Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Universal Movie ••• Picture ••• Sound ••• Extras ••••

Usually, I can watch an alternate ending and be glad it was jettisoned. But with the DVD of The Break-Up, the different outcome seems far better. Likewise, the deleted and extended scenes only reveal that the misguided final edit sapped the best comedy scenes out of the film, leaving a ponderous and relentlessly mean-spirited drama behind. The transfer is a mixed bag, with good-looking interiors and filtered, overexposed exteriors that have a bleached appearance. The latter may be intentional, but I find them very unappealing. Sound is mostly up front, with little imaginative use of the surround channels. The DVD not only delivers the comic cutting-room castoffs but also brings us plenty more goodies. There are two commentaries (one by stars Vince Vaughn and Jennnifer Aniston, the other by director Payton Reed), some footage showing Vaughn and Jon Favreau improvising a key scene, and a video tour of Chicago. [PG-13] English, Dolby Digital 5.1; French and Spanish, Dolby Surround; letterboxed (1.85:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

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