Where to Invade Next Blu-ray Review

"Where to Invade Next" delivers a competent 1080p transfer that largely reflects its digital shooting format. The presentation is framed in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, slightly adjusted from its 1.85:1 theatrical release. Throughout the documentary, there is a consistent presence of light-to-moderate noise and occasional aliasing, but these issues do not significantly detract from the viewing experience. The detail is reasonably good, with facial features, clothing textures, and European architecture captured appreciably. However, the film does maintain a midrange digital glossiness and flatness that could be seen as lacking visual complexity.

Colors are a strong point of this Blu-ray transfer, with cheerful and balanced hues that include lifelike flesh tones and vibrant clothing. Various scenes showcase a decent sense of depth, although some parts inevitably appear flat due to the interview-centric format of the documentary. Skin tones remain neutral and consistent, while black levels are generally satisfactory, despite the film rarely presenting sufficiently dark scenes to test their limits.

The primary footage is occasionally interspersed with archival materials, whose quality varies based on the source but does not notably disrupt the overall presentation. Technical details such as MPEG-4 AVC encoding ensure a clear picture, suitable for the film's straightforward visual style. Noise and artifacts are minimal, confirming that "Where to Invade Next" offers a visually enjoyable but not standout presentation. Viewers can expect a clean and colorful film that perfectly complements Michael Moore's style, with only minor caveats regarding noise and aliasing.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack of "Where to Invade Next" remarkably complements the documentary's talk-heavy nature with nuanced audio detailing and impressive clarity. It opens significantly with enveloping militaristic details and a helicopter's immersive rotor sounds. This initial impact sets an unexpectedly high standard for a documentary, delivering potent bass, extensive soundstage spacing, and clear articulation. Dialogues are prominently focused in the center channel, allowing them to come through crisply and without distortion, despite various international locations and a mix of recording conditions.

Despite being a predominantly dialogue-driven film, the surround channels occasionally spring to life, featuring interactive ambient noises and swirling sound bytes that add an engaging depth to the experience. While the low-frequency extension isn't continuously active, moments like a bullet train zipping through the soundstage demonstrate its powerful potential. Although some minor cases of ADR are detectable, they stem from the film's production rather than any defect in the audio track. The soundtrack maintains its integrity with no noticeable dropouts or muddiness throughout.

Overall, the audio manages to balance straightforward dialogue clarity with immersive sound effects where applicable. The dynamic range is sufficient for the film’s demands, maintaining dialogue priority while delivering environmental elements effectively. For those wondering about additional accessibility, subtitles are available in English SDH and Spanish, ensuring a broader audience can enjoy this well-engineered audio experience.

This Blu-ray release of "Where to Invade Next" unfortunately lacks any supplemental content that would enhance the viewing experience. There are no digital or DVD copies included, and no bonus materials or features, which is disappointing for a documentary that holds such significant educational and cultural value. Potential buyers should note the absence of any additional insights or behind-the-scenes content that could have enriched their understanding of the film's production and subject matter.

Extras included in this disc:

Features Include: Nothing

In "Where to Invade Next," Michael Moore embarks on an engaging travelogue that delves into various progressive social and political systems across Europe and beyond, with a specific intent to highlight their potential applicability in the United States. The narrative starts in Italy, where Moore showcases the benefits of substantial paid vacations and lengthy lunch breaks, establishes a significant contrast with the overworked American workforce. His journey spans numerous countries, including France, Slovenia, Germany, Portugal, Norway, and Tunisia, examining topics from superior school lunches and free higher education to progressive drug laws and humane prison systems. Each example is meant to underline the deficiencies within the American system by presenting an ostensibly utopian alternative from these nations.

Moore's approach is predictably one-sided, spotlighting only the positives of the foreign systems without addressing potential drawbacks or counterarguments. He avoids deep dives into the complexities of these policies, instead offering a cursory yet compelling look at how different societal constructs function. His interviews with citizens and officials from these countries consistently feature astonishment at the backwardness of similar American systems, creating a humorous yet critical tone throughout the documentary. The structure of the documentary is designed to entertain while espousing Moore’s progressive ideologies, ultimately framing it as a two-hour infomercial advocating for liberal policies.

The film’s effectiveness lies not only in its insightful content but also in its entertaining delivery. Moore’s characteristic charm and humor permeate throughout the documentary, making complex issues relatable and engaging. The director’s charisma ensures that even those who are politically opposed to his views can find the journey interesting. Yet, it's clear that the film is a projection of Moore's vision for America, heavily skewing towards progressive ideals with limited presentation of opposing viewpoints. This amalgamation of travelogue, social critique, and humor makes "Where to Invade Next" a distinctive and thought-provoking piece in Michael Moore's oeuvre.

Michael Moore's "Where to Invade Next" on Blu-ray provides an engaging and accessible look at social reforms around the globe. While the film undeniably aligns with Moore's progressive views, it also showcases his trademark humor and narrative style, making complex social issues more approachable for a broad audience. The Blu-ray features decent video and good audio quality, though it lacks supplemental content, which might disappoint some viewers.

Moore's film is unapologetically one-sided, advocating for policies like free college education and various social reforms seen in other countries. Yet his playful and somewhat rambling presentation style keeps the film entertaining even for those who might not share his political stance. It’s a bit lengthy, but Moore's comfort in this territory ensures a largely enjoyable experience, particularly for his supporters.

Feelings about the film will diverge based on political views. Progressive viewers will likely find it refreshing and aligning with their aspirations, while conservatives may find it tolerable due to its lighter tone compared to some of Moore's previous works. Regardless of political leanings, "Where to Invade Next" offers insightful comparisons to U.S. policies, making it a worthwhile watch. However, the absence of bonus features on the Blu-ray release detracts slightly from its overall value.

Just as films from, say, Dinesh D'Souza won't win over any converts entrenched on the political left, "Where to Invade Next" won't win over any converts entrenched on the political right. Moore's film could almost pass for a two-hour commercial for Bernie Sanders, a Presidential candidate he endorsed on his website earlier in this election cycle; the film espouses many of the Vermont senator's campaign promises, such as free college education and various social reforms. The film plays with an overtly snide but, at the same time, halfway entertaining style. It's a bit too long in the tooth but Moore's agreeable style, at least when he's in his comfort zone (which is most of the movie), makes the film a blast for his backers and a tolerable watch even for his opponents. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of "Where to Invade Next" features decent video, good audio, and no supplemental content. Progressive minded audiences have probably already purchased. Conservative viewers should probably pass, though the film shouldn't make the blood boil quite so deeply as some of Moore's other cinematic excursions, if only for its more playful, in some ways rambling and harmless, nature.