Why So Blu?

Trainwreck — Unrated Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Amy Schumer has likely had many of her comedy dreams come true this year. She won an Emmy for her work on Inside Amy Schumer, went on a high profile comedy tour, which included a live performance at the Apollo Theater that turned into an HBO special directed by Chris Rock and wrote and starred in a critically acclaimed feature film. Trainwreck is not breaking the mold of comedies, but it is quite enjoyable, with all sorts of great comedic moments. Fittingly, the Blu-ray is packed with extra material, so read on to learn more about this 2015 summer rom-com.

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Film:

Even if it hits all the beats of a typical romantic comedy (with roles reversed), Trainwreck is a fun film. Amy Schumer’s brand of comedy may be for everyone, but she is a comedic force to be reckoned with. Having teamed with director Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40), Schumer had the chance to tell her story to a point and get away with a lot of great gags.

Loosely based on Schumer’s own life, Trainwreck features her as Amy, a successful magazine writer who has grown up with the idea that monogamy is ridiculous, thanks to her father played by Colin Quinn. As a result, Amy has had many men in her life and no plans for commitment. Things change when she meets a sports doctor (Bill Hader) whom she is on assignment to interview. The two hit it off, but Amy’s lifestyle eventually starts to cause problems.

There is a female-oriented take here will either be considered transgressive or progressive, but it is at least somewhat refreshing and a funny way to take it. Schumer’s screenplay does not exactly open new thematic doors, but it also doesn’t have to.

Strangely, given the acclaim Inside Amy Schumer has received for its take on topics such as sexuality and gender roles, Trainwreck feels like its holding back. Instead, the film is more like an origin story of Schumer’s big-screen career, and she will hopefully go on to do something more extreme in future projects. For now, Trainwreck is a competent showcase for her comedic timing as well as a look at what she can offer dramatically.

This must be refreshing for Apatow. Having used film to basically reflect his own life and the anxiety he has been dealing with as a family man, Trainwreck is a lot simpler, yet undeniably straight out of Apatow’s world of comedy. In typical Apatow form, the film is shaggy. Many scenes are extended bits for the cast to throw in one-liners. The problems with the extended bits are the way in which people suddenly don’t feel human in many instances. It’s more like people doing comedy bits, because why not.

When the film doesn’t focus on the fairly low dramatic stakes in the main relationship plot, it spends plenty of time hanging out with the supporting cast. In addition to Schumer and Hader, the film also stars Brie Larson, Mike Birbiglia, Tilda Swinton, John Cena and LeBron James. Yes, the cast is pretty eclectic, but everyone does a great job. Cena and James in particular add a lot of enjoyment to the film and make me look forward to seeing more from them.

Really though, there’s no mistaking that Trainwreck is all about Schumer. Thanks to the mix of comedy and real dramatic material giving her, Larson and Quinn some heavy scenes to tackle, Schumer shows she has what it takes to move onto more interesting projects. Additionally, her winning chemistry with Hader, who is great here, elevates Trainwreck from being merely enjoyable.

Trainwreck may not enter the pantheon of comedies, but it is very funny, full of heart and features enough dramatic material to sell you on the characters. We’ll see what happens with Schumer in future projects, but even where this film stumbles, there is plenty of great work done to make it an enjoyable watch.

 

Video:

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Clarity/Detail: One has to hand it to Judd Apatow, who has come a long way from the fairly flat-looking 40-Year Old Virgin. Much like his previous two films, Trainwreck is a well-shot movie that makes good use of the New York setting and presents a cinematic look at the raunchy life of Amy Schumer. The mix of indoor and outdoor locations work well as far as showing lots of detail.

Depth: The film is not too visually complicated, but moments do stick out involving the large crowds found in many scenes involving sports games and club scenes.

Black Levels: Black levels are solid. No signs of crush, with the many nighttime scenes playing very well.

Color Reproduction: Characters were a lot of colorful costumes, which pop quite nicely. Particularly in the offices and the sports arena, where this film comes alive with imagery.

Flesh Tones: Facial textures register wonderfully and it’s a large cast to see quite clearly here.

Noise/Artifacts: None.

 

Audio:

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DVS Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish and French DTS Digital Surround 5.1

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Dynamics: This is a dialogue-based film, but again, Apatow has become a very confident filmmaker who can provide plenty great audio to accompany the various characters talking. Jon Brion’s score and the various music tracks all play well, without overshadowing the actors.

Low Frequency Extension: There are some club scenes and sports games that allow for deeper moments on the LFE channel.

Surround Sound Presentation: The lossless soundtrack allows for a wonderful presentation spread across the various channels. There is a great level of balance here that supports both the louder moments and the ambiance that comes with quieter scenes.

Dialogue Reproduction: Everyone can be heard and it all sounds great.

 

Extras:

There may not be another major release from this year that has nearly as many extra features. Trainwreck is packed with extras that are both funny and informative about the filmmaking process. This disc really has it all.

Features Include:

• Unrated Version of the Film (HD, 2:09:00) – The added material is what you’d expect. Some extended bits that add either a little more comedy or a few more character beats. It’s only 4 more minutes, but if you enjoy what it has to offer, enjoy.
• Feature Commentary with Director Judd Apatow, Writer/Star Amy Schumer and Associate Producer Kim Caramele – A great compliment to the film, as it has Apatow and sisters Schumer and Caramele digging into how the film developed, what worked during production and the basic relationship between friends and family. A funny and insightful listen for commentary fans.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 45:44)
• Extended/Alternate Scenes (HD, 49:06)
• Secrets of the Wu (HD, 2:21) – Method Man discusses the philosophies of the Wu Tang Clan with 100-year old actor Norman Lloyd
• The Dogwalker (HD, 4:09) – The whole cut of the film-within-the-film, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Marissa Tomei
• Gag Reel (HD, 12:42)
• Line-O-Rama (HD, 8:11) – The highlights are easily all John Cena-related. The guy is a riot.
• Directing Athletes: A Blood Sport (HD, 9:45) – Director Judd Apatow coaches athletes into giving good performances. It’s a mix of comedy and some seriousness involving the steps taken to make these guys look good on film.
• Behind-The-Scenes (HD, 1:28:40) – Divided into individual segments, this bonus gives you insight into almost every major aspect of the production, which is pretty terrific to see unfold.
• Trainwreck Comedy Tour (HD, 1:30:00) – Here’s a look at the comedy/promotional tour, which featured a lot of the main cast traveling all over North America to put on a show and promote the movie. There’s a lot of great stuff here, as you have a lot of funny people doing their thing and interacting with each other backstage as well.
• Red Band Trailer (HD, 3:03)
• DVD Copy of the Film
• Digital HD Copy with UltraViolet and iTunes

Summary:

If you like this film even more than I did, then Trainwreck is a pretty spectacular Blu-ray all around. This disc is packed with extra features and looks and sounds magnificent. If the film took a few more chances, I would have liked it more, but it is still very fun to watch and easy to rewatch, which is usually the case with most Apatow films. Schumer fans should especially be satisfied, but there are so many funny people here, with plenty of extras to give you more of them.

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