“… the music is mixed to true, HD quality.”
When Bringing Down the House was released in the theaters, it had a tough time being recognized as a good comedy by the box office ticket sales. It was Queen Latifah’s first film after the award winning film, Chicago. It really is an excellent collaboration of comedic actors when mixed together makes for a great comedy. One thing I saw when looking up the original release date for the movie is it came out in 2003 but the blu-ray is called the 10th Anniversary. It actually was 9 years in March so I’m not really sure why the rouse.
The cast includes Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowlight, Kimberly J. Brown, Angus T. Jones, Jean smart, Missi Pyle, and Betty White. There is not a single actor that is out of place with their character. Director Adam Shankman has a few good films on his résumé such as The Wedding Planner and the upcoming Rock of Ages. The projects he has worked on are very much the movies that have average earnings in the theater but sales excel on home video.
It opens with a male and a female voice-over, narrating from their own chat windows. Its a lawyer chat room and they have been talking for a little while and decide to meet. Enter Peter Sanderson (Martin), a tax lawyer who is divorced with two kids Sarah (Brown) and Georgie (Jones) but still is a little hung up on his ex-wife Kate (Smart). At the firm, he is told he needs to land a rich client named Viginia Arness (Plowlight) and the money means a great deal to them. She’s a tough old bird who is demanding and acts entitled due to being rich for so long. Peter gets help from his friend, Howie (Levy), to research a smart way to get her business.
Peter Rushes home after work to “prepare” his house for the meeting. Before he can make it in his house, his nosy, bigot of a neighbor Mrs Kline asks when she can watch Georgie again and take him to play card games. As it turns out, she is also one of his bosses’ sister. Later in the evening, his date arrives at the house. He’s expecting a lawyer who’s tall and blonde but instead Charlene (Latifah) is at the door. Peter argues that she lied to him in saying she is a lawyer but never actually said the blonde is her but the woman in handcuffs in the background is. Charlene argues that he lied about being young and a criminal lawyer when he’s only a tax lawyer. She tells him that she lied because she needed a criminal lawyer to help her with her case. Charlene has been accused of a robbery she says she didn’t commit. The plot thickens..
As I said earlier, the cast comes together to make a comical movie. The lines that Eugene Levey brings to the table to Queen Latifah are hilarious. I have always been a fan of him since the…well, a long time ago and since he made his return in American Pie and he is still making people laugh. Also, this is where Betty White showed everyone she is not the old lady people know her from “The Golden Girls” but she can be uncensored.
I’m pleasantly surprised that the disc didn’t look like it was an “upscaled” DVD. The transfer is presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio and in 1080p. It’s a completely clean transfer with no edge enhancement and little to no black crushing. The colors are completely natural and showcase the clean transfer. There are scenes at a country club where the “greens” are vibrant but not overwhelming. There is a subtlety in the coloring that never over exposes the picture. The entire film makes a great argument why blu-ray is worth upgrade. I’m very impressed by the transfer.
The audio is encoded nicely in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and everything sounds amazing from the effects to the light score. The score is mainly composed of a woodwind section that sounds amazing. Where the soundtrack really comes to life is with the R&B and soul music with a heavy bass channel. Can’t say this enough but all of the sound is clear, the music is mixed to true, HD quality. There is a live music scene during the film that’s expansive and fills each separate channel throughout the theater. The music in the scene sounds like your in the room with a live band. It does not disappoint.
The suppliments were very generic for an anniversary edition. I was expecting more behind the scenes featruettes or interviews. On the plus side, they were in HD.
“Da” Commentary With Director Adam Shankman and Writer Jason Filardi
Deleted scenes
Gag reel
“Breaking Down Bringing Down The House” -Behind the scenes featurette
The Godfather of Hop- A close look at Eugene Levey With Tongue Firmly Implanted in Cheek
Queen Latifah music video- “Better Than The Rest”
Includes single disc blu-ray encoded on a BD-50
Video Resolution/Codec
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio(s)
2.35:1
Audio Formats included
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles included
English SDH, French, Spanish
This movie is very funny. Being a comedy, I figured it would be funny but I guess being a little older, I know I wouldn’t have gotten the jokes as much as when this hit the theaters. Martin and Latifah had a very quick chemistry and that made the comedy naturally flow from their performances. It was an excellent collaboration of jokes old and new. For being an anniversary release, the supplements are a little light. Also, I have a little issue with calling this a 10th anniversary when it hasn’t been 10 years yet. Overall, the transfer is what makes it do well. If you’re feeling a night of comedy, check this one out.
