Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 31, 2017

Movies like Office Christmas Party are a dime a dozen anymore. Sisters, Bad Moms, films of that ilk -- the "wild party" films -- seem to pop up in theaters with some regularity, pushing harder and further than the last but seeming to roll around in concentric circles, failing to innovate or drive the genre to any new heights. Then again, the genre isn't really about pushing innovation, only pushing boundaries, but there's not a lot of room to grow within the modern confines of the "R" rating. Office Christmas Party is practically there already. In addition to the usual shenanigans, expect 3D-printed genitalia, oral sex with an ice sculpture and egg nog, and a mix of all-out extremes and PC humor (a "diverse" holiday sweater that's not "diverse enough"). The film boasts a terrific cast and some good moments, but it's too bogged down in side stories and the obligatory one-off-gag characters (the Uber driver) that all desperately try to fold into the film but often feel jumbled together for the sake of longevity and throwing as many jokes at the screen as possible.

It's that kind of movie.

Zenotek is a Chicago-based tech business that's on the verge of collapse. Another branch has already been shut down, and CEO Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston) is threatening to shut down Chicago, too. The branch is run by her immature brother Clay (T. J. Miller) who was given the position, and a fortune, by his late father. Morale is low, and it sinks even lower when Carol announces that 40% of the staff will be laid off and the office Christmas party will be cancelled. Troy talks her into one more chance to save the company and the jobs, promising to land a major client (Courtney B. Vance) that could bring in millions of much-needed dollars. Clay, along with co-workers Josh Parker (Jason Bateman) and Tracey Hughes (Olivia Munn), make the pitch but fail miserably. Their last-gasp effort is to bring the client to the cancelled office Christmas party, which they put back on behind Carol's back, and hope that there he learns what Zenotek is really all about.

Office Christmas Party plays out exactly as one would expect. Whether its staple cast of characters -- each bringing a "unique" personality to the film, like the hard-nosed CEO, the party pooper HR employee, the nerdy guy trying to sell himself as a lady's man, or the straight-down-the-middle boss -- or the various shenanigans that inevitably leave the office in ruins, characters bloodied and in some form of physical danger, relationships made and broken, and all of it overflowing with boozing, sex, and drugs, and the film can hardly be labeled as anything remotely creative, more like a barrel full of stock ingredients that everyone's sampled before, and largely in the same quantities and organization. The film certainly has its moments, electing enough laughs to keep it chugging along and the audience not so much anticipating the next development in the various plot mechanics and the central story, but rather to see from where and around whom the next gag will originate. Most of it's largely predictable, and the humor comes from the actors' timing and execution, not so much the jokes themselves.

Indeed, it's in the cast where the film shines brightest. Directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory...remember that movie's place in the early days of the Blu-ray format?) have put together a rock-solid list of many of the who's-who in today's Comedy landscape. The ensemble hits it out of the park, running with the material -- as stale as it might be -- and doing their best to spice it up with their own, unique brands of offbeat humor. Individually and collectively alike, they lift the material from its groan-inducing source lows with energy and enthusiasm for every gag and narrative arc element. That the cast appears to be enjoying the process, sinking into the characters and sinking their teeth into the humor is unquestionably the film's greatest asset. There's a real sense of character -- as generic as many of them may be -- and the cast elevates them from the tropes on the page into often likable individuals who keep the film afloat even when it has no right to shine.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Office Christmas Party was digitally photographed and Paramount's 1080p transfer captures the film's rather smooth, glossy, flat, and streamlined image nicely enough. As has been mentioned in some other recent reviews, it's becoming increasingly difficult to not notice textural shortcomings on Blu-ray compared to UHD, and this is certainly one of those cases. The source is rather pedestrian, boasting a vanilla digital to begin with, but there's not a serious amount of intimate complexity on skin, clothes, or environments. Even some city exteriors, would-be textural wonderlands, come up rather flat. Broad facial definition is fine -- some wrinkles, facial hair -- but skin favors a smooth texturing rather than a complex texturing. That said, image clarity is excellent and there are no smudgy edges to be found. Colors are fairly neutral, pushing a little pale to begin -- faces appear a bit ghostly -- but finding increased depth and neutrality as the film progresses. The palette doesn't stand out as particularly vivid, nor is it notable for a serious lack saturation. Black levels are satisfyingly deep. No major compression or digital artifacts, even noise, are readily apparent. This isn't an eye-catching image by any means, but it's stable and seems rather true to its source.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Office Christmas Party bursts onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is all about music, featuring plenty of low end depth during many of the film's more eccentric or action-oriented moments. Front-and-center beats occasionally sound a little timid, holding back, not fully saturating the stage or stretching far into the rear. At other times, it's on and all-in, saturating the stage with tremendous depth and expertly defined musical support. Tracks are often a little muffled rather than straight laid atop the movie, making for a more lifelike, immersive feel of music that's diffuse around the in-film locations, not emanating from the home theater speakers. Background bass, when the action shifts a little bit away from the party's central location, offers a nice subtle background thump. Environmental atmospherics away from the party are impressively detailed. Little bits of office, city street, or department store din gently draw the listener into several key locations. Dialogue is clear and well defined, naturally positioned, and well prioritized above even the most raucous musical notes.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Office Christmas Party contains several supplements. Two cuts of the film are included: the Theatrical Edition (1:45:21) and the Extended Edition (1:50:47). A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy voucher are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck offer a semi-humorous but mostly serious track that covers shooting locations, characters, story details, humor, casting, scene specifics and various ideas that made it into the movie, and more. Available on the theatrical version only.
• Throwing an Office Christmas Party Featurette (1080p, 11:51): A discussion of story origins, real office Christmas parties, the cast and characters, the directors, improv, shooting locations and the weather during the shoot, making key gags, and more.
• Outtakes (1080p, 8:38 total runtime): Alternate lines from various scenes. Included are Allison on the Phone with Ex; Bad Things About the Internet; Tim and Drew Make Fun of Nate; Nate's Excuse; Allison Leaves Daycare; Jeremy Pees on the Roof; Hi, I'm Carol; Walter About to Jump; Clay's Studies; Jeremy in the Bathroom; Trina Looks at Phone; Trina in the Car; and Clay in the Hospital.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:58 total runtime): These are additional scenes not included in the extended version. Included are Iron Throne, Jeremy on Santa's Lap, Are You Feeling This?, Josh Gets Into Specs, and Alternate Ending.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Office Christmas Party doesn't redefine its genre. It's a fairly straightforward movie, maneuvering through all of the raunchy, boozy, sexy, drug-induced madness audiences expect of these sorts of films. It's a good midlevel representation of what the genre is all about, enjoyable for the most part and overcoming its core staleness thanks to a very enthusiastic ensemble. Paramount's Blu-ray is fine, offering good overall video and audio along with a few supplements. Worth a look.