Why So Blu?

Bridesmaids (Blu-ray Review)

Bridesmaids was certainly something different and really funny. Not only did I enjoy Kristin Wiig’s roundhouse performance, I enjoyed the script written by her along with two other cast members. Men, don’t be fooled; Bridesmaids is a film for guys and girls alike that has enough wit and humor throughout to keep it entertaining. The big problem is that some scenes were prolonged and were unneeded, while most were riotous and hilarious. Melissa McCarthy is comedy gold in this, she was the main scene-stealer along with the other bridesmaids including actress Ellie Kemper, Chris O’Dowd, and especially the parts with Jon Hamm. 

Film 

Bridesmaids centers on Annie (Wiig), who lost her cake shop, is a failure at her love life, and spends her nights watching Maury with her two obese roommates. When Annie’s best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolf) gets engaged, Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honor. Soon after, Annie accepts and meets the other bridesmaids at Lillian’s engagement party. Annie almost immediately forms a rivalry with Helen (Rose Byrne), who is fighting to make Annie look bad and become Lillian’s best friend. Annie’s stress increases throughout the film and won’t be calm until she gets a grip on the wedding planning and dealing with Helen.

While Melissa McCarthy’s work as the energetic Megan is a sure start to a great career in comedy, Kristin Wiig dominates this film. Though you’ve probably seen her in films such as Knocked Up, Paul, and Adventureland, let alone her many seasons of Saturday Night Live, this is Kristin Wiig’s definitive breakout performance. Wiig is smart, talented, and most importantly she is funny because of her hilarious script which was also written by her in addition to perfectly handling the role as Annie.

Aside from Wiig, the supporting cast is just wonderful. I’ve already mentioned McCarthy, so I just wanted to point out and acknowledge the rest. Even though Kemper doesn’t get much screen time (you can see her in the background in many scenes), her character is fun and interesting which reminded me of Jack McBrayer’s performance as the hotel guest 2008′s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which shouldn’t be surprising considering that Marshall and Bridesmaids was produced by comedy genius Judd Apatow. I found Rose Byrne’s character absolutely hilarious as she portrayed Helen, who I previously mentioned fights Annie to be best friends with Lillian. There is one scene in particular where Annie and Helen are both going back and forth with a speech, seeing who can give Lillian the best compliment, which ends with a song.

I guess the biggest flaw in Bridesmaids has to be that it gets boring at times. I understand that audiences taste differs, but in parts of the movie, for me at least, I just wanted the part to be over due to the prolonged time the scenes go on. While I am not saying this goes for everyone, it could be just me, but I thought a great portion of this movie was extended for no good reason. What I’m particularly talking about is the first 15-20 minutes of the film, which I hated because it was unneeded and while it pertained to the story, I believe it could have been cut shorter.

I’ve always enjoyed work by Paul Feig, who directed Bridesmaids. Feig created the cult television show Freaks and Geeks (which spawned careers for stars such as James Franco, Jason Seigel, and Seth Rogen). Feig has additionally directed episodes of shows such as The Office and Arrested Development (which I can’t help but mention are two fantastic shows). While those are very notable, Bridesmaids will most likely be his most famous project, seeing that audiences and critics alike have praised it. Though it runs at a little over two hours and some parts seem a bit prolonged, Bridesmaids is a great comedy, and I highly recommend it.

Video

Bridesmaids is presented in magnificent 1080p, 2.40:1. Let me say that this is by far one of the best-looking Blu-ray’s of all time. Every shot looks fantastic. Let’s start with the city shots; all of the parts in Chicago and Milwaukee are exceptional and extraordinarily detail oriented. Riding on the subject of detail, these characters can be seen in such sharp, clear, and concise detail. There are many colorful uses of saturated colors, and shine during nearly every scene, but stands out the most at the ending fountain wedding. A stunningly beautiful video quality.

Audio

Special Features

Well, this movie seems to be getting four stars or higher on every level, which is good because it completely deserves it. The special feature category is no exception:

Theatrical and Unrated Versions of the Film: Theatrical (2:04:58) and Unrated (2:10:17).

Gag Reel: Pretty self explanatory, ten minutes of riotous bloopers.

Line-O-Rama: Individual cast members improvising hilarious jokes.

Made of Honor: Behind the Scenes of Bridesmaids: Somewhat interesting documentary lasts a half hour. It kept me entertained, but could have been cut a bit shorter

Extended and Alternate Scenes: About 50 minutes of really funny scenes that were cut short. The scene with Jon Hamm and Wiig is the most notable scene.

Deleted Scenes: This is only a small portion of the number of deleted scenes on here. These scenes include shopping with Wiig and co. and a car scene. The rest of the additional deleted scenes are as follows:

Blind Date: A scene that was cut featuring Paul Rudd as a counselor.

Roomates: Moments involving Wiig and her two roommates that weren’t in the final cut.

Cholodecki’s: Scenes that take place in the jewelry store Wiig’s character works at and a fake commercial for the store.

Drunk-O-Rama: Improvisation from the plane sequence.

Pep Talk: Bloopers from the tennis match between Wiig and Byrne.

Annie vs. Helen: Another great batch of outtakes with the Wiig and Bryne.

Hold On: Full Wilson Phillips video of their song “Hold On” that was sang at the end of the film.

Feature Commentary with Director Paul Feig, Co-Writer Annie Mumolo and Cast Members Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper: The whole enchilada. Spectacular commentary track featuring most of the major cast members. The feature you won’t want to miss.

Final Thoughts

Bridesmaids is a one-of-a-kind film, with a one-of-a-kind cast, and a one-of-a-kind Blu-ray. If you were choosing whether or not to get this, GET IT! This Blu-ray is jam-packed with spectacular video, audio, and an array of extensive special features that should keep one busy for hours and hours. A great movie, a great Blu-ray, a great time.

Order Bridesmaids on Blu-ray!