Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 2, 2021

Here's a lighthearted Christian Comedy that finds purpose in humor and opportunities for growth and hope for its characters, and for a church, where stagnation and hopelessness rule supreme. Writer/Director Robert G. Lee's film explores the concept of personal conversion and salvation through a humorous lens when a nonbeliever -- maybe even someone who never even considered God -- is suddenly thrust into a position of church leadership with no training, no Biblical knowledge, and no clue how to preach or shepherd his flock, or at least what remains of a flock. It's a simple little exercise in God working in mysterious ways, and while the film lacks big budget pleasantries the faith-based audience should find here an agreeable little diversion that talks to God's power and presence even where He seems long absent and far distant.

When everyman Frank (Jamie Alexander) witnesses a murder, he and his high maintenance wife Daphne (Jacquelyn Zook) are pulled into the Witness Protection program, relocated and given brand new identities and a brand new life. Daphne is not thrilled about it, particularly when she learns that she and her husband are moving from San Diego glamour to a run-down church in Fresno that only stays afloat by taking in people in witness protection. Suddenly, Frank and Daphne are Jack and Julie: The Jacobs. They’re temporarily located inside First Fresno Presbyterian Church where Jack is given the title of “associate pastor.” Ensuring their safety is the musclebound undercover Agent Garrison (Isaac C. Singleton Jr.).

First Presbyterian is in a state of shambles. The facility is understaffed, the building is deteriorating, and it would seem that there's no joy or love within its walls, and certainly none extending out into the surrounding community. The secretary, Linda (Jodi Shilling), is not happy with her life. Her husband, Danny (David Storrs), is the youth pastor (of one), church handyman, and all around forgettable guy. The only church regulars these days are the Foggs, Maurice and Mary (Joel McCrary and Catherine Gaffney), the latter of whom demands church be run to her specifications and her specifications only. Overseeing the mess is Pastor Bronwen (Kevin Brief) who drops dead from a heart attack on Jack and Julie's first Sunday. Now, Associate Pastor Jack is suddenly thrust behind the pulpit. He knows nothing of Christianity and the Bible, never mind the ins-and-outs of preaching. His first sermon is a disaster, but when he takes the time to study up on the Christian faith, he not only finds himself better prepared to preach but coming to embrace God's word and the promises therein.

The film blends light humor with serious insight into some of the essentials of the Christian faith. It's predictable -- of course Jack and Julie are going to find faith and surrender to the ministry as the story progresses -- but it's more in the trials they face, the mistakes they make, and those moments of realization that they can make a difference for their flock and for themselves along the way that make it work. Performances are charming despite a script that is less than perfect, and the actors, as well as the story's inherent charm, help it to overcome its technical and production limits.

Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Can I get a better Blu-ray? Can I Get a Witness Protection?'s Blu-ray transfer struggles to show, never mind maintain, anything resembling 1080p video excellence. The picture is frequently -- read practically every shot -- marred by some degree of compression artifacts that render backgrounds not so blocky as to be fully distracting but with enough unsightliness to distract from the content. The image proper is soft and flat, sharp enough to pass for "HD" but never finding the sort of intimacy and depth higher end productions, photographed with superior technology, present. Essential textures are good to go, generally, with basic clarity allowing for clear access to the church interiors and some of the scattered locales out in the neighborhood. The color palette is a bit depressed as well. There's nothing lively here but there's nothing overly dim and dull, either. It's a boring output featuring unassuming contrast and no sense of fine-tuned vitality or tonal depth. Skin tones push a little pasty and black levels are iffy. There are also some severe stair stepping artifacts/jagged edges (look at the nine-minute mark for a great example) on display. Its drawbacks are many, but even still the sum is at least a watchable picture that is honestly closer to best case scenario for a low budget film such as this than it is far away from source perfection.

Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Can I Get a Witness Protection? features a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Though it lacks a lossless configuration the track is generally pleasing and a good-enough accompaniment to this low budget Comedy. The opening titles presentation is appropriately lively, widely spaced and well capable of utilizing the surround speakers, too. This pleasing general feel for width and depth is appreciable through the whole track, particularly as music is concerned, both light score and at a rave inside the church partway through. There's some nice reverb when Jack speaks at Pastor's funeral and often a fair sense of space as speech reverberates throughout the sanctuary. There are a few scattered action effects, including a handful of gunshots at film's start and towards film's end, which present with good basic depth and definition. Dialogue drives most of the film. It plays with unremarkable clarity and prioritization from a natural front-center location.

Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extra included with this release is titled Slideshow (1080i). This is simply a collection of full-screen still photographs that relate to the movie. There is no audio, no on-screen text accompaniment, and no given runtime. The images advance automatically but can also be moved forward with the chapter skip button on the remote. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Can I Get a Witness Protection? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a lot of fun to be had here in a movie that is well suited to family-friendly movie night with a faith-based angle. Can I Get a Witness Protection?'s Blu-ray delivers unremarkable video and audio but they suit this low budget film well enough. No extras of any real value are included. Recommended.