6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Bianca is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as 'The DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends. Now, despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher, she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby, and enlists Wesley, a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school's ruthless label maker Madison and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone's DUFF.
Starring: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos, Skyler SamuelsComedy | 100% |
Teen | 48% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It probably goes without saying that the culture of most high schools is fraught with a kind of class (no pun intended) consciousness which tends to play out by pigeonholing various individuals into various strata of appearance, intelligence and (most importantly of all, this being high school) popularity. Anyone who has managed to make it through the hallowed halls of secondary education can probably regale you with stories of their own misadventures in this somewhat precarious social enterprise, and in fact even the best looking, smartest and, yes, most popular kids may even have a tale of woe or two to impart about their pre-college school lives. Those at the lower end of this spectrum of course probably have more tales of woe to tell, and that sad reality forms the basis of the fitfully appealing if lightweight The Duff, a film whose most “profound” statement is the resolutely hoary “be yourself,” but which at least peeks, however routinely, into how kids use other kids as stepping stones to gain access to those at the top of this particular social construct. Those who were more on the nerd or geek end of the scale will probably find more to enjoy in The Duff than those who waltzed through high school as a prom queen or quarterback, but even the previously “downtrodden” souls may end up rolling their eyes a time or two at The Duff’s overly trite formulations about self actualization and acceptance.
The Duff is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Shot digitally with the Arri Alexa XT, The Duff is often a very bright and colorful affair which neatly exploits both incredibly well saturated primaries as well as subtler pastel hues. A refreshing lack of aggressive color grading preserves a natural looking palette, and everything from flesh tones to apparel offers accurate looking color. The image is very sharp and precise looking virtually all of the time, with excellent fine detail in close-ups. Director Ari Sandel plays with various bells and whistles at times, adding superimposed "descriptors" (see screenshots 8 and 15), with some elements, like recreations of computer monitor information, having some minor and transitory resolution issues.
What would a teen comedy be without a glut of source cues? Not much, at least as evidenced by the frequent use of tunes on The Duff's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, elements which provide good to outstanding immersion. Even non musical moments, like scenes taking place in the crowded halls of Malloy High School, offer good placement of sound effects. Dialogue is presented very cleanly and clearly. Fidelity is excellent on this problem free track.
Mae Whitman is an incredibly charming presence, even when stuck in an Ellen Page wannabe role like the one in The Duff, and her presence helps this middling film overcome some of its lamer and more predictable elements. A game supporting cast raises the comedic bar in fits and starts, but The Duff is simply too contrived to ever attain any real emotional heft. Still, the film is perky enough to deliver a few scattered laughs, and its technical presentation on Blu-ray is first rate. Recommended.
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