What Love Is (Sony DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C     Extras: D     Feature: D

 

 

Even though Sean Astin is the lead in the credits, his name is nowhere to be found on the cover of the DVD for What Love Is (2007) where Cuba Gooding, Jr. is the featured star all of the sudden.  Oddly, the back of the case has him listed first, showing the shifty nature of this release.  A supposed comedy, Writer/Director Mars Callahan turns out an infantile, annoying, idiotically lame Valentine’s Day tale that become just another paycheck for Gooding, whose name on any project since his Oscar win seems to mean disaster.

 

This qualifies as the film claims it will show us who his friends help him over losing the love of his life, but instead become yet another tired, not-so-funny, very bad exercise in how not to do any kind of romantic comedy, if this even qualifies.  Gina Gershon, Anne Heche and Matthew Lillard (speaking of stars whose presence spell disaster!!!) also star.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image has fairly good color, but is too soft, has some motion blur and limited depth.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is surprisingly poor, with a compressed feel throughout, showing the low-budget origins of the recording and someone botching the remix.  This was not conceived as a 5.1 venture.  Extras include a lame audio commentary with Callahan and co-producers George Boors & John Hermansen and a making of featurette.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo