Religious satire is still shaky ground even in modern films, but imagine the protests back in 1979 with Life of Brian. Taking the Bible and satirizing key moments through unknown Brian is brilliance, and in the hands of the Python’s a film classic.

It’s almost impossible to replicate the style the Python’s use for laughs. Literally, there might be 15 minutes of plot development in the entire film. The rest is spent with pointless yet utterly hilarious bickering that goes nowhere. The group’s ability to stretch out a simple gag out into a 10-minute conversation is unbelievable.

Picking the best of these is nearly impossible. What starts with a debate about myrrh as the three wise men mistakenly visit Brian instead of Jesus turns into a hilarious debacle. The Roman wall writing turns into an English lesson any teacher would be proud of, haggling becomes a running gag, and you can’t discuss Life of Brian without mentioning Biggus Dickus which goes without saying.

Obviously, the humor is an acquired taste. It’s perfectly understandable that if any of the gags go awry and ends up being stretched past its prime, you’ll find yourself bored out of your mind. However, if you can appreciate it, this is amongst the best efforts the Python’s ever created, a smidgen behind Holy Grail. It’s a shame modern spoofs like Disaster Movie can’t follow a standard set 30 years ago, and instead rely on, well nothing. Life of Brian is the type of satire those film’s only wish they could be.

Blasphemous or not, Brian is a comedy classic. It’s loaded with laughs, and one of the most twisted musical numbers ever. The quotable lines never end, and this one carries an infinite amount of re-watchability, making it an unquestionable must own.

Movie ★★★★★ 

Sadly, the movie is absolutely butchered in hi-def. While it’s doubtful the source provides much to work with, there’s no excuse for this mess of a transfer. Edge enhancement is significant, marring nearly every shot in the movie. DNR is everywhere, literally wiping the grain out of shots as they move. Detail is non-existent, faces are pasty, and the entire film looks like it’s been run through Vaseline.

Shimmering is noticeable on clothes, artifacting is apparent on multiple occasions, black levels waver, colors are bland outside of a few primaries, and flesh tones are never right. Transfers like this turn people off to the new format quickly. There’s no excuse.

Video ★☆☆☆☆ 

Likewise, the audio is low quality to the point where it affects the viewing experience. Highs are strained, especially the soundtrack. Dialogue is lost to lines that sound like they’re coming from an ancient AM radio. It’s even worse if you’re not used to a British accent. The faux surround effects are apparent, especially during the outer space alien assault (if you’ve never seen the movie, no, it doesn’t make any sense which is why it’s funny).

Surprisingly, there are multiple uncompressed tracks. TrueHD and PCM are your choices (plus a French TrueHD dub). None of them produces great audio, although the PCM mix sounds slightly louder with no real benefit.

Audio ★☆☆☆☆ 

Thankfully, the extras make this one worth owning. Two commentaries start things off, with the main cast splitting into two groups. First up are Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones, followed by John Cleese and Michael Palin. If that’s not enough information, then the excellent hour long Story of Brian has you covered. It covers everything from the filming to the controversy that followed.

An audio-only script read through lasts longer than movie itself (near two hours) and is aided by storyboards. Five deleted scenes with an optional commentary run for just over 13 minutes, some funny promotional radio spots are worth a listen, while a photo gallery and trailer collection will satisfy you if the rest wasn’t enough.

Extras ★★★★★ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Monty Python’s The Life of Brian Review

Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac could star in anything together, letting their charm carry the entire film. Soul Men was built with these two actors in mind, and there’s no question they’re the reason this road trip movie is a success.

Soul Men isn’t the type of comedy that is willing to take chances. Co-writers Robert Ramsey and Matt Stone (Life) are on cruise control. Jackson and Mac play band mates who broke up in the ‘70s due to a feud, but are brought together when their lead singer dies. They’re forced to drive to New York to play at the Apollo, their first time together in 30 years.

Of course, they hate each other. Turns out Mac slept with Jackson’s wife, who them became Mac’s wife, and it gets more complex from there, giving the script an easy means of bringing everyone together for a happy ending. Nothing about Soul Men is unique. Every joke or visual gag is predictable, their troubles have been pulled from other films, and the story arc is instantly familiar.

