“City Slickers” is the story of three middle aged men (Mitch, Phil, and Ed) who are going through a mid-life crisis. Wanting to get away, the three decide to take a vacation to New Mexico to embark on a cattle drive. Along the way, the men not only find out more about themselves, but what they feel is important in their life.

Back when “City Slickers” came out in 1991, I (along with many moviegoers) thought it was an amusing heartfelt dramedy. Revisiting the movie many years later, however, I can’t help but feel that the movie has not aged well. Sure, Billy Crystal has a few memorable one-liners and Jack Palance shines as the tough and thoughtful cowboy Curly, but the script’s overly dramatic conversations about life, death, and memories gets a little too sentimental for my tastes. I’m all for deep characters, but not when they get preachy.

Another problem with 'Slickers' is that nothing is left unstated. What you see is what you get and there is nothing under the surface.

The 1.85:1 widescreen picture is certainly the best print to date. Some of the scenes, such as the storm/river crossing, are incredibly sharp, while a few select scenes don’t look as sharp.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track was fine with me. The dialogue and music were clear.

Extras:

* 2 deleted scenes.

* “The Real City Slickers” (9:00) is a featurette on real ranch vacationers.

* “Bringing In The Script: Writing City Slickers” is a 21 minute featurette.

* “A Star Is Born: An Ode To Norman”- This six minute extra talks about the cow’s popularity, how the birth scene was done, and the cow’s importance in the film.

* “Back In The Saddle: City Slickers Revisited” is a 29 minute bonus feature about the film’s success, why it connected with audiences, etc.

* Commentary by Daniel Stern, Billy Crystal, and Ron Underwood. A very humorous track in which the three talk about their shooting experiences, how Crystal came up with the idea, etc. An enjoyable track to listen to.