I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie Review

Squandered talent and lost opportunities abound in this fourth-rung comedy...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 6, 2009

Having never seen I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry before today, I didn't know what to expect. Would it be progressive and meaningful, taking intolerance to task and examining a very volatile American political issue from the inside out? Would it resort to sophomoric humor and undermine any message it might manage to mount? Would it try to humanize two sides of a bitter argument, seeking some sort of middle ground amidst all the social turmoil? Or would it simply rely on an all-too-familiar assortment of stereotypes and dick-n-fart jokes in a desperate attempt to laugh its way to relevancy? Sadly, comedy director and Sandler-regular Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, You Don't Mess with the Zohan) doesn't achieve much of anything. His film isn't entertaining or pertinent, or funny or worthwhile. Instead, he tries to make a film that's everything to all people, but fails to make anything worth watching.

Chances are you'll have one of these expressions on your face while watching the film...

When two gruff New York City fire fighters, Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) and Larry Valentine (Kevin James), are nearly killed in a burning building, Larry realizes his children would have trouble receiving the benefits they deserve should he ever meet an untimely end. However, in a convenient twist of screenwriting fate, Larry learns that getting married would help secure their future. After cashing in a favor with the exceedingly reluctant Chuck, the two pursue a civil union. Unfortunately for both men, their sudden partnership raises suspicions in the department that result in a full-fledged investigation led by a tenacious inquisitor named Clinton Fitzer (Steve Buscemi). Working to make sure their fraud isn't uncovered, the pair hire a young, attractive lawyer named Alex McDonough (Jessica Biel) who just so happens to strike up a personal friendship with the testosterone-fueled Chuck. Fighting to resist his urges and keep their secret intact, Chuck has a challenging road ahead. Before long, he and Larry have to deal with their captain (Dan Aykroyd), gay activists, protesters, a panel of their peers, and a firehouse full of hesitant co-workers. Whatever will a heterosexual gay couple do?

A review of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry would be so much easier to write if there was a single word to describe the action of pressing your hand against your forehead, squeezing your eyes shut, and letting out an exasperated sigh. Unfortunately, dear readers, that's how I spent the majority of my time with Dugan's sloppy topical comedy. An occasional chuckle emitted from my lips but, more often than not, it was the result of sheer disbelief that a film could be so offensive yet so tame, so eager to scramble for meaning yet so anxious to wallow in the mud of its least common denominator gags, so determined to make a clear-cut statement yet so willing to cut that statement off at the knees at every turn. Endless clichés and dated stereotypes abound -- homophobic, homosexual, heterosexual, transsexual, racial, sexist... you name it -- and the groan-inducing characters have apparently been yanked straight out of the '80s. Am I really to believe New Yorkers, no matter their occupation, are this unfamiliar with alternate lifestyles? Even if so, am I really to believe these decade-depressed holdovers would lie, cheat, and steal with ease, but have trouble planting a simple kiss? By the time misguided rape jokes made their way into the proceedings, I began wondering if Dugan had any understanding of the film he actually wanted to make.

So what is I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry supposed to be? Frankly, I don't even think Sandler and James know. They seem as confused on screen as their audience, lurching from tiresome setup to lame payoff with the glazed eyes of unsure men; their every furrowed brow and shaking head a sign of their inability to get a firm grasp on the material or the subject matter at hand. Even the notable actors and celebs who step in for small roles and quick cameos -- Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd, David Spade, Rob Corddry, Dave Matthews, and Lance Bass, among many others -- appear lost, uncertain as to the tone they should strike or the sort of performance they should give. Before the film even gains momentum, it has speedily and inevitably devolved into a disjointed, jarringly inconsistent mess. We're told to enjoy ourselves, but then feel guilty for doing so. We're told to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but then realize how hateful and hurtful such behavior actually is. I can't even begin to wrap my head around the sort of conflicted, apolitical fanbase Dugan was aiming to entertain.