Soul Men is sold on the charisma of its leads. Jackson as Louis Hinds and Mac as Floyd Henderson are perfect together on-screen. Their foul-mouthed antics are surely R-rated, but they’re still likeable and you get behind them in their quest to reunite. Their reactions, mannerisms, and facial expressions sell every scene even if the dialogue isn’t funny.

The film does rely on some juvenile humor, including rectal exams and false teeth. It quickly rebounds with more laughs, generated by the perfect comedic timing of its stars. A few appallingly terrible green screen shots are forgivable, although distracting.

Soul Men ends with a tribute to both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, both of whom died not long after completion. It’s not a cheap way to ensure the audience leaves on a positive note. It’s a fine cap to help everyone realize how enormously talented Mac was, and Soul Men is a fine way to appreciate his excellent sense of comedy.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

This is an outstanding AVC encode, presenting itself as all modern films should. Sharpness is consistent and strong throughout. Black levels are deep, and shadow delineation is excellent. Detail is stunning, with every close up revealing the finest of details, and long shots remaining firm.

Color is wonderfully saturated without bleeding. Contrast never blooms or heats up. There are no moments of artificial enhancement, and film grain is left on the transfer.

Video ★★★★★ 

A fine uncompressed TrueHD mix is notable for its crystal clear music and lively crowd scenes. Cheers come from all directions, while the music bleeds nicely into the rears. Bass is likewise provided by the tunes. Some minor ambiance is notable elsewhere, including Jackson’s rundown apartment in which a baby is heard crying in the rears as he walks through a hallway. It’s not ground breaking, and yet does provide a stable, immersive experience.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Extras are mostly fluff. Director Malcolm Lee talks about the film with the co-writers Matt Stone and Rob Ramsey in a commentary track. The Soul Men is a short making of padded with film footage. The Cast of Soul Men is self-explanatory during its run of eight minutes. Director Malcolm Hayes is a brief look at the director.

Individual tributes to Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes mostly relate to Soul Men and little else. Boogie Ain’t Nuttin’ is behind-the-scenes footage of a song recording (yes, Mac and Jackson did their own voice work). The film’s trailer is also included.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Soul Men Review

Starting your career with Dumb & Dumber sets an awfully high standard. Amazingly, the Farrelly Brothers have managed to keep their career going with some classic comedies, even if they never conquered the brilliance of Dumber.

Jim Carrey is at his comedic best, saddled with Jeff Daniels as his partner in stupidity. These two incredibly loveable dolts end up on a cross-country adventure, despite not having a complete brain between them. Their quest to return a briefcase to a woman Carrey has fallen in love with manages to get them involved with organized crime, the FBI, and the Swedish Bikini Team… without ever realizing it.

What’s so incredible about Dumber is how Daniels, not known for his zany comedy, is so adept at matching up with Carrey. Every time Carrey goes off-the-wall, Daniels is right behind him with something equally as crazy. The infamous toilet scene is enough to make his entire performance worthwhile.

Yes, Dumber does rely on some lowbrow humor for its laughs, but also features some razor sharp writing that takes a few listens to ensure you’ve heard it right. Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) are so sure they’re correct, the lines come off as natural. This movie truly makes you wonder if it’s salmon that swarm Capistrano.

In time, Dumber should be recognized as one of the great comedies, right up near the top of whatever list the AFI puts together. To ignore it would be criminal. The two leads here deserve at least that for creating two memorable morons that stick with you long after the film is over. This is a true classic of the genre.

Movie ★★★★★ 

What is it with ‘90s movies and Blu-ray? Do studios hate this era, or is it something to do with the film stock? Dumb & Dumber is another casualty in hi-def, one out of too many to count.

The transfer is soft, with noticeable artifacting in the first shot. While grain is left intact, detail is non-existent. A few brief moments during close-ups manage to look mildly like hi-def, but more like a 720p cable broadcast. Some light edge enhancement is visible, and flesh tones waver between pink and orange without ever settling down. Black levels fail to create depth despite remaining strong.

