5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Even though office assistant Thea (Lindsay Lohan) hates her job, she's desperate to keep it, so when her boss (Chris Parnell) tells her she's being fired, she comes up with a plausible excuse for staying employed: She's pregnant. Trouble is, Thea isn't expecting. But when her co-workers -- including one who's in on the scam (Cheryl Hines) -- shower her with gifts and attention, Thea decides to continue the pretense.
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Luke Kirby, Chris Parnell, Cheryl Hines, Tracee Ellis RossComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Once touted the most promising young actress in Hollywood, it seems the years have not been kind to Lindsay Lohan. Pinning blame for her rapid decline can be likened to throwing darts at a ten foot board with separate sections split between the Disney curse, drugs/alcohol, or her manager/mother Dina Lohan. What surprises me the most about young adults in Hollywood, is we often see more of them on tabloid television than we do in film roles. Before long, these images and stories become the persona that defines the actor or actress, overshadowing any potential they once demonstrated. To say a career is over at the young age of 23 is something most people wouldn’t take lightly, but I have no qualms about labelling Lohans career dead so long as she continues to show a lack of respect for her craft and an interest in associating herself with the likes of Paris Hilton. Unfortunately, my low opinion of Lindsay Lohan continues with her latest bit of uninspired acting, stepping into a role that rarely seems distant from the type of antics we’d expect from her in the real world. There’s a reason this film never made a splash (or even a drip) in theaters and I’ll bet it only takes you one guess to name the culprit.
Hmmm....Lindsay Lohan sitting in a circle and it's not Alcoholics Anonymous.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 25Mbps), Labor Pains looks surprisingly good on Blu-ray. As the film begins, some viewers with larger displays may notice the presence of some stair-stepping on powerlines during the bus sequence. I stayed on my toes through the rest of the film, keeping my eyes peeled for any other anomalies that might rear their ugly head, but that turned out to be the only time I noticed the presence of digital problems in the transfer. Rest assured that what they are seeing is an accurate representation of the original source print. Digging into the visuals of the film itself, fine object detail offers an excellent level of clarity through approximately 95% of the feature, with the other 5% tapering into hazy territory. This loss of pristine detail appears to be the result of a lack of focus in the original film print, and not a weakness in the transfer itself, so it's easy to forgive the occasional blurred shot. Moving along, the color spectrum for the film isn't what I'd consider vibrant or particularly eye-catching, but considering the majority of scenes are set in a dated office building with dingy browns, we wouldn't expect this to be a sunshine and rainbows affair. Instead, we have a production that maintains a natural look by avoiding the comedic tendency to infuse every scene with cheerful hues and bring out the bright side of viewers. Winding down the visual analysis of the disc, I was equally satisfied with the depth of the black levels and the proficiency of contrast through the majority of the film.
Serviceable is the best way to describe the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track (presented in the native language of English). There simply aren't many opportunities for the audio to truly shine, since most of the film consists solely of dialogue. There are occasional moments when the audio comes alive with environmental effects for a fleeting moment (the office softball game is a perfect example), but for the most part, the only rear surround activity that stands out occurs during the musical numbers. Now that you have some idea of the limitations in the mix, I should mention that the dialogue and music offer an excellent level of clarity and act as perfect companions to one another. I never had to strain to make out aspects of the dialogue and felt the musical choices were robust but not overly powerful next to the dialogue. If you consider yourself a fan of the film, I'd imagine you'll be plenty happy with the audio experience on this Blu-ray release.
The list of extras on this release is limited to a one minute collection of production stills, a 13 minute making-of featurette (SD) that provides a summary of the storyline, and a collection of brief cast interviews with four of the main stars. There's not much entertainment value in any of the extras, but it's clearly better than a bare bones release.
I could generate a laundry list of problems with this film, but it ultimately boils down to the simple fact that it's not entertaining on any level. I've certainly seen worse comedies in my lifetime, but that still doesn't justify the existence of a production that never manages to generate more than a handful of laughs. I doubt matters would improve if a different actress had been cast in the main role, but I'd have loved to see what Amy Pohler could have done in Lohan's shoes. From a technical standpoint, fans of the film (I'm sure there are some out there) will be very pleased with the quality of this release, since it offers a substantial upgrade over the standard definition offering. If you're not already a fan, I'd suggest you skip the film completely and set your sights on something worthy of your time.
Nine to Five | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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