Disney’s live-action comedy ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, based on the popular kid’s book by Judith Viorst, got little love when it opened theatrically in October. When Melissa Howland reviewed it here at We Are Movie Geeks, she called it “….a boring, cluttered mess.” (read all of Melissa’s review HERE)
Watching ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY on Disney’s new Blu-ray in the less-demanding confines of home, I found it not at all a terrible, horrible, very bad experience. In fact, it was a bit funnier than I expected. 11-year-old Alexander Cooper (Ed Oxenbould) and his family (dad Steve Carell, mom Jennifer Gardner) are put in silly, sitcom-style scenarios, and the PG-style calamities are harmless fun. There are sight gags, pop cultural references, and gross-outs aplenty, but they’re done with a hint of restraint and even some wit. You know from the get-go this is one of those movies where everyone lists the big important event they have in the near future (job interview, big meeting, prom, play) because it’s an easy laugh when everything goes to seed, yet each scene is efficiently and cleverly staged. For a collection of awkward moments and bad situations like this, it never feels like the audience is being punished. You feel bad for Alexander, but the movie plays in a lighthearted, John Hughes-lite fashion. I’ll admit that once the experience was over, it was instantly forgettable, but to me, ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY’s 81 minutes went down pretty easy. Carell can play this type of nutty role in his sleep, but he’s used effectively. Performances from the young cast were arguably a little too slick and knowing for the naive characters they are playing, but that is often par for the course in American films these days.
We Are Movie Geeks got an advance look at the ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Blu-ray, which will be released on February 10th.
The first thing you’ll notice about the image of Disney’s 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC transfer at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio of ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY is how colorful it is. The image pops off the screen with vivid green Peter Pan outfits, crisp blue skies, pink cake frosting on a Guinea pig, and rich green grass. The look is a little exaggerated, yes but it totally fits the pre-teen mood. Despite the boosted hues, skin tones stay natural, and black levels are deep.
If you assume that a film about an 11-year old kid probably lacks a full-on, wholly immersive soundtrack, you’re right. ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is indeed hardly something to test your sound system with. Aside from the occasional pop tune, rambunctious cues from the score, and expected ambiance—hallway chatter, outdoorsy sounds—the rear speakers rarely get any notable action, but at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with the audio presentation.
Disney’s ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY Blu-ray includes a decent amount of extras:
- Alexander…In Real Life –runs 5 minutes and features a nice on-screen interview with Judith Viorst , author of source book which was published in 1972. There is also an interview with her son Alexander, whom she based the book on, who talks about how the book affected his life and how he uses it in dealing with his own children.
- Snappy Crocs & Punch Roos: The Australian Outback Party – a 7 minute look at the film’s concluding Australian-themed party sequence. Producers and animal wranglers are interviewed and shown handling the various kangaroos, crocs, etc, that they brought on to the set.
- Walkabout: A Video Diary – Star Ed Oxenbould, who plays Alexander, walks around with a camcorder for 6 minutes, visiting the sets, wardrobe department, hair and makeup, and his costars. It looks like the young Australian actor had a lot of fun making this and the crew are all good sports.
- And The Delightful, Magnificent, Very Good Bloopers – 3 ½ minutes of harmless outtakes.
- Music Video:
- “Hurricane” by the Vamps
