Plot: What’s it about?
I know it’s wrong to judge a book by its cover. And, conversely, a movie by its poster or Blu-ray artwork. But I couldn’t help myself when One for the Money arrived. I don’t recall it being in theaters, but it looks relatively new. This tells me that it was either straight to video or not a very big hit at the box office. Most likely the latter. It stars Katherine Heigl who made a name for herself on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy and has since become a bona fide movie star solely by virtue of being in Knocked Up. Heigl seems to have quite a bit of animosity out there towards her and I’m not really sure why. No, she’s not the best actress out there and though attractive, there are certainly more alluring in regard to sheer beauty. Nevertheless, this movie is all her so haters of Heigl should be warned.
Heigl plays Stephanie Plum, an unemployed manager of a lingerie department who’s desperate for money. It so happens that her cousin (who tried to make out with her at her wedding) needs a bounty hunter to round up some locals and, wouldn’t you know it, the paycheck is pretty handsome. Stephanie starts snooping around and her big target is Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara from televison’s Terra Nova). If she can get Morelli turned in, her cut is $50,000 and more than enough to solve her financial woes. And as we might expect, the two had a thing back in high school. However as Stephanie starts to dig, she gets more than she expected and is now in potential danger. Now she has to rely on her only friend, a real bounty hunger by the name of Ranger (Daniel Sunjata) else she might end up a stastic.
I should have probably trusted my instinct when I saw the cover and while One for the Money wasn’t totally unwatchable, it just wasn’t what I needed or wanted. I guess the best way to describe the film is a romantic comedy with a bit of violence in there (but not the good kind of violence, it’s the kind where someone’s shot and you don’t see blood). Heigl’s cat ate the canary smile on the cover is all you need and what you’ll expect to see. Her stereotypical family offers a bit of comic relief with Debbie Reynolds getting most of the choice lines. Again, this won’t challenge your intellect but it’s not a complete waste of time. I mean there a scene with Heigl in the shower that’s worth watching…
Video: How does it look?
The 2.40:1 AVC HD image looks pretty good throughout. Detail is exceptional, colors are bold and strong and black levels and contrast seem on the mark. I noticed no instance of artifacting and no compression issues really caught my eye. Quite frankly, this is actually a very good-looking transfer and one that we’d expect from a movie that’s new to the format. Flesh tones seem very warm and accurate, we can see details on the clothing and fabric and see the definition in Jason O’Mara’s perpetual five o’clock shadow. There’s really nothing negative I can say about the way this looks.
Audio: How does it sound?
Likewise the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack isn’t the most robust out there, but darn it if there aren’t a few good scenes! Vocals are clear and consistent, we get to hear Heigl’s on again/off again Jersey accent as she narrates the film. Surrounds aren’t too actively involved, but there are a few gunshots that did resonate into the background. The front stage takes the burden of the soundtrack offering up a mix that’s both robust yet acceptable at the same time (if that makes sense).
Supplements: What are the extras?
There aren’t a lot of supplemental materials to be found and those that are included don’t have a lot of substance to them. Still, considering the film itself I wasn’t too surprised. First up is “Making the Money: Behind-the-Scenes” – they really don’t get any more standard than this. It features a smattering of interviews with the leads as they tell how good the script was and how they “had” to do the film. “Bond Girls: Kicking Ass in the Bail Bonds Industry” is actually a bit entertaining as we get a look at a few “real” females in this mainly male-dominated environment. There’s a gag reel and one deleted scene to boot.
