The House Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "The House" offers an impressive 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, ensuring a polished digital capture that highlights the film’s sharp details and excellent densities. The visual dynamism is effectively enhanced by the movie's comedic stylistic choices, particularly the casino scenes, which showcase the meticulously detailed transformation of a mundane suburban home into an underground gambling haven. Colors are vibrant and well-saturated, providing a bright and bold visual experience that supports the lively atmosphere of the narrative. Flesh tones are realistic, ensuring the cast appears healthy and natural. Remarkably, black levels are deep and exhibit no crushing, contributing to a significant sense of depth throughout the presentation.

Warner has loaded "The House" Blu-ray with an unusually high average bitrate of 27.94 Mbps, exceeding what the studio typically affords to its more successful titles. This decision ensures minimal video noise and banding, with only occasional instances that do not detract from the overall visual quality. The film’s lighting distinctly differentiates between the makeshift casino and other settings, adding to the clarity and depth of the image. For scenes rich in detail and textural complexity, such as close-ups during fight sequences, the Blu-ray truly excels. The casino floor scenes particularly benefit from the well-managed dimensionality and inky black levels.

In terms of encoding and clarity, "The House" maintains a high standard with its MPEG-4 AVC resolution. Noise and artifacts are virtually non-existent, ensuring a smooth viewing experience that keeps the viewer engaged in the film's flamboyant suburban satire. Although some scenes may occasionally feel flat, these instances are rare and do not significantly impact the overall enjoyment of this robust transfer. This Blu-ray is a commendable effort, befitting a comedy of this nature.

The House's audio presentation on Blu-ray stands out with its robust English DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, a detail deserving commendation considering many comedies often receive lackluster sound treatment. The film features numerous dynamic moments that creatively employ the surround sound array. For instance, voices and ambient noises from the casino scenes in Las Vegas and the impromptu smackdowns in Frank's home are effectively positioned off-camera and rear channels to enhance immersion. Rendered violence, with its vivid sound effects, can be particularly wince-inducing, complemented by the clear dialogue that ensures every word is distinctly heard. The musical score by Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau adds further richness by injecting levity, making both action and humor resonate well.

Despite the commendable sound quality, the mix tends to lean heavily on the left-center-right channels, with minimal surround activity other than slight background noise and atmospheric sounds. This choice, however, seems suitable for a dialogue-driven film, ensuring clarity without distorting any soundtrack cues during montages. Advanced users will appreciate the precise balance of audio levels, which remain consistent without the necessity for volume adjustments. The Low-Frequency Extension (LFE) channel provides a subtle but necessary boost during musical interludes.

Overall, this center-heavy feature achieves a solid surround sound presentation balanced across the necessary channels. Dialogue reproduction is impeccably clear throughout, allowing viewers to experience the full dynamic range intended by the filmmakers. Additionally, options for English Descriptive Audio 5.1 Dolby Digital, French, and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital enhance accessibility, coupled with subtitles in English SDH, Spanish, and French for a comprehensive auditory experience.

The extras for the Blu-ray of "The House" provide a robust look into the production and creativity behind the film, showcasing the sheer amount of improvisation that was required. Featured content includes standard promotional material, detailed explorations of set designs, and significant collections of deleted and alternate scenes that offer a nearly alternative version of the movie. Also included are a gag reel and various Line-O-Ramas, giving viewers insight into the lighter moments during filming. Despite the movie's unfavorable reception, these additions offer substantial value for those interested in the film’s production process.

Extras included in this disc:

• The House: Playing with a Loaded Deck: A basic Electronic Press Kit (EPK) discussing production and origins.
• If You Build the House, They Will Come: An exploration of set design efforts.
• Deleted Scenes: Collection of alternate openings and cut sequences.
• Extended/Alternate Scenes: Numerous scenes almost forming an alternative cut of the film.
• Gag Reel: Typical on-camera goofs and cutups.
• Line-O-Ramas: Various scenes with improvised lines.

"The House" assembles a talented cast led by comedic heavyweights Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, but despite this, the film struggles to live up to its potential. Directed by Andrew Jay Cohen, known for his work on the "Neighbors" series, the film follows suburban couple Scott (Ferrell) and Kate Johansen (Poehler) as they attempt to fund their daughter Alex's (Ryan Simpkins) college tuition by opening an illegal casino in their friend Frank's (Jason Mantzoukas) home. Unfortunately, the script, co-written by Cohen and Brendan O'Brien, resorts to disjointed sketches rather than a cohesive, well-structured comedy. This lack of narrative focus undermines the considerable comedic skills of Ferrell and Poehler, who often fall back on their improv roots to salvage scenes.

The premise of "The House" holds immense comic promise. The Johansens' desperate venture into underground gambling offers ample opportunity for humorous scenarios and social commentary. However, the film bypasses these opportunities, opting instead for lowbrow humor and slapstick gags that fail to resonate. Noteworthy moments, like the sequence where Scott accidentally chops off a gambler's finger, are intended to shock but end up feeling contrived and repetitive. Supporting characters, portrayed by a cadre of accomplished comedians including Nick Kroll and Jeremy Renner, are underdeveloped, and their story arcs do little to elevate the overarching narrative.

While Ferrell and Poehler appear to be enjoying themselves, their chemistry does not translate into convincing parental figures dealing with a genuine crisis. The film falters further when it leans towards absurdity without grounding its humor in relatable circumstances. Jason Mantzoukas stands out as Frank, providing much-needed energy and unpredictability, but even his dynamic performance cannot compensate for the film's lack of direction. Ultimately, "The House" is a patchwork of sporadic laughs that fails to build into a satisfying whole, making it a watchable but forgettable addition to the genre.

"The House," featuring comedic staples Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, is a rote attempt at comedy that fails to capitalize on the talents of its cast. While the plot setup has potential, the film quickly descends into a predictable formula reliant on improv antics that fall flat. The Blu-ray release, produced by Warner Brothers, boasts robust audio-visual presentation with sharp picture quality and clear sound. Additionally, the disc features an impressive array of bonus content, providing viewers with behind-the-scenes insights and showcasing the cast’s ability to deliver various lines.

Despite the technical proficiency and supplementary materials, "The House" lacks substance. The humor feels recycled, and while the ensemble cast includes several funny individuals, they’ve delivered more memorable performances in other projects. Comedian Jason Mantzoukas stands out, but his efforts alone aren't enough to salvage the film from mediocrity. The extras on the Blu-ray show a group that enjoyed the filming process, yet this enjoyment fails to translate into genuine laughs for the audience.

In conclusion, while "The House" benefits from a solid Blu-ray package with a splendid A/V presentation and an array of bonus features, the movie itself falls short as a comedy. Judging by the extras, the cast and crew had a blast making it. Unfortunately, that doesn't translate to the screen. The Blu-ray is technically proficient, but the movie isn't worth even a rental.