I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie Review

And these folks just can't hide it.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 6, 2014

Everything that happens in this film is fiction and fantasy and bears no relation to reality.

So says the "disclaimer" before I'm So Excited!, Director Pedro Almodóvar's (Broken Embraces, The Skin I Live In) latest Spanish-language film that's a distant tonal departure from that of his more recent efforts. Though packed with a cast of several familiar Almodóvar film faces and plenty of eager-beavers chomping at the bit to deliver the next joke, I'm So Excited struggles to match the buoyancy of its exclamation-marked title, but not for lack of effort. This film is a colorful hodgepodge of character-driven lunacy, a simply designed story of modern life bottled up on board a doomed airliner. It's certainly a picture better suited to today's more socially progressive audiences than it is for those yearning for the days of simpler, more traditionally structured humor and human relations. That said, even its target audience may struggle to accept not the happy-go-lucky structure but rather what is a sometimes clumsy approach even for a movie meant to be nothing more than a simple, lighthearted affair.

Feel the excitement.

A wife's (Penélope Cruz) declaration of pregnancy to her husband (Antonio Banderas) and a minor injury on the pre-flight tarmac to an airline employee are about as normal as things are going to get for a flight bound for Mexico and destined for an odd concoction of pending doom, frivolity, song-and-dance, sex, and personal revelations galore. The flight takes off with only a minor glitch; the televisions and telephones are down, dooming the passengers to a trip of boredom and tedium. The economy class passengers are clandestinely drugged with a muscle relaxant, passing away the time in an unaware slumber as disaster looms and hilarity ensues in the adjoining business class cabin and the cockpit. Pilots Álex Acero (Antonio de la Torre) and Benito Morón (Hugo Silva) are warned by a self-proclaimed psychic passenger named Bruna (Lola Dueñas) that the trip is destined for something more than routine, and little do they know she couldn't be more correct, just not in the manner one expects when hearing word of an airline-related premonition.

Bruna reveals not thoughts of doom-and-gloom but rather personal salvation...from her virginity. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if she'll find sexual relief from any of the flight crew. Álex is a married father of two carrying on a homosexual side relationship with flight steward Joserra (Javier Cámara), a gay man married to Mr. Right. Álex's unhappily married co-pilot Benito seems more concerned with exploring his own homosexuality than he is saving his marriage. Joserra's fellow stewards -- the prayerful Fajas (Carlos Areces) and the heavy drinking, husband-yearning Ulloa (Raúl Arévalo) -- are also gay. Bruna's prospects aren't looking good in the sparsely populated cabin, either, which is filled with an oddball collection of characters including a young and handsome newlywed couple (Miguel Ángel Silvestre and Laya Martí), an aging paranoid madam (Cecilia Roth), an actor (Guillermo Toledo), a businessman (José Luis Torrijo), and a man who claims to work security (José María Yazpik). When it's revealed there are more problems than entertainment glitches -- the landing gear has become damaged -- the crew goes to work to entertain the business class passengers who in turn resort to unexpected means to settle old issues and live as fast and as fun as they can en route to impending doom.

I'm So Excited! often flies high but hits a good bit of turbulence on its way to lighthearted chaos. The film's plethora of colorful characters feel plucked from a Comedy surplus store rather than originally conceived. Most are disappointingly transparent, which is admittedly to be expected of a slapstick Comedy. Yet Almodóvar fans might rightly expect a little more depth, though to his cast's credit every one of them turns in a joyous, on-cue performance that captures the film's very essence of a light, modern spin on how doom may be met not with panic-stricken screams but rather sex, drugs, and song. Though packed with cliché characters that lack depth, the film does explore their side stories to satisfaction, leading to a rather tedious, and in many ways anticlimactic, final act that's not solemn but certainly not bubbling over with the grinning, easygoing, light-on-its-feet hilarity of the opening two. For more progressive, open-minded audiences, I'm So Excited will satisfy to a point, but the film never finds a front-to-back balance in its cockeyed but entertaining narrative structure, its character roster, or its character dynamics, not enough, at least, to elevate the film beyond cheery novelty and diverting (and diverse) time-killer.

I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I'm So Excited! will leave its audience ecstatic considering its gorgeous 1080p transfer. This is an abundantly colorful film, and Sony's Blu-ray brings out the best of every shade. From the vibrant opening titles forward, the image dazzles with even, exciting shades, including clothes, plane interior accents, and the blue skies outside the cockpit. Every hue appears evenly presented and natural, flavorfully rich and pleasing to the eye. Details are equally scrumptious. Facial textures are complexly revealed, down to the finest pore, wrinkle, and facial hair stubble. Cloth airplane seat covers look marvelous, and clothing lines are crisp and realistic. Image clarity is superb in every scene. There are no obvious bouts of noise, blocking, or banding. This is a picture-perfect transfer from Sony.

I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I'm So Excited! delivers an even and satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track enjoys abundantly rich musical notes and accents, resulting in a smooth, even presentation throughout. Musical spacing is exacting and features just the right amount of surround support. The song-and-dance routine that inspires the film's title plays with solid energy, rock-solid bass, and faultless instrument and vocal clarity. There isn't much opportunity for dynamic sound effects, but subtle ambiance -- particularly the hum of the aircraft as heard in the cockpit -- makes for a light but critical environmental effect. Dialogue reproduction is excellent, earning perfect marks for clarity and front-middle spacing. All in all, this is an excellent soundtrack from Sony.

I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

I'm So Excited! contains two supplements of note.

• Making I'm So Excited! (HD, 6:06): A disappointingly brief look at the making of several scenes, intercut with clips from the film.
• Presenting I'm So Excited! (HD, 29:50): Moderator Thomas Campbell sits down with Writer/Director Pedro Almodóvar and Actors Carlos Areces, Blanca Suárez, and Miguel Ángel Silvestre for a screening Q&A session.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:01).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• DVD Copy.

I'm So Excited! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm So Excited! delivers some intermittent laughs but struggles with consistency throughout. Uneven pacing, basic characters (who are admittedly performed with the sort of zeal one would expect from an Almodóvar film), and a bit of repetitiveness keep the film from raunchy glory, but it's still a largely entertaining distraction for its target audience. More conservative-minded audiences should stay away altogether. Sony's Blu-ray release of I'm So Excited! features tip-top video, great audio, and two supplements. Rent it, particularly considering the exorbitant release day price.