Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 (2008/Blu-ray + DVD-Video/Warner Bros.)

 

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

 

 

Every time I bring up Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 (2008), the fist reaction is shock a sequel was even made, since the first film was not that big a hit, but for something that feels Lifetime Channel-safe, there is a market for it they guess.  Of course, America Ferrera is a bigger star than when the first film was out and her fellow cast mates (Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel) are not bad, just that the film is a melodrama for young teen gals and the like.

 

The foursome is in college as freshmen (does this mean six more films?) and this is towards the end of that period, but it was pleasant… as in dull.  To the film’s credit, these are not women airheads, not clones of the pop singer clones ruining music as you read this, but women making something of their lives.  However, there is so much more that could be said and done in a film like this and all I could think of is how more mature an old TV show like Room 222 was with their teens.  If someone enjoys this, more power to them, but many will not be as entertained.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray has little to celebrate, except that it looks better than it could on DVD and even better than the anamorphically enhanced DVD issued, which has more detail and Video Black issues.  The colors look phony more often than not, despite being a rather digital effects-free shoot.  There is actually a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray with is not bad, but not great, while both have lesser Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes and in all cases, the sound is nothing great.  Extras in both formats include a gag reel, additional scenes of limited merit and a featurette about a scene in the film not in the script.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo