Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale
Director: Jon Favreau
Number of discs: 2
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Run Time: 110 minutes
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
“Swingers”. “Made”. These are great indie films. They are funny, edgy and relevant. They were also both written and directed by Jon Favreau, who had since went on to direct films like “Iron Man” and “Elf”. This film is an amazing return for him to his indie roots. This is a really heartwarming comedy that has a little bit for everyone, sort of like an appetizer platter since we are on the topic of food. This film is easily one of my favorite films of the year. It is a change from the today flew of sequels / remakes / prequels etc. Jon Favreau is back and I recommend this film to everyone!
Official Premise: An online feud with an influential food critic (Platt) and a creative disagreement with his investor (Hoffman) convince Carl Casper (Favreau) to hang up his apron at a posh Los Angeles bistro and get his mojo back in Miami’s Cuban-inspired cuisine. When his ex-wife (Vergara) helps him get a fresh start with a rundown food truck, Carl and his best friend and sous chef Martin (Leguizamo) head across the country with Carl’s young son Percy on a culinary adventure that helps Carl rediscover what matters in life.
Besides Favreau himself, the film has an all-star cast including John Leguizamo (“Ice Age”), Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”), Bobby Cannavale (“Blue Jasmine”), Oliver Platt (“Fargo”), Amy Sedaris (“Strangers with Candy”, Dustin Hoffman (“Rain Man”), Scarlett Johansson (“The Avengers”) and a fantastic appearance from Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man”). Newcomer Emjay Anthony also steals the show as Favreau’s son.
Universal is releasing the film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD copy with UltraViolet. The 1080p transfer is outstanding and definitely makes that grilled cheese sandwich that much more mouth-watering. The DTS-Master Audio 5.1 track works perfectly with the film’s perfectly themed music throughout Chef’s journey. The special features are a bit of a let down though. There is a great audio commentary track with Favreau and chef and co-producer Roy Choi. Besides that there is only some deleted scenes.