DVD Review
| Sledge Hammer! (Season 2) Reviewed by:Kage
Alan
Creator Alan Spencer admits to going for broke
with the Season 1 finale of “Sledge Hammer!” when a nuclear bomb
detonates while our hero is attempting to defuse it. Since he
didn’t want to offer the same old “it was just a dream” scenario at
the beginning of Season 2, Spencer opted to instead move the series
back in time and dub it “The Early Years.” While it might have
caused some to shake their head in disbelief, it actually falls
right in line with what makes “Sledge Hammer!” such a pleasure to
watch; its unpredictability.
Yes, Sledge (David Rasche) is back and ready
for action along with his best friend, personal confidant and symbol
for justice, his gun! Oh, yeah, there’s also his lovely partner,
Dori Doreau (Anne-Marie Martin), the level-headed one, and Captain
Trunk (Harrison Page), the poor guy with high blood pressure forced
to deal with Sledge on a daily basis. It’s a good thing Doreau is
around, especially since she likes to think things through and
remain sensible while Sledge simply reacts. While impulsive, if you
look at what he’s trying to accomplish, he’s really just cutting
through all the red tape and taking the shortest route from Point
“A” to Point “B”. You gotta admire him. Sexual harassment,
senseless violence, primitive behavior…and that’s just the good
guy. The bad guys and gals? They have to be nuts to think they
even have a chance at matching wits with Sledge.
While each episode has its fair share of
memorable moments, there are some definite standouts this season.
Right off the bat there’s “A Clockwork Hammer” that takes a riff
from “Max Headroom,” then there’s actor Ray Walston as an ex-Nazi in
“Big Nazi on Campus,” Richard Moll who helps Sledge find his inner
“Robocop” and Bernie Kopell assisting in a nod to horror actor
legends and even the Ed Wood types from Hollywood. “Icebreaker” is
a riot and Sledge is at his reactionary best going face-to-face with
British rocker Adam Ant. We’re even treated to a firsthand
introduction to the at-one-time Mrs. Hammer, now the ex in love with
Sledge’s best friend. Can you see the tension mounting…and the
bullets flying? Of course, nothing beats the episode when Sledge’s
gun talks to him!
While there is a tremendous amount of physical
comedy to be found in “Sledge Hammer!”, the writing itself is
absolutely brilliant. Consider this…had the Network paid close
attention, they might have insisted on a number of one-lines being
removed. It’s a good thing they didn’t and “Sledge Hammer!” gets
away taking stabs at critics, politicians and other television
shows. Mean? Naa. Biting? Absolutely! And even though the
show’s budget was cut in half for this season, what they couldn’t
get in quantity (money) they made up for in quality. Take a look at
their guest stars and the fact they attracted legendary
actor/director Bill Bixby.
Anchor Bay has outdone themselves again with
their release of “Sledge Hammer! (Season 2)”. The Full Screen video
quality is nice and solid, something that took a little work
considering that the second season was shot differently in order to
save money. Audio matches video in quality and, as with the first
season, the ridiculous laugh track has been removed. Extras this
time around include “Gun Crazy: Memorable Moments With The cast of
Sledge Hammer!” (13 ¾ min), “Our Favorite Director: A Tribute To
Bill Bixby” (5 ¾ min), Top 10 Questions About Sledge Hammer!,
“Syndication Promo” (6 min), “Network Answering Machine Message” (1
min), 4 TV Spots, Trivia Game, Still & Memorabilia Gallery,
Teleplays and 4 audio commentaries with Creator Alan Spencer (Anne
Marie Martin joins him on the 3rd). The commentaries are
even better than on Season 1 and give you a whole new appreciation
for the production on this season. They’re a definite highlight
here.
The hardest thing to do is say “good-bye” to an
old friend. It’s been many years since “Sledge Hammer!” has been on
TV, though I was able to revisit episodes on inferior quality video
tapes. Now that I’m through both DVD sets, I find I’m still craving
more. Why is it exactly that one of the studios can’t part with
some of their money to give us a feature length film complete with
the original cast and crew? Considering some of the garbage they’re
putting into theatres these days, “Sledge Hammer!” would be a site
for sore eyes and complete and utter lack of political correctness.
Hey, it’s who Sledge is. It’s what he does.
