Plot: What’s it about?
Is luck real? Even if so, how much of our lives is determined by how lucky we are and by some chance, can our luck change? Ashley (Lindsay Lohan) is a living, breathing example of incredible luck, the fates seem to sway based on her presence. A heavy downpour suddenly stops once she steps outside, only to return with twice the force once she is back inside. The kind of situations that most people would find themselves cornered in, Ashley seems to handle with ease. Her luck has helped her climb the ladder at her Manhattan public relations firm, even in situations that bordered on disaster. When a client is about to walk out due to her boss’ absence, Ashley is able to not only salvage the situation, but close the deal herself. On the opposite end of the luck spectrum is Jake (Chris Pine), who never seems to catch a break. But at the Masked Ball, which Jake snuck into, the two share a kiss and more is traded than just saliva. After the kiss, Jake’s luck turns brighter than ever, while Ashley finds herself out in the rain, literally. As time passes, Ashley begins to understand what has happened, but with her newfound bad luck, can she ever correct the situation?
As frequent readers know, I, along with most males in the world, have an obsession of sorts with Lindsay Lohan, so of course, I have to see all of her movies. I actually like most of her flicks, as they’re usually fun and brisk movies and as I stated, she is fun to watch. Even so, I wasn’t too thrilled about Just My Luck, as the previews made it seem like a second rate Trading Places. This is not the case however, as the movie takes a different path and winds up being a more than decent flick. Of course, I am biased because Lohan’s mere presence is enough enjoyment for me, but for a by the numbers romance aimed at teens, this one was solid. No fresh ground is tilled and we’ve seen this all before, but the presentation is slick and as mentioned, Lohan brings a lot to the table. The story is not original, but has some fresh elements, though most viewers will be able to predict each turn before it happens. I don’t think most people seek out films like Just My Luck to be surprised however, I think we expect a fun, brisk movie and that is what we have here. Lohan turns on the charm and the rest is passable enough to make the film worth a look. So if you’re a fan of safe, but fun romantic comedies or you just can’t get enough Lohan, Just My Luck is well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Just My Luck is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame version included on the disc’s flip side. As this is a new release from Fox, of course it looks terrific and then some. The print is almost pristine, so the visuals have a clean, crisp, and well detailed appearance. In fact, detail is so good at times, the image takes on a much deeper texture, quite impressive work indeed. The movie’s vivid color scheme bounds off the screen, with rich and vibrant hues that never drift into errors. I found contrast to be stark and consistent also, with no problems in the least to mention. So another new release and another excellent visual treatment from Fox, as expected.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is used here, but the material doesn’t ask much of it beyond the basics. The pop driven music comes through well, with a lot of life and presence that spices up the experience a lot. But the music sometimes overpowers the other elements, though never to an extreme degree, so no worries there. The rest of the elements sound more than solid, but never rise above passable levels. A handful or so scenes have some added presence, but on the whole, the mix is basic and reserved. The material doesn’t need explosive audio however, so the experience is still fine and more than acceptable. The dialogue is crisp and clean throughout, with no signs of trouble in the slightest. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some deleted scenes, as well as two brief, promotional featurettes.
