Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Little Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 6, 2019

Little is no Big, though in the film's defense it doesn't try to be. Rather than tell the story of a kid who suddenly becomes an adult, Director Tina Gordon's (Peeples) film follows an overbearing adult who suddenly finds herself back in her 13-year-old body. It's just enough of a shake-up that, combined with its hip-and-happening contemporary stylings, vocabulary, and cadence, the movie distinguishes itself to prevent a feel for genre fatigue. Whether it's any good is another question entirely.

13-year-old Jordan Sanders (Marsai Martin) doesn't like school. Or, better said, she doesn't like the people who attend school with her. She's a brain, which means she's also a target. Her only hope for survival is hope in the future. Smart people will rule the world, after all, and it's enough to get her out of school and into that world that she has an eye to conquer. And conquer it she does. Now a 38-year-old grown-up, Jordan (Regina Hall) is a hugely successful entrepreneur running a large technology innovations company. And she has become everything she despised growing up. She's a workplace bully, who also happens to be the boss. She's rude to everyone, demanding, demeaning, and demoralizing in her own company. She lives a life of anxiety, anger, infuriation, and irritation. She wants her way, every day, and always has her say. When she learns that her biggest client is leaving her firm in 48 hours unless she can deliver a fresh message and a greater promise for the future, she doubles down on everything that makes her everything she once hated. A young child magician (Marley Taylor) with whom she crosses paths curses her with a spell to make her little again. The next morning, Jordan wakes up again as her 13-year-old self, forced to go back to the school she hated so much, and leave her timid assistant April (Issa Rae) in charge of the company at its most critical juncture.

Little's largest challenge to overcome is making the audience care about the older Jordan, an insufferable character who is as self-centered as she is mean. Of course that's the point -- she'll have to learn to change course if she's going to be able to grow herself as well as she has grown her business -- but it's difficult to invest in the movie, and the character on any level, when the first act is nothing but a bombardment of grating, and very loud, negativity. Focus on such an unlikeable character, who has basically grown up to be the type of person she despised in school, is more than a hard sell: it's an almost impossible task. Once the film transitions to its second act and Jordan is the same 38-year-old trapped in her 13-year-old body, it takes a turn for the better, with a comically bent stretch in which the elder Jordan tries to push through the sudden limitations of being in a smaller body: dealing with school, trying to run her business from afar, stressing and outbursting when she doesn't get her way. But the problem is that the movie plays it safe. It's predictable to a fault, jumping on every cliché in the book and hoping that the audience won't notice through the noise.

Regina Hall and Marsai Martin are very good as the elder and younger Jordan, respectively. Both nail the cadence, as unlikeable as it may be, and inhabit the character fully and believably. The film finds Jordan's foil in April, who is essentially the 13-year-old Jordan in an adult body: talented, ambitious, but unable to deal with the alpha female in front of her. She is the much more likable character, earns more of the best funny parts, but is relegated to support status behind the more predictable Jordan, who is the more interesting character in the 13-year-old body but whose overall arc is more generic at the same time. Once Gordon moves beyond the first act, she balances it all out well enough, but predictability, more stale humor than fresh jokes, and falls into cliché hurt the movie more than they help it.

Little Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Little makes a big impression on Blu-ray. Vibrant colors are on endless display: punchy natural greens, a turquoise bicycle, yellow walls around the school, and Jordan's pink suit seen in chapter 13, the punchiest of the punchy colors the transfer has on offer, all dazzle. Better, the palette is very well balanced. Whites are incredibly crisp, black levels and shadow detail are nearly perfect, skin tones are dialed in, and there's never any wavering no matter how many elements are on display. Detailing is just as terrific. The picture is razor-sharp corner to corner, frame to frame, from beginning to end. Refined clothing fabric is a highlight; razor-sharp facial features and hair command the screen; and crisply defined environments, whether in Jordan's plush apartment, her diversely decorated offices, or various locations around the school are amongst the steady stream of textural highlights. The digitally photographed image shows very light noise and only in small spurts in a couple of shots. Aliasing appears on April's pants at the 33:15 mark, which is the most unsightly blemish in the movie.

Little Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack opens up when Jordan drives her sports car, producing some quality depth and engine revving, the first of several impressive examples of the car's power in the film. Music is big and bold, offering extensive width, generous (but balanced) surround engagement, and a well defined low end output. Ambient effects around offices, school cafeterias, or city streets are handled with care and prove nicely detailed and seamlessly immersive. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it flows from a natural front-center position.

Little Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Little contains a commentary track, a gag reel, and several featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Gag Reel (1080p, 5:15).
• More Than a Little Talent (1080p, 4:10): A closer look at the cast's work on the film and the qualities they brought to the picture and the set.
• Regina Goes Method (1080p, 6:11): Hall discusses the challenges of portraying a character opposite her own personality.
• Marsai Martin Presents... (1080p, 8:37): Martin introduces audiences to some of the individuals who worked hard on the movie in the background. She also talks with her parents.
• Black Momma Whuppin' Situation (1080p, 2:44): A closer look at a fight scene between Martin and Rae.
• Issa Rae's Survival Guide (1080p, 2:17): Rae shares a few tips for surviving in a difficult workplace.
• Audio Commentary: Co-Writer/Director Tina Gordon uncovers the movie in detail: characters, performances, plot details, themes, humor, and more.

Little Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Little lacks big imagination, and its grating first act might very well push away some audiences. There's not a whole lot going for it afterwards, either, transitioning to a modestly humorous, but somewhat stale, middle stretch and a predictable third act. The acting is good but the rest of the movie isn't. Universal's Blu-ray does deliver top-flight video and audio as well as a healthy allotment of bonus content. For fans only.