting two NYPD detectives for an investigation in Paris is unfathomable, but this is a comedy so roll with the punches. She’s a top handbag designer and her newest design has been stolen, one of only two bags in existence. The thieves are demanding one million in ransom for its return. Luis and Eddie are to track down the stolen handbag in Paris to predictably funny results.

The lamest part of Puerto Ricans in Paris is its cheesy opening scene which feels like a rip-off stolen from some 1980’s buddy cop movie. The main reason to give this movie a chance is Luis Guzmán, who has made quite a career for himself as a comedy actor. The movie is really a vehicle for his personality and he delivers in full force. Luis is charming as his detective goes undercover as a sheikh, roughs up Colette’s ex-husband, and generally gets himself into hairy situations.

The cast is fine for a comedy and there are several funny moments…

Yes, Puerto Ricans in Paris moves with a predictable ease and there is nothing terribly original to its story. The cast is fine for a comedy and there are several funny moments, which is more than can be said for a lot of Hollywood’s genre output these days.

Alice Taglioni works well as the female lead, playing a French woman with bigger problems in life than a stolen handbag. Her Colette receives more development than is usual in these type of comedies, a real bonus for the movie.

The cameos by Rosie Perez and Rosario Dawson are little more than fan service but work within the confines of the movie. Puerto Ricans In Paris is tamer than its R-rating implies. It could have easily been PG-13 if not for a couple of off-color jokes. This is safe, predictable comedy aimed at middle-aged people. There is nothing wrong with that as I found it fairly funny.

Video

Puerto Ricans in Paris on Blu-ray features absolutely flawless video. This Universal release would be perfect demo material with slightly more depth and pop. The 1080P video is shown in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio with striking detail. Razor-sharp texture and delineation fill the movie’s imagery.

Compressed in perfect, high-bitrate AVC on a BD-50, the 81-minute main feature receives a stellar transfer from the movie’s immaculate digital intermediate.

Unfiltered, pristine and tinted with a teal push to make its colors pop, this is simply awesome picture quality. Shot on the Arri Alexa digital camera, it might be the best-looking BD of a movie I’ve seen made with that camera.

Audio

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack in English offers a decent surround mix with perfect clarity. Like most comedies, the sound design doesn’t push a huge amount of immersion and directional separation. Bass is nicely used in several club and party scenes. This mix won’t wow anyone like the video quality but is certainly serviceable.

A separate 5.1 Spanish DTS-HD MA soundtrack is the second audio option. The following subs display in a white font inside the scope framing at all times: English SDH, Spanish, French. The few bits of French dialogue in the movie are translated by English subtitles in yellow.

Extras

Universal includes a digital code for the movie good on UltraViolet and iTunes. There are no specific special features included for the movie itself. This movie barely made a dent at the box office so I guess Universal didn’t see much need to promote it.

Universal Trailers (04:00 in HD) – Trailers for Term Life and other recent movies by Universal play before the main menu.

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