5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The story of a humiliating high school mishap from 1992 that sends the Impractical Jokers on the road competing in hidden-camera challenges for the chance to turn back the clock and redeem three of the four Jokers.
Starring: Joe Gatto, James Murray (XLIII), Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, Paula AbdulComedy | 100% |
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
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Imagine slightly older and (sorry) paunchier versions of the Dude Perfect guys, only substitute tricks on each other for trick shots, and you have the gist of the general zeitgeist of Impractical Jokers, a “reality” series that has perhaps been an unlikely staple of truTV since 2011. Impractical Jokers was born out of the improvisational antics of four lifelong friends who started performing as The Tenderloins, and there is an appealing improvisational aspect to the jokes (practical, impractical, or otherwise) that make up the series, and indeed this feature film adaptation. The basic setup of the series (and the film) is that the quartet, Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano, basically dare each other to engage with the general public in various embarrassing ways, with hidden cameras and microphones picking up the resulting chaos. While obviously owing quite a bit to well remembered shows like Candid Camera, Impractical Jokers adds a “layer” (in a manner of speaking) by not just focusing on the prank at hand, but also showing the “backstage” shenanigans of the Jokers not interacting with the public. These behind the scenes guys are frequently giving instructions to the guy out there in the wild (via an earpiece he wears), urging him to do ever stupider, more embarrassing, things. It’s obviously completely silly, but it’s often surprisingly funny. If Impractical Jokers: The Movie had stuck solely to the template established by the television series, it might have registered a bit more consistently. However, the powers that be may have inadvertently “punk’d” (to purloin the title of another hidden camera show of yesteryear) the Impractical Jokers crew themselves by also including an actual storyline, which rather improbably involves Paula Abdul.
Impractical Jokers: The Movie is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (mostly) in 1.85:1 (as can be seen in some of the screenshots accompanying this review, supposedly "archival" video is presented in narrower aspect ratios). This is frankly a kind of weirdly disparate looking presentation that I'm assuming was captured at various resolutions, but there are also clear moments when either natural or digital grain is in evidence (the opening flashback material is one such sequence), so I'm frankly not sure if some of this was actually shot on film, though I haven't been able to find one whit of technical data online about the film (as always, if anyone knows, shoot me a Private Message, and I'll happily update things). The best moments here looks nicely clear and sharp, with nice detail levels prevalent even in less than optimal lighting conditions. But some sequences look noticeably softer, and some look downright ragged (see screenshot 19).
Impractical Jokers: The Movie features a fun DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that has fitful but noticeable engagement of the surround channels, especially when music (Abdul or otherwise) is filling the soundtrack. Some of the outdoor sequences, notably a silly "car repair" prank, do have nice placement of ambient environmental sounds. Dialogue, including the back and forth between the guys, is delivered well for the most part, with an understanding that they sometimes communicate through relatively lo-fi technology.
No supplements of any kind are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
I really think Impractical Jokers: The Movie would have been considerably more consistently funny if the guys had simply ditched the whole Paula Abdul premise and just gone on a road trip, pranking people as they went. They in fact could have even included Abdul in a variety of gags, which frankly could have been hilarious. As it is, some of the stuff that fans might have liked in any given episode of the series provides the film with at least a few glimmers of humor, but some of the other bits, and most of the whole "on a quest to party with Paula Abdul" material falls pretty flat. Video has a pretty widely variant quality, as can perhaps be gleaned in some of the screenshots accompanying this review, but audio sounds fine. Warner has not included any supplements on this release, which may be a real disappointment for fans, but otherwise technical merits are reasonably decent for those who are considering a purchase.
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