Starring: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, Jennifer Lopez, George Carlin
Director: Kevin Smith
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Miramax Echo Bridge
DVD Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 110 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
When it comes to “Jersey Girl”, I think that Kevin Smith was dealt a bad hand. The film is nowhere near as terrible as everyone said it was. It got some poor press before it came out due to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s relationship, which caused him to cut the film. Personally, I really enjoyed it and thought it was one of Kevin Smith’s most mature and honest films. It is sweet, heartwarming and yet still very sharp with that Kevin Smith touch. This is the first time that the film is being released on Blu-ray, thanks to Echo Bridge and they did a very impressive job (if you can look past the terrible cover art). And for $5 bucks, it is a no-brainer.
Official Premise: Ollie (Affleck) is a smooth and successful big-city publicist who has the life he’s always wanted—until things take an unexpected turn and he finds himself an unemployed single father back living with his dad in the suburbs. But just when he thinks his life has hit rock bottom, a sexy, no-nonsense video store clerk (Tyler) enters his life and shows Ollie that sometimes you have to forget who you thought you were and acknowledge what really makes you happy.
I have to admit the “Jersey Girl” looks quite stunning with its 1080p transfer in 2.44:1 aspect ratio. The colors are bright and looks very sharp overall. Cool fact about “Jersey Girl” is that it was shot by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, who is known best for “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. He is not your typical choice for a film like this but you know that it is going to benefit from his talented eye. There are two audio track included on this Blu-ray. The first is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and and the other a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. The 5.1 track is best option for sure and works best with the music in the film and well-balanced dialogue.
Echo Bridge must be trying something new for 2013 because they are starting to include special features with their releases. This is a trend after the recent “Hellraiser: Deader” and I hope they continue this! To start we have two audio commentary track with Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier and Jason Mewes, which is a laugh riot. The other is another commentary with Smith and Ben Affleck, which is even better than the first. “The Making of Jersey Girl” is a decent behind-the-scene look with interviews and footage. “Kevin and Ben Reminisce” is a great interview Smith and Affleck that runs nearly 30 minutes. Lastly, “Roadside Attractions – Orlando, FL” is a feature which hits the road with Smith.
