Death at a Funeral Blu-ray Review

Aaron’s (Chris Rock) father has passed away and it’s time for the funeral. Knowing that the family doesn’t really get together much, Aaron doesn’t know what to expect when they all come in under the same roof. When Ryan (Martin Lawrence), the successful writer who Aaron envies, brings out the good old family feud between the brothers. Elaine (Zoey Zaldaña) and her fiancée Oscar (James Marsden) are on their way to pick up her brother Jeff. Oscar not feeling so well takes some pills he believed to be Vicodin and as he arrives to Aaron’s house the full effects of the drugs begin to take effect causing him to spark chaos. Everything that Aaron hoped didn’t go bad did and now he must survive the entire day without losing it completely.

I am not sure why Hollywood is so adamant on making remakes, are they really running out of fresh ideas? The latest release of Death at a Funeral is another example since another movie by the same title already exists and in English. However, this new version was filled with a predominant African American cast. The end result will definitely vary depending on your taste and I can tell you that the movie is definitely not as outrageous and over the top for example movies made by Tyler Perry. Personally I have no problems with Perry’s film so don’t get that confused. All I am trying to say is not to compare films based on what you see in the cover.

As I already mentioned Death at a Funeral is a based on a film by the same name released back in 2007 in the UK. However, while there’s some similitude between the title, the material is a bit different. The American version is able to stand on its own and make the best out of it. Not to mention, the cast that is part of the film are, to some, some comedy heavyweights that include Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Tracy Morgan. Not to mention the lovely Zoe Zaldaña and Danny Glover makeup the rest of the well known cast. Director Neil LaBute does an incredible job at handling the story and giving it a good balance between wacky and over the top. I feel that he knows that his primary comedic cast will do their own thing in order to bring the laughter and they do just that. Rarely does it feel like the laughter is forced or the director is intending to take it to in a route where the comedy is force. I mean how often does things that could go bad really do? Certainly, everything was done carefully and well thought out where everything played out nicely.

Death at a Funeral isn’t exactly the best comedy I’ve seen in recent years, but that ins’t to say that is not a good comedy. There’s a good blend of vulgarity and comedy mixed together that just simply works. The film doesn’t rely on nudity as we are so used to see in order to keep the viewers attention. Instead it focuses on its cast to make it happen. Chris Rock and Martin Laurence are hilarious and Tracy Morgan does a good job as a supporting character bringing hin his usual wackyness. Personally, Death at a Funeral is a mesh of things that used to work before and with the right direction it can become a solid material. I possibly haven’t laughed as hard since The Hangover, but that’s just me. A good sign of things to come is the opening scene that I am sure will get a few laughs and hopefully pave the way for the rest of the film.

Death at a Funeral arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG4-AVC encode framed at 2.40:1. The presentation for this comedy title couldn’t have been better. The colors are vibrant and looking gorgeous at all times. There’s a nice balance in the picture where the colors are not overdone, but instead exhibit great vibrancy. The picture clarity is impeccable, very clean and clear. There’s very little amount of grain left. The fine details are excellent throughout exhibiting all the nuances on any surface whether is the clothing, the walls, the floor, facial shots, and everything else there is to see. Everything simply looks fantastic. Black levels are well reproduced throughout. Death at a Funeral looks fantastic on Blu-ray!

Death at a Funeral arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. Death at a Funeral is a dialog drive film, but that isn’t to say the track provided is not pleasing. On contrary, the dialog remains well reproduced coming out clean and clear even during the wackiest situations. The rears are used for atmospherics and ambiance effects. They are pretty effective for the most part especially during outside scenes because during the scenes inside the house they can become pretty much non-existent. For a comedy film that doesn’t have any loud bangs, Death at a Funeral sounds great and it will definitely please the viewers.

Audio Commentary – This track features Director Niel LaBute and Chris Rock talking about all things relating to the film. From the casting, the music, anecdotes, the cast, and more. The track can sometimes take a different route and not be as informational, but it can be rather comedic.

Death For Real – The cast gives their idea and definition of death.

Family Album – Each actor quickly describes each character in the family.

Death at a Funeral: Last Rites, Dark Secrets – This let’s the cast and crew talk about the movie and about working with each character. Each actor talks about their particular character and how it was to work with the rest of the cast.

Deleted Scenes – There’s seven (7) deleted scenes in total.

Gag Reel

Previews – Movie trailers for The Other Guys, Grown Ups, The Karate Kid, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, The Backup Plan, and Bad Boys.

BD-Live Functionality

MovieIQ

Death at a Funeral was a very entertainment movie and I can tell that while it’s not the best comedy film you’ve seen in a while it definitely will have you laughing. Personally, the cast was excellent and nothing about movie made it feel forced to the point that it becomes dull. Technically speaking the video transfer is flawless and the audio does justice the genre of the film that will ultimately satisfy your needs. There’s a few supplements that are definitely worth a while since each comedian gives you more of their thoughts that make each piece funny. I can’t promise is the best comedy, but I can assure you will have a good time. I highly recommend it.