Blu-ray Movie Reviews

New Yorkers Jack (Ashton Kutcher) and Joy (Cameron Diaz) independently decide to head to Vegas for a weekend to drown their sorrows for different reasons— he was fired from his job, and she was recently dumped by her fianc. After a wild night of partying, the two strangers wake up and discover that, in their drunken bliss, they got married. Neither of them is too happy about their impaired decision, and they agree on an annulment— that is, until Jack wins a $3 million dollar jackpot with Joy's quarter, prompting an all-out war for the money.

Low expectations can be a blessing, and such was the case with What Happens in Vegas. I've never been very fond of either lead's body of work, but after stomaching the irritating first act, I felt genuine chemistry between the two, and the ending was rewarding and enjoyable, albeit very predictable.

Fox offers up a decent AVC encode, although the image isn't the best I have seen on Blu-ray. Detail is lacking at times, especially in backgrounds, and pumped-up contrast levels enliven the color saturation at the expense of accuracy. A yellowish tinge permeates the picture, especially in flesh tones, and grain is inconsistent from scene to scene.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is consistent with a romantic comedy— front-heavy with the musical score opening up the soundstage. Dialog is clear and firmly rooted in the center, and there is sporadic use of the surround speakers in an attempt to create an engaging mix, but this is rare in the overall scheme of things.

The two-disc set features a digital copy on the second disc for use with a portable player or PC. The supplements on the BD50 include some behind-the-scenes features (HD), a commentary track by director Tom Vaughan and editor Matt Friedman, a couple of spoofs (HD)— both of which are quite funny— deleted scenes (SD), a gag real (SD), and some trailers (HD).

What Happens in Vegas is a silly yet entertaining romantic comedy with a decent high-def presentation. Kutcher and Diaz are a bit annoying, but solid performances by the supporting cast make this worth a rental.

Release Date: August 26, 2008

Film: 6 out of 10
Picture: 7 out of 10
Sound: 6 out of 10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD30

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

Electronics
Pioneer Elite SC-09TX THX Ultra 2 AVR
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