Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Long Shot Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 29, 2019

Well, ladies and germs, we may have a new winner for the oddest swag a studio has sent me in support of one of their releases. Over the years of my reviewing duties, I have received a truly bounteous supply of absolutely bizarre marketing “strategies” various public relations firms have come up with — bobble head versions of various characters (typically inscribed with film titles on their bases), pencils (inscribed with film titles), pens (inscribed with film titles), lots of baseball caps (inscribed with film titles), even one of those cardboard VR viewing devices (inscribed with a film title). But Long Shot, evidently not resting on any perceived laurels, has decided the cheap plastic white sunglasses they sent a few weeks ago probably weren’t enough, and so they (or more accurately their PR team) have sent a follow up, a little paste on covering for the camera on my PC, lest I be experiencing the same kind of “solo time” that one Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) does in the film and (unlike Fred) don't want my "shenanigans" broadcast via viral video. Well, thank you very much, Long Shot (and/or its public relations geniuses), but my masking tape with electrical tape overlay suffices very well in that regard. All joking aside, being spied on by unwanted eyes is actually part of the general subtext of Long Shot, even without the "Flarsky video" angle, since the object of Flarksy's desires (in more ways than one) is an extremely public figure, the United States Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who, kinda sorta like another female Secretary of State some of you may be able to easily identify, has her eyes set firmly on the White House.

A female Secretary of State running for President isn’t the only “ripped from the headlines” aspect to Long Shot, a film which attempts to wrest at least a little comedy out of unlikely subjects like anti-Semitism and climate change. That might suggest that is yet another Rogen “raunch-athon”, but Long Shot is an actually kind of tamped down comedy, at least for those more used to Rogen’s frat boy demeanor in several of his other films. The “long shot” of the title refers not just to Field’s chances of winning the Presidency, but perhaps more saliently to romantic prospects between the focal pair, who reunite when Fred is hired as Field’s speech writer, though in one of the weirder back stories to inform a supposed romantic comedy, the two have a history courtesy of the fact that Field was once Fred’s babysitter.

That particular element perhaps gives a slightly sleazy (and frankly more “traditionally” Rogen-esque) flavor to a film that otherwise may strike some (especially young hormonal males, probably Rogen’s chief target demographic) as being too polite in a way. The film manages to evoke several hearty laughs as it explores the star-crossed romance that develops between Charlotte and Fred, while also poking fun at image consultants and brain dead Presidents. But there are some definite tonal inconsistencies here that may hint at director Jonathan Levine just kind of surrendering and letting Rogen go for the improvisational gusto.

That said, while there may not be truly combustible chemistry between Rogen and Theron, they are both immensely likable in the film, and they’re supported by a rather interesting aggregation of performers, including a virtually unrecognizable Andy Serkis as a Rupert Murdoch-esque media impresario who throws Fred’s career plans for a loop. Bob Odenkirk also milks quite a bit of comedy out of his portrayal of a Commander in Chief whose shoe size is arguably larger than his IQ, and Alexander Skarsgård is enjoyable as a Justin Trudeau-esque Prime Minister. Long Shot ultimately decides to go a pretty predictable route, which may portend a refashioning of Rogen’s image as a provocateur.

Long Shot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Long Shot is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists a variety of Arri Alexa models having been utilized, with the DI having been finished at 2K. While there's frankly not a lot of visual "pop" to the proceedings here, this is a very nice, sharp and well detailed looking transfer that consistently provides well above average levels of fine detail. Everything from the bristly beard of Fred to a kind of puffy cotton bathrobe Charlotte wears features very precise looking detail levels. There are a couple of kind of odd grading choices, including a late romantic scene with Charlotte and Fred isolated in a room kind of bathed in a sickly yellow-green color, and in moments like those, as well as some nighttime scenes, detail levels don't quite reach the same heights they do in the bulk of the presentation. A couple of outdoor scenes, including one sequence on a beach, have a somewhat softer appearance that is almost hazy at times.

Long Shot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Long Shot features an occasionally bombastic Dolby Atmos track, one that provides a lot of surround activity but no real standouts in terms of Atmos channel engagement. A number of raucous party scenes, including one with a cameo by Boyz II Men, provide great opportunities for utilization of the side and rear channels, and there are at least occasional waftings of things like crowd noises. But at its core this is a "two hander" in a very real way, and as such quieter dialogue scenes simply don't offer a ton of sonic "oomph", even if they do offer excellent fidelity and clarity. Dialogue is rendered without any problems whatsoever on this enjoyable track that still may not completely satisfy diehard Atmos aficionados.

Long Shot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• All's Fair in Love and Politics: Making Long Shot (1080p; 29:55) is a decent longer form EPK that benefits from interviews with several cast and crew members.


• Seven Minutes in Heaven: Seth and Charlize Uncensored (1080p; 6:55) is a fun and often funny joint interview with the stars.


• Secret Weapons (1080p; 15:53) focuses on the supporting players.


• Epic Flarsky Falls (1080p; 6:12) looks at the window jumping sequence.


• Prime Minister Steward O-Rama (1080p; 4:55) profiles the Prime Minister character and actor Alexander Skarsgård.


• Hanging With Boyz II Men (1080p; 5:49) provides your retro fix for the day.


• Just Kinda Crushing It! (1080p; 4:13) has lots of candid footage.


• The First Mister: A Portrait (1080p; 7:25) offers Fred as your supposed tourguide around the White House, but which darts off on a detour profiling Todd McFarland, who painted Fred's "official White House portrait".


• An Imperfect Union (1080p; 7:28) looks at on set issues like trying to keep a straight face during takes.


• Love and Politics (1080p; 5:15) talks to the need for an emotional component to comedies.


• Friends Like These (1080p; 3:56) is another featurette looking at the supporting cast.

Long Shot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Long Shot is an affable and even occasionally hilarious comedy, but for any Seth Rogen fans coming to this property expecting a nonstop array of his shtick, he's kind of curiously calm a lot of the time here, even if one senses he's cutting loose from the actual script on more than one occasion. Theron has some nice comedy chops that are firmly on display here, as she portrays a kind of uptight, "humorless" woman attempting to ingratiate herself with a perhaps resistant voting populace. The supporting cast is really colorful and has a number of bright spots scattered throughout a surprisingly predictable story. Technical merits are solid, and with caveats duly noted, Long Shot comes Recommended.