Blended Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray video presentation of "Blended" boasts an impressive 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 encode, providing a strikingly sharp image with vibrant colors and excellent detail. The warm and rich color palette, featuring beautifully saturated skin tones and vibrant primaries, enhances the visual experience, particularly during outdoor sequences in the lush settings of the South African vacation resort. Blacks are deep and inky, adding substantial depth to the image, though some scenes exhibit slight crush. The sharpness is commendable throughout, with refined edges and clear delineation of textures, such as the intricate patterns on a little league baseball field or the various costumes in the film. The encode exhibits a high level of clarity without the distraction of macroblocking, banding, aliasing, or other artifacts.

The depth of field is well-managed, contributing to a consistent visual experience across diverse locations and varied lighting conditions. While some facial features appear slightly flat at times, the overall detail remains notably high, capturing fine elements from costumes to set designs. The film's contrast ratio ensures that whites are well-balanced without appearing overblown, complementing strong black levels that provide rich shadows and full-bodied black tones devoid of banding. Terry Crews' colorful wardrobe and Sandler’s signature tracksuits stand out vividly against the picturesque backdrop, showcasing the Blu-ray’s excellent color reproduction. Despite a few dark sequences where detail might be obscured, the presentation successfully maintains a clean and engaging image throughout the film.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track for "Blended" offers a remarkably immersive audio experience beyond the average comedy's lossless presentation. Initially, the soundfield is slightly front-heavy but gains depth and dimensionality as the film progresses, especially upon arrival in Africa. The audio mix excels in capturing the exotic ambiance, from the bustling park scenes to the adventurous safari sequences. LFE output is robust and impactful, enhancing scenes like ostrich-riding and rhino encounters with considerable weight and presence. Furthermore, rear speakers are utilized effectively, ensuring precise and playful directional effects that significantly elevate the slapstick humor. Dialogue clarity is consistently maintained, with pronounced prioritization and no discernible issues.

The soundtrack, richly inspired by 'Lion King'-esque elements, is cleverly integrated into the audio mix, ensuring an engaging experience while preserving the clarity of dialogue and sound effects. Center channel speakers primarily handle dialogue, though they employ multiple channels for musical numbers, which keeps the audio dynamic and context-aware. The mix makes extensive use of rear channels for ambient noise and background dialogue, contributing to the immersion and creating a believable atmosphere, even if some sound effects lack excitement. Noteworthy scenes, such as parasailing, benefit from subtle yet effective LFE presence.

Additionally, the dynamic range is extensive but balanced, with each sound rendered crisply and distinctly. Music and score levels are higher than sound effects and dialogue but do so without overshadowing important audio elements. Surround sound presentation shines during key moments, especially in action sequences involving left-to-right movement, most notably during the ostrich race scene. The audio format includes English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, with French, Spanish, and Portuguese in Dolby Digital 5.1, ensuring a broad linguistic accessibility without compromising audio quality.

The Blu-ray extras for "Blended" offer a range of short featurettes that provide insights into the location scouting, special effects, cast dynamics, and behind-the-scenes moments. While the content is brief, the snippets include actors interacting with baby animals, exploring filming locations in Africa and Georgia, and explaining special effects like CGI ostriches. Highlights also include Shaquille O'Neal's humorous moments in a sporting goods store and a short look at the chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. A gag reel and deleted scenes segment are also provided, although some viewers might find these offerings lack depth.

Extras included in this disc:

• Safari: Scouting locations in Africa with the crew.
• Animals: Cast interacts with South African wildlife.
• Parasailing: Behind-the-scenes of Barrymore's stunt.
• Ostriches: Creation of CGI ostrich scenes.
• Dick’s Customer Service: Shaquille O'Neal in comedic scenarios.
• Herlihoops: Basketball Actor: Producer Tim Herlihy's cameo.
• Adam & Drew: Back Together Again: Insights on their partnership.
• Bella Thorne’s Makeover: Transformation insights for the actress.
• Nickens: Terry Crews on his character's quirks.
• Gag Reel: Compilation of bloopers.
• Deleted Scenes: Series of extended and alternate takes.
• Georgia: Filming locations comparison between Georgia and South Africa.

"Blended" struggles to find a cohesive tone, precariously balancing between crass humor and heartfelt moments. The film follows divorced mother Lauren (Drew Barrymore) and widower Jim (Adam Sandler), who, after a disastrous blind date, find themselves sharing an African safari resort with their kids. The initial set-up promises an exploration of single parenting, healing from loss, and new love, but it quickly succumbs to a series of juvenile jokes and mean-spirited antics that undermine its more poignant themes.

One notable aspect is the film's inconsistent tone. A touching scene where Lauren sings a lullaby to Jim's daughter Lou is immediately preceded by outdated bathroom humor and followed by unnecessary jump scares. This disrupts the emotional rhythm, making it difficult for the audience to remain engaged. Although Sandler and Barrymore's chemistry is evident, other elements, such as the one-dimensional roles assigned to Lauren's sons and various resort characters, often fall flat or feel shoehorned into the narrative.

Shot partially in South Africa, "Blended" misses opportunities to explore its exotic setting. The cinematography feels oddly claustrophobic, failing to capture the grandeur of the safari location. Technically, the film is marred by excessive dialogue and lacks the visual scope expected from such a setting. Furthermore, certain performances from supporting actors like Terry Crews add fleeting energy but cannot compensate for the film's overall lack of coherence.

In essence, "Blended" results in a disjointed narrative where moments of genuine emotion are overshadowed by pervasive sophomoric humor. While it has brief flashes of charm and laugh-worthy scenes, these are overshadowed by a muddled script that neither fully commits to its comedic nor dramatic potential.

Blended straddles an awkward line between juvenile humor and more serious themes, resulting in a disjointed comedic experience. While Sandler and Barrymore lack the spark of their previous collaborations, there are still moments that manage to keep the story moving. The jokes, however, range from flat to forced observations, relying heavily on Terry Crews to inject energy, albeit his performance wears thin over the film’s duration. Despite these narrative shortcomings, Warner's Blu-ray release of Blended redeems itself with superb technical aspects - offering impressive video quality and an equally strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track.

The Blu-ray's visual presentation is crisp and detailed, providing excellent clarity and vibrant colors which enhance the film’s scenic backdrops. The audio track complements the visuals nicely, producing clear dialogue and robust sound effects that envelop the viewer in a dynamic auditory experience. The supplemental package, while somewhat superficial for some, includes fun if ultimately inconsequential extras that could entertain die-hard fans. Even though the additional content may not add much value to casual viewers, the solid A/V specifications elevate the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, Blended might not be a standout in terms of storytelling or comedic brilliance, but Warner Bros has produced a high-quality Blu-ray release that emphasizes the film's strengths. Prospective viewers should consider renting before purchasing, as opinions on the film's comedic style may vary significantly. However, those who appreciate Sandler and Barrymore’s prior work and unwavering support for their films will find this Blu-ray a technically strong addition to their collection.