Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Interview Blu-ray Movie Review

Lil' Kim gets K.O.'d, but does he still win the fight?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 14, 2015

Here is one of the most historically important, widely discussed, heavily controversial, thoroughly dissected, and potentially landscape-shifting movies of all time, and for all the wrong reasons. For anyone who may be out of the loop, here's a summary: Angry dictators! Hacked computers! Threats of war and terror! Theaters caving to international pressure! Conspiracy theories everywhere! Fans who just want to see the movie! And all over a silly little Comedy in which one particularly ticked off, real-life dictator -- spoiler alert -- gets blown to bits at the end after being "exposed" as, among other things, a Margarita-sipping, Katy Perry-listening, daddy-issues devastated young man who takes it all out on his people and, despite rumor, does in fact go to the bathroom just like everyone else. The Sony hacking scandal, supposedly North Korea's retaliation for this Seth Rogen/James Franco Comedy's mere existence, set off a chain of events quite unlike anything in Hollywood history. The story behind the movie ultimately proves significantly more interesting than the movie itself -- which isn't bad after all -- a story worthy of film and sure to one day at least end up as the centerpiece of a memoir or tell-all (sound familiar, Mr, Skylark?) from someone on the inside. But as of now, it's all just a matter of scattered record that includes everything from news articles to Presidential comment, from water cooler chatter to Internet banter in what is certainly thus far the story of the new century in the world of film. The only question that remains is whether The Interview's story will curb future "potentially insulting" projects or whether it will become a beacon of liberty and a de facto middle finger to anyone who can't take the heat but who can harshly punish his people for not sufficiently mourning his father's death, a father, by the way, who was immortalized in puppet form in the raunchy Team America: World Police, a film from the creative genius of the guys behind South Park, they themselves entertainers unafraid of pushing the limits well beyond "the line."

Dave and Aaron wonder if there wasn't something more to Dennis Rodman's visits to Pyongyang.

The Interview tells the story of a tabloid television journalist named Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his Producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) who land an interview with North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) after they discover that he's a huge fan. Before flying over to North Korea, the men are approached by the CIA with a can't-say-no request to assassinate Kim. Move along through the movie's fun middle muck and reach the end where, again spoiler alert, Kim is blown to bits in a slow-motion shot, the result of a tank shell blasting his helicopter. And enter the controversy. As reported in an article published by Variety, studio skepticism and fear over fictionally assassinating a real-life figure emerged well before the first threats of "retaliation" from North Korea, particularly from Sony's head man Kazuo Hirai, whose home nation of Japan lies well within striking distance of North Korean missiles. But fragile international relations stretched to the limit over a movie, and a movie as sophomoric as this one? Crazier things have happened, but it's certainly a sign of the times when James Franco, Seth Rogen, and a movie crew can inadvertently manipulate and strain international relations to a near breaking point, practically bring a major studio to its knees, and invite a response so harsh that theaters chose to pull the movie rather than risk that threats of retaliation could actually materialize. Suddenly, a story with legs ran more wild than Forrest Gump and brought fundamental concepts like freedom of expression and unflinching stoicism in the face of terror to the forefront and, for a time, to their knees.

Indeed, the de facto surrender to terroristic threats -- not to mention the fallout of the computer hack -- effectively saw those who thrive on freedom of expression capitulate to the demands of the very man The Interview aims to comically destroy. Suddenly, a midlevel Comedy gained international headlines, the stars were surrounded by around-the-clock bodyguards, and even theaters that vowed to screen Team America in lieu of The Interview were told to stand down. Once Cramike Cinemas pulled the plug, the dominoes fell, and fell fast, leaving audiences to wonder if the movie, now suddenly elevated in position from curiosity and mild obscurity to the top of everyone's must-see list, would ever be released. It was nowhere to be found approaching its Christmas Day 2014 release date (a date which was already the result of a politically based delay). At one point, trusted sources -- including the aforementioned Variety -- posited that the movie may never see the light of day at all, not in theaters, not on digital, and not on DVD or Blu-ray. Then, suddenly, an abrupt and, in some ways, unexpected about-face. The film was announced to run in limited engagements in theaters that agreed to screen it. Digital versions appeared on Xbox and other outlets on Christmas Eve. Fans rejoiced and freedom (and common sense) had prevailed, yet conspiracy-minded questions remained as to whether this was actually some sort of elaborate hoax -- not the hacking scandal, but a manipulation of the situation -- to try and test the validity of the straight-to-digital market for a major motion picture (though certainly the magnifying glass on the project and its wide coverage in news all but guaranteed skewered results), to drum up support for the movie and increase what was predicted to be a modest-at-best box office return, or some other bits of juicy out-there talk that, as of now, really hasn't materialized as anything more than wild speculation. The movie was unsurprisingly successful in its limited and unconventional debut, earning some $40 million and making it the highest grossing digital release ever, a result as predictable as the sunrise but still a healthy bit of cash all things considered.

