Baby Mama (2008/Universal Blu-ray + DVD-Video)

 

Picture: B/C+     Sound: B/C+     Extras: C-     Film: C

 

 

I like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, both of whom are fine comic actors and have proved themselves so for years since Saturday Night Live showed how good they really are, which is why Michael McCuller’s Baby Mama (2008) is a “few joke” comedy with too few jokes and among those, there are no big laughs and few smiles.

 

Fey is in fear that her age and professional status will kill her dreams of motherhood, but bringing those dreams alive becomes a nightmare when she hopes that Poehler (as a wacky airhead) can help her make this dream come true.  However, Laverne & Shirley they are not and anything that can go wrong does.  Sadly, this is true on and off screen, a supporting cast (including Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor and even Sigourney Weaver) cannot save this and 99 minutes leaves you wondering “is that all?”!!!

 

Fey and Poehler should and likely will try again, but this is one baby that should have never been delivered.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray is shot in HD and shows it with odd colors, softness, motion blur and none too memorable shots, while the anamorphically enhanced DVD is much weaker and poorer, making both versions lacking visually.  The DTS HD MA (Master Audio lossless) 5.1 on the Blu-ray is nothing to write home about, but has an advantage of clarity the Dolby Digital 5.1 foreign choices on both discs and English on the DVD lack.  Don’t expect much soundfield, but at least dialogue is recorded well enough.  Extras include Blu-ray exclusive U-Control and both versions have audio commentary by McCullers, Lorne Michaels, Fey and Poehler that is lightly amusing at best.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo