Blu-ray Movie Reviews

I had a strong feeling going into this film that I wouldn't be a fan. I am not big on Ferrell's brand of comedy (though I did love Stranger than Fiction) and Heder hasn't done anything particularly good since Napoleon Dynamite. The comedy is a bit too over the top for me, and they borrowed a lot from comedies of the past. There are some good laughs here and there, but not nearly enough of them to warrant a purchase. I would stick with a rental on this one.

Despite a separate Blu-ray encode, this transfer didn't look much different than the HD DVD counterpart when I did some A/B comparisons. Detail wavers a bit in overall quality from time to time, but overall I would say this is a pretty sharp and dimensional transfer. The HD transfer doesn't do some of the CG any favors as it becomes quite obvious that the actor's faces are transposed onto the skaters, which was kind of funny. Colors are rich in detail and contrast levels seemed a touch better than the HD DVD this time around. Overall this is still a solid video presentation, but it could have been a touch better.

Paramount has included an uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release, which was lacking from the HD DVD. This is a fun soundtrack that does make full use of the surround soundstage, especially during the ice skating competitions. The ambiance and sense of space is realistic enough, and the dynamic range is actually quite good. Dialogue is balanced well for the most part, though sometimes I thought it was panned back too far into the room.

Extras are almost completely in HD on this release. This includes some production features, interviews, some comedy interviews, deleted scenes, gag reels, a photo gallery, and a music video.

Can't say I enjoyed this one much more this time around than the first time I reviewed it. The Blu-ray does offer a slightly better encode for video and the uncompressed PCM soundtrack is a nice addition. I'm glad to see Paramount back in the Blu-ray business.