Video ★★☆☆☆ 

There’s not much here for this TrueHD track to excel with. The stereo channels have minor uses, such as doors shutting. There’s a brief notable moment of surround use when the crowd claps during the preservation dinner. The soundtrack doesn’t bleed into the rears at all. Dialogue remains crisp and clear however, providing something notable.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

Extras carry over from the DVD edition. The version of the film on the disc is the longer unrated cut with some extra penis jokes and a few more gross outs. The theatrical cut is not included. Still Dumb After All These Years is an okay making of at 18 minutes, but is padded with film footage. Ten deleted scenes include two alternate endings, neither of which are anywhere near the one included in the film. Finally, a series of four featurettes that were hidden on the DVD are in plain view here, including a funny one on the toilet sequence.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Dumb & Dumber Review

Anger Management teams up Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, that being enough reason alone to watch. In typical Sandler movie fashion, this is a goofy, dumb comedy, though lacking the typical laugh quota his films usually provide. In fact, had it not been for Nicholson, there wouldn’t be anything at all to this one.

Sandler plays Dave Buznik, a typical office worker who is routinely calm and collected. When an airline fight goes awry and he’s accused of assaulting a stewardess, he’s sentenced to anger management therapy, which happens to be headed by Nicholson’s Dr. Buddy Rydell.

That set up seems easy enough in words, but the actual film set up is fairly unbelievable. The problem with the story is that while it tries to be based in reality, none of it ever makes sense due to a twist ending. Sure, it’s a simple Sandler comedy, but it doesn’t present itself like one initially. It pulls you out of the film. The so called “twist” isn’t used as a plot device because it would destroy the film inserted anywhere other than the end.

If the laughs were more common, maybe that wouldn’t matter. Sandler is mostly composed for much of the film, leaving many of his usual entertaining antics on the wayside. Instead, it’s Nicholson carrying the weight of the laughs. He’s aided by a few cameos, including Woody Harrelson reaching a new low point for the sake of the film’s funniest moment. John C. Reilly also has a part as a monk, also garnering some laughs.

Anger Management feels like a movie created to make the lives of the marketing team as easy as possible. Slap these two on a poster and you have instant success. The countless moments of product placement cheapen the film further. It’s not a terrible movie by any stretch, just one that doesn’t reach its full potential.

Movie ★★★☆☆ 

Muted and flat are the first things to come to mind when viewing this transfer. Sadly, it stays that way throughout. Colors are diluted and dull. Black levels are mediocre at best, failing to create convincing depth. Edge enhancement is visible sporadically throughout, and near total lack of facial detail is a sure sign of some light DNR. The print has a surprising number of specks and scratches on it, far more than it should for a film this new. It’s not the worst transfer you’ll ever see, but it certainly is disappointing considering the age.

Video ★★☆☆☆ 

A TrueHD mix offers little to discuss given the film’s nature. There is some minor ambiance, and some noticeable stereo work. A car crashing off a roof delivers a nice low end punch while shattered glass pours into the rears. The finale inside Yankee stadium also delivers in terms of immersion, with a loud New York crowd entering every channel. The soundtrack also bleeds nicely while lighting up the subwoofer. It’s standard comedy audio.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

Extras begin with a Sandler/Peter Segal commentary. Why Nicholson didn’t join in is anyone’s guess. Two featurettes last just a hair over 22 minutes, providing basic details on the film’s conception and filming. Four deleted scenes go for ten minutes, with the first one at a candy stand offering laughs. A short gag reel is also enjoyable as these things usually are. A couple of trailers are included too if that’s your thing.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Anger Management Review

Mr. Woodcock commits the cardinal sin for comedies. It’s just not funny. While it offers laughs, they’re spaced erratically and not worth the payoff. The goofy slapstick and Billy Bob Thornton’s character are mildly amusing, but the rest of this film from director Craig Gillespie falls flat.

Thornton plays the abusive gym teacher Jasper Woodcock. His emotionless style is undoubtedly spot on, though this is the same character he continues to play repeatedly. He’s making a cliché of himself by continuing to take on the same roles in a different script.

Woodcock’s abuse leads to funny physical comedy as he tosses around both co-star Seann William Scott and his students. The flashbacks to Scott’s childhood deliver some of the best laughs, yet they disappear in the second half of the movie. Other plot devices that go nowhere include Scott’s character dumping Thornton’s whistle into a toilet. No laughs come from it.

Susan Sarandon has a dull role as Scott’s mother soon to marry Woodcock. This conflict creates a one-joke movie that doesn’t develop into anything more. Thornton and Scott battle it out as their personalities clash, though it’s hard to root for anyone other than Scott. Thornton’s mean streak makes him completely unlikeable, though funny. How Sarandon’s character falls for him remains a mystery buried in the script.

