Semi-Pro – Let’s Get Sweaty Edition + Blades Of
Glory (2007/Blu-rays + DVD-Videos/New Line + Paramount)
Picture:
B/C+/B/C+ Sound: B/C+/B/C+ Extras: D Films: D
Is Will
Ferrell running on fumes as a comic and star?
No matter how stupid his brand of films have been, one turns out to be
enough of a big hit that he can weather about three duds before the studios
expect a Talladega Nights, a big hit
with an awful Blu-ray release. It was an
awful film too, as are two more forgettable Ferrell forays into lame comedy: Semi-Pro and Blades Of Glory, both from 2007.
Pro is the kind of bomb that helped
close New Line for good, with Ferrell as a popular white basketball player who
happens to listen to soul music and even sports an Afro of sorts, but his team
is getting cut off, so can he save them or himself and do we care? Blades
was a moderate sleeper loaded with homophobia and no ideas about the first pair
of male figure skaters, ones who become a hit until their relationship runs
into problems. In some ways, both are
the same film, mocking the 1970s, “the other” and are thinner than any ice we
can think of. I did not even smile once
during either and was glad to see them end.
The 1080p
1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on Pro
and 2.35 X 1 on Blades are both is a
little weak, both looking like HD shoots with muted color, even when it tries
to be colorful and softness more than should be there; a problem even worse in
the poor, anamorphically enhanced DVD-Video versions. More comedies than anything else are using
HD, but it is not always to their benefit.
The DVD version have flatter Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes than expected, but
the Blu-rays offer relatively stronger sound mixes (PCM 5.1 for Blades, DTS MA 7.1 for Pro) which show how weak the dialogue-based
sound mixes really are. Needless to say,
none of this is demo material.
Extras on
both are numerous, hoping to establish the fluff as long-term rental
material. Pro has a longer cut of the film, four featurettes, trailers,
improv, deleted/alternate scenes of no interest, a Music Video and Flint Tropics Hot Talk with Dick Pepperfield
piece that is not funny. The Blu-ray
adds web-enabled features and Super Agility Trainer Interactive Game. Blades
has seven featurettes, stills, trailers, gag reel, alternate takes, deleted
scenes and a Music Video. Yawn!!!
- Nicholas Sheffo
