Hitch Blu-ray features mediocre video and audio, but overall it's a poor Blu-ray release
Meet Hitch (Will Smith), New York City's greatest matchmaker. Love is his job and he'll get you the girl of your dreams in just three easy dates, guaranteed! And that's exactly what happens when Albert Brennaman (TV's Kevin James, "The King of Queens") wins the heart of gorgeous society heiress Allegra Cole (supermodel Amber Valletta). So when tabloid columnist Sara Melas (Eva Mendes, Stuck On You, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) decides to uncover the secret behind the tubby schlub's success, she's shocked to discover that Alex Hitchens, the charming young man she's been seeing, is the legendary date doctor himself. Exposed in a front-page scoop, it's now up to Alex to try to save Albert and Allegra's relationship as well as his own. Which only goes to show that just when you think you've found true love, there's always a Hitch.
For more about Hitch and the Hitch Blu-ray release, see the Hitch Blu-ray Review
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.
I demand an Oscar for this role!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
