Friends with Benefits (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Friends with Benefits” is a charming, sexy and fun romantic comedy featuring a wonderful performance by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and a romantic comedy capturing both the beauty of love in New York City and Los Angeles by keeping things real!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Friends with Benefits

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 109 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 2:40:1), English, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish, English-Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean

COMPANY: Sony Picture Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Sexual Content and Language)

Release Date: December 2, 2011

Directed by Will Gluck

Screenplay by Keith Merryman, David A. Newman, Will Gluck

Story by Harley Peyton, Keith Merryman, David A. Newman

Produced by Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Liz Glotzer, Will Gluck, Martin Shafer

Co-Producer: Alicia Emmrich, Nicolas Stern

Executive Producer: Glenn S. Gainor

Cinematography by Michael Grady

Edited by Tia Nolan

Casting by Lisa Miller Katz

Production Design by Marcia Hinds

Art Direction by Bo Johnson

Set Decoration by Cindy Coburn, Alyssa Winter

Costume Design by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus

Starring:

Justin Timberlake as Dylan

Mila Kunis as Jamie

Patricia Clarkson as Lorna

Jenna Elfman as Annie

Bryan Greenberg as Parker

Richard Jenkins as Mr. Harper

Woody Harrelson as Tommy

Nolan Gould as Sam

Andy Samberg as Quincy

Shaun White as himself

Masi Oka as Darin Arturo Morena

Emma Stone as Kayla

Dylan (Justin Timberlake) is done with relationships. Jamie (Mila Kunis) decides to stop buying into the Hollywood clichés of true love. When the two become friends they decide to try something new and take advantage of their mutual attraction – but without any emotional attachment. Physical pleasure without the entanglements. Sounds easy enough for two logical adults, right? Not so much. They soon realize romantic comedy stereotypes might exist for a reason.

Filmmaker Will Gluck (“Easy A”, “The Loop”) is back with a romantic comedy titled “Friends With Benefits”.

Featuring a story by Harley Peyton, Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, the film would feature an all-star ensemble cast starring Mila Kunis (“Black Swan”, “That ’70s Show”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), Justin Timberlake (“In Time”, “Bad Teacher”, “The Social Network”), Bryan Greenberg (“Bride Wars”, “The Perfect Score”), Jenna Elfman (“Dharma & Greg”, “Keeping the Faith”, “Edtv”), Woody Harrelson (“Cheers”, “Zombieland”, “Natural Born Killers”), Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”, “Step Brothers”, “Burn After Reading”) and Patricia Clarkson (“The Green Mile”, “Shutter Island”).

The film was well-received by film critics and the $35 million film would go on to make $149 million in the box office.

“Friends with Benefits” begins with Dylan (played by Justin Timberlake) meeting with his girlfriend Kayla (played by Emma Stone) in Los Angeles and Jamie (played by Mila Kunis) meeting her boyfriend Quincy (played by Andy Samberg) in New York.

The night takes a bad turn for both Dylan and Jamie as they are dumped.

And now it’s a new beginning.  Jamie, an Executive Recruiter of a job agency in New York City has been trying to land Dylan, an art director for an Internet company with GQ Magazine.  So, she recruits Dylan and tries to win him over with making the move from Los Angeles to New York City.

At first, Dylan is not too sure if he wants to move but when Jamie shows him around and he sees a flash mob of people dancing right before his eyes, he is sold and takes the job at GQ.

At GQ, he meets gay sports writer Tommy (played by Woody Harrelson), who keeps asking Dylan if he’s gay (expecting him to be gay because he is an art director) and as for Jamie, when she goes to meet with Dylan and have him sign a contract (that he is committed of staying at GQ for a minimum of one year and to also ensure she gets her commission for recruiting him), he asks her out for lunch, not a date but as friends.

And as the two develop a friendship and hang out with each other, after watching a love story on television, the two start discussing about sex and relationships and how their last relationships have ended badly.  Out of the blue, Dylan and Jamie start talking about what if they have sex together but no emotional attachment…  Friends with benefits.

And immediately both begin to have fun having wild sex with each other.

But over time, the two discuss about what if they start dating again.  And as she watches Dylan hit on a beautiful woman (who happens to be married), he watches as Jamie hits on a guy named Parker (played by Bryan Greenberg) and they both hit off and have a date.

