Plot: What’s it about?
Julia Jones (Alyson Hannigan) has been single for her entire life, but she isn’t giving up hope, as she knows her true love is out there. Sure, she is quite overweight and has some hygiene concerns, but she has a good heart and that is what matters, right? She works at her father’s Greek diner and one day, the man of her dreams sits down for a meal. She manages to bungle the situation however, so she goes to see Hitch (Tony Cox), the date expert, to put together a plan. After an extreme makeover like none other, Julia is sent to join the cast of The Bachelor, where her dream guy is the contestant. The two hit it off and even when he learns she was the fat waitress, he longs to spend his life with her. Against the wishes of her traditionalist father (Eddie Griffin), the two are engaged and the wedding looms on the horizon. But trouble arrives when her lover’s ex Andy (Sophie Monk) turns out to be a supermodel with a voracious sexual appetite. When a misunderstanding derails the wedding, will the two ever be able to reconcile their love?
This is to romantic comedies what Scary Movie was to horror movies. Or at least that is the basic concept, as this is a fast paced, machine gun style spoof, with romantic comedies in the sights. I have to admit, I counted on this to be a total waste of time, but I actually liked parts of Date Movie. But understand, this is still a pretty bad movie, but buried under lame material is some humorous stuff. The spectrum of romantic comedies is covered here, from the elite entries like Pretty Woman to the flops such as Along Came Polly. I would have preferred a more focused approach, instead of direct scene for scene satire, but the Family Guy style “throw up one pop culture reference after another” approach isn’t a total disaster. More jokes crash and burn than succeed however, so a lot of refinement could have been worthwhile. Alyson Hannigan is fun to watch in the lead, while Eddie Griffin and Fred Willard provide enjoyable supporting roles. Date Movie is not good enough to purchase, but if you don’t mind enduring mostly failed attempts at humor, a rental can provide a few laughs. Fox’s DVD is well crafted, but the movie just isn’t good enough to watch twice.
Video: How does it look?
Date Movie is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. 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. All in all, another excellent visual effort from the folks at Fox.
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?
If you’re a fan of audio commentary tracks, then you will love this release, as it comes stocked with not one, not two, but three sessions. The first is with director Aaron Seltzer and writer Jason Friedberg, which I couldn’t force myself to suffer through, but I did listen to parts of the second track, with several cast members. Hannigan is here, joined by Sophie Monk and Adam Campbell, as well as some others. This is the typical cast style track, with a lot of stories and a lot of reaction to what is on screen. If you hated this flick, then you won’t want to miss the track with critics Bob Strauss and Scott Foundras, who tee off on the film’s lesser qualities. You can also watch some deleted scenes, as well an extended look at Monk’s poolside antics. This disc also includes a laugh track option, a couple of behind the scenes featurettes, and some audition tapes.
