Plot: What’s it about?
Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) works at a department store in the cookware section, but she dreams of using those products herself, in a professional kitchen. At work she banged her head on a cabinet and was encouraged to visit the company’s doctor, just to make sure she wasn’t injured. The doctor’s tests reveal a disorder that is quite serious and will prove fatal in Georgia’s case. She is told her life expectancy is a few weeks, which of course comes as a total shock. She decides to live life like never before, cashing in all of her assets and heading off to a resort in the Czech Republic. The fellow guests begin to notice her love of life and she soon makes numerous friends. As time passes and Georgia closes in on the deadline of her disorder, will she find her new way of life brings her satisfaction, or will she pine for her former life?
Another remake churned down the pike, Last Holiday updates a role played by Alec Guinness with Queen Latifah. I think that fact lone is enough to assure viewers to choose the original over this remake. Latifah is passable here and tries to be enthusiastic, but the writing this time around is so by the numbers, there is little to be jubilant over. I know some people just love these “feel good” movies no matter how poorly crafted they are, but I found Last Holiday to be overly predictable and shallow. Even the slowest of viewers will be able to remain ten steps ahead of the movie, as no fresh twists or new life have been injected. This is cliche after cliche, topped off with even bigger cliches at the conclusion. This is harmless fluff, but I simply can’t recommend such emotionally vacant entertainment. Skip this one, the world has plenty of superior inspirational pictures.
Video: How does it look?
Last Holiday is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This transfer proves to be good, but not great. Even so, a nice step up over the DVD, with enhanced detail and overall clarity. The image is never “three dimensional” like Blu-ray can often boast, but detail is solid and softness isn’t much of a concern. I found colors to be bright and natural, while contrast produces strong and consistent black levels. In the end, a solid looking effort that should please fans.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a decent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option, which is about all this material needs. The bulk of the audio is dialogue, which sounds great here and the rest takes a backseat. The music does bring the surrounds to life here and there, but by and large, the front channels handle the load in this one. The rest of the elements come through well, but don’t do much to bolster any kind of audio atmosphere or overall tone. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes several promotional featurettes, some deleted scenes, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
