Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.0

That Awkward Moment Blu-ray Movie Review

So...that was...awkward.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 23, 2014

It's rare that a movie is built on a single two-letter word. Go is one. That Awkward Moment is another. In That Awkward Moment, the word is "so," as in "so, where is this relationship headed?" Perhaps the better question might be, "so, where is this movie headed?" Writer/Director Tom Gormican's film doesn't satisfactorily answer that question (either one of them, really) in this lumbering, meandering, cliché-riddled Romantic Comedy told from the guys' perspectives. In that, the film is definitely something of a change-of-pace, yet the unique cinematic outlook on life and love, dating and sex, friendship and promises, awkward moments and matters of the heart all fall flat under the crushing weight of a middling script, faux emotions, predictable arcs, and a glaring absence of real, relatable drama. It's a classic throwaway movie, one in which even its target audience -- though who that may be seems debatable -- may struggle to find value.

Reacting to reviews.

Best friends Jason (Zac Efron, High School Musical), Mickey (Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station), and Daniel (Miles Teller, The Spectacular Now) do everything together, including comment on one another's manhood and share the most intimate secrets of their active sex lives. When Mickey's marriage ends (his wife is cheating on him with a Morris Chestnut look-alike), the friends vow to live life like a party, hook up with hot girls, and stay away from committed relationships, believing that they will inevitably lead to an uttering of the word "so..." and quickly unravel into nothing. Yeah, like that's going to work. No sooner is the pledge made does it begin to fall apart. Mickey's marriage may not be done after all. Daniel meets Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis, Smashed) while Jason discovers that his latest hookup, Ellie (Imogen Poots, Fright Night), may be more than he bargained for. As they sort out their love lives and try to keep their feelings from one another while promoting an awkward nonchalance, they learn that it might just be possible to maintain a strong friendship while enjoying the benefits of deeper relationships with members of the opposite sex.

In an effort to mask the film's shocking lack of purpose or novelty, it turns to a barrage of sex jokes, sexual escapades, crude language, and lengthy scenes featuring characters planking naked on the toilet or commenting on one another's gentiles, including a lengthy scene (and more outtakes over the credits) about a penis that has turned orange after being slathered by tanning lotion. The entire movie is just about as aimless as that. The absence of originality is met with an equal absence of charm. Few movies feel so rigid as this one, so devoid of personality, so absent any real character qualities beyond those basic needs to push the story forward and crack crude jokes. The movie is like the slowly revolving door of cinema death, a circular path to nothing of relevance, relationships that go nowhere but to that one place everyone expects, and characters who lack chemistry despite a barrage of "bro" talk that's more about line recital and shock delivery and less about defining long-standing relationships.

The film is also home to a collection of flat, uninspired performances. There's virtually no sense of real chemistry anywhere; the closest the film gets to something resembling a spark comes from the Chelsea-Daniel pairing that shows spurts of authenticity and likability the further their relationship develops, but everything else happens so routinely or, worse, with a forced sense of placement and advancement that the film loses all of its drive by failing to create couples the audience actually cares about. Dialogue has no spark or spunk, whether plot-shaping pillow talk or the guys working through their struggles to keep up promise appearances but at the same time build their relationships behind closed doors and inside their hearts. Miles Teller isn't awful as Daniel, finding a basic charm and likable cadence to his character. Zac Efron and Imogen Poots seem mismatched, neither one of them convincing the audience that their emotions exist beyond scripted words or performed actions. Michael B. Jordan's relationship flows far too effortlessly across its arc, and the actor can't do much more than ride it out. It's a shame he's following up the brilliant Fruitvale Station with a stinker of this magnitude.

That Awkward Moment Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

That Awkward Moment features one of the duller transfers from a major studio. The 1080p presentation never pops and frequently struggles to remain sharp. Details lag far behind those seen on better releases, often appearing flat and lifeless across the board, whether skin textures and clothing lines or general background indoor and outdoor city materials. The order of the day, indeed, is "soft." A handful of scenes find a little more life and better definition, particularly on human faces, but at the transfer's best it ranks as "bland." Colors are equally unimpressive. There's precious little vibrance, even in the brightest shots, and darker scenes fail to offer much color contrast against the dark backdrops. Black levels never impress, either, frequently looking washed out and sickly. Flesh tones likewise appear somewhat pale. All around, this is one of the least visually appealing releases of a major film to bear the Sony label.

That Awkward Moment Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

That Awkward Moment features a serviceable but hardly captivating DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's a fair musical presence to start the film, an enjoyable 80s-inspired beat that plays with fairly good, crisp notes and range. Music never truly excels, however. It frequently lacks energy, particularly in club scenes. City din is passably immersive but hardly realistic. The track is primarily shaped by dialogue, which does flow evenly and clearly from the center. This is a low-energy, low-need affair. It won't stretch a sound system, but it carries the movie's basic requirements well enough.

That Awkward Moment Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

That Awkward Moment contains a handful of extras.

• Moment of Truth: Behind the Scenes (HD, 9:40): Cast and crew discuss the core story, casting and what the actors brought to their roles, cast camaraderie, dialogue and ad-libs, shooting in New York, story themes, and more.
• Threesome: More Awkward Moments (HD, 9:07): Jordan, Efron, and Teller ramble on the couch.
• Character Profiles (HD): Cast interviews and film clips focusing on several main characters. Included are Meet Daniel (1:02), Meet Ellie (1:02), Meet Jason (0:47), and Meet Mikey (1:02).
• Extended Gag Reel (HD, 3:40).
• Previews (HD): Gambit, Pompeii, About Last Night, and The Pretty One.
• UV Digital Copy.

That Awkward Moment Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

That Awkward Moment is one of the worst films so far in the 2014 calendar year. Cliché, unimaginative, a poor structure, lacking drive, and failing to find a real spark between its leads and their ladies, the film flops on most every level. Even Sony's Blu-ray release is decidedly mediocre. Soft, flat picture quality; largely lifeless sound; and a few throwaway extras don't do anything to make this package even remotely enjoyable. Skip it.