My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie Review

Super, dud, or somewhere in between?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 4, 2013

To say that relationships are complicated mental, emotional, and physical organisms birthed of mutual attraction and a want for togetherness at many different levels of the human condition would be an understatement. And never mind what comes before: the dreaded "dating game." That's even worse. The ups and downs of acceptance and rejection, working up the courage to follow biological instincts and ask someone out, the casual first date, the awkward first kiss, and all those things required in the lead-up to the relationship can be just as stressful and infinitely more complex. Add to that a secret crush on the side, a crush that runs so deep it feels less a crush and more an inseparable friendship, or, maybe, destiny personified, and the formula just got a whole lot foggier. Now, make the move on a superhero and, oh, boy, watch out. It might be fun to make love high up in the sky, but when and if that relationship comes crashing back down to earth, be careful. And if that superhero is a female with all the baggage of a lonely soul and a desperate heart and an I've-been-wronged attitude, well, just hope that a shark thrown through the apartment window is the worst thing that comes from the breakup.

No, no, no. I'm Edward, you're Bella.

Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) is an average Joe office automaton whose track record with the ladies is not really worthy of envy. While on a subway ride with his pal Vaughn (Rainn Wilson), Matt spots a beautiful young woman whom Vaughn believes he should approach. Matt does just that but is rejected. When the lady's purse is snatched, he tracks down the thief and finds the gratitude of a now very willing and approachable Jenny (Uma Thurman). Their relationship seems destined for the long-term, and even Jenny's reveal that she's not just an art exhibitor but also a superhero known around the city as "G Girl," a Superman clone who has saved the city on numerous occasions, can put the brakes on a fast-building romance. With her reveal, however, comes a completely different side. No longer is Jenny warm, cuddly, and caring but rather possessive, jealous, and violent. When she catches Matt sharing an innocent but seemingly intimate moment with an attractive co-worker named Hannah (Anna Faris), Jenny sets out for revenge and uses all of her superpowers to make Matt's life a living hell. Meanwhile, Matt has caught the attention of Professor Bedlam (Eddie Izzard), G-Girl's arch-nemesis, a man who will stop at nothing to destroy his rival at all costs.

The best asset My Super Ex-Girlfriend brings to the table is its originality and unique blend of several favorite genres, chiefly mixing the Superhero film, the Romantic Comedy, and the Breakup Drama into one interesting little ride through the world of an ordinary Joe dating and breaking up with the most powerful woman in the world. It's a cool idea that's realized on film probably about as well as it can be under the constraints of modern Hollywood and modern audience demands. Director Ivan Reitman's (Stripes, No Strings Attached) film proves, generally, gleeful and breezy, a movie meant to be enjoyed on a very basic level and not scrutinized as a serious work of art. It's quality cinema at its most basic, a picture geared towards audiences looking for escapism and a fresh idea, not a serious contemplative classroom-analysis film on the ins-and-outs of human relationships. No, this is a movie made to cater to broad emotions and the funny bone both, and sometimes a little bit of harmless fun can brighten the day more so than some stuffy thought piece ever could.

Sadly, the movie isn't always peaches and cream. Despite the general sense of fun -- sometimes sweet, sometimes chaotic -- and the film's unique assembly of cinema spare parts, My Super Ex-Girlfriend still stumbles through some tedious stretches and feels a bit overzealous, particularly in its second half. My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a movie that peaks early and doesn't find the same kind of adventuresome spirit later as it does at the beginning. When the relationship goes sour, the movie begins its descent from above, pushing aside the novelty and newness in favor of some repetitive gags and slow conversations that lead to an inevitable clash of the babes. Uma Thurman certainly goes a bit overboard in the part, though that's exactly what the role demands. It feels like a little much in the middle stretches (geesh, can't this girl just move on?), but Thurman seems to enjoy the part, whether in her Clark Kent, Superman, or ex-from-Hell-with-superpowers mode. My Super Ex-Girlfriend also does a fine job of shaping the underlying chemistry between Matt and Hannah; they work well together on the screen and, even if their ultimate destination never seems in doubt, Reitman and his cast do a nice enough job of throwing a few twists into the mix on the way to the inevitable conclusion.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

My Super Ex-Girlfriend soars onto Blu-ray with a wonderful high definition transfer. It offers steady, pleasing details and clarity, not to mention a natural sharpness and film-like appeal that's accentuated by a light layer of grain. Details are even and accurate, not exactly striking but very well defined across the screen, from obvious facial and clothing close-ups to brick and steel and concrete city backdrops. Colors are equally fine; the palette enjoys a basic richness and accuracy that's befitting a new-ish motion picture transferred to Blu-ray. It's not an aggressive color scheme and not a dull one, either; the transfer delivers a very naturally inspired palette that feels true to the source material. Flesh tones almost never stray towards a lightly pale shade, and blacks rarely hint at crush. There is a little bit of noise across the background, but at normal viewing distances it's rarely cause for concern. Overall, this is a very pleasing, rich, accurate transfer from Fox and Anchor Bay.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Super Ex-Girlfriend's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 presentation yields a wide, enveloping sort of track that's full of exciting sound effects that bring some energy and life to the presentation. Music enjoys a big, sweeping cinematic feel; the score is terribly generic but it's presented with fine accuracy across the front and a satisfying amount of surround information. Ambient sound effects are nicely implemented; the track never really explodes with a truly seamless array of supportive elements, but light city background noise or the din of Matt's office play nicely around the sides and into the back. The track really shows its stuff during the biggest action scenes. A meteor powers through the stage partway through the movie, and there are a few crowd-pleasing moments when general chaos erupts from all over the stage, retaining excellent clarity, spacing, placement, and bass. Dialogue is another strength, playing smoothly and precisely from the center. All around, this is a positive listening experience that fans will enjoy.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

My Super Ex-Girlfriend contains no extras, and no menu is included. The film begins playback immediately after disc insertion. Optional English SDH subtitles must be switched on or off in-film with the remote control.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Super Ex-Girlfriend makes for a fun enough little adventure away from the cluttered mess of cookie cutter films. It's certainly not a great film, but it works quite well as a relaxing little escapist picture that combines a few tired genres into one usually spiffy little movie. It is slow and repetitive in its middle stretch, and the ending doesn't come as much of a surprise, but for a casual, no worries, no thought kind of movie, this one's hard to beat. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of My Super Ex-Girlfriend features strong video and audio. No extras are included. Recommended.