While Dylan hooks up with a wild woman (that is a bit too wild for his taste), her dates go well with Dylan but she tells him she doesn’t have sex until she goes on five dates with the guy.  And sure enough, she spends more time with Parker and Dylan is left often thinks about her.  When she goes on her fifth date with Parker, the two have sex but the following morning, he tells her that he wasn’t looking for a relationship and Jamie is upset and feels used.

While Jamie tries to talk about her love life with her mother Lorna (played by Patricia Clarkson), Dylan feels bad about what happened to Jamie and invites her to come with him to California, so she can meet his father (played by Richard Jenkins), his sister Annie (played by Jenna Elfman) and her son.  But also to see how his father is doing as he is slowly losing his memories because of Alzheimer’s Disease.

As the two spend time in Los Angeles, both start to realize that they have an emotional connection…but will either admit it or will they still want to be friends with benefits without the emotional attachment?

VIDEO:

“Friends with Benefits” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1).  The picture quality of the film is very good.  Shot digitally, it is obvious that the goal of cinematographer Michael Grady (“Easy A”, “Notorious”, “Faster”)  was to capture the beauty of New York City and Los Angeles.  These scenes are absolutely beautiful and really capture the life of the city through the details of the city and the vibrant colors.

Skin tones are natural, black levels are deep and I detected no banding, artifacts or any problems.  “Friends with Benefits” looks fantastic in HD!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Friends with Benefits” is presented in English, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital.  The film is primarily dialogue and musically driven as one would expect from a romantic comedy.  There are moments such as the airport scene giving more ambiance to the film but for a romantic comedy, this film sports crystal clear dialogue and bass thumping music ala Kriss Kross’ “Jump” and Foster the Parents “Pumped Up Kids”.

But for the most part, the lossless soundtrack works for this romantic comedy and the dialogue and music are crystal clear!

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Friends with Benefits” comes with the following special features:

• Commentary with Writer/Director Will Gluck, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis - A fun and hilarious audio commentary with the two main stars and director Will Gluck.  Both have fun telling jokes, cussing and just having fun discussing the film.
• Bonus Benefits: A Pop-Up Trivia Track - A Blu-ray exclusive.  While watching the film, you can have various trivia showing onscreen while watching the film.
• Deleted Scenes - (8:49)  Featuring ten deleted scenes (Superheroes on Hollywood Blvd, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Creative Meeting, GQ Party, Let’s Stay Friends, Shower Cap, Hollywood Tour, Princess and the Pony, Dylan Tries to Call Jamie, and Twin Pythons) with optional writer and director commentary.
• Outtakes - (6:40) Featuring outtakes from “Friends with Benefits”.
• On Set With FWB - (5:39) A Blu-ray exclusive featurette featuring an interview with the cast and crew about working on the set of “Friends with Benefits”, shooting in New York City and Los Angeles.
• In A Flash: Choreographing A Mob - (5:48) A Blu-ray exclusive featurette on how the flash mob scenes were created.

When it comes to romantic comedies, especially sex comedies…sometimes the storyline features bad breakups, rebound relationships but for the most part, comedies that you can sense how things will end right from the beginning.

And while the ending for this film fit the banality of other romantic comedies, its how the two protagonists get to that final point.  And for a film title such as “Friends with Benefits”, you expect a film to showcase quite a bit of sex.  For the most part, you get a lot of good scenes with both Timberlake and Kunis in bed (note: Justin Timberlake does do his first rear nude scene while Kunis used a body double) and experimenting with each other and having fun!  But fortunately, this is not the dominating factor of the film.

The film focuses on their emotional attachment to each other, knowing that they have feelings for each other but they are so scared about how their relationships have ended in the past, that being “friends with benefits” would alleviate them from having any emotional attachment.  And instead of rushing into those emotions that the two have with each other, we see the journey as the two try to have flings with other people and then of course, when Jamie (Kunis) goes to Los Angeles to meet with his family, things happen that separates the two.

And the chemistry between both Timberlake and Kunis was very well done!  In fact, I found the two much more believable onscreen than Timberlake had with Cameron Diaz on “Bad Teacher”.  The two looked right for each other and I was quite pleased to see how Timberlake has evolved as an actor and the same for actress Mila Kunis.  Both did a wonderful job!

