• Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1
• Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
• Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
• Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit)
  
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
• Subtitle Color: White
  
• Region: A (Region-Locked)
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 91 Mins.
• Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
• Studio: Lionsgate
• Blu-ray Release Date: May 15, 2012
• List Price: $39.99

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Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:2.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]

Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures

(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG  thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)

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The Film

[Rating:2.5/5]

One for the Money, based on a best-selling series of novels by author Janet Evanovich stars Katherine Heigl in the lead role as heroine Stephanie Plum. A Jersey native, divorcée, and recently laid off lingerie salesperson, Stephanie, whose finances have run dry and car has been repossessed, has had to go looking for work at her greasy cousin’s Bail Bondsman’s outfit. Desperate for big cash quick, she takes a job to hunt down an old flame (Jason O’Mara), an ex-boyfriend, now a cop, from her high school days who did her wrong and is now on the run for murdering a man.

Heigl, who also produced One for the Money, is woefully miscast in this film. This action-comedy cries out for someone with more gritty street credibility, and Heigl’s cutesy veneer in non-wavering. A poor attempt at a Jersey accent results in something akin to a cross between a Bostonian in pain and someone who maybe spent a little time in “LonGUYland.” Laying all the blame at Heigl’s feet would be a mistake, however. One for the Money‘s attempt at quirky comedy and being sexy falls flat because of poor script writing and a bad cast all around. Stephanie Plum’s  inappropriate grandmother, for instance, played here by veteran Debbie Reynolds, is another miscasting. Surely Betty White must not have been available, I take it? One liners and silly quips abound, rather than anything substantial. It makes the supposed murder mystery subplot get lost and we’re left with a tangled mess that isn’t funny, isn’t sexy, and rarely has any action.

Video Quality

[Rating:3.5/5]

The Super-35mm source for One for the Money, transferred to a BD-25 Blu-ray Disc in an AVC/MPEG-4 1080p/24 encodement from Lionsgate looks film-like, but the quality tends to waver. Grain level is a little coarse at times, at others in tends to be finer, and textures a bit smoother. Flesh tones aren’t always the most natural looking either, sometimes tending towards peachy hues, other times looking a bit more pallid. Waxiness can creep in a bit as well. Overall contrast could have been stronger, as the image can tend to seem just a little dull, but darks do look sufficiently deep with little crush.

Audio Quality

[Rating:3.5/5]

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit) soundtrack offers little activity in the surround channels, sounds a bit thin overall and a little harsh in the high end. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, but, again, activity is limited across the front. The low frequencies are subtle at best. Overall, this is a middling audio mix.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:2/5]

There’s little here worth watching, but at least Lionsgate does provide a digital copy for this film.

The supplements:

• Making the Money: Behind the Scenes (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:11:01) – Typical making of with “pat on the back: sentiments and little in the way of actual information.
• Bond Girls: Kicking Ass in the Bail Bonds Industry (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:10:28) – This featurette spotlights real-life female Bail Bond recovery agents.
• Gag Reel (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:02:37)
• Deleted Scene (2.35:1; 1080p/24; 00:00:47)
• Theatrical Trailer (2.35:1; 1080p/24; Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Digital Copy

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:3.5/5]

A seriously flawed and poorly crafted film that can’t be saved by an admittedly camera-friendly, but miscast cast Katherine Heigl, One for the Money will most likely be a disappointment for fans of the Stephanie Plum books.

Additional Screen Captures

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Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

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[amazon-product]B004EPYZRQ[/amazon-product]

Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:2.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]

Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com

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