Father Figures Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray of "Father Figures" impresses with its 1080p, AVC-encoded video presentation, showcasing excellent sharpness and dimensional depth. The film's aesthetic is largely bright and glossy, with colors that are warm, sunny, and vibrant. The clarity and resolution are outstanding, providing exceptional detail in both facial features and clothing textures. Cinematographer John Lindley’s work shines through, maintaining a consistent look even during nighttime sequences where blacks are deep and well-defined without any crushing of details.

Considering its 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the transfer masterfully balances contrast and color saturation. Bright day scenes are rich in tone without becoming overly saturated, while night scenes maintain crispness and clarity. Director Lawrence Sher’s background as a cinematographer ensures that each location on the East Coast road trip is presented with optimized lighting and camera placement, enhancing the film's visual appeal. Warner Brothers' technical execution guarantees that "Father Figures" looks sharp and appealing despite the film's average critical reception.

Overall, with an average bitrate of 32.57 Mbps, this Blu-ray release achieves superior visual fidelity. The handling of tonal warmth, vivid textures, and complexional variety among the cast highlights the excellent dynamic range. Despite being a relatively modest production, the technical proficiency in video presentation makes it a visually engaging experience.

The audio presentation of the Blu-ray for "Father Figures" features a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that is solidly professional, yet not overly ambitious. Common to many comedy films, the sound mix prioritizes dialogue clarity delivered through the center channel, ensuring the primary comedic exchanges are crisp and intelligible. Main channels are utilized effectively, with occasional reinforcement by LFE during slapstick moments which adds an extra layer to the sound experience. Though not predominant, surround channels are discreetly active, providing subtle environmental cues and enhancing Rob Simonsen's musical score.

Despite its straightforwardness, the audio mix succeeds in creating a pleasant auditory experience without overwhelming complexities. The front-heavy mix is complemented by occasional surround engagement, particularly during key scenes such as a memorable train crash sequence. While the subwoofer isn't extensively employed, it supports bass elements appropriately. The overall balance in speaker separation and levels renders an engaging track that meets expectations without unnecessary flourish.

In summary, "Father Figures" offers a proficient and faithful DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that aligns well with the genre’s requirements. Additionally, the inclusion of Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English Descriptive Video Service, French, and Spanish provides versatility for a wider audience. This audio experience may not astonish but delivers satisfactorily on all fronts, making it a well-rounded companion to the film’s comedic narrative.

The Blu-ray extras for "Father Figures" offer a modest collection with mixed quality. The Deleted Scenes feature provides over 21 minutes of footage that neither expands the story nor adds significant value, reinforcing their removal from the final cut. The Gag Reel, lasting just over 4 minutes, contains standard outtakes and on-set antics that are mildly amusing but may not elicit more than a few chuckles. While the disc includes a standard definition DVD and a Digital HD Copy redeemable through common digital retail platforms, there's a noticeable absence of production or behind-the-scenes featurettes which would have enriched the viewing experience. Pre-menu trailers for other films are present, but the film's own trailer is conspicuously missing.

Extras included in this disc:

• Deleted Scenes: Ten scenes totaling 21:09, non-selectable directly but available via chapter encoding.
• Gag Reel: On-set break-ups and improvised takes totaling 4:26.
• Standard Definition DVD: Includes the film and 10 deleted scenes.
• Digital HD Copy: Paper insert with redeemable code for digital access.

Father Figures, featuring a stellar ensemble cast including Ed Helms, Owen Wilson, Glenn Close, J.K. Simmons, and Christopher Walken, offers an intriguing setup but fails to deliver a coherent or genuinely engaging comedy. The plot centers on fraternal twins Kyle and Peter Reynolds (Wilson and Helms) who, upon learning their presumed-dead father is an invention concocted by their mother (Close), embark on a road trip to find their real dad. Despite potential comedic gold in the brothers' misadventures and interactions with a range of potential fathers—from football legend Terry Bradshaw to a loose-cannon ex-Wall Street guy played by Simmons—the film's humor often misses the mark. The jokes are erratic, relying heavily on crude and lowbrow humor that quickly wears thin.

The film is particularly marked by its tonal inconsistency, oscillating between slapstick comedy and attempts at heartfelt drama, yet achieving neither convincingly. The performances might be the standout feature; Wilson and Helms exhibit sporadic chemistry, but both fall into typecast roles that lack depth or novelty. Supporting actors, including Walken as an enigmatic veterinarian and Bradshaw playing himself, bring some life to the film but can't rescue it from a murky script and underdeveloped characters. Additionally, the film’s failure to explore salient themes, like the use of DNA testing in a modern-day quest for paternity, further highlights its sloppy construction.

Despite strong individual performances, the movie's episodic structure merely strings together a series of loosely connected vignettes, rather than forming a cohesive narrative. The comedic setups often lead to predictable and uninspired punchlines, reducing what should be poignant revelations about family and identity into mere fleeting distractions. In summary, Father Figures is a forgettable road trip comedy hampered by clichéd humor and inconsequential character arcs, failing to capture the promise of its remarkable cast.

"Father Figures," directed by Lawrence Sher, is an attempt to blend lowbrow humor with a heartfelt family story, but it ultimately fails to commit strongly enough to either aspect. The film stars Owen Wilson and Ed Helms as feuding siblings on a quest to uncover the identity of their father, supported by talents such as Glenn Close. Despite the potential brought by its cast, the film falls short in delivering a cohesive narrative. Technically, the Blu-ray offers impressive video quality with its 2.39:1 AVC aspect ratio and solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio presentation, though these aspects are not enough to elevate the overall experience.

While the performances are solid and the cinematography is stunning for a comedy, the storyline remains forgettable and the comedic elements lack strong impact. The movie attempts to strike a balance between humor and emotional depth but ends up delivering a vanilla comedy that fails to utilize its R rating effectively. Moreover, supplemental materials are limited, featuring a collection of deleted scenes that flesh out some subplots and a brief gag reel that adds minimal value.

In conclusion, "Father Figures" could not overcome its identity crisis, resulting in a film that falls flat despite its technical merits. Released after being shelved multiple times and eventually competing against blockbuster hits like "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," it's clear why this film struggled both critically and commercially. From this reviewer's standpoint, even though the Blu-ray's audio and video specs are commendable, the lack of compelling content makes "Father Figures" not worth your time or money. Skip it.