Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Comedy > Romance > Obsession > Stalking > All About Steve (2009/Fox Blu-ray)

All About Steve (2009/Fox Blu-ray)

 

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

 

 

Sandra Bullock has had a great 2009, once again the #1 female box office star (The Proposition and The Blind Side outperformed expectations and the latter was her best film in years) and one of the few star names with any drawing power any more.  But one recent comedy she made hardly made a dent and when you see Phil Traill’s All About Steve, you’ll see why.  It has an amusing performance by Bullock as a wacky gal who becomes obsessed over an in-the-field cameraman (Bradley Cooper) and will follow him anywhere in this attempt to open up the occasional comedy we would call “the houseguest from hell”.  It offers terrible improve moments, jokes that usually don’t work and has an endless list of missed comedy opportunities.  This is actually still an improvement from screenwriter Kim Barker, whose License To Wed (2007, reviewed elsewhere on this site) was one of the worst would-be comedies of many recent years.

 

Still, Bullock is funny outside of the script and the supporting cast including Thomas Hayden Church, Ken Jeong, Howard Hesseman, Keith David and Beth Grant try to make this work, but it never does.  Director Traill comes from TV sitcom directing and just cannot make the transition to a feature-length narrative, but maybe he’ll try writing his next project and we’ll see what happens.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 AVC @ 26 MBPS digital High Definition image was shot on film, but this is a little soft throughout and color can be odd.  Director of Photography Tim Suhrstedt (Extract, Idiocracy) knows how to lens a comedy, but cannot save this either.  The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 track is shockingly weak and dialogue is limited and practically monophonic throughout.  The mix is far too much towards the front speakers and center channel.  Extras include Digital Copy for PC and PC portable devices, cast/crew feature length audio commentary, a wacky duet, Gag Reel & Deleted/Alternate Scenes all with optional audio commentary, Life After Film School episode with Traill worth catching and three behind-the-scenes featurettes.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com