The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 28, 2009

Richard Curtis's latest comedy "The Boat That Rocked" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures. The special features on disc are an audio commentary with director Richard Curtis, producer Hilary Bevan Jones, and actors Nick Frost and Chris O'Dowd, deleted scenes, and a set of short featurettes. All special features are perfectly playable on Region-A players. With optional English, German, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish menu interfaces. Region-Free.

The Boat

Here’s a film you can’t help but love. Sure, there are quite a few rough spots in it, but its soundtrack, a collection of classic pop and rock tunes, will win your heart. And, yes, it is a British film with plenty of British humor, which most British critics did not like at all. But, you know what that means – the rest of the world may actually find it funny.

1966 - the golden era of pop music. A group of DJs are broadcasting non-stop rock, pop and blues from the Rock Boat, a large ship anchored somewhere in the North Sea. They are loved by everyone but the British government.

Carl (Tom Sturridge), a young boy who has recently been expelled from school, is sent to the Rock Boat to spend some time with his father, Captain Quentin (Bill Nighy). Upon arrival, he befriends the colorful crew of DJs - the inspirational Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the legendary Gavin Cavanagh (Rhys Ifans), 'Doctor' Dave (Nick Frost), Angus 'The Nut' Nutsford (Rhys Darby), 'Simple' Simon Swafford (Chris O'Dowd), 'Midnight' Mark (Tom Wisdom), etc - and they immediately begin to “school” him. The first lesson, of course, is explaining to Carl everything that could possibly happen between a naked boy and a naked girl. The first home assignment is – become a man. With plenty of female fans visiting the Rock Boat to express their gratitude for the work the DJs do, Carl does not disappoint his mentors.

Meanwhile, an old-fashioned and very nasty member of the British government, Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh), declares war on pirate radio stations. He hires Dominic Twatt (Jack Davenport), a young man with political aspirations, to assist him. The two quickly begin plotting how to run the radio stations out of business.

Back on the Rock Boat, Gavin Cavanagh and the Count decide that it is time to figure out who the best DJ is. While they’re "competing", Carl’s mother (Emma Thompson) arrives to see how her son is doing and ends up producing a few fascinating confessions.

The Boat That Rocked may not be on par with director Richard Curtis’ previous effort, Love Actually, but it is most certainly not the disaster many British critics claim it is. The film has a fair share of genuinely entertaining scenes that are very well acted.

Admittedly, a few of the key characters, such as Branagh’s, are underdeveloped, but they are far from being disappointing. It is also true that there is a large dose of kitsch in The Boat That Rocked, which does not appear to serve any purpose, but thanks to the lovely soundtrack, most of it is actually very easy to ignore.

There is a lot of swearing in The Boat That Rocked, so F-word sensitive viewers should probably look for their weekly comedy fix elsewhere. On the other hand, the more liberal of viewers should be delighted with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s colorful vocabulary (and, yes, he is very convincing).

I don’t like making predictions, but have a good feeling that The Boat That Rocked may actually end up being one of those hated by the critics but loved by the people films. I remember many years ago, when Gregg Araki’s Nowhere was released, the critics absolutely loathed it. Then, as time went by, the film started picking up steam and eventually became a cult favorite. The Boat That Rocked is nowhere near as demented and as peculiar, but just like Araki’s film, it has a soundtrack to die for.

The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Richard Curtis' The Boat That Rocked arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures.

This is a lovely transfer. Contrast is excellent, clarity very good and detail pleasing. The daylight scenes, in particular, look fantastic. On the other hand, the close-ups reveal plenty of depth. The color-scheme is a bit unusual. Yellows, blues, reds, greens, grays and whites are are warm, at times even looking pale. The blacks range from rich to soft. Of course, this unusual color-scheme is what gives the film its "dated" look.

Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern with this transfer. I did not detect any signs of intrusive noise reduction either. Blown through a digital projector, The Boat That Rocked conveys very pleasing organic qualities. For the record, I did not detect any serious scratches, debris, or dirt to report in this review either. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. You could also set the main menu in one of the following languages: English, German, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish).

The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and German DTS Surround 5.1. For the record, Universal Pictures have provided optional English SDH, German, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The Boat That Rocked deserves an outstanding audio track, and Universal Pictures certainly delivered one. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has a terrific dynamic amplitude, and I have absolutely no doubts that you would be very pleased with it. The bass is deep and strong, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high frequencies not overdone. Truly, there is nothing in this film that would test muscles of your audio system, but you could tell that a lot of care went into the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. To use an old cliche - it is the little things that make a difference. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report either. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. All in all, those of you who have not yet seen The Boat That Rocked, or heard at least bits of its wonderful soundtrack, are in for a very special treat.

The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in 1080p (where applicable). Therefore, you will be able to access them regardless of your geographical location.

Commentary - an informative, hilarious and at times explicit audio commentary with director Richard Curtis, producer Hilary Bevan Jones, and actors Nick Frost and Chris O'Dowd.

Deleted Scenes - a gallery of 14 deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Richard Curtis.

Featurettes - six very short featurettes that are actually part of one larger piece. The featurettes offer short thoughts and comments from the cast and crew about the film and its message.

My Scenes - a bookmarking feature.

The Boat That Rocked Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Well, I enjoyed The Boat That Rocked quite a bit. I am having a difficult time figuring out precisely why it has received so many negative reviews in the British press, but, well, it is what it is. As far as I am concerned, The Boat That Rocked is definitely worth a look. Recommended.