Michael Jordon (Gene Wilder) is an architect from Chicago visiting New York City for work, only his second time in the City. He ends up sharing a taxi with a mysterious and paranoid young woman named Janet Dunn (Kathleen Quinlan). After rejecting his flirting and advances, Janet asks Michael to mail a package for her, but afterwards, Michael finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. He is now being pursued by three men trying to kidnap or kill him to find out more about the package, wanted for a murder he didn’t commit, and chased by police who don’t believe any of his story. As Michael sets out to figure out what’s really going on and prove his innocence, he’s joined by quirky journalist Kate Hellman (Gilda Radner), who’s eager to break the story that could kickstart her career. Though something seems off with Kate, and Michael suspect she may be hiding something.

Hanky Panky is a comedy-thriller directed by Sidney Poitier, which was originally released in 1982. Since the film was released 2 years before Michael Jordan started playing for the Chicago Bulls, it appears that Wilder’s character name was just a coincidence, though there’s a line in the film when he tells the bad guys that he’s not THAT Michael Jordon, which plays a bit differently watching the film now.

I had never heard of this film until the disc arrived for review from Mill Creek Entertainment (now Alliance Entertainment). Gene Wilder doesn’t seem like your typical handsome leading man—looks-wise, he reminds me a bit of Will Ferrell—but both men have had amazing film careers, usually doing comedy, but also delving a bit into drama. Hanky Panky feels like the type of film we saw a lot of in the 80s, such as After Hours or Into the Night, which find this blend of action/thriller and comedy as a guy gets sucked into an increasingly crazy and dangerous trip thanks to a woman. Wilder is paired with SNL alum Gilda Radner, and the two play well off one another, really delivering on the film’s more comedic moments, both with some ridiculous dialogue as well as some great physical humor. However, their characters also have a bit of depth, and you quickly find yourself invested in them and their mission to unlock the truth about this conspiracy. Overall I found the film to be an entertaining ride.

Alliance Home Entertainment has released Hanky Panky on Blu-ray for the first time. The visual presentation is a bit inconsistent and a mixed bag. The majority of scenes look great, with a clean, crisp picture and an excellent level of detail, especially in close-ups of faces. However, there are some darker scenes that appear less detailed, and one short exterior sequence with Michael and Kate at a park looks very soft compared to the rest of the film. The audio is not a modern surround track, but still sounds very good, providing clear dialogue throughout, and capturing the sounds of the city and the more action-packed sequences.

The Blu-ray release is barebones, containing just the film and no bonus material. The disc is packed in a standard HD keepcase. There is no digital copy includes, and our review copy did not have a slipcover.

What’s Included:

Film (1:47:19):

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

No bonus material included.

Final Thoughts:

Hanky Panky is a fun film, and the type of comedy-thriller that was quite popular in the 1980s, mixing exciting action sequences with humor and drama, as the characters and audience try to decipher the larger conspiracy at the heart of the story. Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner make a fun comedic duo, and have great chemistry with one another. The film also has a lot of recognizable supporting actors you’ve seen in many other 80s films (such as James Tolkan, who played vice principal Strickland in Back To The Future). Alliance’s Blu-ray release features a fairly solid picture and sound, with just a few missteps here and there. Unfortunately the release is barebones, but still worth a look for fans of the film or cast.