Mad Love Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		2.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

Mad Love Blu-ray Movie Review

A underwhelming film that is too-silly for its own good

Mad Love is a romantic drama starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell. The film was produced by David Manson (Nothing Sacred, House of Cards). The storyline takes place in the bustling city of Seattle, Washington. Featuring romance and exploration of mental illness, the film is directed by Antonia Bird (Ravenous, Priest) with unbridled enthusiasm.

Meet the nice kid (on the block): Matt Leland (Chris O'Donnell) is a free-and-loose guy who crushes hard for the gorgeous girl-next-door attending his school – the decidedly edgier Casey Roberts (Drew Barrymore). When he first lays eyes on her, Matt spies on her through a telescope as she rides a water-bike across a lake. Can Matt eventually get the girl of his dreams? Attempting to win Casey over, Matt starts to hang out around her and eventually the start of something new begins. If only things were that simple.

"Can we get Panda Express? Please? Pretty please? And skip this movie?"

The film is a bit of a train-wreck and nothing seems capable of stopping it from driving off the rails at alarming speed. The film has a droll score that flails around and is composed by Andy Roberts (Loose Connections, Going Off Big Time). The awful cinematography by Fred Tammes (Wives and Daughters, The Last Warrior) looks like it was done with auto-pilot settings and with no thought to how to make a visually imaginative experience.

Then there's the script. The screenplay by Paula Milne (Small Island, Hollow Reed) has some awesome (as in horrible) dialogue. These characters seem fictitious. Is it possible viewers are watching a movie? No one will wonder if this is a documentary... that's for sure! Antonia Bird explodes the filmmaking with plenty of over-the-top enthusiasm and he brings out performances from his leads which seem to suggest they are drowning in the deep end. Can the audience be saved? There is nothing remotely impressive about this alarming misfire. Don't see this awful, mindbogglingly horrible film. Yuck.

Mad Love Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, Mad Love has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Unfortunately, the picture-quality is a major disappointment. The video appears jerky and too unnatural. The image is clean appearing and free from dirt, debris, and scratches. 

The presentation looks unnatural at times and the quality is simply underwhelming to behold. This is certainly a below-average video presentation that fans should consider a disappointment. Colors are decidedly average at best and the cinematography is often too-dark and not as well lit as it could have been. A disappointment.

Mad Love Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio presentation (as well as an optional 2.0 track for those not equipped with surround sound setups). The track is extremely laid-back and doesn't ever impress much. The music selections occasionally expand the surround usage but there is no great separation of sound effects to truly help liven up the presentation. Dialogue reproduction remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Mad Love Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman

Mad Love Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:18)

Trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber are also included: Untamed Heart (SD, 2:04), A Pyromaniac's Love Story (SD, 1:44), Gross Anatomy (SD, 2:25), Tristan & Isolde (SD, 2:34), and The Chamber (SD, 2:32).

Mad Love Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mad Love is only for those who are madly in love with watching awful movies. The film is a complete train wreck and there is nothing that can prevent it from exploding into a burst of flames that never subsides. The Blu-ray release is equally disappointing and nothing can salvage it. Skip it.