6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Duets is a road-trip comedy which revolves around the little known world of karaoke and the whimsical characters who inhabit it. There's the struggling singer who dreams of making it to the big time, a frustrated salesman who ends up on an unexpected road trip, the dysfunctional family performers which includes a con-artist and his long lost daughter, and an escaped convict with the voice of an angel. All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.
Starring: Huey Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti, Andre Braugher, Keegan Connor TracyComedy | 100% |
Music | 31% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Karaoke. It's a way of life.
Duets combines the Personal Drama with the Road Trip Adventure movie with a hobbyist's pursuit. But rather than car racing or whatever
other "get them to the main event" competition most movies of this sort make the focus, Director Bruce Paltrow's (the late father of this film's star
Gwyneth
Paltrow) Duets focuses on six people, who become three teams of two, traveling to Middle America for a chance to win the big bucks...singing
karaoke. About all that's missing is an obvious coming-of-age element (though one could argue that for either the Paltrow or Speedman characters),
and one wonders how that was left out when there's the con man, the reuniting
of the long-separated father and daughter, the escaped convict who's not such a bad man after all, the (literally) lost businessman who's absence at
home doesn't make his family's hearts grow fonder, the cab driver whose girlfriend breaks his heart, and the superficially confident sex symbol and
karaoke junkie on her way to California. It seems a bit scattered, but it works. The hybrid Comedy/Drama Duets plays around with recycled
themes but paints a fairly cheery, breezy picture. The character relationships are sound and it's not so much the end goal as it is the destination that
makes the movie work. The karaoke segments allow for some lighthearted fun, but Duets is as its best when the singing and humor give way
to the character arcs and interpersonal dramas that truly shape the film.
The soloist.
Mill Creek's 1080p, 1.85:1-framed Blu-ray transfer of Duets looks a bit dim, but the image on the whole impresses with a nice-looking, film-like appearance. Whether smoky bars, bright exteriors, or well-lit interiors, the image delivers some balanced, natural details along faces, clothes, and general surrounding objects. Nothing stands out as particularly striking, but it's rather the entirety of the image rather than individual achievements that make Duets' 1080p transfer superior. Colors are never vibrant, but the image handles the film's natural palette well enough, delivering even flesh tones, bright convenience store product colors, clothing, and other colorful elements to satisfactory result. There's little in the way of banding, noise, blocky backgrounds, or edge halos. This is a fairly dim but proficient and film-like transfer that should please audiences with proper expectations for an older catalogue title released to Blu-ray for a bargain price.
Duets belts out a satisfactory DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track makes good use of the film's musical elements. It offers good, positive energy, volume, and clarity in the karaoke singing scenes, while general, integrated music features fine spacing and positive bass. Ambient crowd applause nicely intermixes into the track and subtly surrounds the listening audience, even as front-end music remains rather entrenched across the primary speakers. Other, musically-unrelated ambience and effects work impress as well. A plane rumbles overhead in one early scene, traffic passes by the soundstage with little effort in chapter six, and the light background din of chatty guests in a hotel lobby all help to immerse the listener into various environments or, at least, paint a more certain and alive picture of the world of Duets. Dialogue can sometimes sound a bit hushed next to the other elements, but overall this is a fine presentation that works in the movie's favor.
This Blu-ray release of Duets contains only the film's original theatrical trailer (480p, 2:21).
Duets is more about personal pairings and budding friendships and relationships than it is just a couple of people behind the karaoke microphone. The movie satisfies with its catchy singing stretches, but it finds its footing and delivers the goods as a quality Drama that sees six people find what's been missing in their lives, karaoke being the strange but effective middle ground, the unlikely meeting point for not just a chance at some winnings, but a chance at redemption, self-discovery, and togetherness. It's a quality film from top to bottom. Mill Creek Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Duets features satisfactory video and audio. The supplements are limited to the film's trailer, appearing in standard definition. Recommended on the strength of the film and the unbeatable sale price.
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