As sporadic as they may be, the jokes can be genuinely funny. The sexual dialogue skirts the PG-13 rating barely, and the film leaves no one alone in its wake. Senior citizens are tortured by Woodcock as much as his students.

The cast is a perfect mesh of actors, but the script doesn’t give them anything to work with. Physical comedy can only go so far, yet Mr. Woodcock consistently falls back on it unsuccessfully. The only positive to come from Mr. Woodcock is the ability to repeatedly say “Woodcock” and get away with it.

Movie ★★☆☆☆ 

A decent although flawed HD transfer greets Blu-ray fans. Flesh tones are annoying, either sitting deep into the reds or taking on a creepy green tint. The transfer is sharp, and there’s solid contrast coming from the black levels. The print is free of imperfections. Details are flat aside from a few brief scenes that deliver in close ups.

Video ★★★☆☆ 

New Line goes for the overkill with a DTS-HD 7.1 mix. The audio hardly needs the additional channels, let alone the standard five. Minor uses of the surround channels such as the carnival are the only notable aspect of the audio. It’s perfectly serviceable, just not offering the epic 7.1 experience the format can provide.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

Features begin with a stack of 10 deleted scenes, running 13 minutes. Most were properly left out of the film. The Making of Mr. Woodcock is purely promotional, lasting for 15 minutes. P.E. Trauma Tales has cast, crew, and a gym teacher discussing their experiences of grade school phys ed for 12 minutes. The latter stands as the best of the extras, though that’s not saying much.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Mr. Woodcock Review

It’s amazing how lenient the MPAA can be. Take Zack and Miri Make a Porno for instance. Dangerously close to a NC-17, the film contains everything a porno could short of actual sex acts.

Starring Seth Rogen (Zack) and Elizabeth Banks (Miri), this crude romantic comedy has the pair struggling for money and deciding that porn is the answer to their troubles. Longtime friends and nothing more, underneath the hilarious crass tone lies a surprisingly tender romance between the two that evolves on screen… and on camera as their “film” enters production.

No one is going to call Kevin Smith clean. His movies are famous (infamous?) for showcasing a giant Sh*t Demon, which is better off left at that. What’s amazing is that yes, Zack and Miri somehow goes even lower, yet all for the better. With all of the raunchy comedies littering movie screens, Miri eclipses them all, including a scene that is far more disturbing than a Sh*t Demon. You’ll never look at cake frosting the same way again.

In terms of plot, it’s loosely threaded together to maximize the laughs. The third act is mostly concerned with the relationship (good and bad) between Zack and Miri. Laughs take the day off for the most part here, although it does help the film rise above the genre clichés of simply adding more gross out moments. At least this one is trying to have a heart.

Certainly not for the squeamish or those offended by sex (?), Zack and Miri is laugh out loud funny throughout. Kevin Smith’s writing is sharp, though undoubtedly aided by some ad-libbing on-set. While it may slow down before a strong finish (stay for the credits), there’s little question you’ll have a blast with this one.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

Zack and Miri has one problem keeping it away from video perfection. The overly deep black levels are simply too much, crushing detail and giving the film a flat look instead of the three-dimensional look it’s trying for. It’s a shame too since scenes with the blacks under control look outstanding. It’s razor sharp, loaded with superb detail, excellent color saturation, and well-calibrated whites. Flesh tones are spot-on. It’s close, but disappointing given the potential.

Video ★★★★☆ 

The TrueHD track offers a few notable moments. The high school reunion gives both solid bass and excellent surround ambiance. A hockey game later in the film is likewise impressive. The entire film is mixed a little low, but dialogue is always audible and clear. For a simple comedy, Miri offers more than you would expect.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Despite the lack of a commentary, there’s not much else you could ask for with these extras. A lengthy one hour and fourteen minute documentary offers every possible detail on the film, completely eliminating the need for a commentary in the process. In what must be a record setter, 43 deleted scenes run just over an hour and a half, practically creating a second movie. Most importantly, they’re worthwhile material, not simply throw-aways.

Money Shots are a collection of 22 webisodes shot during production that run for 48 minutes. Again, it’s hilarious stuff, particularly the last one. A Comic-Con ’08 panel has cast and crew discussing the film for over 20 minutes (it can be hard to hear). A priceless selection of outtakes is 13 minutes of fun, while Seth Rogen and Justin Long go head-to-head in the improv department for their main scene. BD-Live capability is included, but has yet to go online as of this writing.

