6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
A happily married, career-oriented couple's life is turned upside down with an unplanned pregnancy.
Starring: Heather Graham, John Corbett, Jerry O'Connell, Lara Flynn Boyle, Katie FinneranComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Who needs a nation-wide release? Who needs press and critical acclaim? Why bother with the red carpet? Baby on Board cuts out the cinematic middle man, comes straight to a Blu-ray player near you and, after a painful 97-minute labor, a duration that begins to seem infinitely longer than 9 months, delivers a steaming, lifeless turd right into your living room. The pregnancy metaphors to describe the film are endless. Was it stillborn? Sadly, yes. Did director Brian Herzlinger miscarry? Reports claim that producers took the film off his hands and re-edited it themselves. So, no, this is not the big, healthy, comedic baby boy you’ve been anticipating. Ancient cultures, much more savage than ours, would have thrown this one to the wolves.
For being such an utter mess in nearly every other way, it's somewhat surprising that Baby On Board's 1080p 1.78:1 transfer is as clean and presentable as it is. It's low on wow factor and definitely won't sway anyone's opinion of the film, but it is a solid transfer that yields sharp detail, especially in clothing textures and close-ups. Check out the shot of Angela's fork as it slices neatly through her dessert. Each air pocket in the cake pops in crisp relief and the raspberry sauce drizzles with a convincing sheen. There is a slight trade-off with the sharpness, however, as I noticed some negligible haloing from edge enhancement. Additionally, a few sky shots look overly splotchy, some whites are slightly overblown, and there are a few noticeable specks and flecks on the print. That said, colors are accurately rendered, shadow delineation is rarely an issue, and the sense of depth is good considering the flat lighting that is often a staple of rom-coms.
The DTS HD 5.1 MA track is a lackluster affair that, while serving the needs of the film adequately, is unremarkable and wholly forgettable. Voice prioritization is key in a movie of this ilk, and in that the audio package delivers. Punch-lines and farts are broadcast in equal clarity, though, to be honest, even the least discerning audiences will inevitably prefer the mute button. The track is largely front heavy, and the only time I felt any sense of immersion was when heavy musical cues kicked in. The score is dippy, saccharine, and almost condescending in its cloying attempt to wring from the audience some slight sympathy for the wholly unlikable characters. Other elements, clearly going for "whimsy," sound more like motifs from any number of trite Christmas comedies.
If you actually watch the entire film, you'll have little patience for any reminders of its unfortunate existence. Thankfully, Baby on Board arrives with only a commentary track by director Brian Herzlinger, the theatrical trailer (1080p, though noticeably poorer in quality than the film itself), and a photo gallery that was very clearly arranged in iPhoto, complete with the ubiquitous Ken Burns' effect.
Not one laugh escaped my lips. At best, the film induced a few half-hearted smirks and a weak chortle or two. In my view, Baby on Board can be recommended only as an exercise in cinematic endurance, or as a gift for that special person you love to hate. "Big surprises sometimes come in small packages," reads the film's tagline, and this one belongs in the diaper pail.
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