And what of the movie itself? Sitting down to watch The Interview, with months of chatter rolling off its digital file and tons of baggage hanging off its virtual flanks, seems almost beyond the point. After all, everyone knows the basics and then some, and no matter how good, great, dumb, or epically awful the movie was speculated to be, it could never outshine nor outlive the narrative surrounding it. Indeed, the hype and controversy practically swallows it up and refuses to let go, which might be a good thing, one might think before a screening, if the movie proves as lame and vapid as everything suggests, effectively masking its shortcomings and allowing it to stand more as a symbol, one way or the other, rather than an actual narrative piece. But then something amazing happens. It turns out that, once it gets going, The Interview actually holds up pretty well on it own merits. Sure it's largely empty beyond some raunchy jokes and its infamous finale, but there's a surprising balance to it all that manages to allow the movie to at least rise towards the level of all the good-and-bad hype and, even if it never overcomes it, absorb the viewer into its silly little world and do what it was intended to do before all of this started: entertain. Even as it's not at all politically savvy or insightful -- truly, any anger directed at the movie stems completely from its superficialities rather than its "commentary" -- it proves itself as a rather fun, tongue-in-cheek little thing that features strong yet silly lead performances and a contagious rhythm that carries the movie with a clean, fast pace and an unflinching confidence that's apparent even when it had to be (and apparently was) clear to all involved that the film had the potential to brew into a political tsunami. Yet The Interview finds a surprisingly capable balance along the axis of total absurdity, pushing boundaries and going so grossly far over the top but keeping it in a harmonious world of nonsense that's made of equal proportions of the characters and the activities in which they engage. Sure it's vulgar and childish, but it works extremely well in its context, playing with a flow that's tight and precise, not jumbled and manufactured or built around jokes that were forced in rather delicately inserted. The cast is equally strong, particularly evident in the chemistry James Franco and Randall Park share. Their scenes, from the time they first meet to the time the title interview concludes, are easily the film's best. It's that tight-knit togetherness and the effortless sell that makes the third act so much more interesting and powerful than it would have otherwise been without them. And even as -- spoiler alert the third -- that tank shell hits Kim's helicopter, the image that everyone has seen a dozen times online prior to watching the movie, it suddenly just becomes part of the movie rather than a symbol of everything that went wrong, everything that was said, everything everyone thought and carried into the movie before actually sitting down to watch it. And nothing else says "job well done" better than that.

The Interview Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Interview's 1080p transfer is largely gorgeous. Sony's Blu-ray presentation is alive and vibrant, presenting as clear and clean and showing an almost always perfectly defined appearance. Details are sharp and intricate, whether skin textures, clothing lines, or rocky terrain. Sharpness is natural and effortless across the board, with even distance shots maintaining a healthy definition. Colors are vibrant and precise. The film captures a wide range of hues, from bright clothes seen on the Pyongyang tarmac to cool CIA control room accents. Flesh tones are heathy and accurate. The transfer's only major fault comes by way of heavy-handed and crushed blacks. Darker scenes often devolve into a soupy, undefined blob where anything remotely dark -- particularly clothing -- seems to melt into the void. Banding and aliasing are evident in a couple of spots but kept to a bare minimum. On the whole, however, this is a very strongly defined, precise presentation from Sony. Note that there is an ongoing discussion of the aforementioned black levels on the forum here as compared to the included digital version of the movie.

Note that users are reporting that the black crush issue has been corrected in some copies outside of the United States. As of now, this does not apply to U.S. releases. I cannot personally vouch for the information. See the official forum thread linked in the "Forum" tab above for more information.

The Interview Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Interview arrives on Blu-ray with a reference quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a precise, rich, and enjoyable track, one that gets everything right, from the softest ambient effect to the loudest burst of gunfire. Music is smooth and accurate with a healthy front side spacing, a perfect surround compliment, and effortless clarity through the entire range, including both score and bursts of popular tunes. The track is full of lively and beautifully defined support pieces, whether echoing song heard at the beginning when a child sings of her wish to see America destroyed or bouncing voices and reverberating basketball dribbles heard in a key moment midway through the film in which Dave and Kim bond on the court. Light rainfall beautiful envelops the listening area in chapter seven. Heavier effects are equally impressive. A barrage of gunfire rips through the stage with startling volume and lifelike heft in one key scene late in the movie. A tank shell zips through the stage and explodes with healthy authority midway through. The final showdown features a symphony of combat that involves automatic weapons fire and bullets bouncing off armor. General dialogue plays cleanly and accurately up the middle. Overall, this is a terrific, well engineered, and fully engaging sound extravaganza from Sony.