Extras ★★★★★ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Zack and Miri Make a Porno Review

With all the classic films in the Fox library that could have been released on Blu-ray, the studio chose… National Security? This buddy cop disaster was released in 2003 but feels locked in 1992, from its humor to its action. There’s nothing here to recommend unless you’d like to see Eric Roberts in painfully colored white hair.

The pathetic set up teams Steve Zahn and Martin Lawrence, who start their shenanigans after a police brutality understanding could have been cleared up in seconds if anyone in this movie had common sense. Once together, they begin to investigate some mysterious theft ring trying to steal radioactive beer kegs (?), the heist led by Eric Roberts.

What follows is a string of painfully done action sequences, the only one worth mentioning involves a soda factory filled with exploding containers. It’s fun to watch the bottles pop, not the actors shooting them. Dennis Dugan is known for directing light comedies, and has had a few success stories with Adam Sandler, but can’t help these action sequences feel any less than a decade old. Dugan also must love cars crashing through walls, as it happens no less than four times during the film.

Martin Lawrence can be incredibly funny when given the proper material, but his only character development is that he takes his race seriously. Nearly every line out of this mouth makes some reference to being black, and it’s horrendously tiring by the end. There’s no connection between Lawrence and Zahn, another capable actor who is great in the sidekick role (Sahara for example) but here has nothing to work with.

The finale is hilariously contrived (as is much of the story), involving a conveniently placed pile of debris on the edge of a cliff and a crane. It’s hilariously awful, and even throws in the obligatory one-liner action movie cliché.

National Security is a terrible film, one without common logic, laughs, or engaging action scenes. It drags along even though it’s less than 90 minutes, and ends exactly where it started without a hint of surprise. How does this stuff even get made?

Movie ★☆☆☆☆ 

The film receives an unwanted Blu-ray release with an AV encode that sits firmly in the middle ground. Sharpness is the problem, never full resolved or outstanding in any way. Primaries are rich and bold, but flesh tones consistently have a pink quality to them. Detail is sorely lacking, giving the picture a flat look.

Shadow delineation is lackluster. Contrast is well calibrated. A few noisy shots are brief, including one from inside a van during a chase early in the film. There were no instances of edge enhancement.

Video ★★★☆☆ 

While the surround channels are incredibly active and engaged in the action scenes, they also sound artificially pumped up. The front soundfield doesn’t seem half as active as the rears. Bass is also non-existent, despite a few explosions and cars crashing into each other. That said, it handles small items well, such as glass breaking, debris falling, and rain. Dialogue is well mixed without the need for adjustment.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Given what is assuredly a small following, director Dennis Dugan has a solo commentary track to start a tiny selection of bonus features. Three deleted scenes include some improv from Lawrence and an alternate ending that is even worse than what’s included in the film. A music video and some generic Sony trailers finish things off.

Extras ★☆☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

National Security Review

With a rabid fanbase, The Simpsons Movie was a success the moment it was greenlit. The opening weekend draw would have been enough to make it a resounding financial success regardless of quality, and thankfully, that’s not the route the film took. While it doesn’t revolutionize the series or characters, the gags are non-stop with constant laughs, in-jokes, references, and political jabs that are worth the price of admission.

What’s important to note about the film is that it doesn’t go off the deep end to take advantage of the non-television environment. A few minor moments would have potentially caused censors to cringe, though even these are rather mundane. It’s the appropriate tone as taking things too far would be out of character for anyone in the series after 18 years of development on FOX. This is a perfect middle ground between the two formats.

Aside from that, finding everything buried in this 87-minute animated piece is going to take years. To catch it all, you’ll need to check backgrounds, character reactions, and rewind dialogue. Simpsons fans will have plenty to discuss.

The story is squarely set on Homer, as he stupidly causes Springfield to become encased in a giant dome due to their pollution problems. It takes some time for the plot to kick in, as opening moments are somewhat hectic and chaotic in terms of flow. They don’t always serve a purpose to the overall film. It’s more concerned with religious slaps, parodies, and pop culture zings.

When it does come together, the pacing is steady and sharp. There’s little time to become bored or uninterested. The Simpson family struggles through some rough spots before bonding together to save Springfield from the oppressive government.

