All About Steve Blu-ray Review

All About Steve presents an impressive video encoding on Blu-ray, characterized by high-definition detail that elevates the overall visual quality. The 1.85:1-framed, 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer ensures a crisp and clear presentation with lush color saturation. While contrast and black levels provide sufficient depth without appearing overblown, colors are vibrant and at times overly saturated—especially noticeable in elements such as Mary’s vivid red boots or Ken Jeong's bold purple robe. However, this saturation contributes to a generally pleasing viewing experience rather than detracting from it. Grain structure is apparent yet unobtrusive, and there are no notable compression artifacts or transfer-related anomalies, making for a blemish-free visual presentation.

Occasional minor shortcomings are present, such as a few soft shots and occasional overly bright scenes, but these issues don’t significantly detract from the viewing quality. Skin tones occasionally veer towards a yellowish or orangey tint, which can make characters look unnaturally tanned. This might be an intentional aesthetic choice but could be perceived as a minor detractor for some viewers. Nonetheless, fine details and textures remain consistently well-resolved throughout, with close-ups showcasing excellent sharpness and accents.

In terms of technical performance, Fox has delivered a robust Blu-ray transfer that takes full advantage of the medium's capabilities. The film maintains a smooth, film-like appearance with well-modulated contrast and vibrant colors, resulting in an enjoyable visual experience. Overall, despite some minor coloration issues, the video quality of this release is commendable, providing audiences with an engaging and aesthetically pleasing presentation.

The Blu-ray release of "All About Steve" features a commendable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While the majority of the film maintains a front-heavy, dialogue-driven mix typical of romantic comedies, it occasionally utilizes a more active surround presence. Key sequences, such as the tornado scene, showcase the track's dynamic range with wind, rain, and debris enveloping the viewer, creating an immersive audio experience. The rear speakers come alive with helicopter noises and subtle ambient details, particularly in the mine shaft scenes, adding depth and realism to these moments. Although bass frequencies could be more robust, they are adequate for the film’s needs, providing tight, detailed music reproduction.

Dialogue is generally clear and well-balanced across the front channels, with only occasional lapses where it might sound slightly too low in the mix. The soundtrack tunes exhibit above-average fidelity and tonal variation, contributing positively to the overall viewing experience. While not groundbreaking for audiophiles, the audio presentation is solid and enhances the film's atmosphere effectively. It achieves punchy dynamics and maintains clarity, ensuring that both quiet ambient sounds and more chaotic scenes are rendered with precision.

In conclusion, the audio track for "All About Steve" offers a surprisingly nuanced and enjoyable experience for a romantic comedy. Front channel audio is delivered with excellent clarity and tonal depth, and while not aggressive, the surround sound usage significantly enriches certain scenes, making this one of the better audio tracks within its genre.

The Blu Ray release of "All About Steve" comes with a variety of supplemental materials that offer an engaging look behind the scenes of this comedy. The audio commentary stands out due to its humor and camaraderie among participants, including Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, director Phil Traill, and writer Kim Barker, providing an experience that rivals the film itself. Other extras include several deleted and alternate scenes, a lighthearted gag reel, and interesting featurettes such as an acapella duet by Cooper and Jeong, and a faux insider show "Hollywood Dish" featuring Mena Micheletti. There are also more technical extras like the Fox Movie Channel's "Life After Film School" with director Phil Traill which offers valuable insights into the film industry, especially for aspiring filmmakers.

Extras included in this disc:

• Commentary by Writer, Director and Cast: Entertaining track featuring principal cast and crew.
• Deleted/Alternate Scenes with Commentary: Nine minutes of additional content.
• Gag Reel with Commentary: Humorous outtakes providing natural comedy.
• Bradley Cooper and Ken Jeong's Acapella Duet: A light-hearted, improvised song.
• Hollywood Dish with Mena Micheletti: A spoof segment offering behind-the-scenes humor.
• All About All About Steve: A featurette detailing the film’s production.
• Crew Snapshots to Mary's Rap: A slideshow of behind-the-scenes photos accompanied by a rap.
• Fox Movie Channel Presents Life After Film School: Insightful discussion with director Phil Traill.
• Trailers: Previews for other films.
• Digital Copy Bonus Disc: Additional digital content.

"All About Steve," starring Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper, is an offbeat romantic comedy that regrettably falls short of its genre's expectations. The film centers on Mary Magdalene Horowitz (Bullock), an eccentric crossword puzzle creator who becomes infatuated with Steve Mueller (Cooper), a news cameraman, following a disastrous blind date. The story unfolds as Mary embarks on a cross-country pursuit of Steve, hoping to turn their fleeting encounter into something more meaningful. Unfortunately, the film struggles to balance romance and comedy, delivering a narrative that feels more like an outlandish misadventure than a heartfelt journey.

The issue lies not only in the film's premise but also in its execution. Bullock's portrayal of Mary is characterized by exaggerated quirkiness that quickly becomes overbearing, lacking the charm typically associated with her roles. Although Mary's relentless chase is intended to underline themes of individuality and acceptance, it often comes across as forced and contrived. The humor is largely absent, with the few genuine laughs provided by supporting actors Thomas Hayden Church and Ken Jeong. Church, in particular, plays a smug news correspondent whose antics offer brief relief from the film's otherwise tedious plotline.

Director Phil Traill’s effort to create a whimsical, feel-good movie instead results in a tonally inconsistent and preachy mess. The sporadic and unfocused script by Kim Barker leaves much to be desired, finding little coherence or engagement in its 98-minute runtime. This misguided romp through various newsworthy disasters, from tornadoes to hostage crises, adds layers of absurdity rather than interest. Overall, "All About Steve" lacks the substance and comedic timing required to make even its outlandish premise enjoyable, ultimately rendering it a regrettably misguided entry in the romantic comedy genre.

"All About Steve," released on Blu-ray, falls remarkably short of redeemable cinematic quality, despite superior technical execution in the video and audio departments. The film's uninspired plot, characterized by its clichéd narrative and insipid humor, grates against any viewer's patience. Sandra Bullock's offbeat portrayal remains grating, while the direction lacks coherence, failing to weave the intended light-hearted and humorous tones. As several experts have put it, the film embodies a misguided concept that even high-definition visuals cannot mask.

The video transfer of "All About Steve" on Blu-ray offers excellent clarity and precision in 1080p resolution, showcasing well-rendered details and vibrant colors. The audio mix is similarly proficient, delivering crisp sound that is an unfortunate contrast to the film's lackluster content. Additionally, the disc is laden with extras, though these are far from sufficient to salvage the overall experience. Despite these technical merits, the comedy's poor execution overshadows any technical triumphs.

In conclusion, while "All About Steve" pleases on a technical front with its fine video and audio quality, it is indisputably a failure in terms of storytelling and entertainment value. Even the most robust home theater setup cannot compensate for its banal plot and unengaging performances. This Blu-ray release ultimately exemplifies how superior format and presentation cannot redeem a fundamentally flawed movie. Prospective viewers would do well to heed this advice and allocate their viewing time elsewhere.