The Back-up Plan Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
After years of directionless dating, Zoe has finally decided that the wait for the perfect man has been too long. Determined to become a mother before it is too late, she decides to go it alone and signs up to conceive a baby through artificial insemination. But when she meets Stan on the same day as successfully conceiving twins, a comedy of errors ensues as Zoe tries to keep her new relationship alive while struggling with the early stages of pregnancy.
For more about The Back-up Plan and the The Back-up Plan Blu-ray release, see The Back-up Plan Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on August 8, 2010 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.0 out of 5.
The Romantic Comedy, otherwise known as "the Chick Flick," is sort of like the Old Faithful of
cinematic staples. Yellowstone's famous geyser is pretty darn cool the first time around; the fun
facts,
the novelty, and its sheer force of will (or earnest following of the laws of nature) to keep on
chugging
along make it a thing of wonder and amazement. Still, it doesn't really do anything else, and it
never changes. Predictable, irrelevant to most after the first or second visit, but with an
undeniable staying power that always lures in droves of tourists (and the occasional person
that
shows up with the T-Shirt that says 'I'm as reliable as Old Reliable' with the dates of
their to-the-day annual visit to Wyoming plopped on the back) even though it promises to be
nothing more or nothing less than what it's always been. Take The Back-Up Plan; it's the
epitome of the Romantic Comedy, a picture that gleefully revels in every single cliché in the book, a
perfect example of a genre that never does anything new but still manages to attract a following
even if it never offers anything but the same-old, same-old. Yup, J-Lo's latest spouts a
smorgasbord of reliably-predictable events that might just prove worthy enough for a visit, but by
film's end, well, it's still
just a hole that shoots out water with no variety, spontaneity, or lasting appeal. Been there, done
that, don't have the T-shirt.
For the last time, we're a Wendy's household!
Zoe (Jennifer Lopez, Maid in Manhattan)
has given up on the search for the perfect guy. But that's not going to keep her from fulfilling her
dreams of motherhood. She's chosen artificial insemination as her modus operandi, and
once she's done the deed with her doctor, she leaves the building, calls for a cab, and, yup, meets
the guy of her dreams when they both stumble into the same backseat. No big deal; the first
attempt at marrying frozen sperm and fertile egg doesn't usually work, right? Wrong! Zoe
discovers she's pregnant just as she starts falling for local cheese peddler Stan (Alex O'Loughlin).
She's hesitant to tell him that she's with child, but she knows the relationship won't work if it's
built
on secrets and lies.
Can new love stand up to a baby in the belly, or will the fulfillment of one of Zoe's dreams shatter
her chances at securing another?
Go ahead, guess how it will end up. Play a game with The Back-Up Plan and see who in
the group can be the first to correctly guess what will happen next, and to make it really fun, figure
out all the little details and even try and blurt out a few key words and phrases that will make the
scene complete. Anyone with a pulse and, oh, about two Romantic Comedies of a more
recent vintage under their belts should be able to guess correctly to about a 98% accuracy rating.
Shoot, even someone who's first
exposure to the genre comes via The Back-Up Plan won't have a hard time in correctly
predicting the end result. No, this one sadly doesn't end with J-Lo birthing a couple of alien lizards
who run amok in New York City. Wait, there's an idea...a Romantic Comedy directed by Roland
Emmerich! Just imagine, instead of fireworks behind the couple as they share "the big kiss," it can
be a huge explosion after Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph
Lundgren kill a prehistoricmutant radioactive creature
from another part of the universe
that's mad about global warming on the Fourth of July in the year 2012 near a Revolutionary War monument!
Or how about a Roger Corman-themed
RomCom where J-Lo's shirt can get torn off by some guy in a rubber creature suit? The possibilities
are
endless, but alas, The Back-Up Plan sticks with plan "A" which calls for the same old New
York setting, the same old score, the same old cinematography, the same old direction, the same
old color scheme, the same old characters, and the same old pop music that reinforces either a
get-together, a break-up, another get-together, another break-up, and another get-together. Oh
well. One can dream, right? (Roland, if you're reading this, please do make a Romantic Comedy.
Imagine the possibilities!)
