DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS (2010, Blu-ray released January 5, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
| MOVIE: |
   |
| VIDEO: |
|
| AUDIO: |
|
| EXTRAS: |
|
| BLU-RAY: |
|
There’s a particular type of humour that fuels the engine of Dinner for Schmucks. A very silly, high energy, aggressive, almost desperate style of comedy. The work of Mel Brooks comes to mind. Despite my affection for most of the performers in the film, the style of the piece is just so over the top that it manages to induce far more cringes that it does laughter. That said, I did laugh. And more than a few times.
But just because director Jay Roach managed to illicit more than a few chuckles from me over the course of a couple of hours doesn’t mean that he delivered a great film. With its poorly drawn characters who only vaguely react like real human beings, it can’t hold a candle to Francis Veber‘s witty Le Dîner de Cons, the 1998 film from which it was freely adapted. Nor can it touch recent outings from its stars Paul Rudd and Steve Carell like I Love You Man or even Date Night. Dinner for Schmucks certainly has its heart in the right place and an incredible supporting cast of comedians to boot (Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Lucy Punch, David Walliams among others) but none of the subtlety or humanity to build a satisfying comedy.
The Blu-ray disc looks and sounds just about as good as it ought to. There’s nothing spectacular to look at or to hear on the Dinner for Schmucks Blu-ray but fans certainly won’t be disappointed. The image is fairly detailed, with stable colours and a light sheen of grain. A solid visual presentation. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 is equally solid, if unexceptional, with most of the sound delivered from the centre channel, as is par for the course for a comedy. Music is smooth and pleasing and ambient sound from surrounds accurate, when it’s present.
The Dinner for Schmucks Blu-ray disc features a fairly unexceptional assortment of extras, notably excluding a commentary track from the mix (Roach has provided commentary for most, if not all, of his previous Blu-ray releases.) The best of what is included has got to be the gag-reel, the 8-minute long “Schmuck Ups“, highlighting the comedic and improvisational talents of the cast. The “The Men Behind the Mousterpieces” piece is also of interest, spotlighting the talented Chiodo brothers and their mouse sculptures – supposed “roadkill” sculptures created by Carell’s character in the film. The disc is rounded out with a 15-minute “making of” featurette, 9-minutes of deleted scenes, “Meet the Winners” featurette, and “Paul and Steve: The Decision” – a fictional press conference from the 2010 ESPY Awards starring Carell and Rudd.
Discussion
No comments for “Dinner for Schmucks Blu-ray Disc Review”