Certain story elements never seem to go anywhere, and a secondary piece involving Ned Flanders is not only a rip from an episode of the TV series, it doesn’t lead to a satisfactory payout given how much of the running time it takes up. Fans of certain characters, notably Hans Moleman, Disco Stu, and Groundskeeper Willie will find themselves leaving the theater disappointed. However, it’s more than commendable how many residents are given at least one line of dialogue, and it’s typically with some connection to the main storyline (instead of tossing them in for the sake of uttering a trademark phrase).

Did we need a movie on The Simpsons? Not really, and the film’s priceless opening sequence addresses this. Yet, it’s hard to resist finally seeing these iconic characters on a big screen, complete with vivid animation usually absent from the TV show. Even if the storyline is forgettable, the typical imagination and relevant jokes keep this comedy worthwhile, and unquestionably worth the price of admission.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

It probably didn’t take much to bring the film to Blu-ray. The source is simple, but undeniably gorgeous. The HD presentation presents the simple, solid colors beautifully. The lines are sharp without aliasing or shimmering. No compression is noticed, and the picture has a pristine sheen to it. It’s not “wow”-worthy like the highest end live action transfers are due to the simplistic source.

Edit: Upon taking a second look, we have lowered the score from a 5/5 to a 4/5. There are significant ringing problems around nearly every line in the film. While still razor sharp and wonderfully saturated, the thin white lines around outlines are a constant bother, worse on larger screens.

Video ★★★★☆ 

Bass is the obvious highlight of this uncompressed audio affair. It’s in your face throughout, providing a heavy room-shaking whenever called upon, and it’s needed more often than one would think. Surround use is also consistent, as with the finale on the motorcycle, which easily fills the available channels. Numerous little moments that would likely go unnoticed by most (Barney’s quip to Moe about being a ruler comes from the left as it should) are evident if you’re listening.

Audio ★★★★★ 

Extras are carried over from the DVD edition, and remain lackluster. The best of the lot here are two commentaries, one which stops the movie at certain points to pick out small details you probably missed while you watch. Both are necessary listening for fans. Five minutes of deleted scenes offer brief gags cut from the film, though given the running time, having most of these in the movie wouldn’t have hurt. “Special Stuff” is a section that offers various promo appearances of Homer during promotion, including The Tonight Show and American Idol. These barely last three minutes. Loads of trailers make up a whopping list of bonus features that come in under 10 minutes, excluding commentaries.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

The Simpsons Movie Review

With the ever increasing level of raunch in comedies, it has to be hard to one up all of the competition. Sex Drive doesn’t necessarily overcome its competitors, but it does take to the usual standard for sex comedies. The unrated cut is an entirely different story.

Nothing about Sex Drive is original. Josh Zuckerman plays Ian, who might as well be Jason Biggs. He thinks he’s scored an online date with a woman, but has to drive to Tennessee to meet her. Along with two friends, they go through an expected level of misadventures on a trip that constantly pushes them further away from their goal.

So no, Sex Drive isn’t a reinvention of the genre, nor is it going to shock an audience like American Pie. It’s nothing more than a simple road-trip movie filled with as much profane dialogue, embarrassment, and sex as possible. That said, it’s freakin’ hilarious.

Despite knowing everything that will happen and how it will all work in the end, the film never slows down in terms of laughs. It covers all of its bases (no pun intended), providing varying degrees of comedy to please everyone… who’s not easily offended by the sight of a rubber penis stuck to a man-sized doughnut.

Seth Green has a priceless cameo as an Amish car repairman, and it’s a shame there’s not more of him. James Marsden is a long way from Prince Edward in Enchanted, playing Ian’s hotheaded brother who puts his ’69 GTO before people. He’s also on the receiving end of some hilarious lines, including a few new ways to think of the male anatomy.

While the story may be completely unoriginal, horribly contrived (the ending is so implausible it’s ridiculous), and completely without taste, Sex Drive is able to hold it together thanks to its pacing and snappy jokes. The director’s cut included here is rightfully stated by the director (in a hilarious intro) that it’s not the movie to see first. It’s nudity for the sake of nudity, and well over two hours. The theatrical cut is the way to go.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

The movie shines on Blu-ray, delivering as any modern film should. Contrast is superb, with rich, deep blacks and whites that are in control. Colors are well saturated without looking unnatural or bleeding. Sharpness is constantly high, and never seems to waver. A bit of noise can creep up at times, especially during the first party sequence outside. Detail is outstanding, with individual hairs and pores consistently visible on the actor’s faces. There is a very small amount of edge enhancement visible in a few scenes, but it’s incredibly minor and hard to see.

