Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

You've made your bed and now you've got to bang whatever crawls into it.

Rom-com king Matthew McConaughey is heading back to his throne. However, in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, he's paired with multiple leading ladies and putting the "dick" in Dickens.

McConaughey stars as Connor Mead, the ultimate womanizer. In fact, he pooh-poohs love to the point where he loves and leaves many, and even makes an anti-true-love speech at his own brother's (Breckin Meyer) wedding rehearsal dinner.

However, Connor will soon have a change of heart after

he's treated to a Christmas Carol-esque journey through girlfriends past, thanks to his deceased, Dean Martin-ish Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas) and a bevy of beautiful banshees (Emma Stone, Noureen DeWulf and a completely silent Olga Maliouk). The girls force Connor to reassess his life, his dating habits, and his lost relationship with his first love (Jennifer Garner).

Yes, the movie takes the chick flick genre to a new level, but not necessarily a good one. It's not completely unwatchable, although McConaughey has his moments. For the most part, the movie is lighthearted and easy on the brain cells, but also completely saps out in the end. What did you expect from a chick flick with ghosts?

Need more info about the movie? Check out Mark Grady's review of the theatrical release of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

The Picture

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is filled with beautiful people and beautiful locations. Some of the skintones look a little too bronzed, but that's not out of the ordinary when a wedding is afoot. Also, a lot of scenes are dark and muddy, which is most notable in the flashbacks. It doesn't distract from the fun, but certainly separates the ghost and real worlds. However, in the film's reality, the wedding locale is snowy and stunning and the 2.40:1 transfer does offer up a ton of details. Flowers, wedding cake and pretty dresses usually make a good mark on Blu-ray, but also McConaughey's often surprised and sometimes smug face holds up well enough under the detailed scrutiny of 1080p.

The Sound

The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack does a great job delivering dialogue, which is the anchor of this film. However, there are plenty of sounds in surround, including club scenes, wedding party chatter and a steady musical soundtrack throughout.

The Extras

For a movie with such big names, the extras are extremely weak. Two short featurettes on how much fun the production was comes off as pure fluff, although the few minutes with Michael Douglas ("The Legends, The Lessons and The Ladies") are the most interesting. Aside from that, there are deleted scenes and a short titled, "It's All About Connor," which actually has very little to do with the main character and instead wastes four minutes talking about how awesome McConaughey is.

Final Thoughts

We don't mind the rehashed Christmas Carol concept one bit. However, a much better storyline would have had McConaughey looking back at Dazed and Confused and wondering where the hell his career went. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past isn't the worst chick flick, but the lame ending and extras mean you should proceed with caution and try before you buy.

Product Details

• Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer, Emma Stone, Michael Douglas
• Director: Mark Waters
• Audio/Languages: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, Spanish)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 2
• Rating:PG-13
• Studio: New Line Home Cinema
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: September 22, 2009
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• List Price: $35.99
• Extras:
  • Recreating the Past: Imagining the Future
  • It's All About Connor
  • The Legends, The Lessons and The Ladies
  • Additional Scenes
  • BD Live
  • Digital Copy