And the supporting cast were also just as good, especially Patricia Clarkson as Lorna, the mother of Jamie but also a woman who has had a problematic sexual past.  Woody Harrelson as the gay co-worker named Tommy who is constantly asking Dylan if he is really gay, Richard Jenkins as Dylan’s father who has alzheimer’s and has a habit of pulling down his trousers and Jenna Elfman as Dylan’s sister Annie.  Even the short appearances by Jason Segel and Rashida Jones (who star on a cheesy Hollywood romance story), as well as Andy Samberg and Emma Stone were fun to watch!

But one thing I love about romantic films is when they can capture the city the characters talk so much about.  If you talk about New York City, I want to see New York City as much as they can show on the film.  The same with Los Angeles and the film manages to showcase both cities quite well. I also liked how the film’s storyline took a jab at the usual Hollywood romantic comedy and showing that although Hollywood romantic comedies tend to have the fairytale story, not all are realistic and “Friends with Benefits” is a film that tries to keep things real!  I dig that!

As for the Blu-ray release, there are two available on release date.  One with a DVD and Ultraviolet copy and the regular Blu-ray release with no DVD and UV copy.  The special features were entertaining especially the audio commentary which was hilarious as well as the included outtakes.  Also, it was interesting to learn about the challenges of shooting in NYC and Los Angeles and also choreographing the flash mob scenes.  The picture quality was vibrant and the on-location scenery shots of NYC and LA were awesome and audio quality was appropriate for this film.

Overall, “Friends with Benefits” is a charming, sexy and fun romantic comedy featuring a wonderful performance by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and a romantic comedy capturing both the beauty of love in New York City and Los Angeles by keeping things real!

“Friends with Benefits” is recommended!

Photo Gallery: 62nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles (August 21, 2010)

Celebrities at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles August 21, 2010. Photos courtesy of REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni, Jake T. Austin, Fame Pictures, Inc and UPI/Jim Ruymen Photo via Newscom, Byron Purvis/AdMedia, Michael Germana / Star Max Photo via Newscom

Andy Samberg attends the EA SPORTS 2010 FIFA World Cup Balls To The Brits in Universal City

Comedian Andy Samberg attends the EA SPORTS 2010 FIFA World Cup Balls To The Brits, Balls To The Yanks Event at Universal Citywalk on June 11, 2010 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for EA SPORTS). Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The best animated film in 2009 not made by Disney/Pixar.  Smart, humorous and fun, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” features solid performances by the talent, beautiful 3D animation, an immersive soundtrack, many special features… this is a magnificent Blu-ray release for the entire family!  Highly recommended!

Images courtesy of © 2009 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs

DURATION: 90 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish 5.1, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

RATED: PG (For Brief Mild Language)

COMPANY: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2010

Based on a book by Judi Barrett, Ron Barrett

Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Screenplay by Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Executive Producer: Yair Landau

Producer: Pam Marsen

Co-Producer: Lydia Bottegoni, Chris Juen

Animation Executive Producer: Andrea Miloro

Music by Mark Mothersbaugh

Casting by Mary Hidalgo

Production Design by Justin Thompson

Art Direction by Michael Kurinsky

Featuring the voices of:

Bill Hader as Flint Lockwood

Anna Faris as Sam Sparks

James Caan as Tim Lockwood

Andy Samberg as “Baby” Brent

Bruce Campbell as Mayor Shelbourne

Mr. T as Earl Devereaux

Bobb’e J. Thompson as Cal Devereaux

Benjamin Bratt as Manny

Neil Patrick Harris as Steve

Al Roker as Patrick Patrickson

Lauren Graham as Fran Lockwood

Will Forte as Joe Towne

Max Neuwrith as Young Flint

When Flint Lockwood’s (Bill Hader) latest contraption accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Then something amazing happens as delicious cheeseburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works! But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts to run amok, unleashing spaghetti tornadoes and giant meatballs that threaten the world! Now it’s up to Flint, with the help of weather girl Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) and Steve, his talking monkey assistant, to find some way to shut down the machine before the world is covered in super-sized meatballs!

In 2009, the animated film “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” was released in theaters.  Adapted from the popular book from 1978 by Judi Barrett and illustrations by Ron Barrett, CWACoM took three years to develop and feature animation by Sony Pictures Animation.

The film adaptation and direction is by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (both are executive producers of the popular CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and also the MTV animated series “Clone High”).  Music is by Mark Mothersbaugh (“Fanboys”, “Mama’s Boy”, “Lords of Dogtown”) and the film is produced by Pam Marsden (producer of “Dinosaur” and “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas”).

