Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection (Universal Blu-rays: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (plus DVD Set)/The 40-Year-Old Virgin/Knocked Up)

 

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

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall C

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin C

 

Knocked Up B-

 

 

Note: We have previously covered the older films twice each, as these links will show:

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3246/The+40+Year+Old+Virgin+-+Unrated

 

HD-DVD/DVD Combo Edition

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5543/The+40+Year+Old+Virgin+-+Unrated

 

 

Knocked Up

HD-DVD/DVD Combo Edition

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6018/Knocked+Up+–+Unrated

 

Theatrical Film Review

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5486/Mr.+Brooks/Bug/Knocked+Up+(Theatr

 

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is offered in theatrical and uncut versions, both of which are of the same quality and with the same average amusements.  It was written by Jason Siegel, who also stars as Peter, the man who is about to get dumped by the title character.  She (Kristen Bell) is the love of his life and also the female lead in a huge hit TV series not unlike franchises like CSI, which the film spoofs subtly.  He is already a little bit of a slacker and now, he will wallow in the pain until he is motivated to go on vacation, where Sarah is shockingly also vacationing with her new singing British dork boyfriend, who is a singing sensation with zero substance.

 

Director Nicholas Stoller tries to make this work and when Universal released it theatrically, it was expected to be a big hit, but it was not and it is because Siegel (at least here) is not a laugh-out-loud funny comic talent, coming across like Dane Cook with less ambition.  Yes, he has some talent, but he is almost strained here and the rest of the cast is only given so much to do, though Mila Kunis is good and there are some good ideas in the script.

 

It is just that they are always stopping short, so instead of this rising to comic lunacy; it has more stops and starts than an old jalopy.  Worst of all, more could and should have been made of two items that we only see on TV screens, doing more with the CSI spoof and mocking the idiotic side of the music industry, but the script is less interested in clever, witty satire and more in pop culture references and putting all of its money on its would-be star.  He still may become one, but it will not help this film.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition on the Blu-ray looks good, but not great, as if it were shot in HD, but the anamorphically enhanced DVD is much worse, with poor definition, softness that gets in the way and Video Black that is weak.  Color is also an issue in both cases, but the Blu is the preferred way to go.  More on the sound and extras follow.

 

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin remains a film people like, yet do not talk about much, yet it is still a popular rental/sales and the Blu-ray is certain to be a comedy favorite.  However, Knocked Up is still my favorite of the three and hope its reputation continues to endure despite Katherine Heigl begin quoted out of context about it.  The picture performance on the Blu-rays are the same as the out of print HD-DVDs and both also have their sound upgraded from weak Dolby Digital 5.1 on their DVDs and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 on the now defunct HD-DVDs to DTS HD Master Audio (MA) 5.1 lossless sound, but the improvements are minor, though they sound best in these DTS versions just he same.  Forgetting Sarah Marshall is fairly good Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD and better DTS HD Master Audio (MA) 5.1 lossless sound on the Blu-ray, but the improvement is only so strong as this is a dialogue-based comedy, but the DTS is best in this final case as well.

 

The extras are the same on the Blu-ray editions of those titles as they were on DVD and HD-DVD.  Forgetting Sarah Marshall has the same extras in both formats, except that the Blu-ray has BD Live capacities and both have the bonus digital download DVD so you can watch the film on PCs and portable computer-based devices.  You also get “Crime Scene” alternate scenes, Video Diaries, auditions, a gag reel, Line-O-Rama. Drink-O-Rama, Cinemax Final Cut look at the film, deleted/extended scenes and a feature length cast/crew audio commentary.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo