You know a film is money when it launches the careers of its director (Doug Liman), its two stars (Jon Favreau, who also wrote the film, and Vince Vaughn), and worms its way into our lexicon, forever changing how dudebros would speak for the rest of the 90s. Swingers is iconic, and revisiting it nearly three decades later shows how timeless the comedy’s story of love, life, and friendship is, albeit it very much being of the era and a time capsule of fashion, hobbies, and lingo. The new Swingers Blu-ray rerelease features a ton of special features (although none of them are new) and is worth checking out if you don’t already own it.
“When a lovesick average Joe can’t seem to shake a relationship rut, his smooth, fast-talking buddy decides he’ll do whatever it takes to lift their spirits. From three-martini lunches in smoky cocktail lounges to an outrageous road trip to Vegas, these two young ‘swingers’ are determined to rewrite the rules of modern dating. This laugh-out-loud comedy classic launched the careers of its outstanding cast and captures the energy of Los Angeles nightlife in the 1990s,” says the synopsis.
If you haven’t seen it before, Swingers is very much a hangout movie. While there is a story about Favreau’s Mike getting his confidence back after a breakup, it doesn’t rush the story and allows you to hang out with some bros who enjoy the nightlife. Vaughn’s Trent, an aspiring actor with all the confidence in the world, is the standout, although Ron Livingston gives a great performance as well. There’s a fun energy throughout, with each scene in the movie providing laughs, even when it’s something as simple as Vaughn playing NHL 94 on Sega Genesis or talking about all the “pretty babies” out in Los Angeles.
Favreau makes a fine leading man throughout, although it’s clear that Vaughn always had the movie star quality out of the bunch. Trent is the most interesting character, too, because he’s simultaneously the coolest person you’ve met while also being embarrassing and, ultimately, a bit of a loser. However, more importantly, he’s a friend who wants you to feel good about yourself, is always trying to have a good time, and is worth hanging out with, especially with Swingers’ quick 96-minute runtime that makes it quite rewatchable (especially the wonderful ending sequence with Heather Graham).
There are two commentary tracks on the Blu-ray, each worth checking out. One is with Vaughn and Favreau, which winds up being heavily discussing the scenes and sharing some fun stories from shooting. Thanks to Favreau writing the script, it has more depth than most actor commentaries. The other commentary isn’t quite as entertaining (it’s hard to top Vaughn riffing, after all), but Doug Liman and editor Stephen Mirrione provide plenty of insight into their creative process as well.
The rest of the bonus features are pretty great as well. There are 13 minutes of deleted scenes, including an alternate take of the hilarious trailer sequence in Vegas. More in-depth is the Making It in Hollywood documentary, which is a 49-minute look at the making of the film and features several interviews that showcase what a personal project it was for Favreau. Finally, there’s a ridiculous short film called Swing Blade, which is a parody that combines Swingers and Sling Blade together. It’s certainly dumb, but I laughed several times as it’s essentially a MadTV sketch and doesn’t overstay its welcome at three and a half minutes.
Swingers Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict
The Swingers Blu-ray is an easy recommendation if you need a reminder that you always double down on 11 or if you just haven’t seen the comedy classic before. The film has aged very well — even if you’d never say “beautiful baby” now — and is a blast to revisit as it’s one memorable scene after another. It’s a true launching point for three great careers and a classic in its own right.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent product from the publisher for our Swingers Blu-ray review.