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” received positive reviews from critics and debuted at #1 in the box office, raking in $180+ million worldwide.  Now the film gets its first Blu-ray release and includes the Blu-ray, the DVD and a digital copy (a code is provided to download a digital copy from the PlayStation Network) for those who own a Sony PSP or Playstation 3 System.

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” begins with a boy named Flint Lockwood (voice by Bill Hader) who enjoys science and wanted to help kids with his new invention, to create spray-on shoes which seemed like a good idea until it was revealed that he couldn’t take them off.

With inspiration from his mother, Flint would go on to grow up and become a scientist.  Flash forward many years later, Flint is a grown up adult and has his own science lab above his parent’s home (his mother is deceased and his father Tim (voice by James Caan) works at the only town’s sardine and tackle shop).

Flint lives in a town called Swallow Falls, a town that has not been doing well since the world have deemed sardines as gross and sardines is what the town is known for exporting.  So, the citizens of Swallow Falls have been eating sardines primarily since no one but them are buying it and the town has been restless since.

Flint has tried to create several experiments which have not gone as well as he hoped.  Such as the rat birds (creating an actual species of rats with bird wings), a thought translation machine which he has used on his pet monkey Steve (voice by Neil Patrick Harris)  in order for them to communicate.  But it’s his new experiment that he hopes to change things for the people at Swallow Falls.

Flint has come up with an idea to find a way to convert water molecules and change them to popular foods.  He tries at first to turn the molecules to a cheeseburger but he fails due to the machine needing more power.

On the date the mayor of the town, Mayor Shelbourne (voice by Bruce Campbell) is about to unveil a new plan to bring people to Swallow Falls and revitalize its economy, Flint knows that in order to fully test his water molecule converting machine, he needs more power so he attempts to hook it up to power stations.

While Flint works on his project, a woman named Sam Sparks (voice by Anna Faris) gets her chance to become a “temporary” meteorologist and has her first break on television on the day of the mayor’s unveiling.

But Flint’s machine goes haywire and the unveiling of the mayor’s project has gone wrong due to Flint’s machine jetting through the area and being shot into the sky.  Even ruining Sam’s first day on the job by smashing her face right on the television camera.  Unfortunately, Flint has left parts of the town destroyed and the people of Swallow Falls are upset with him.

While Flint isolates himself at the dock, he and Sam have an exchange in words but suddenly out of nowhere, cheeseburgers start to fall from the sky.  Flint’s project has worked and as for Sam, she becomes the meteorologist to show the world of what is happening.

Flint’s experiment is so successful that now the mayor wants him to create more and more types of food in order to generate hype and bring people back to Swallow Falls, especially by renaming the town to “Chewandswallow”.

As Flint enjoys his success and everyone requesting for certain types of food to come from the sky, what Flint doesn’t know is the ramifications of overusing the machine and that is the food becoming larger and larger that it can cause destruction and mayhem.  Now, Flint and his friends must destroy the machine immediately.

AUDIO & VIDEO:

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is featured in 1080p High Definition and I know that Pixar and DreamWorks animation gets a lot of attention for their animated work but Sony Pictures Animation has done a remarkable job with this film.

The picture quality on HD is absolutely vibrant and colorful.  Water and liquid effects look absolutely terrific and realistic while the detail of the town Swallow Falls during its normal appearance of a seaside town to a town filled with food and sporting different scenery.

In fact, things look absolutely amazing during the second half as we see solid animation being utilized throughout the film.  From the outdoor mayhem to the overall details of the various foods (especially when larger) causing destruction around the town area, it looks absolutely great. Awesome picture quality for this Blu-ray release.

As for the accompanying DVD, the DVD is featured in 16×9 Full Screen (1:78:1) and also anamorphic widescreen (2:35:1).

As for audio, the Blu-ray is featured in English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA and Spanish 5.1.   Dialogue is clear and understandable through the front and center channel, music definitely sets the mood as it plays from the front channels but good use of special effects such as the clouds rumbling, the sound of thunder, flying vehicles flying through the clouds through the surround channels.  Good use of LFE for nice low rumbles coming from the subwoofer.

Fans of the film will enjoy the immersive soundtrack from this film as there is very good use of the various channels throughout the film, especially during the film’s latter half.

The accompanying DVD is presented in English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.

