Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) is a regular guy with a dead-end job content with coasting his way through life until his daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll), sets off a chain of events that results in a presidential election coming down to a single vote—Bud's. All hell breaks loose when political operatives from both parties, including the incumbent president (Kelsey Grammar) and the Democrat challenger (Dennis Hopper), swarm his hometown to vie for the winning vote.

We see politicians flip-flop on the issues every election season in order to garner a few extra votes from special-interest groups, so satirizing the same behaviors on a smaller scale certainly leads to more than a few laughs. Costner excels at the Joe Six-Pack persona of Bud Johnson, and the campaign managers portrayed by Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane are hilarious in their attempt to secure their candidates' victory—whatver the cost.

Disney has consistently been one of the top performers with Blu-ray video encodes, and Swing Vote continues the trend. Colors are bright and richly saturated, black levels are stable and deep with excellent shadow detail, and resolution is razor-sharp—from every dust particle on the vehicles to the amazing dcor in Air Force One.

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack won't blow you away thanks to its dialog-centric approach, but it does boast decent dynamics when the musical score kicks in. The surround speakers are mostly silent except for some ambient effects, and the LFE channel certainly doesn't shake the room. The dialog is clear and concise with a lifelike quality, and the front soundstage contains a number of panning effects that fit the action on the screen, creating a realistic environment.

The high-definition bonus features include deleted/alternate scenes, a making-of featurette, and a music video featuring Kevin Costner. Rounding things out is an audio commentary with writer/director Joshua Michael Stern and writer Jason Richman.

It's difficult to find a good comedy that doesn't revolve around sex, but I found Swing Vote very enjoyable with its clean, family-friendly humor. The video presentation is outstanding and the audio doesn't disappoint. If you've recovered from the election hangover of 2008, be sure to check this one out. Recommended.

Release Date: January 13, 2009

Movie: 7/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD55

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

Electronics
Onkyo Pro 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

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics