- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24 -bit), LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit)
- Subtitles: English (Forced)
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: B (Region-Locked)
- Certification: 15
- Run Time: 84 Mins.
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: StudioCanal
- Blu-ray Release Date: October 1, 2012
- RRP: £19.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Will Ferrell teams up with his frequent collaborator and Saturday Night Live colleague Andy McKay and Funny or Die’s Matt Piedmont (who directs) in this Spanish-language parody of telenovelas, grindhouse films, and B-grade westerns. Ferrell, who does his best performing in a foreign language, plays naïve Mexican rancher, Armando Alvarez, who ends up embroiled in a war between drug lords when his hot shot brother Raul (Diego Luna), returns from America, and turns out to be a drug dealer, putting their father’s ranch in jeopardy. A battle ensues between the Alvarez brothers and slick drug lord, Onza (Gael García Bernal), when Onza not only takes exception to Raul encroaching on his drug territory, but also to Raul’s engagement to his beautiful niece Sonia (played by beautiful newcomer Genesis Rodriguez).
While the mere idea of Will Ferrell in a Spanish-language parody might be enough to send some into fits of laughter, it isn’t enough to sustain an entire film. Casa de mi Padre is certainly a valiant effort that draws on many influences, most notably the grindhouse spoofs of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez in its use of purposefully added source damage, rough edits, low budget visual effects and tongue-in-cheek dialogue. It also features the melodramatic acting of the Spanish-language network staple telenovelas, which helps define the swooping romance between Ferrell and Genesis Rodriguez. While these things work to a certain degree, they just as often fall quite flat making for an uneven comedy.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
There is no apparent difference in image quality between this StudioCanal Blu-ray and the previously released and reviewed edition from Lionsgate. What is different with this release, however, is that the English subtitles are encoded right onto the image and cannot be turned off. The film was captured on 35mm using Panavision Panaflex Gold II cameras and Panavision C-Series anamorphic lenses. It has been heavily color graded, giving it a warm, amber glow. Grain is strong and textured even as detail in close-ups is sharp. The overall transfer looks continues to look film-like and natural with no noise or post-processing artifacts detectable outside of those effects purposely added in this AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement to disc from StudioCanal.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
The audio track provided is a Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) mix in addition to a Spanish LPCM 2.0 stereo (48kHz/16-bit) mix. The 5.1 track is straightforward, dialogue-driven, and front-heavy, with only a low level of atmospherics in the surround channels and little low frequencies. With that being said, the mix does open up vastly during the film’s climactic gun battle near the end, the the surrounds filling with gunshots, sounds pinging across the front, and the LFE beefing up. There is good directional panning across the front as well and dialogue is clean. In comparison, there is no audible difference between this and the track available on the U.S. Release from Lionsgate.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The supplements on this UK release mirror all the previous released supplements on Blu-ray in the US minus the audio commentary and two missing deleted scenes. It does, however, add in the theatrical trailer for the film which was not included on the U.S. Release.
The supplements:
- The Making of Casa de mi Padre (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:15:43)
- Pedro Armendáriz Final Interview (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:03:37)
- Deleted Scenes (2.35:1; 1080p/24):
- Raúl Study
- Raúl Slaps Sonia
- Old Friends Shooting
- Sonia Fountain
- Police Station
- Pants
- Doctor
- Armondo Awakes
- Manuel Knocked Out
- Esteban and Manuel
- “Fight for Love” Music Video performed by Will Ferrell and Génesis Rodriguez (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:03:20)
- Fake TV Ads – Four faux commercials featuring the characters of Casa de mi Padre:
- Champion 100’s (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:00:31)
- Scorpion Beer (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:01:43)
- Suave Leopardo Cigarettes (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:00:46)
- Trailer (2.35:1; 1080p/24)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Casa de mi Padre is one of those comedic oddities that just may go on to become a cult classic, it has all the earmarks of one – the quirky comedy, the silly production, the throwback to other cult genres, and, most of all, the embrace of a growing and influential part of our American culture. Even on my second time through, the film continues to satisfy despite its unevenness, although I still recommend it only as a rental first.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B0086VHY1I[/amazon-product]
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
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