Taps (25th Anniversary Special Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
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The young cadets at a military academy stage an uprising and siege control of the campus, when they find out their treasured school is to be closed down and sold off to developers.

It's always struck me as being odd that men and women can join the army and go to war in Canada and the United States before they can buy a six pack. Seems kind of strange. Coming-of-age stories are nothing new in the world of movies, but even still 25 years after its release Taps still manages to strike a chord.

It's a clever idea, but the movie just never really took off for me -- even if it's heart was in the right place and Sandler proved there's more to humour than a good fart joke. You see, there's predictable movies and then there's the ones where you figure out exact jokes and lines several minutes before they happen. Click is one such film. Despite some jokes that really hit and some heart-tugging bits, it's too easy to see the end in the beginning as it sticks to its comedy-drama too tightly. Had it gone in a more sci-fi direction, there would have likely been more room for play and originality.

Why? Perhaps it's because of the timeliness of what's going on in the world today with all the various pockets of fighting and near wars. Maybe it's because looking at the film today, you can see two superstars in the making with a pair of early performances from Sean Penn and a pre-Scientology Tom Cruise. Whatever the case, Taps weaves a timeless tale of honour and guts that's hard to ignore. Sure, it lays things on a little thick at times and it takes a long time to get moving, but when the movie's on, it's really on.

Video: How's it look?
Presented in anamorphic widescreen, the picture, for the most part is pretty good. The overall quality is somewhat on the grainy side and there is occasional evidence of surface scratches and dirt, but it's really not that noticeable.

Audio: How's it sound?
The audio, done in Dolby 4.0 Surround, is solid but not perfect as it does not get a full upgrade to 5.1. There's also Spanish and French mono.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• The commentary track by director Harold Becker is very sparse at times. Even when he is speaking, Becker isn't exactly the life of the party. His comments are largely limited to praising the cast and crew.
• "Sounding the Call to Arms: Mobilizing the Taps Generation" is a well done half-hour retrospective on the making of the film and its impact. It features extensive cast and crew interviews, clips and stills.
• "The Bugler's Cry: The Origins of Playing ‘Taps'" was my favourite of the special features. It goes into the history of the haunting music.
• Two teaser trailers, a rough work print trailer, a finished trailer, two TV spots.
• Two-page insert on the history of the film.
• English and Spanish subtitles.

Closing Thoughts
Twenty-five years later, Taps still has a way of resonating. A lot has changed in the world since it was released in 1981 but the ideals of honour and loyalty are two timeless themes. The 25th Anniversary Special Edition DVD release is more a matter of marketing strategies as there's not a ton of extras, but what is on the disc is solid..


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