The Full Monty (Fully Exposed Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
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Set in the British steel town of Sheffield, a group of out-of-work steel workers are organized by fun loving, slightly irresponsible Gaz into a Chippendale-style dance troupe. The group is made up of Dave, Gaz's overweight best friend who has recently been struck with impotency; Gerald, an ex-forman and amateur ballroom dancer; Horse, an old guy with dance moves that slightly resemble the funky chicken, the bus stop, and the bump; and Guy, who, despite his love of classic Hollywood musicals, is hopelessly cursed with no sense of rhythm. Despite these handicaps, they are soon dancing to the sounds of Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate, Gary Glitter, Sister Sledge, and Tom Jones.

When it was first released in 1997, The Full Monty made quite a name for itself, arguably in large part to the fact of its subject matter: a band of out-of-work steel workers in Britain decide to bare it all. A decade later, the shock factor is gone and what's left is a genuinely funny little film.

Although us guys may subconsciously want to look like Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio and get all the ladies, the law of averages says we're more likely just that -- average. And guess what? So are the men of The Full Monty. And they're factory workers. And the wear jeans and drink beer in clean but not stuffy bars. They are the embodiment of the everyman. It's so easy to cheer and root for the main characters because they are so likeable, even with their flaws. They feel very real and their motives are all very genuine, if not vulnerable. Director Peter Cattaneo does a good job of balancing the ensemble cast, molding each of their stories while not bogging the larger story down. The film is a credit to subtlety where a small movement means much and a slightly larger gesture is enough to make you burst out laughing. And that's what The Full Monty excels at: balancing the genuine with the humour, even if you're over weight, out of work and expected to prance around in your naughty nothings.

Video: How's it look?
The widescreen picture is something of a disappointment. The picture is clear, but I wouldn't call it sharp. There's also a number of scratches and dirt that take away from the overall presentation.

Audio: How's it sound?
There's choices a plenty when it comes to picking how you want to listen to your party tunes and snappy dialogue. For true audiophiles, there's the 5.1 DTS and 5.1 Dolby Surround tracks. There's also basic Dolby Surround in English, French and Spanish.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• The film includes two separate commentary tracks, one from director Peter Cattaneo and actor Mark Addy and another from producer Uberto Pasolini. Both tracks are dry and uneventful.
• A total of ten different featurettes can be viewed separately or all at once give an extensive look at the film's development, production, success and overall impact on the British film scene. Cumulatively running more than 90 minutes, it goes into great detail should anyone consider studying The Full Monty in hopes of finding it as a category on Jeopardy! one day.
• Ten deleted scenes with optional commentary from Cattaneo and Addy.
• Six promotional cast interviews.
• International and North American trailers and promotional campaigns.
• The Music Machine -- direct access to scenes with specific songs.
• Three colourful pages of liner notes.
• English and Spanish notes.

Closing Thoughts
An often-imitated formula that works great here makes The Full Monty a great and lasting comedy. Add to that a genuinely deluxe presentation and you've got one excellent DVD.


Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com