The Interview Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Interview contains a number of bonus features, most of which, beyond the commentary and deleted scenes, amount to little more than fluff. Included in the Blu-ray case is a voucher for a UV digital copy.

• Audio Commentary: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg discuss the film -- and only the film -- with an even and insightful tone. They share some random anecdotes from the shoot and cover Eminem's early film performance (and Rob Lowe's cameo later), wardrobe, shooting locales and sets, the Matthew McConaughey bit, cast and performances, music, story evolution and creative ideas, Randall Park's quick weight gain for the role, digital effects, shooting the large scale finale in a short window of time, and even some insightful technical bits. Even if there's no mention of the elephant in the room, it makes for a good, insightful, and fun track that's well worth a listen. With optional English subtitles.
• Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes (1080p): Dave Is in the Building (2:44), Dave Is in the Building Alt (2:31), Kevin's Congrats (5:22), Cold Calling (0:26), Jerk Off Challenge (2:42), Jerk Off Challenge Alt (1:17), Bow and Shake (0:43), Mission Briefing (4:17), Write a Tell All (0:35), People Just Tell Me Things (0:52), The Rape Pond (1:20), I Honey Potted You (1:30), It's a Dildo (0:33), and Welcome to Flavor Town (1:14).
• Gag Reel (1080p, 7:03).
• Line-O-Ramas (1080p): Actors offer various takes on a few lines from the movie. Included are Stank Dick (1:52), Have You Heard? (2:48), and Secure the Payload (4:50).
• Directors of This Movie (1080p, 6:41): Cast and crew heap the praise on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The directors also discuss their camaraderie and influences that shaped this movie. Also included is rehearsal footage and corresponding clips from the film and other bits from the shoot.
• Spies Among Us (1080p, 7:24): A closer look at the film's lead performers and the characters they portray.
• Randall Park Audition Tape (1080p, 5:14): The actor proves himself worthy of portraying Kim Jong-un.
• Getting into Character (1080p, 4:47): A closer look at Randall Park's performance.
• Dating a Dictator (1080p, 1:10): "King Jong-un" makes a video for an online dating site.
• Puppy Power (1080p, 1:56): A short look at the puppy's place in the film.
• Here Kitty Kitty (1080p, 5:19): Working with a live tiger on the shoot.
• Joking Around (1080p, 1:54): Adding jokes into the film on-the-fly.
• Naked & Afraid (1080i, 13:47): The film's stars are tasked with surviving naked in the wild.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Interview Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Did The Interview cross any lines? Was it too much to depict the grisly assassination of a monstrous dictator -- a dictator who has at his fingertips missiles pointed at Japan and a large army amassed at the South Korean border, both capable of devastating two of the West's staunchest allies in the East -- in a raunchy Comedy? At what point does a heavy-handed dictator that starves his people and cannot keep the lights on at night stop being fair game and start being feared? When does the whim of a dictator dictate the way forward for the business, culture, and freedom of expression enjoyed throughout much of the rest of the world? If nothing else, The Interview and the Sony hack certainly shed quite a lot of light on how things (can) play out when most all of the cards are on the table and the stakes are practically life and death. Obviously there's much more to the story than has been covered in this review and likely plenty more that hasn't been made public. And then there's this. Suffice it to say, and no matter the specifics, it's all part of a story that will go down in both Hollywood and world history as one of the most fascinating intersections of fiction and reality and politics and entertainment. Frankly, it doesn't look good from the outside looking in, but here's hoping that one day all will be revealed and, who knows, maybe by way of a movie that could bring Sony back to the top of the heap. Hire David Fincher, who has worked with Sony before, to direct. Bring back Park to play Kim (if the studio so dared depict him...again) and Franco and Rogen to play themselves (again). Just don't expect to learn that Angelina Jolie has been cast to play Amy Pascal. Sony's much anticipated Blu-ray release of The Interview, a movie which actually stands up on its own two legs even with the weight of everything heaped on top of it, offers stellar video, reference quality audio, and a good bit of supplemental content. No matter what one thinks of it, this is pretty much the must-own movie of the year. Highly recommended.