Subtitles are featured in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” features special features in High Definition and Standard Definition.  Audio is in English stereo and subtitles are in Spanish:

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is an enjoyable family film.  The children will love it and even the adults.  The film is well-written and Sony Pictures Animation really went all out in making sure this film looks visually appealing.  Artistically, the animation and artistic backgrounds are just spectacular.

As mentioned before, there is so much positive press for Pixar films and also DreamWorks animated films but Sony really pulled off an awesome 3D animated film with “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”.  Definitely a unique presentation in terms of characters but it’s just the overall look of the film with its vibrant colors and look that gives a fresh feel for this film.

And on HD, the film looks and sounds incredible.  There are a good number of interactive special features and with the Blu-ray coming with the DVD and a digital copy of the film, that’s another plus as well.

It’s important to note that “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is not just visual and audio  eye candy, the film features a solid performance by the voice talent and most of all, a solid screenplay that remains faithful to the popular book.  A lot of humor (safe for children) and for the most part, a fantastic family film that both children and adults will enjoy.

This is possibly the best animated film not made by Disney/Pixar and if anything, Sony Pictures Animation did a wonderful job and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what film they will be animating next because what they did for “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” looks magnificent.

Overall, this is a solid Blu-ray release that is just worth having in your collection and a release that is great for the entire family.  Highly recommended!

NOTE:  Sony announced that in conjunction with the release of their 3D hardware, they will be releasing a 3D version of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” on Blu-ray sometime in 2010.

I LOVE YOU, MAN (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“A hilarious bromance film!  Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are just awesome as a comedy duo and a film with a wonderful supporting cast! Overall, “I LOVE YOU, MAN” is not the greatest comedy but it was highly entertaining, hilarious and 104 minutes of all-out fun!  For those looking for a comedy on Blu-ray, this film is definitely recommended!”

Images courtesy of © 2009 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: I LOVE YOU, MAN

DURATION: 104 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French/Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese

COMPANY:  Paramount Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Pervasive Language including Crude and Sexual References)

Release Date: August 11, 2009

Directed by John Hamburg

Based on a story by Larry Levin

Screenplay by John Hamburg and Larry Levin

Executive Produced by Jeffrey Clifford, Andrew Haas, Bill Johnson, Tom Pollock and Ivan Reitman

Produced by Donald De Line, John Hamburg

Co-Produced by Anders Bard

Music by Theodore Shapiro

Director of Photography: Lawrence Sher

Edited by William Kerr

Casting by Allison Jones

Production Design by Andrew Laws

Art Direction by Eric Sundahl

Set Decoration by Christopher Carlson

Costume Design by Leesa Evans

Starring:

Paul Rudd as Peter Klaven

Jason Segel as Sydney Fife

Rashida Jones as Zooey

Sarah Burns as Hailey

Jaime Pressly as Denise

Jon Favreau as Barry

Jane Curtin as Joyce Klaven

J.K. Simmons as Oswald Klaven

Andy Samberg as Robbie Klaven

Lou Ferrigno as himself

In this wildly funny hit comedy, Paul Rudd (KNOCKED UP) gets engaged to the girl of his dreams but has not a single guy friend to be his Best Man until he meets the ultimate dude, Jason Segal (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL). Rudd and Segal’s “bro-mance” takes male-bonding to hilarious new heights that keep you laughing until the unforgettable last frame.

In 2009, the bromance film known as “I LOVE YOU, MAN” was well-received by the critics and further establishing the comedic careers of Paul Rudd (“Knocked Up”, “Night at the Museum”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) and Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Knocked Up”).  The two have worked together in several well-known comedy films and as David Spade and Chris Farley were in the 90′s, both Rudd and Segel are managing to do quite well as a duo today.

The film is written and directed by John Hamburg (“Along Came Polly”, “Meet the Parents”, Meet the Fockers” and “Zoolander”) and co-written by Larry Levin (“It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”, “Seinfeld” and the first two “Doctor Dolittle” films).  The film’s music is composed by Theodore Shapiro (“Mr. Woodcock”, “Semi-Pro” and “Marley & Me”) and cinematography by Lawrence Sher (“Garden State”, “Legally Blonde” and “The Dukes of Hazzard”).

