Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie Review

It's probably best to just let them win.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 4, 2017

Keeping up with the Joneses is one of those films that probably looked fantastic on paper, but which suffers from shoddy execution, leading to a general sense of bewilderment that so many inarguably talented people could have contributed to what is ultimately kind of a big, chaotic mess of a motion picture. Taking a few plot points from any number of films that have featured espionage colliding with some aspect of “ordinary” life, films as disparate as North by Northwest, Caprice, True Lies and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Keeping Up with the Joneses posits a typical suburban couple named Jeff (Zach Galifianakis) and Karen Gaffney (Isla Fisher), whose frankly kind of drab and predictable life in their cozy cul-de-sac is suddenly thrown for a loop by the arrival of glamorous and globe trotting new neighbors Tim (Jon Hamm) and Natalie Jones (Gal Gadot). Keeping Up with the Joneses doesn’t really futz around with any ambiguity, making it clear from the get go that the Joneses aren’t exactly whom they say they are, but that lack of subtlety isn’t relegated only to this particular plot point. This is a rather surprisingly unfunny film that tries to cull laughter out of ridiculous sight gags and unabashedly stupid characterizations, leaving a talented and seemingly committed cast to flounder pretty helplessly amid a vignette driven array of bits that never deliver much comedic vigor.

Keeping Up with the Joneses starts with a literal bang as one of the beautiful homes in the central cul-de-sac setting goes boom in a big way, before segueing back a couple of weeks to detail how things ended up in that combustible state. Jeff and Karen, evidently the very model of modern helicopter parents, are saying goodbye to their kids, who are heading off to summer camp. Both parents are obviously distraught and borderline neurotic (maybe without that “borderline” part) at the thought of their kids being without parental supervision. When they get back home, they’re greeted by the odd fact that a house on the cul-de-sac has just sold sight unseen to some new buyers.

The newcomers turn out to be Tim and Natalie, of course, two exotic but seemingly affable sorts who introduce themselves to the Gaffneys, presenting them with one of Tim’s remarkable (like, remarkably ugly) glass sculptures as a gift. The Joneses “too good to be true” ambience immediately raises Karen’s suspicions, and in one of many elements that might have presented comedic dividends far beyond what’s actually offered here, she starts spying on people she suspects are spies of some sort themselves.

Meanwhile, Jeff’s travails as a Human Resources director at a high-tech operation known as MBI are detailed, and there are a couple of fitful laughs as he attempts to get boneheaded employees to get along with each other. He also seems to be the “go to guy” in terms of other employees using his computer for various personal issues, since evidently the company does not allow internet access for those deemed to be “higher up” than mere HR personnel. This plot point will of course play into the espionage shenanigans as things proceed.

The film lurches rather uneasily between some kind of smarmy content as Karen tails Natalie to a lingerie emporium, and Jeff and Tim supposedly bond over some exotic poisonous Asian fish dish and, later, indoor skydiving. It’s obvious Tim and Natalie are spying on Jeff and Karen for some reason, but the film is so ham handed that there’s absolutely zero suspense to any of the proceedings. When things finally are revealed (more or less, anyway) about an hour into things, rather unsurprisingly it turns out the Joneses aren’t arch villains after all, and in fact there’s a spy of a different sort who needs to be brought to justice. This particular segment of the film finally offers a decent laugh or two as Jeff and Karen suddenly find themselves at the protective mercy of the Joneses as they experience an onslaught of potential snipers and other dangers.

Keeping Up with the Joneses keeps mistaking noise and shtick for actual well written humor, and the film’s manic proclivities often play like an improv class that doesn’t have a disciplined enough mentor to call “time” when bits have overstayed their welcome. The film tries much too hard most of the time, ironically kind of like suburbanites attempting to match their neighbor’s lifestyle. Unfortunately, as most social climbers in suburban environments, the film simply ends up embarrassing itself.

Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Keeping Up with the Joneses is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Panavision's database indicates the XL2 was used for the shoot, and the film has a nice organic looking texture and excellent depth to what is at times an intentionally candy coated palette. Director Greg Mottola and cinematographer Andrew Dunn don't really toy with the palette in any meaningful way, but they occasionally push contrast and offer hazy, quasi-soft focus moments to supposedly ironically comment on ostensible romantic subtexts (see screenshot 4). Therefore, the film isn't razor sharp (by contemporary digital standards, anyway) some of the time, but it offers nice detail levels, especially in close-ups, where elements like Jeff's knit sweater seem positively tactile. Some of the CGI is even softer looking, and a couple of major explosions don't really look overly realistic. There are no problems with image instability and compression also encounters no issues.

Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Keeping Up with the Joneses features a fun and immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, one that receives some good, boisterous energy from elements like the big explosion that starts the film and, later, scenes that involve shooting and an onslaught of murderous motorcycle riders (with some great panning effects). Quite a few source cues are also stuffed into the proceedings and provide good surround activity, albeit often mixed down under dialogue. Dialogue itself is rendered very cleanly and occasionally at least with some smart directionality. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range very wide on this problem free track.

Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Spy Game (1080p; 11:44) is the requisite EPK replete with interviews, behind the scenes footage and snippets from the film.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 18:17)


• Keeping Up with Georgia (1080p; 5:04) is a brief quasi-promotional piece about Atlanta.


• Gallery (1080p; 2:05) offers both Manual and Auto Advance options. The timing is for the Auto Advance option.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:26)

Keeping Up with the Joneses Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I kept waiting for Keeping Up with the Joneses to offer some serious laughs instead of inconsistent little bits, but my wait was largely frustrating. At about an hour into things, there's some fun once Jeff and Karen need to rely on Tim and Natalie during a big chase scene, but until that time the humor only pays very sporadic dividends, and unfortunately after this sequence, things settle down again into decidedly middling territory. The cast is extremely appealing and fans of the various stars may be willing to tolerate the blandness more than the general public. Technical merits are strong for those considering a purchase.