Still, The Back-Up Plan isn't a total loss. There might not be any mega sharks and giant
octopuses, bullet time scenes, or Carl Weathers, but Director
Alan Poul's flick is at least technically proficient as he trudges through one "didn't see that one
coming, wink wink" scene after another. His movie looks good for what it is, and he demonstrates
just enough skill to keep even a story as thematically barren and predictably clichéd as this
watchable. Additionally, the film's two leads carry the movie about
as far as it could reasonably be expected to go. Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin share a
surprisingly strong chemistry, particularly early on in the picture before it fumbles around with
cringe-worthy scenes where they're forced to watch a woman give birth in a kiddie pool or as they
struggle through one cliché after another that, ultimately, sacrifices any and all charm that the
characters captured early on. Even if their early courtship phase is built around movie magic
and dramatic convenience, it still works because the leads seem genuinely attracted to one
another. Unfortunately, the final
twenty-or-so minutes just become so bogged down in banality that most viewers will leave the film
with a sour taste that masks any positives that might have existed here and there throughout the
movie.
The movie might be painfully average, but The Back-up Plan's 1080p transfer is anything but.
The image sports incredible detailing from its first live-action frame forward; a few shots of J-Lo's toes
reveal so much definition it's almost scary, and the transfer subsequently captures plenty of visual
nuances
throughout, whether the intricate stitching of sweaters, the texture of pavement and
building exteriors, or even the slight ridges on the paper that covers the examination table in the
doctor's office. Colors are nicely vibrant and true-to-life without exhibiting too much of that now
genre-typical unnaturally warm appearance. The transfer remains sharp and clear; even distant shots
of both the city and various countryside locales never feature soft edges or clumpy details. Flesh tones
are pleasantly natural, while black levels appear spot-on throughout, with nighttime scenes appearing
particularly handsome. The image appears free of any distracting print damage or unwarranted digital
manipulation, and a very slight layer of grain rounds out yet another fantastic film-like Blu-ray
presentation from Sony.
The Back-up Plan sports a quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's typical of both a
newly-minted Romantic Comedy and a Sony new release. Music is the name of game with this
movie; it's breezy and light, spacious and clean, a satisfying experience with a good spread across the
front soundstage and a slight rear-channel support. Both instrumental music and pop tunes play with
a refined, natural tone. Additionally, the track captures a good bit of atmosphere that creates a
semi-realistic environment; both the sounds of the city -- rumbling subway trains, honking horns, and
driving rainstorms -- and the natural ambience of the countryside setting are nicely reproduced
throughout. Additionally, dialogue reproduction is strong and satisfying with center-focused delivery.
The Back-Up Plan isn't any kind of sonic marvel, but its soundtrack suits the material well
enough and Sony's lossless offering is up to the task of capturing its every nuance very well.
The Back-up Plan births a tiny collection of extras. Belly Laughs: Making 'The Back-Up
Plan' (1080p, 11:36) is a generic look at the making of the film, featuring cast and crew patting
each other on the back alongside behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the film. Also included is a
collection of four deleted scenes (1080p, 5:12); BD-Live functionality; MovieIQ
connectivity; and 1080p trailers for The Back-Up Plan, Stomp the Yard:
Homecoming, The Runaways, Nine, Not the Messiah, The Young Victoria, Charlie's Angels, and To Save a Life.
Anyone who's not a hardcore fan of Romantic Comedies should probably skip on by The Back-up
Plan. It's not an awful movie -- it's really not -- but it's just terribly average and without a single
original frame in its body. The picture's technically proficient and the acting is decent enough, but
there's no story here beyond a very base idea that serves only as a slightly different frame in
which to hang the same old picture. As these sorts of genre films go, The Back-Up Plan isn't
abysmally bad, but it's not 13 Going on 30, either.
If one were really curious as to what the Romantic Comedy looks like at its most base level, The
Back-Up Plan would serve a definite purpose, but otherwise, it's just another eruption from Old
Faithful. The Back-Up Plan, no surprise, lacks a thorough
supplemental package, but as expected of a Sony release, the disc features a powerhouse 1080p
transfer and a fine lossless soundtrack. The Back-Up Plan might tickle the fancy of ardent
genre fans, but even they would be best served with a rental.
It had to end. With today's Blu-ray release of Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season, Disney officially turns the last page in the television drama that took the country by storm, and was able to keep viewers engaged like few shows before it. Those of you who ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced The Back-up Plan for release on Blu-ray on August 24. This romantic movie, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin, was the second production from CBS Films. Despite heavy promotion, it grossed under $37 million ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced The Back-up Plan for release on Blu-ray on August 24. This romantic movie, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin, was the second production from CBS Films. Despite heavy promotion, it grossed under $37 million ...
