Unfinished Business Blu-ray Review

"Unfinished Business" is presented with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, and it offers a highly pleasing visual experience. The film benefits greatly from being shot on 35mm film, which provides commendable depth and texture. This is evident in the scenic use of Berlin, which forms a bulk of the film's runtime. Colors are natural and well-saturated, with a fall-like palette highlighted by ambers and rustic reds. Black levels are strong, maintaining a consistent contrast and excellent detail, enabling viewers to discern facial features and intricate clothing patterns with ease.

The transfer boasts strong sharpness and clarity while maintaining consistent spatial depth throughout the presentation. A few scenes—particularly long nightclub sequences—suffer from minimal shadow detail issues, and one stoned sequence exhibits minor banding in visual effects. Nonetheless, these issues are minor and don't detract significantly from the overall quality. Facial tones are balanced and natural without leaning too pink or pale, keeping characters looking healthy and avoiding "bar tan" effects.

In terms of technical specifics, the Blu-ray presentation excels with no noticeable crush in black levels and an impressive vibrancy in color reproduction. The warmer tones during scenes set in St. Louis contrast effectively with the cooler atmospheres in Europe. No distracting noise or artifacts were noted during viewing, save for minor cases that seem intentional, such as scenes involving tear gas against protestors. Overall, this Blu-ray release is a rock-solid HD presentation that does justice to the film’s visual storytelling.

The audio presentation of "Unfinished Business" on Blu-Ray is delivered through a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that exhibits an impressive dynamic range and fidelity, particularly for a comedy. The dialogue is rendered with exceptional clarity, ensuring that the film’s numerous conversational exchanges remain crisp and intelligible. This level of clarity extends to the film's score, which spreads smoothly through the surround channels, enveloping the listener without overpowering the primary audio elements. Notably, sequences like the G8 summit protest and an exuberant party scene in Germany showcase the audio track's ability to spring to life, utilizing the full spatial capabilities of the 5.1 setup to create an immersive auditory experience.

Despite the film’s prevalent dialogue-heavy scenes keeping much of the action centered around the front channels, the audio track adeptly engages the rear and side speakers during busier sequences. This spatial utilization is particularly evident when the characters interact with large crowds or during German nightlife scenes, where ambient noises are effectively channeled through the surround sound setup, enhancing the sense of place and activity. The balance levels throughout are carefully maintained, preventing any overwhelming spikes in volume and preserving a consistent midrange listening experience.

Additional language options include Spanish, French, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, and Turkish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, though these do not match the depth and richness of the English DTS-HD Master Audio. The audio mix also benefits from robust low-frequency extension (LFE), especially noticeable during scenes involving protests and nightclub events, further amplifying the immersive nature of these moments. Overall, "Unfinished Business" offers a well-executed audio presentation that enhances the viewing experience with its wide dynamic range, excellent dialogue reproduction, and engaging surround sound implementation.

The extras on the "Unfinished Business" Blu-ray offer a robust but standard selection, enhancing the viewing experience with a blend of deleted footage and behind-the-scenes insights. The 30-minute collection of deleted and alternate scenes provides a glimpse into the film's editing process, indicating the significant effort to refine its narrative. "Show Me Your Business" is a conventional EPK featurette that briefly covers the making of the film but adds little depth. The photo gallery allows for manual or auto-navigation, offering visual highlights from the production. This package complements the main feature while maintaining a professional tone throughout.

Extras included in this disc:

• Deleted and Alternate Scenes: A substantial 30-minute collection of cut material.
• Show Me Your Business: A brief, standard EPK featurette on the making of the film.
• Gallery: Offers both manual and auto-advance viewing options for production stills.
• Theatrical Trailer: The film’s original promotional trailer.

"Unfinished Business" stars Vince Vaughn as Dan Trunkman, a fed-up employee who quits his job after a pay cut and starts his own company with aging colleague Tim McWinters (Tom Wilkinson) and naive newcomer Mike Pancake (Dave Franco). The movie kicks off energetically but struggles to maintain a consistent comedic tone. Its setup, involving elaborate business trips and quirky overseas misadventures, generates some sporadic laughs, such as a scene where Dan becomes part of a German art installation.

However, the film falters with tonally jarring subplots. Dan's personal life, especially his strained relationship with his children dealing with bullying, disrupts any comedic flow. The attempts to blend serious family issues with raunchy humor feel misplaced. Tim's escapades with sexual experimentation and Mike’s character, potentially hinting at Asperger Syndrome, also fail to mesh well with the overall comedic intent, leading to awkward and often uncomfortable moments.

While some antics in Germany, such as Oktoberfest shenanigans and encounters at S&M clubs, add a hint of madness, they are drowned out by the over-reliance on Vaughn's motormouth comedy, which becomes exhausting rather than entertaining. The lack of cohesive direction makes "Unfinished Business" feel more like a series of disjointed sketches than a unified film. Despite its earnest attempts and moments of hilarity, "Unfinished Business" ultimately fails to deliver consistent laughs or compelling drama.

"Unfinished Business" offers an experience that juxtaposes surprising moments of intelligence with an overall lackluster comedic atmosphere. Unfortunately, the film struggles to find a consistent tone, with raucous scenes overwhelming the few nuanced instances, particularly those involving Dan's children. The cast makes an admirable effort to elevate the material, but ultimately, the disjointed nature of the script and its reliance on loud humor over character-driven content prevent it from reaching its full potential.

Technically, the Blu-ray release of "Unfinished Business" shines in both audio and visual quality. The transfer is near reference-level, delivering crisp visuals and dynamic sound that enhance the viewing experience. However, the disc falls short in terms of special features, providing only a handful of extras that may leave dedicated fans wanting more. Despite these limitations, the technical presentation is commendable and stands out as a strong point for those considering a purchase.

In conclusion, "Unfinished Business" contains some surprisingly clever elements but ultimately fails to deliver a cohesive comedic experience. The scattered smart scenes feel out of place amidst the broader attempts at humor that seldom hit the mark. While the Blu-ray edition boasts excellent A/V quality, it offers limited extra content. For those curious, a rental may be more advisable than an outright purchase, but if committed to owning the film, the Blu-ray is definitely the preferred option for its superior technical merits.