Video ★★★★★ 

While not a movie crying out for uncompressed audio, the Blu-ray contains a meager Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. For a straightforward comedy, it’s not a huge problem. Bass kicks in when the music requires it, and delivers slightly when engines crank. There are some notable instances of surround work, including some decent if unspectacular ambience during parties. Positional audio, from doors slamming to thrown objects moving out of the frame, is consistent.

Audio ★★★★☆ 

Extras are played for laughs, and sadly not all have made the cut from DVD edition. A filmmaker commentary includes Sean Anders, John Morris and producer Bob Levy. Making a Masterpiece is an 11-minute joke feature about the “epic” everyone was making. The same goes for the other two featurettes, one focusing on James Marsden, the other on Clarke Duke. The latter two combined barely make it past the 10-minute mark. There are multiple featurettes missing from the DVD version, which is rather inexcusable, even if space was an issue. Make it a 2-disc set. Problem solved.

Extras ★★☆☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Sex Drive Review

Role Models doesn’t come from the Apatow school of comedy despite the same tone and feel. Instead, this one is helmed by David Wain, previously directing the comedy Wet Hot American Summer. Despite rudimentary storytelling, Role Models is saved by the actors and an undoubtedly funny script.

Paul Rudd plays Danny, a sarcastic, unlikeable jerk going through a rough break-up with Beth (Elizabeth Banks). After a mental breakdown at a school outing, Danny is forced to mentor a child for his community service, along with co-worker Wheeler (Sean William Scott). As with any script of this nature, the kids are completely incompatible with the adults, leading to various misadventure and culture clashes.

While instantly predictable, lacking any surprises, or failing to do anything against the mold, Role Models is funny. It sports numerous quotable lines including “whispering eye,” which instantly becomes a means of pranking friends. Wheeler’s adult discussion of KISS with his mentored child (Bobb’e J. Thompson who must have had a blast reciting his lines) is priceless, including a detailed description of song “Love Gun.”

A strong supporting cast, including Jane Lynch as the camp owner and A.D. Miles as the aggravating camp counselor are top notch in terms of laughs. Fans of LARPing will also be intrigued given the enormous amount of screen time given to the activity, and the chance to laugh at themselves a bit.

Role Models isn’t the best comedy of ‘08, yet it is incredibly funny. The ridiculous plot is forgettable, cliched, and predictable, but the activities surrounding it more than make up for story mistakes. This is a consistent laugh fest, and arguably Paul Rudd’s best comedic performance to date.

Movie ★★★★☆ 

This VC-1 encode suffers from a myriad of problems, many of them attributable to the source. Contrast is blown out, with the whites bleeding into any fine detail. Flesh tones are bronzed and sickly. Reds are overdone with some minor visible artifacting. Sharpness is high, but doesn’t deliver the hi-def detail one should expect. Deleted scenes and trailers show a higher level of film grain, so there’s little doubt that some DNR was applied. Black crush is also a problem in the early going. A few close-ups do deliver in terms of detail, although these shots are brief.

Video ★★☆☆☆ 

A DTS-HD master mix doesn’t do a lot to impress, although the large-scale LARP battles do offer something worth listening to. There’s significant surround activity during these fights, including active stereo channels as well. It’s surprisingly well designed for a dialogue-driven comedy. Bass is limited to the music, and doesn’t provide much of a punch.

Audio ★★★☆☆ 

A solo commentary by Wain disappoints on the basic level that it fails to offer any of the cast. A brief selection of funny outtakes are followed up by an enormous selection of deleted scenes, nearly reaching 50 minutes. Two featurettes offer brief and entertaining looks behind-the-scenes in-between filler material that reeks of self-promotion. The better of the two focuses on the fantasy game.

Three sections of in-character interviews are somewhat bland, and an interactive crest maker is rather pointless. BD-Live support has a single featurette focusing on the Sturdy Wings building, and Universal’s always irritating U-Control delivers picture-in-picture content.

Extras ★★★☆☆ 

Blu-ray Movie Review from : DoBlu.com

Role Models Review