Blu-ray Movie Reviews

No one enjoys the holidays more than Brad and Kate. Every December 25th, this happily unmarried, upscale San Francisco couple embark on a holiday tradition they have shared every year since they met - ditching their crazy families for a relaxing, fun-filled vacation in some sunny exotic locale. There, sipping margaritas by the pool, they toast the season, knowing they have once again avoided the chaos and emotional fallout of their four respective households: divorced parents, squabbling siblings, out-of-control kids and all the simmering resentments and awkward moments that are the hallmarks of every family Christmas. But not this year. Shorts and sunglasses packed, Brad and Kate are trapped at the San Francisco airport by a fogbank that cancels every outbound flight. Worse yet, they are caught on camera by a local news crew, revealing their whereabouts to the whole city...and to their families. With no escape and no excuses, they are now expected home by Brad's father. And Kate's mother. And Brad's mother. And Kate's father. "Four Christmases" in one day. As they brace themselves for a marathon of homecomings, Brad and Kate expect the worst - and that's exactly what they get. But as Brad counts down the minutes to their freedom, Kate surprisingly finds herself tuned to the ticking of a different clock. At the end of the day, each will gain a new perspective on where they came from...and where they're going. Getting to know themselves and each other as they really are could finally give them a chance at the kind of love they've only been playing at.

This one looked like a lot of fun from the previews but didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping. Sure there are plenty of laughs here, but the film tries a bit too hard at times and the love aspect seems a bit forced. Still there is charm here and Vaughn and Witherspoon do deliver some solid laughs, just not as many as I hoped for.

Considering the age of this film I was surprised by how soft it looked. Newer films typically look a bit sharper than this one and even colors looked a tad drab at times. Contrast levels were good though and fine object detail in close ups was acceptable. Like the film though, I was expecting a bit more. The soundtrack is solid though with plenty of ambiance and rock solid imaging in the main soundstage.

This two disc set includes a digital copy of the film for portable devices along with some funny gags, a production feature and a look behind the scenes from HBO. BD-Live features also include interviews with the cast.

I was hoping this would be a holiday homerun but instead got a base hit. The film was fun, but just not fun enough to be a mainstay in the collection. Give it a rent.