Our Idiot Brother is an OK movie but for a comedy doesn’t offer up a lot of laughs and primarily rides the backs of the cast good performances, specifically that of Paul Rudd who makes an otherwise unfunny movie a bit more tolerable. The video and audio transfers are both nice but the disc lacks any substantive features save for a simple commentary.
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Comedy
Anchor Bay | R – 90 min. – $39.99 | November 29, 2011
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Jesse Peretz
Writer(s): Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall and Jesse Peretz (story), Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall (screenplay)
Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, Kathryn Hahn, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott
Theatrical Release Date: August 26, 2011
DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurette, Deleted Scenes
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Disc Size: NA
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A
THE MOVIE – 2.5/5
Plot: For sisters Miranda (ELIZABETH BANKS), Natalie (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) and Liz (EMILY MORTIMER), their brother, Ned (PAUL RUDD), has always been just a little bit behind the curve. Ned is an organic farmer, who has a willingness to trust humankind which allows for an oddly trouble-free existence. Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother, and after his girlfriend (KATHRYN HAHN) dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters must once again comes to his rescue. As Miranda, Natalie and Liz each take turns at housing Ned, their brother’s unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines. But after seeing life through Ned’s optimistic perspective, his family comes to realize that maybe Ned isn’t such an idiot after all.
Paul Rudd gives an admirable performance – as do Banks, Deschanel and Mortimer – but this comedy never quite came together for me. There are a few laughs here and there except it’s too few and far between and even sometimes can be nasty. The story is actually not bad it’s just the execution, under the direction of Jesse Peretz (The Ex), which fails alongside a screenplay that probably needed some more work. That being said, there is sweetness at the heart of the movie which makes it stand out amongst other comedies.
As it stands, Our Idiot Brother might be worth checking out for Rudd’s good performance, as well as the three gals and a sweet spot at the core of the story. I’d say give it a rental as you might end up liking it far more than I did.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5
The disc doesn’t have a whole lot to offer but there is a low-key commentary track with Co-Writer/Director Jesse Peretz who offers up insights into making the film, working with the actors and other tidbits; 4 deleted/extended scenes (8:56; SD) that didn’t make the cut including an alternate ending; and lastly is The Making of Our Idiot Brother (14:36; SD) behind-the-scenes featurette offering up comments from the cast and crew talking about their characters and making the movie.
Previews – Dirty Girl, Submarine
VIDEO – 4.25/5
Anchor Bay presents Our Idiot Brother with a 1080p high-definition (MPEG-4 AVC codec) and in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio. This isn’t a great HD transfer but it seems relatively clean and free of dust, dirt and scratches with a minimal amount of grain. The detail level and color array are both well done.
AUDIO – 3.75/5
The disc comes with a fine Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track which is suitable enough for a comedy. You do get some audio coming through the rear channels, mainly either the score or ambient noises but the bulk of the action (i.e. dialogue) comes through the center speaker. The LFE channel remains largely unused, not surprising for the genre, however.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, Our Idiot Brother is an OK movie but for a comedy doesn’t offer up a lot of laughs and primarily rides the backs of the cast good performances, specifically that of Paul Rudd who makes an otherwise unfunny movie a bit more tolerable. The video and audio transfers are both nice but the disc lacks any substantive features save for a simple commentary.
Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 11/30/2011
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2.