Director: David Frankel
Starring: Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG / Unrated
Run Time: 100 minutes
Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
When you have three comedy geniuses like Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson…you get high expectations. This film let’s down on all accounts. The story is lame and honestly boring. I do not actually think there were any jokes in the film. It plays more like a romance between the men and the birds. I also do not understand the point of releasing the film “unrated” when the original film was rated PG. I think it is just a way to cash in at the fact that this was a major flop.
The film is based off a novel written by Mark Obmascik. It follows three bird lovers who secretly compete against one another in order to spot the most birds to obtain the prestigious “Big Year” award. That is really it. No real surprises in the film at all and in fact the payoff is lacking as well. The film has a little heart in it but not enough to make you actually care for these characters. The best part of the film lies in its co-stars like John Cleese, Tim Blake Nelson, Anjelica Huston, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy and Rashida Jones. That is sad with all the amazing talent in the main cast.
This release includes not only a Blu-ray but also a DVD and Digital Copy of the film as well. The theatrical cut and an extended version is also included on each of them. The video on the Blu-ray sharp but the film really doesn’t push it either. There is a great 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track included, which is impressive. The special features are decent and pick up some slack from the film. There is an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette called “The Big Migration”, which is worth checking out. There is also a gag reel, which catches some of the funny missed in the film. Lastly for deleted scenes fans, there is no shortage in this department. There are 14 deleted scenes included, worth a watch but the film honestly felt long enough in the theatrical cut.