‘Freebie And The Bean’ Blu-Ray Review – James Caan & Alan Arkin Blaze A Trail For Buddy Cop Comedies

.What cops in their right minds would arrest a big-time racketeer on an indecent exposure charge because he zipped up his fly? The answer is none. The answer’s also Freebie Waters and Benito “Bean” Vasquez, who are assuredly not in their right minds. James Caan and Academy Award®-winner* Alan Arkin are Freebie and Bean, mismatched San Francisco cops who bird-dog a notorious mobster like they’re auditioning for a demolition derby, cutting loose with bullets and wisecracks all the way. Directed by Richard Rush (The Stunt Man), this rough-and-ready early buddy-cop caper follows in the skid marks of Bullitt and The French Connection — but it’s a burning-rubber classic itself, with four major chase scenes and more than 100 car crashes. Fully loaded with humor and firepower, Freebie and the Bean is one beloved smash hit.

For thoughts on Freebie and the Bean, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: 

Video Quality

Warner Archive provided Freebie and the Bean with a solid 1080p master transfer in 2.39:1 when it was released in 2017 sourced from a new 2K scan of the Interpositive. This ‘70s feature captures the grittiness and grime of the city throughout this winding investigation. The cinematography of László Kovács lends a lot of personality to the narrative as you make your way through the murky places with the characters. The film showcases nuanced colors within the costumes and the environments that are faithful. You always desire pinpoint accurate hues, and this transfer delivers on all fronts. 

The transfer delivers great detail and clarity in some of the background characteristics and the clothing. The cinematography of László Kovács is treated well thanks to the retention of the natural film grain. Black levels are deep even in shadow along with highlights that stay resolute during the runtime. The film is largely clear of shortcomings with little damage or dirt lingering. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues are avoided in this transfer. Warner Archive did a nice job for fans of this one. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that is faithful to the intended soundscape of the feature. The witty exchanges are not always the most prominent aspects of the mix, but this is accurate to how it was originally constructed. Nevertheless, most dialogue comes through clearly to land with the appropriate hilarity. The more thrilling moments are handled favorably and give the track a bit of excitement. There is no exceptional age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. The score from Dominic Frontiere conjures a distinct personality for the flick that may not be for everyone but is free of unwanted anomalies. Warner Archive takes great care of its audio options. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

• Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Freebie and the Bean is a prototypical buddy cop movie that helped pave the way for the subgenre as we know it today. The actual case the titular duo is working on is not the most gripping one committed to the silver screen, but it provides just enough context for our characters to get into a world of trouble. The joy comes from watching two legends such as Alan Arkin and James Caan bouncing off of one another. They have a fun bickering chemistry with one another that has become a hallmark of the genre. Some dated aspects creep into the film, but these moments are thankfully brief and do not ruin the enjoyment of the film. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a rock-solid A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Recommended 

Freebie and the Bean can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.