The Film
People seem to love or hate The Farrelly Brothers. There's Something about Mary sort of gave them rom-com street cred, proving that they aren't just about grossing out the audience to get a laugh. If you can stop wincing long enough, they've still got it, buried deeply inside Hall Pass.
Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends, who long for the single life. Wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) decide to grant that wish, with a one-week vacation from marriage, which is dubbed a "hall pass." What ensues is sick, sweet, and sort of funny.
It's certainly not the best from the brothers, but it is funny. It also has the incredibly talented Richard Jenkins, J.B. Smoove, and Stephen Merchant, whose few scenes are worth the price of admission alone. Talent aside, this is The Farrelly Brothers we're talking about, so you can't have romance without poop jokes, full-frontal male nudity, and at least one frothing psychopath. If that isn't your idea of comedy, you might want to pass on Hall Pass.
Want to take another pass at the plot of this comedy? Check out Joe Lozito's review of the theatrical release of Hall Pass.
The Picture
For a big-budget, recent release, Hall Pass seems a little off. The colors are probably the most satisfying portion of this 2.40:1 transfer. For the most part, they are extremely bright and beautiful. However, some of the skintones are downright disturbing. We understand that Ed (played by Farrelly Brothers regular Rob Moran) is probably supposed to make George Hamilton look ghostly white. However, the ladies don't seem to be in on the joke. Jenna Fischer, in particular, looks almost leathery, with Christina Applegate looking like she just escaped the sun in time. Other than that, the image jumps between super sharp and a little overly soft and grainy.
The Sound
Following the comedy format, Hall Pass is a pretty front-heavy audio experience. The main focus here is the dialogue, which the DTS-HD Master Audio does very well. That's not to say that the surrounds are dead, with plenty of party chatter, gunshots and the crack of at least one tire iron. Also, the subwoofer makes itself known during a few loud club scenes. As with all Farrelly Brothers movies, music plays an interesting role, with songs belting out from The Beach Boys to Styx to Cypress Hill. It's not a non-stop wild ride, but the audio is pretty impressive for this type of movie.
The Extras
Despite being dubbed the "Enlarged Edition," this release is more about shrinkage. An extended version of the movie offers a whopping 6 extra minutes of the film. Other than that, we get a 2-minute gag reel and one deleted scene. Granted, that scene offers a few extra minutes of Richard Jenkins, but it's hard to believe that this was the only thing that was cut from the movie.
Notably absent from this release is any sort of commentary. Also, it would have been nice to have quickie featurette on the many familiar faces that pop up in almost every single Farrelly Brothers movie.
Final Thoughts
Despite an all-star cast, Hall Pass is far from the funniest Farrelly Brothers movie. In fact, it's not even the fourth funniest. That doesn't mean it isn't amusing. However, it's probably not going to be your go-to Farrelly Brothers film. That, combined with a lackluster Blu-ray, make Hall Pass more of a rental.
Product Details
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