Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Life with Mikey Blu-ray Movie Review

Life with a rather poor film.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 11, 2012

'Life with Mikey' is currently available as part of a two-film bundle with Father Hood from Mill Creek Entertainment.

My life.

Mikey (Michael J. Fox) is a former television child star, beloved by millions but now leading a rather bland life as a twenty something working at a talent agency with his brother Ed (Nathan Lane). In an ironic twist of fate, Mikey gave up life on the screen because of the "superficiality" of it all, and now his job is to draw young up-and-coming stars into the field. The brothers' firm is barely holding together, quickly being buried by the competition. Their one big star, a snotty, self-centered kid named Barry (David Krumholtz), is about to jump ship and permanently sink the organization. Luck strikes when Mikey's wallet is picked from his pocket. He tracks the thief down and finds she's a very talented con artist by the name of Angie (Christina Vidal) who has a incredible penchant for performance. He lands her in a cookie commercial that will net her hundreds of thousands of dollars. She's a tough client, very outspoken and not particularly friendly. As the truths of her past come to light, she and Mikey begin to form an unlikely bond, and they'll sink or swim together in a cutthroat business.

If there's a cinema equivalent to "shovelware," this is it. Life with Mikey is a barely tolerable movie with no redeeming values other than a couple of decent performances by Nathan Lane and Michael J. Fox as a worn-down ex-star trying to cling to what he once was, as well as a very good effort by rookie Christina Vidal as the reluctant street-smart young talent. The film plays out with a terribly familiar sort of plot that maneuvers through all of the expected ebbs and flows. Where it's headed is no surprise and neither is how it gets there; it's a very linear motion picture with nary a shred of originality to it. In fact, it can grow quite tiresome as it pushes through some rather annoying characters (Barry) and largely worthless time fillers (wannabe funny auditions from talentless kids that will leave audiences cringing, not laughing). It's not the worst movie out there, but Life with Mikey doesn't impress in any meaningful way.

Life with Mikey Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mill Creek's Life with Mikey high definition transfer isn't exactly on the cutting edge of Blu-ray catalogue transfer design. This is a highly mediocre image that that's a bit smooth and soft. Colors are often unimpressive, with the brightest shades garish and the lesser hues dull and muddy. The image takes on a somewhat flat appearance. Light grain hovers around, but pasty skin and uninspired details rule the runtime. Blacks are fair and flesh tones only slightly rosy. The image sports significant wear and tear over the opening title sequence, but that's lessened drastically through the rest of the film. An exception occurs when Barry gifts a fur to Angie; an avalanche of splotches and speckles cover the screen. A few light edge halos appear and lower light color transitions aren't perfect, but there are otherwise no major, similar eyesore flaws. It's not particularly pretty, but for the price and the quality of the movie chances are many viewers can live with the results.

Life with Mikey Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Life with Mikey also features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack, and the results are largely similar: acceptable but hardly invigorating. The track does well in energizing and spacing music. It spreads to the furthest ends of the stage and plays at a hefty volume at reference level. Clarity suffices but don't expect seamless, realistic notes. Some elements can be a bit sharp, but overall balance and authenticity are both satisfactory. The track delivers a hint of ambience here and there and handles the rumble of a subway car with commendable energy. Dialogue is largely fine, remaining clear and intelligible as it stays focused in the middle part of the stage. Overall, this is a fair track that won't dazzle anyone in the listening audience but that does carry the movie well enough.

Life with Mikey Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Life with Mikey contains no supplemental content.

Life with Mikey Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Life with Mikey is an unremarkable film plopped onto an unremarkable Blu-ray. The film lacks novelty, it drags too long, and the humor's uneven. Fortunately, the performances save the movie from unequivocal awfulness. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Life with Mikey contains mediocre video and audio. No extras are included. Mill Creek's aggressive pricing makes it hard to say "no" even to a poor movie. This one, however, is actually worth what they're charging: next to nothing.