I know, I know, the funniest comedies are often offensive... it's the unexpected that makes someone laugh. But that genre truism doesn't excuse I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, a film that readily offends and then chastises, nay preaches at anyone who would do just that. It's the cinematic equivalent of a parent who slaps their kid in the mouth only to tell said child that slapping their friends is inappropriate. The nature of the message undermines the very lesson the teacher hopes to impart. I'm sure in their heart of hearts, Dugan and crew were trying to make something amusing, memorable, and meaningful. Sadly, they failed on all counts.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Perhaps I missed the memo, but it seems Universal's low-rent comedies share the same muddy palettes and monochromatic, cantaloupe-tinged skintones. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry's 1080p/VC-1 transfer is no different. Transplanted directly from the late-2007 HD DVD, the high definition presentation is neither striking nor underwhelming, instead staggering somewhere in between. Interior scenes are often flat, soggy, and oversaturated, while exterior shots (which tend to focus on the duo's firefighting heroics and hijinks) appear bright, healthy, and attractive. Even though contrast is usually overblown during the latter, it's far less distracting than the marshy, neon-primed visuals that populate the film's Vegas wedding chapels, office spaces, and restaurants. At least detail is impressive. Textures are fairly refined, edges are well defined, and delineation is decent. The technical image is clean as well. Aside from some persistent and distracting edge enhancement, artifacting, banding, source noise, and other digital oddities are kept to a bare minimum throughout the presentation. All things considered, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry delivers a solid transfer that will sit well with fans of the film.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The high point of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is, without a doubt, Universal's proficient DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While not a bombastic or boisterous sonic experience by any stretch of the imagination, this confident lossless mix nevertheless uses lively rear speaker ambience and hefty LFE punch to create an immersive, dare I say involving soundfield. Raging fires actually sound menacing, basketballs drib and swish with welcome weight and clarity, and crowds -- be they in a nightclub, costume party, restaurant, hearing, or wedding chapel -- fill a room nicely and naturally. Dialogue remains crisp and clean throughout, prioritization is perfectly competent, and effects are well represented in the mix. Granted, directionality is lacking at times (the track becomes too front-heavy during more intimate conversations) and pans aren't always the silky smooth wards they should be, but I suspect both issues are the result of intention and not a technical deficiency. I can't say Universal's lossless track will outright wow anyone (other than those who own the DVD), but it does rise above its genre brethren to deliver a more engaging experience than comedy fans are accustomed.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For whatever reason, the Blu-ray edition of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry doesn't include many of the special features that previously appeared on Universal's 2007 DVD and HD DVD Combo Format releases. A pair of stale audio commentaries have made the transition -- Dennis Dugan tends to narrate everything that occurs on screen in a yawn-inducing solo track, while a second commentary finds Adam Sandler and Kevin James sitting down for a chat with Dugan that veers so wildly off course it offers very little value -- but ten-minutes of deleted scenes, several production featurettes, and a blooper reel is mysteriously MIA. In fact, the only thing offered in place of a proper supplemental effort is a meaningless (albeit exclusive) interactive Friendship Test via U-Control. Ultimately, had I enjoyed the film, I would have been extremely disappointed with such a lackluster package.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No need to rehash the time I spent with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Suffice to say, it was two hours of my life I'll never get back again. Ah well. At least Universal's Blu-ray release, despite arriving late to the game, will offer the film's few fans a satisfying experience. It features an above average (albeit problematic) video transfer and a strong DTS-HD Master Audio track. The only downside is that the supplemental package is missing quite a bit of content. Yes, it only amounts to a half an hour of deleted scenes and featurettes, but that's all the more reason it could have easily been included on this BD-25 release. Seeing as I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry isn't the sort of film that's likely to earn a deluxe special edition or a feature-heavy re-release, I suppose Sandler junkies will just have to take what they can get. All in all, if your curiosity persists, give this one a rent. Otherwise, skip this one and focus your time and money on more exciting July releases.