Father of Invention Blu-ray Disc Review

***SYNOPSIS***

"Two-time Academy Award® winner Kevin Spacey gives one of the most unexpectedly funny performances of his career as Robert Axle, an arrogant infomercial mogul whose empire collapses after one of his products maims thousands of consumers. After 8 years in prison, he tries to rebuild his fortune, but must first reconnect with his estranged daughter (Camilla Belle), her man-hating roommate (Heather Graham), his boneheaded new employer (Johnny Knoxville), the ex-wife who squandered his fortune (Academy Award® nominee Virginia Madsen of Sideways), and the ruthless executive who took over his company (John Stamos). Can a man who’s lost everything devise a way to get back on top? Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville”) and Anna Annisimova co-star in this surprising comedy about fabrications, complications, and the situations people invent to find out who they really are "


***MOVIE REVIEW***

Kevin Spacey gives another solid performance and the quirky characters are grounded by a terrific cast. The film switches moods on the fly. There were quite a few laughable moments as well as some decent dramatic work as well. Johnny Knoxville of Jackass fame does some good work here and plays off Spacey really well. Heather Graham I have always had a soft spot for and she was a delight in the film. I enjoyed the movie and was surprised to see it didn't get at least a short run in theaters. Well worth a rental and possible purchase with a good sale. 7.5/10


***VIDEO QUALITY***

Father of Invention arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. We are treated to a very pleasing image. The transfer is crisp with strong color reproduction. Fine detail was above average with clothing and facial textures benefiting the most. Black levels were solid throughout. 8/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***

Audio is provided by a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. Dialogue was crisp and clean. This is a front heavy mix but there were a few moments of subtle surround usage. The music bleeds to the rears and gains some heft from the LFE. 8/10


***SPECIAL FEATURES***

* The Making of Father of Invention

Jackass 3 - Blu-ray Review

***SYNOPSIS***

Johnny Knoxville and company return for the third installment of their TV show spin-off, where dangerous stunts and explicit public displays rule.

***MOVIE REVIEW***

The insane cast and crew have gone out of their way to entertain their target audience and succeed with flying Steve-O's. The stunt work is some of the best they've done to date with the motivation to utilize the filming of the movie with 3D High Definition cameras. Johnny Knoxville still has that childlike glee when he really gets into the crazier stuff they're attempting. Bam Margera's father Phil steals some scenes with his natural goofy charm. I went to see this film in the theaters upon release and was able to just sit back and laugh at the stupidity of it all. Now watching it at home I was able to pay more attention to the more technical stunts and not just the wild amount of three dimensional sex toys flying out from the screen. If you're not a fan of gross humor or the previous films I would suggest steering clear. Fans will be thoroughly pleased for and appreciate it for what it is and nothing more. 7/10

***VIDEO QUALITY***
Jackass 3 arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. A bright , colorful presentation that varies in quality but manages to provide a pleasing overall effort. Color saturation and the sheer amount of hues that are on display are superb. Contrast was rock solid. Fine detail was quite good with natural outdoor environments and clothing textures being the standouts here. There were instances of banding and noise and some of that could be due to the image source in some scenes. 8/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Surrounds are almost constantly engaged, whether it is the boisterous music selections or well placed directional effects to emphasize the on screen action. Dynamics were surprisingly strong with some nice low end coming from the LFE channel. Dialogue reproduction was crisp and precise even when their yelling over the sound of a jet engine. Fans will be more than happy with a track that is more powerful and engaging than one thought a film of this sort would provide. 8/10


***SPECIAL FEATURES***

* The Making of Jackass 3D (28min39sec, HD) - A well produced and fun look with cast and crew discussing the process of filming the insane stunts. The utilization of 3D is also explored.
* Deleted Scenes (16min5sec, HD) - Included are the following (Blue Room Andy Bell, Snake River Weedemption, The Driving Range, Phantom Dildo, Sweatsuit Cocktail, Preston/Duck Hunting, Jet Ski 1, Pontius the Barbarian, Poocano, The Rocky, 3D Test Day)
* Outtakes (HD)
* Jackass 3D Theatrical Trailer (1min31sec, HD)
* D-Box compatibility
* DVD/Digital Copy Disc - An anaglyph 3D version of the film is included on the DVD. It is a shame that Paramount has decided for the time being not to release the full 3D version in HD. A Digital Copy is included as well for download to your PC, Mac, or portable device.