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Hitch Blu-ray
Sony Pictures | 2005 | 118 mins | Rated PG-13 | Jun 20, 2006
Hitch Blu-ray ReviewCan Will Smith and Kevin James win the girls and save the day from "another boring chick flick?"Reviewed by Martin Liebman, January 29, 2008 Any man has a chance to sweep any woman off her feet. He just needs the right broom. There seems to be a guru for everything these days. Weight loss experts, motivational speakers, political pundits, movie reviewers, and G.I. Joe public service announcements permeate the airwaves and cyberspace, doing whatever they can to stick their noses into everyone's personal affairs in an attempt to make their bank accounts fatter and fatter. But what if there was one guru out there who did it not only for the money, but for the satisfaction of helping others because he, too, was once just like one of many of his clients? What if his morals matter just as much, if not more, than his bottom line? Hitch introduces us to such a man who cares about his clients on a personal level, turning their dreams into reality using their own personalities as the only weapon in the fight most every man in history has fought--the battle to earn the attention, respect, and love of the woman of his dreams.
Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith, Independence Day) is a man whose wares include opportunity, hope, and fulfillment of dreams. He's the pedagogue of love and self-worth, a man who can and will help you in your quest to swoon the girl of your dreams all the while building up your self-confidence and self-esteem. His impeccable record of success makes him a man in demand, and word-of-mouth advertising brings him all the business he needs. His newest client is Albert Brennaman (Kevin James, The King of Queens), a moderately successful financial planner who has eyes for his company's highest-profile client, Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta, Premonition). Albert is as shy and self-aware as they come, making a fool of himself at every turn, and seemingly has no shot at the rich and glamorous Allegra. With Hitch's help, however, anything is possible, and Albert sufficiently attracts Allegra, and another successful relationship begins to blossom. Meanwhile, Hitch finds himself sucked into his own game as he pursues a journalist named Sara (Eva Mendes, We Own the Night) who is hot on the trail of Allegra's new romantic interest and unravelling the mystery of "The Date Doctor." Will she learn Alex's secret identity and potentially destroy all he has built for himself and for Albert? Hitch is another one of those movies that probably won't find its way onto your shelf unless you've got a sappy wife or girlfriend, or you are a movie reviewer. I've got one and I am one, but thankfully I can kill two birds with one copy. While not a fan of the Romantic Comedy genre, I'm learning to be a bit more accepting of it. Unfortunately, Hitch ranks among the "lesser" of the genre. Make no mistake--the film has its moments--but they are all carried by the standout performance by Kevin James. He's a natural in his role; the look and feel of the man fits the character to a "T" and his comedic touch delivers solid gold entertainment throughout the film. He is perhaps best known for his "dance" routine in this film, but I found his entire performance nearly worthy of the price of admission. Sadly, the rest of the movie is a dull and overlong drag. Will Smith is just much more enjoyable as a wisecracking hero (see Independence Day and Men in Black) or the serious, dramatic hero (I Am Legend and The Pursuit of Happyness). While he doesn't deliver a dreadful performance by any stretch of the imagination, he certainly didn't knock my socks off, either. Smith is a very fine actor and a solid choice for this film, and I believe the problem lies more in the lengthy, drawn out script and story itself rather than his representation of the title character. Hitch is another "score a point with the Mrs." type movie, but my Mrs. found that she didn't enjoy this one quite as much as she did the first time she saw it. Still, if you are under orders not to pick up Independence Day or I Am Legend when they are released in a few weeks, pick up a copy of Hitch at the same time and I'll bet that your better half won't even realize you got a Will Smith trifecta. Video  Hitch is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition, framed inside its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. At best, this is a decent looking image that has a sometimes nice film-like look to it. There is some fine grain throughout, but it adds a certain charm and "theatrical" look to the movie. Flesh tones are mostly pleasant without exhibiting any red or orange tint. Black levels also fare better than many releases I've screened and reviewed so far. Unfortunately, the image exhibits some softness and an overly bright and processed appearance, giving the image the dreaded "washed out" look. There are not many overly bright colors in the image. The palette is pretty muted and there is not a lot of opportunity for Blu-ray and 1080p high definition to work their magic here. Fine information is only moderately visible with not much depth or fine detail. Sadly, Hitch looks pretty dull and drab next to most of the higher profile Blu-ray releases out there. Audio Hitch arrives on Blu-ray with a PCM uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack alongside a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Unfortunately, the audio presentation is fairly lackluster. The film itself offers little in the way of action or any sequence that calls for extended and powerful sound design, but even the standard fare for comedies--dialogue, instrumental music, and minute surround effects--come across as drab, uninspired, and quiet. Although the track offers up some ambience, most of what we hear is the film's music bleeding over into the rears. If you listen really closely, there are a few "sounds of the city" floating about, but they are anything but robust. Speaking of the music, it sounds as if it is unbalanced, emanating from the left front speaker at a much higher volume than the right. Dialogue is well prioritized, being really the only sound of much importance here. It flows from the center channel with the appropriate clarity, vitality, and vigor. I didn't expect much from Hitch sonically so I am not overly disappointed with this release. This is just not a great soundtrack. In fact, it's almost completely generic, but it'll suit lovers of romantic comedies just fine. Supplements  Fans of Hitch need look elsewhere for anything resembling meaningful extras. Two featurettes represent the majority of the supplements. The first is entitled Dance Steps Made Easy (480p, 8:17), and in it actors Will Smith and Kevin James, along with director Andy Tennant, discuss the famous "dance" scene in the film. There is a bit of "filmmaking" talk here as we become privy to the number of takes, the placing of the markers on the floor, and the reaction of the crew to the scene. It's mostly a throwaway, but fans will be interested in this one. The second featurette is called The Dating Experts (480p, 11:22). This one features director Andy Tennant, actor Will Smith, and several real-life "experts" discussing love and romance both in the real world and its portrayal in this film. Rounding out the features are a gag reel (480p, 3:48) and 1080p trailers for Into the Blue, S.W.A.T., and Underworld: Evolution. Final words  Hitch is a movie with plenty of opportunity for laughs, but the jokes fell flat more often than not. While not a terrible film, it could have been much better than it ended up being. The concept is a good one and the acting is mostly fine, especially from James, but the film lacked the quick pace and tidy editing that could have elevated it another few notches. Nevertheless, this is a movie sure to put a smile onto the face of that someone special in your life. For those of you more concerned with the technical quality of the disc, I'm afraid to report that Hitch strikes out on all three categories. The disc exhibits underwhelming video and audio quality, and the supplemental materials are nearly nonexistent. However, if you are looking for a nice date movie, this one is a surefire winner. Recommended for those in need of a little love doctoring. 
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