Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.0

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Blu-ray Movie Review

The Get Smart spin-off is a shallow marketing ploy on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner May 5, 2009

In recent years, we’ve seen a rapid uptick in straight to video sequels of films that only achieved moderate success in the first place. I guess it should serve as no surprise that we’re now seeing the emergence of studios concurrently releasing a low-budget spin off of a primary film that’s guaranteed theatrical success. Such is the case with Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control, a spin-off film featuring characters from the widely successful 2008 Get Smart film.

Released within 2 weeks of Get Smart’s theatrical opening, Bruce and Lloyd hit rental and retail locations in hopes that it would ride the mounting success of Get Smart, and find it’s way into the home video collections of comedy fans. Unfortunately for the consumer, this is merely a case of clever marketing and I’m sure there are plenty of comedy enthusiasts out there that felt cheated by this shoddy knock-off.

Did these guys get food poisoning?

Bruce (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence) are a pair of nerdy inventors working for the CONTROL agency. Most of the gadgets they create end up having little to no use, or exhibit unexpected results. One of their more recent gadgets is a sheet (optical camouflage technology) that allows anyone under it to blend into their surroundings. One night, Bruce and Lloyd’s lab is infiltrated by the evil KAOS organization and the invisibility sheet winds up missing. Fearing the sheet has fallen into the hands of KAOS agents, the two socially awkward heroes must track down the thief and recover the sheet before it can be used by CONTROL’s enemies.

Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control is a trainwreck of a comedy. This is actually the second time I’ve sat down to watch the film and the first time I’ve actually made it to the end. Back when it was originally released, I tossed it in my rental que hoping it would muster even a fraction of the comedic charm in Get Smart. I made it just over ten minutes into the film (which I know because that's the exact point the disc hit when I placed it in my PS3 to complete this review), removed the disc and promptly shipped it back. Now that I’ve sat through the entire 71 minute film (61 minutes if you don’t include the extended credits/outtakes ), I can safely say I didn’t laugh a single time. It may be harsh to request a refund of 71 minutes out of my life, but that's exactly how I'd feel if I weren't writing this review in an attempt to sway as many people as possible out of a blind purchase on this disc.

So where do I begin? I’m shocked that the same writing duo that wrote Get Smart also wrote the story for this film. In fact, even referring to it as a story may be giving the film more credit than it deserves. A good comedy requires a certain spark of ingenuity to place characters in situations or circumstances that elicit a chuckle from the audience, but there’s nothing even close to that here. Instead, the main characters are forced to be funny through the display of socially awkward behavior and over-the-top antics. I don’t fault the acting for the resulting failure of the film, since they don’t have much to work with in the first place, but I also wouldn’t say the acting does anything to help the situation.

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the VC-1 codec (at an average bitrate of 25Mbps), Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control is inconsistent on Blu-ray. Detail's crisp and well-defined throughout the majority of the feature, but there are simply too many shots that are blurry and muddled to say this is a pleasing visual experience. It almost appeared the camera was out of focus during some shots, which wouldn't surprise me too much considering the film's low budget roots. Black levels were satisfyingly deep, but contrast also wavered from shot to shot, with indoor night sequences looking the worst. For an example, watch the apartment sequence around the 37 minute mark (or any of the indoor scenes toward the end of the film in the dictator's compound). The blacks in those scenes demonstrate appropriately depth, but the lack of variance between shades in the dark spectrum result in a complete loss of shadow detail (both in the foreground and the background). Textures on dark clothing also suffer throughout indoor sequences, which hinders any chance of achieving a pleasing three-dimensional effect. Color use is excellent in well-lit outdoor sequences, but flattened substantially during indoor shots, with facial tones taking on the occasional green tint (which gave the actors a sickly appearance). If I could give separate ratings for indoor and outdoor scenes, the transfer would get a 4.0 on daytime sequences that occur outdoors, and a 2.5 for indoor shots with low-lighting.

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is less problematic than the video transfer, but never rises to the quality I'd expect for a tech-laden comedy of this sort. There's plenty of surround use for spatial effects and I was sufficiently pleased with the presence of ambient environmental sounds in the audio track-- but I was still left with a general perception that the effects and dialogue were a little muted and undefined. Speaking of the dialogue, I noticed several scenes where a character would make an offhanded comment that wasn't adequately picked up in the track. This could have been related to improper microphone placement during the sound recording, but I'd wager we'd have an improvement in dialogue crispness and volume if there were a lossless sound mix on the disc. If you can get past the amateur nature of the film itself, I doubt you'll be disappointed in the audio track (which tends to exhibit the same deficiencies).

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The brief collection of supplements on the disc are far from impressive, but given the lack of effort put into the film itself, I'd have been surprised to see additional time or finances dedicated to disc extras.

Bruce and Lloyd's Confessionals (480p, Dolby 2.0, 12:52 min): The actors in the film step into a booth while in character, pretending they are giving a video confessional during the party scene early in the film. If you're having trouble imagining something less funny than the film itself, watch this extra.

Cue the Anti-Follicular Device (480p, Dolby 2.0, 4:59 min): This feature takes the viewer on a behind-the-scenes look at the make-up work that created the balding effects on characters in the film.

Bruce and Lloyd Tech (480p, Dolby 2.0, 13:25 min): The film includes a number of comical devices that have been designed by Bruce and Lloyd. These fictional devices are analyzed in further detail by real-life experts in the fields of science and physics. This is the best supplement on the disc, but that's not saying much.

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I can't imagine a single person I'd recommend this film to. If you don't like comedies, you'll avoid the film anyways, and if you are a genre fan, you likely know a good comedy when you see one. Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control lacks any redeeming quality, and the Blu-ray release won't do much to rectify that situation. Even if you find the film for a budget price, please consider a rental first, since there's a good possibility it will remain untouched on your shelf for years to come.