“Planes, Trains, & Automobiles” was released in theatres in 1987. However, Paramount has decided to re-release it on Blu-ray after digitally re-mastering it and adding DTS audio to the comedy. The movie stars John Candy (Del) and Steve Martin (Neal) as they try to get away from New York City a couple days before Thanksgiving. Neal is trying to get home to his family in Chicago while crossing paths multiple times with Del. Everything that happens in this movie is a good reminder why I try not to travel during the holiday season.

This was my first time watching this movie and was not totally impressed, but there were several things I enjoyed. For being an 80’s movie, I liked how sharp the picture quality was after this movie was digitally re-mastered. Also, the sound was realistic and made me feel like I was in the movie. My favorite part was when I could hear Del and Neal yelling through each of my surround sound speakers in sequence as they spun out in their car while driving. This Blu-ray was also filled with extras and bonuses such as a 3-D cover, history of the movie, a bio on the director, and a tribute to John Candy. These things were more than enough to please any fan of the original movie.

The gripes I did have with this movie were the characters, the homophobic jokes, and how it was outdated. Neal is a tightwad and Del was an overly nice softy. I did not feel any sympathy for either of these characters because I felt they were annoying and deserved everything that happened to them. In addition, the jokes in this movie were either too tame for my taste or homophobic in nature. Either way, I did not find them funny. Lastly, despite the cool 80’s music, the movie was way past its time and would not appeal to younger audiences these days because they have never had to go through all these issues that were experience in the movie. I appreciate nostalgia, but this movie came out when I was 5 years and had trouble relating to it.

This movie was a bit before my time, but I can see the appeal to the older generations. The movie wasn’t all bad, but I do not plan on watching it again. I liked the extras and think they did a great job on the improvements to take advantage of HD technology and surround, but I am still giving this movie a “C.”