The Brothers Grimsby Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray transfer of "The Brothers Grimsby" is a solid 1080p presentation, offering impressive clarity and a substantial amount of detail. Textural elements shine, whether they be faces, clothes, or more intricate surface details found in Nobby's home and his favorite local pub. The digitally sourced image maintains a fine balance, devoid of digital smoothness or excessive glossiness. The color palette is naturally vibrant and well-balanced, showcasing lifelike saturation even with aggressive hues such as the nearly neon green on police cars. Flesh tones are consistently natural, and black levels are deep and accurate, contributing to an overall first-class 1080p presentation from Sony.

Technically, the encoding uses MPEG-4 AVC at a resolution of 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film offers excellent depth and a strong sense of space, crucial for a movie oscillating between action and comedy. Black levels exhibit no signs of crush and remain pleasing throughout the runtime. Color reproduction is robust, making scenes set in both England and more exotic locales equally captivating. From various costume details to diverse environmental settings, the film consistently presents vivid colors. Notably, flesh tones retain a high level of detail and texture, enhancing the viewing experience. Importantly, the transfer is clean, with no noticeable noise or artifacts marring the picture quality.

"The Brothers Grimsby" features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that delivers an aggressive and exciting auditory experience. The track excels across the entire sound spectrum, from fluidly spaced musical delivery to the well-defined notes that saturate the listening area. Particularly noteworthy is the robust yet balanced low-end support, which never feels overbearing. The action sequences are a highlight, utilizing the 5.1 configuration to create a thoroughly engaging soundstage filled with dynamic gunfire, explosions, and other effects. Ambient sounds are precisely rendered, adding depth and detail, especially in busy scenes like bars or sporting events. Dialogue remains clear and naturally centered, ensuring comprehensibility amidst the chaos.

In terms of technical details, the disc offers English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA alongside an English audio description track in 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, Spanish, and French. The soundtrack makes excellent use of dynamics to enhance both action and comedic elements, with the LFE channel delivering a satisfying punch during explosive moments. The surround sound presentation effectively utilizes all channels, providing a well-rounded auditory experience. While the audio is mostly center-focused, background noises, action scenes, and the score are rendered with impressive clarity and spatial accuracy. Overall, dialogue reproduction remains consistent and clear throughout the film.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Brothers Grimsby" provide a well-rounded, albeit standard, offering of bonus content designed to enhance the viewer's experience. The highlights include insightful making-of features and some amusing outtakes, showcasing the cast and crew's dedication and humor. Fans of the film will appreciate the in-depth discussions about key scenes and production challenges, while casual viewers may enjoy the lighter moments found in the gag reel and deleted scenes. This collection of extras is sufficient to provide additional context and entertainment without overwhelming the audience with superfluous content.

Extras included in this disc:

Line O Rama: Humorous outtakes from various moments.

Gag Reel: Collection of humorous behind-the-scenes moments.

Deleted Scenes: Includes Job Interview, Pump Up Speech, and Cardinal Burns Forensics.

Extended Scenes: Features extended cuts of Cargo Plane, Elephant Vagina, and Bath Tub scenes.

The Making of The Brothers Grimsby: Comprehensive look into the film's production with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

The Elephant in the Room: Detailed discussion on the filming of the elephant sex scene.

Previews: Additional Sony titles.

UltraViolet Copy of the Film

Louis Leterrier’s "The Brothers Grimsby," conceptualized by Sacha Baron Cohen, is a film that fearlessly traverses the realm of crude humor, but not without ample doses of explicit content that push its comedic intent to uncomfortable extremes. Revolting nearly to the point of unwatchability in some instances, the film blends comedy and action in a narrative that follows Nobby (Cohen), a dim-witted football enthusiast from Grimsby, in his relentless quest to reunite with his long-lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong). What was supposed to be a heartfelt reunion turns chaotic as Sebastian, a sophisticated MI6 operative, gets entangled in a dangerously absurd adventure alongside his brother.

While Cohen and Strong share commendable sibling chemistry, the plot primarily serves as a vehicle for outlandish gags and audacious stunts. Despite its aim at satirical humor and over-the-top action sequences reminiscent of a first-person shooter game, the film spirals into discomforting territory with scenes that include extreme sexual content and bodily grotesqueries. These moments, particularly involving bestiality, are so excessive they detract from the underlying comedic value and leave a lasting note of distaste.

However, not all is irredeemable in "The Brothers Grimsby." The film leverages its supporting cast effectively, including surprisingly game performances from actors like Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane, who manage to keep their heads above the chaotic script. The technical direction by Leterrier showcases some graphically inventive action scenes and well-timed POV shots that lend a visceral thrill. Nevertheless, the repetitively crude humor and shock-value gags undermine any grander narrative or clever underpinnings, leaving "The Brothers Grimsby" as a film divided between its occasionally brilliant comic moments and its propensity for tasteless excess.

"The Brothers Grimsby" presents itself as a bold attempt to rejuvenate the buddy action/comedy genre with outrageous humor and explosive action sequences. Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, the film ventures into absurd territories, aiming to capture the audience with its over-the-top antics. The blend of comedy and action is a fresh take, but the execution often stumbles. The sharp script is frequently marred by overly aggressive and crass humor, which may alienate even the most ardent fans of Cohen’s usual fare. The cast adds to the film's appeal, delivering engaging performances overshadowed by poor taste in various scenes.

From a technical perspective, Sony’s Blu-ray release excels, delivering high-quality video and audio that immerses viewers in the chaotic world of the film. The 1080p transfer is crisp and vibrant, bringing out the ludicrous visual gags in full detail. The audio track, equally impressive, ensures that the action sequences are as bombastic as intended. Unfortunately, the disc falls short in providing substantial extras; the supplemental features are average at best, lacking depth and failing to offer much insight into the film’s production or creative processes.

In conclusion, "The Brothers Grimsby" pushes all sorts of boundaries. It actually hits on most but goes too far on a couple. Outside of about five minutes of practically vomit inducing depravity, the movie proves quite funny in its quest to put a different spin on the buddy action/comedy genre. The cast is good and the script sharp, again save for a couple of over-the-top scenes. Sony's Blu-ray release of "The Brothers Grimsby" features top-shelf video and audio. Supplements are about average for a mid-grade new release. Cautiously recommended to audiences with an iron constitution and no qualms about watching some of the most out-there scenes ever filmed.