Ping Pong Playa (2007/Image Blu-ray)

 

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

 

 

In a rare recent case, Jessica Yu’s comedy Ping Pong Playa (2007) was issued on DVD only a few weeks before its Blu-ray debut.  This was our coverage of that DVD:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8007/Ping+Pong+Playa+(2007/Image+Ent

 

 

Well, here I am looking at the Blu-ray and hoping for improvements in playback, but instead was surprised how poor the Blu-ray was, despite being an improvement over the DVD. 

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 image has only very minor detail improvements, confirming that the shoot has built in softness and colors issues and the improved format also shows even more image noise.  A DTS HD Master Audio (MA) 5.1 lossless mix has replaced the Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds choices from the DVD and it is better, yet the location recording issues are obvious and mix in general is shown to be more flawed than expected.  The combination is problematic and shows this was not made with the best care.  Extras are the same as the DVD and include a trailer, two making of featurettes and an audio commentary by Yu and Tsai, who also co-wrote the script.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo