Meet Dave Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray video presentation of "Meet Dave" offers a high-definition transfer framed at 1.85:1 and encoded in 1080p. The attention to fine detail is commendable, particularly in exterior shots of New York City, which exhibit realistic textures and intricate details that contribute to a film-like appearance. The transfer showcases nicely saturated colors, though it features a pervasive reddish tint that sometimes affects flesh tones, giving them a warm, red/orange hue. This can vary from natural to slightly enhanced, depending on the scene. Bright scenes occasionally appear a bit overexposed, resulting in slightly washed-out whites and muted colors, yet blacks generally remain stable with good shadow delineation.

The overall visual experience is enhanced by dynamic contrast and vibrant hues, contributing to an engaging viewing experience despite some inconsistencies. While the image often presents fantastic detail with ample depth, it does encounter some challenges in specific scenes where colors look somewhat soft and washed out. However, these are interspersed with sections where the color palette is bright and alluring. Flesh tones exhibit significant variability without clear correlation to lighting conditions or location but typically stay within a realistic depiction.

In summary, "Meet Dave" on Blu-ray provides a strong high-definition transfer that, while not reference-grade, delivers an engaging and visually cohesive experience. The transfer excels in detailed portrayals and dynamic range despite occasional issues with color uniformity and brightness.

The audio presentation of "Meet Dave" on Blu-ray is delivered through an energetic DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack, showcasing a rich sonic landscape that immerses the viewer in the film's quirky adventures. The soundtrack is robust with significant bass activity that frequently reverberates through the floorboards, enhancing the immersive experience. Noteworthy is the sound effects placement throughout the surround stage, offering superb precision and clarity. This helps to create a thoroughly engaging 360-degree atmosphere, particularly noticeable in scenes that involve complex sound staging like those in the Havana restaurant where music and ambient sounds are rendered with remarkable accuracy.

Dialogue delivery is consistently clear and natural, ensuring that verbal exchanges are easily understood amidst the dynamic audio backdrop. The film also leverages discrete surround effects to bolster its front-heavy scenes, making even quieter moments feel enveloping and alive. A standout auditory scene occurs in chapter seven, where Starship Dave listens to headphones, generating a cacophony of bass sounds within the ship. This particular moment showcases deliberate muddy bass to align with the chaotic scene, adding an additional layer of character to the audio design.

"Meet Dave’s" soundtrack maintains a balance between the lively auditory elements and more restrained moments typical for a comedy film. It delivers a well-above average audio performance that complements the visual components seamlessly, ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience across varied scenes without overwhelming the viewer with constant audio intensity.

The Blu-ray release of "Meet Dave" offers a suite of engaging extras that provide fans with a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the film. Among the features are three segments presented by Fox Movie Channel, including "Life After Film School" with director Brian Robbins, discussing his insights and experiences, "Making a Scene," which delves into the creation of an effects-heavy scene, and the "World Premiere," capturing interviews with cast and crew on the red carpet. Additionally, "The Making of Meet Dave" featurette examines the film's origins, script appeal, and behind-the-scenes footage. An interactive "Crew Profiles" segment allows deeper exploration of the Starship's team. The disc is rounded off with a humorous gag reel, four deleted scenes, and an alternate ending, all presented in high definition.

Extras included in this disc:

• (HD) Crew Profiles: Interactive feature about the Starship's crew.
• (HD) Gag Reel: Humorous outtakes.
• (HD) 4 Deleted Scenes: Unused footage from the movie.
• (HD) Alternate Ending: Different conclusion to the film.
• (HD) The Making of Meet Dave: Featurette on origins and production.
• Life After Film School With Director Brian Robbins: Interview with the director by students.
• Making a Scene: Examination of an effects-heavy scene.
• World Premiere: Red carpet interviews with cast and crew.

Fox's Blu-ray release of Meet Dave delivers Eddie Murphy in a dual role that demands more from his acting and comedic abilities than his earlier works reliant on heavy makeup and visual gags. Murphy's performance is commendable, assuming the roles of both a tiny, high-strung alien captain and his human-sized vessel. The film's premise—an alien spaceship in human form navigating Earth's culture to save its home planet—proves sufficiently original, albeit executed through generic comedy tropes. Murphy's interactions, especially attempting basic human actions like a handshake or adjusting his voice for typical human dialogue, yield numerous laugh-out-loud moments. Although Meet Dave isn't Murphy's finest outing, it provides a lighthearted, family-friendly experience with regular laughs and charmingly awkward moments.

The narrative follows Starship Dave and its crew of miniature, English-speaking aliens as they search for a powerful orb to extract salt from Earth's oceans to save their planet. This plot converges with the lives of an Earth woman, Gina (Elizabeth Banks), and her son, Josh (Austin Lynd Myers), resulting in comical yet predictable entanglements. The supporting cast delivers modest performances, with Marc Blucas standing out in a minor yet notable role. While the comedic elements of Meet Dave hold strong, the film struggles with its dramatic elements and plot devices, such as the forced romance between Murphy's characters and the subplot involving a zealous police officer (Scott Caan). The film's visual effects are inconsistent, occasionally detracting from the overall experience.

In summary, Meet Dave is anchored by Murphy’s dual performance and its unique storyline, offering viewers a decent 90-minute romp. Despite its flaws in plot coherence and special effects, it remains an entertaining watch for those seeking a lighthearted comedy without serious expectations.

Meet Dave delivers a light-hearted, family-friendly comedy with Eddie Murphy's commendable dual performances at its core. The film primarily relies on various comedic sketches centered around Starship Dave's attempts to navigate modern culture, making it enjoyable if somewhat lowbrow. While it certainly doesn't qualify as a classic or an exceptional cinematic achievement, it offers passable entertainment for viewers looking for an easygoing movie experience. Film purists might shy away, but general audiences searching for a fun, slightly quirky comedy can find some satisfaction here.

From a technical standpoint, Meet Dave arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox, presenting a largely average package. The disc features decent quality video and audio presentations that should suffice for most home viewing setups, though they fail to distinguish themselves as exemplary within the format. Despite the film’s lackluster performance at the box office, the Blu-ray manages to capture the film’s vibrant scenes and dynamic soundtracks adequately, albeit unremarkably. The supplemental features are minimal, which is disappointing given today’s standard expectations for Blu-ray extras.

In conclusion, Meet Dave is far from a cinematic masterpiece but provides harmless fun suitable for family movie night. Given its relatively high MSRP, this Blu-ray is arguably best enjoyed as a rental rather than a purchase. If you're in the mood for some light-hearted laughs delivered by Eddie Murphy’s interesting performances, Meet Dave may just fit the bill.