Focus World/Universal
When I first saw the Blu-ray cover art for the new comedy Search Party, I thought it was some of the worst I’ve seen. Why does everyone have to have their mouths open and in impossibly weird positions? It really didn’t bode well for the contents included on the disk itself but I dove in.
And guess what?
The movie is pretty damned funny. Very low-brow and raunchy, but funny! The story focuses on three friends, Evan (Adam Pally), Jason (T.J. Miller) and Nardo (Thomas Middleditch), opening on the eve of Nardo’s bachelor party. Or rather the aftermath of his bachelor party where, stoned to the Max, he decides to make a list of pros and cons about his bride-to-be, Tracy (Shannon Woodward). In the pot hazed stupor, Jason takes this to mean Nardo has doubts and takes it upon himself to put a stop to the wedding right before the I dos. Tracy runs off to Mexico to get away and take advantage of the already paid for honeymoon, and Nardo decides he has to go after her. But he gets carjacked, his clothes stolen and he’s in the middle of nowhere, and has to depend on his buddies to get him to safety. Easier said than done, but hilarity ensues.
For a movie from two first-time feature writers and one pro responsible for the Dice TV series, the terrible The Hangover Part II and the original Old School and Road Trip, there are plenty of honest laughs from some pretty absurd situations. There are a few minor things you have to overlook, like why Evan doesn’t just be honest with his boss about needing to help his friend instead of causing chaos for him and his co-worker Elizabeth (Alison Brie), and even more things that are simply there for the broad comedy (the old kidney stealing legend) but it all works quite well.
Focus World/Universal
The cast also does a great job at not making you hate them for their behavior. Miller has the hardest role because he’s the idiot of the bunch, but even when he should be blamed for everything, his dopey behavior just leaves you thinking that he really can’t help himself. Pally is also good at keeping the three stooges grounded. He’s the “sensible” one but still manages to get himself in more than a few pickles.
But we have to give some major props to Middleditch for letting it all hang out. Seriously, when he says all of his clothes were stolen, he’s not kidding and he’s not modest in the least. So be prepared. He also has probably the broadest role of the three alternating between calm and hysteria, often from one sentence to the next because of his various predicaments (and the funniest gag of the movie involves a getaway with Nardo and a pickup truck).
Everyone else in the cast gets their moments to shine, from Brie giving us a reminder of Annie from Community, with a little more maturity and responsibility, to J.B. Smoove going completely over-the-top as a drug lord.
The new Blu-ray release of the film looks and sounds excellent, probably as good as it would have in any theater had it actually been released (not sure why Universal never let it out, or why they seem to have turned it over to Focus World which may or may not have given it a theatrical run). The 1080p video looks sharp, colors are vibrant, and many of the daylight scenes in very bright Mexican locations are never blown out. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is clear, keeping the dialog front and center while using the surrounds for music and sound effects. It’s a nice presentation for a film that got no love from its studio. Unfortunately, that lack of love extends to the disk’s extras, which are none. Zero. Zip. Zilch. (But you do get a Digital HD copy with the Blu-ray.) This is as bare bones as you can get, but at least the movie looks great and you get 90 minutes of laughs to take you mind off the world.
That’s a fine trade off in my book.
Focus World
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