Review for Buster Keaton: 3 Films (Volume 2) (The Navigator, Seven Chances, Battling Butler) Limited Edition Blu-ray

If you have read my previous review of Keaton's last sets you will know that I absolutely adore him. He is clearly one of the greatest comedy actor/directors in the history of cinema.

HOWEVER...

I will go so far as to say that the previous set (which included The General, Sherlock Jr. and Steamboat Bill Jr.) contained three masterpieces, this one? Not so much. That is not to say that these three films (The Navigator, Seven Chances and Battling Butler) are not enjoyable, they certainly are and definitely highlights of the silent movie era, but they pale in comparison to the previous three. It's like watching Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III, it's a fine film, as long as you don't compare it to the previous two.

In The Navigator, Rollo Treadway proposes to his neighbour, Betsy, but when she declines he goes on the honeymoon himself. However, he gets on the wrong ship which is hijacked and sent adrift to sink, with Betsy onboard. Unaware that either is on the ship at first they eventually encounter each other and attempt to look after themselves. After so many years being waited on hand and foot they both find this very difficult.

The ship continues to sail until it heads towards an island inhabited with cannibals and the ship is beginning to sink. Donning a diving outfit Treadway must go underwater and brave deadly octopus to repair the ship and get to safety.

I'm really not sure about this film. I enjoyed it and there are definitely entertaining moments, but the whole film doesn't really go anywhere. By the end you realise that there was little point to the film in general. When the sight gags work they are amazing as always, but when the film is just trying to tell its story it's not interesting. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2018 and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it is because for filmmaking in 1924 what Keaton and his co-Director Donald Crisp was able to achieve is amazing, but as a piece of entertainment it just doesn't.

Seven Chances is a simple story about how Jimmy Shannon must marry by 7pm to inherit seven million dollars. After being rejected by the woman he loves he then proceeds tp ask almost every single woman in the area which leads to one of the classic Buster Keaton sight gags of him being chased by hundreds of brides, all looking to cash in on his good fortune. This is a strange film. It has some great set pieces and the actual premise is simple, but fun. However, it is suprising how racist the film is with a number of jokes that would never be allowed today.

Battling Butler is again a simple story about Alfred Butler, a spoiled brat who pretends to be a boxer 'Battling Alfred Butler' to impress his girlfriend's family. To punish him, the real Butler forces him to fight the 'Alabama Murderer'. This leads to some classic training montage of Keaton showing how useless he is. The film itself is very simple, but I actually expected this to be a Prince and the Pauper story with Keaton playing both roles and so the film is a little odd. Most of the film is a little boring, with only the montage of Keaton training and the fights themselves impressive to watch. It is understandable to hear that Martin Scorsese was inspired by this film while making Raging Bull.

The three disk set comes with a number of extra features. The Naviagtor is the only one with a Commentary and it is nice to hear the two experts talk about the film and how it was made.

What! No Spinach! is a twenty minute short by Harry Sweet and is a typical slapstick, silent film which has similar elements to Seven Chances. This is the only real connection, but I did enjoy it and it does have one of the funniest lines I have read in a long while 'Saturday: Payday to single men. To married men-Just Saturday'. As this is not remastered it does make you appreciate the work that has been put into making these three films look as clean and beautiful as possible.

Boats, Brides and Boxers is a discussion by David Cairns about the three films. It is clear that all three have merits, and this documentary is great at showing the highlights of which there are many and it does go far to show why these three are important works of film. The short documentary on The Navigator is more interesting to just tell the story of why the film was made and Keaton's love of boats.

Unfortunately, the rest of the special features are audio interviews which I don't really feel work when watching through television. It would make more sense if they were made available as audio downloads as all five have some interesting stories from Keaton about his life and the films he has worked on. However, with almost three hours of audio with only one still picture to look at per interview is a bit much. Finally, there are new trailers for each of the films.

Buster Keaton 3 Films Volume 2 is step down from the previous one and this is a shame as all three have their moments, but compared to his other work or many of his shorts these three are just not as enjoyable. If you love Buster Keaton, like I do, then you will welcome these three films into your collection, but I doubt you will be watching them as many times as his work. However, for the fans of his work in general, the extra features, interviews and commentary are worth picking up for your collection.