RV Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "RV" on Blu-ray stands out with its 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded transfer within a 2.35:1 frame, effectively capturing the colorful and vibrant essence central to the film's appeal. The transfer excels in rendering a myriad of colors, balancing both the bright outdoor scenery and the more intricate interiors of the RV and other settings. Skin tones can occasionally trend towards a redder hue, and warmer tones are prevalent throughout the film, giving it an appealing, though sometimes overly warm, look. The clarity and detail are impressive, allowing viewers to discern textures such as the highway's surface and fine details in faces, enhancing the visual storytelling significantly.

Presented in a 2.40:1 widescreen format, the Blu-ray's vibrant, eye-popping image is a testament to the skillful use of primary hues by director of photography Fred Murphy. The transfer delivers exceptional blacks, contrast, and sharpness, especially during the majority daylight exteriors, providing a quasi-three-dimensional quality that adds depth to the visuals. However, imperfections are notable; a thin layer of grain becomes more pronounced during dimmer interior scenes, and colors sometimes suffer from oversaturation, leading to noise in large static areas. Compression artifacts, including posterization during dissolves, also mar specific moments. Nonetheless, despite these issues, the Blu-ray offers a generally solid and visually engaging experience.

"RV" accelerates into the audio experience with a surprisingly robust PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. Bass plays a significant role, resonating realistically during Bob's son's heavy stereo beats throughout the Munro household. The film’s use of bass is noteworthy, with a sequence in chapter two involving the RV hurtling through Bob's neighborhood underscoring the film's action with heavy crashes and powerful low frequencies from nearly every speaker. This aggressive bass continues effectively throughout the movie. The movie's Country-Western theme music is produced with fine clarity, spread across the soundstage to deliver a full, immersive auditory experience, while various sound effects, from rattling cookware to the grinding gears of the RV, are clear and naturally presented.

Sony complements the primary PCM 5.1 track with English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 options. The soundtrack itself is engaging, though not consistently so, with moments of inspired sound design that include enjoyable slapstick effects and diverse wildlife sounds. Surround usage is moderate with noticeable imaging between channels, although slightly front-heavy, fitting well with the film's exaggerated comedic style. Frequency response of the track achieves a good mid-range and an adequate low end. Despite some dialogue occasionally muddled, this tends to be a minor drawback in what is an overall competent and enjoyable mix. While the track might not reach sonic excellence, it harmonizes effectively with "RV's" playful and over-the-top narrative.

The Blu-ray release of "RV" includes a modest but entertaining collection of bonus features. Notable among them is a telestrator commentary track from Director Barry Sonnenfeld, who provides behind-the-scenes insights while drawing on-screen annotations. Although the commentary is engaging and echoes Sonnenfeld's style seen in "Men in Black," it occasionally becomes repetitive. The extras also feature several short, focused featurettes, including a spotlight on Robin Williams' comedic contributions and another that examines the life and culture of RV enthusiasts. While some of the featurettes are more superficial, "RV Nation" offers a relatively deeper dive into the RV lifestyle with personal anecdotes from the cast.

Extras included in this disc:

• Telestrator Commentary by Barry Sonnenfeld: Director's commentary with on-screen drawings.
• Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy: Cast and crew discuss Sonnenfeld's filmmaking style.
• JoJo: The Pop Princess: A look at JoJo Levesque’s role and performance.
• RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors: Exploration of RV life with cast insights.
• Robin Williams: A Family Affair: Examination of Robin Williams’ comedic style.
• The Scoop on Poop: Featurette on the film's fecal matter joke.

The Blu-ray release of "RV" offers a visually appealing presentation that does little to elevate the inherent mediocrity of the film. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and featuring Robin Williams, this family comedy centers around businessman Bob Munro who, due to a sudden out-of-town business deal, cancels a vacation to Hawaii and instead rents an RV for a last-minute family trip to Colorado. What ensues is a journey laden with predictable mishaps, including brake failures, wild animal intrusions, and unfortunate run-ins with an overly cheery RV family—the Gornickes, played with surprising zest by Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth.

The film suffers from an uninspired plot and rehashed jokes that strain over its 96-minute runtime. Despite the potential for innovative comedic situations, "RV" quickly falls into a repetitive pattern that loses its charm within the first half-hour. The humor skews heavily towards slapstick, with key scenes focusing on Bob's battles with the RV's septic system and raccoons. While these moments could have offered some comic relief, they are either drawn out or recycled too often, leading to diminishing returns on the laughs. Tragically, even Williams' talents seem subdued, as he is relegated to a reactive role, merely responding to the absurd predicaments rather than driving the comedy forward.

The film does attempt social satire through the contrast between the upper-crust Munros and the 'white trash' Gornickes. However, this juxtaposition fails to add substantial depth or redeem the film’s overly sentimental ending, which strives unconvincingly to impart life lessons about family togetherness. While there are brief instances where the characters' interactions hint at what could have been a more character-driven narrative, these moments are fleeting and lost amid the clutter of uninspired slapstick antics. Ultimately, "RV" is a film that never truly capitalizes on its concept, resulting in a bland comedy that will likely be just a footnote in Robin Williams' career.

"RV" falls under the category of light-hearted family comedies and aims to entertain with its tale of a dysfunctional family on a wild road trip. Unfortunately, the film doesn't quite hit the mark in engaging its audience. The plot is predictable, the pacing feels sluggish, and the humor rarely lands, making much of the material feel stale and formulaic. Robin Williams, who often brings vibrant energy to his roles, delivers a performance that can be described as uninspired—adequate but far from memorable or challenging.

Sony's Blu-ray release of "RV," however, is technically commendable. The image quality is sharp and stable, reflecting well on the high-definition format even years post-release. The sound mix is robust, delivering clear dialogue and lively music tracks to enhance the viewing experience. Sony has also bundled a selection of bonus materials, including behind-the-scenes features and cast interviews, though these extras add little value to an already underwhelming movie.

In conclusion, "RV" occupies a middle ground where it isn't entirely a waste of time but also isn't particularly memorable or engaging. Its strongest suit lies in its technical presentation on Blu-ray rather than its narrative or comedic elements. This film is best reserved for a rental when you’ve exhausted more compelling options for family-friendly entertainment.