But what is most impressive about “I Love You, Man” is its supporting cast which include Rashida Jones (“The Office”, “Wanted” and “Parks and Recreation”), Jaime Pressly (“My Name is Earl” and “Joe Dirt”), Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”, “Elf”, “The Replacements” and “Daredevil”), Jane Curtin (“Crumbs”, “3rd Rock from the Sun” and “Saturday Night Live”), J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man” films, “The Closer” and “Juno”) and Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”, “Nick & Norah’s Infinity Playlist” and “Hot Rod”).

The film revolves around Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), a guy who has many girlfriends (literally female friends) and doesn’t really have any guy friends.  He’s getting married to Zooey (Rashida Jones) and as a real estate agent, he’s hoping he can sell Lou Ferrigno’s (yes, the Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno who is playing himself) home in order to buy land to build his home for him and Zooey.

But when Peter overhears Zooey talking to her female friends Denise (Jaime Pressley) and Hailey (Sarah Burns) and other women during her bachelorette party that he doesn’t have any guy friends and not sure who he can find to be a best man, he may need to resort in having to find a family member to be his best man.  Hearing this, Peter is devastated, moreso because its true.

So, Peter goes on a quest to find a guy who could be his best man but also be a guy friend.  From trying to make friends through fencing, listening to his gay brother Robbie (Andy Samberg) give him brotherly advice, making friends with a gay man and even try to find male friends through Zooey’s best friend’s like Denise’s husband Barry (Jon Favreau) and getting him into beer and poker.

Unfortunately, Peter doesn’t seem to be clicking with any of them, that is until at a real estate viewing at Lou Ferrigno’s home, he meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel).

The two then develop a bromance and Peter becomes part of Sydney’s life, playing instruments and attending a RUSH concert and bringing out a side of him that he never knew he had.  But Sydney is not your typical guy either, in fact, there may be something quite unstable about him.

“I LOVE YOU, MAN” is literally a movie about men needing to do some soul searching and despite the lack of manners of Peter’s odd new friend, perhaps Sydney is what Peter needs and giving him the opportunity to have a whole new outlook on life.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“I LOVE YOU, MAN” is presented in 1080p High Definition.  The picture quality is vibrant and outdoor and also indoor scenes are full of color.  Fine detail is quite good boasting well-defined edges and revealing the textures from the home of Peter and Zooey to the instruments and products inside Sydney’s home.  But it’s the beauty of what we see outdoors, at the beach and throughout Los Angeles, just a great job of capturing that Angelino life courtesy of Director of Photography Lawrence Sher.

Skintones are well-done, black levels are good and picture quality is sharp, clear and overall a film to expect a broad spectrum of colors.  I didn’t notice any artifacting or banding or source noise as well.

As for the audio, “I LOVE YOU, MAN” is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD (and also French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital).  The soundtrack featured is dialogue driven and is crisp and clear and for the most part, the film is front and center channel driven.  If anything, most bass will come from the music segments.  From the RUSH concert or musical soundtrack, this is not a film to expect an aggressive mix but there are some scenes such as Peter and Sydney jamming on the guitar and bass which come alive through your system.  But for the most part, the film is a dialogue-driven film.

As for subtitles, the film is presented in English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“I LOVE YOU, MAN” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary by Director John Hamburg, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel – Hilarious audio commentary and listening to the three, needless to say that things do get crazy but also you get a good idea of the various improvisation that went on to making the film.  Also, interesting tidbits on the vomit scene, the RUSH concert and more.  Very entertaining commentary!
  
• The Making of “I Love You, Man” – (17:29) Interviews with the cast and crew about being part of the film, working together, how the vomit scene was created and also filming the RUSH concert scene.
  
• Extras- (22:25) The film features a lot of improvising and thus, this featurette focuses on several scenes throughout the film and showing the viewer of how many improvise scenes there were and many takes of the film.
  
• Extended Scenes (12:39) – There are six extended scenes included on the special features.  Included are: Ladies Night, Engagement Dinner, Tuxedo Shopping, The Grove, Rush Concert and The Wedding
  
• Deleted Scenes - (3:18)  There are a total of three deleted scenes.  Included are: The Lost Man Date – Rugby, Gay Bowling League Night and Groomsmen Photo Session
  
• Gag Reel – (11:25) My favorite special feature is the gag reel.  Absolutely hilarious and what I enjoy about it is the length of the gag reel at over 10 minutes.
• Red Brand Trailer – (2:49) Red Brand trailer of “I LOVE YOU, MAN” which includes profanity.