Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Kate (Tina Fey) is a single and successful 37-year-old businesswoman whose biological clock is ticking. After numerous attempts at in vitro fertilization, the doctor finally tells her she has a one-in-a-million chance of getting pregnant. Determined to have a baby to call her own, she decides to enlist the help of a surrogate mother and hires Angie (Amy Poehler), a blue-collar girl from South Philly, who gives Kate much more than she bargained for.

The first half of Baby Mama doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment value, with a lackluster script and actors who simply go through the motions delivering flat performances. Fortunately, it takes a turn for the better when Greg Kinnear's character, Kate's love interest, starts to get more screen time and inserts some heart into the production.

Universal delivers a polished and visually pleasing VC-1 encode with sharp detail and rich color saturation. An occasional shot exhibits some softness in the background, but these are few and far between. Contrast is spot-on, giving the image excellent depth, and the black levels are inky when called for, but brightly lit scenes dominate the production.

The audio mix is very front-heavy, as you would expect from a comedy, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack never disappoints. Dialog is firmly rooted in the center speaker, and the surround channels provide suitable ambience. The musical score opens up the soundstage a bit, but don't expect any jaw-dropping moments.

The meager bonus features consist of an audio commentary with writer/director Michael McCullers, producer Lorne Michaels, and cast members Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Also, there is a BonusView PIP featuring cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage while you watch the movie.

Baby Mama delivers a solid HD presentation, but the screenplay is predictable and uninspiring, playing more like a long Saturday Night Live skit than a feature film. The funny moments redeem the movie in the end, but there aren't enough of them to justify more than a rental.

Release Date: September 9, 2008

Film: 6 out of 10
Picture: 8 out of 10
Sound: 8 out of 10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD30

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 Amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector