# Dinner for Schmucks - Blu-Ray Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5693[/img]*Title: Dinner for Schmucks
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Stephanie Szostak, Jemaine Clement, Bruce Greenwood
Directed by: Jay Roach 
Written by: David Guion, Michael Handelman
Studio: Dreamworks
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 114 Minutes
Release Date: 1/4/2011* 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :2.5stars: 
*Overall:* :4stars: 



*Synopsis:* 
As 'Dinner for Schmucks' begins, we are introduced to Tim (Rudd), an analyst that works on the sixth floor of Fender Financial, as he and several co-workers are gather around a window overlooking the parking lot. They are watching a co-worker that has just been fired as he makes his away across the parking lot and puts a box of belongings in his car upon his exit from the company. The scene soon changes and we find Tim a bit later as he enters a staff meeting being run by the company’s owner Lance Fender (Greenwood). Fender makes it known immediately to the management team that he has let the employee go for poor performance and it is now up to the team to recover the money that was lost by the terminated associate and expects the team to present ten ideas in a meeting scheduled for the following week. Tim sees this as his opportunity to move to the seventh floor and quickly stands and presents his own idea which Fender takes an immediate interest in. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5698[/img]


After the meeting, Fender invites Tim into an office on the seventh floor and has him sit in the chair behind the desk. It just so happens that this particular office was vacated a couple of hours earlier by the terminated associate rom the earlier scene. Tim immediately asks if it is now his office to which Fender replies: “not yet” and proceeds to invite Tim to a special dinner the following evening. He calls it his “Dinner for Winners” when in reality it is a “Dinner for Schmucks”. Later that day, Tim is driving in a busy part of town while talking on the phone and texting when he suddenly hits a man that has raced out into the middle of the street. Tim hastily goes to help the man who introduces himself as Barry (Carell) and after a brief conversation; Tim realizes that he has indeed found his idiot and invites Barry to dinner for the following evening. This one chance meeting quickly evolves into a “tornado of chaos” that will turn Tim’s life upside down and inside out.

I found ‘Dinner for Schmucks’ to be an extremely funny movie with a great cast and a lot of heart. I will say that it may not be a movie for everyone however; if you can check your brain at the door then this goofball comedy will probably be just what you need to shake off a bad day. I thought that Carell was off the chart in his role as Barry and shined throughout. As I watched Barry destroy Tim’s life from scene to scene, I became aware that while I was laughing, I also had thoughts of; “how much more can poor Tim take?” That’s when I began to realize that not only did I feel bad for Barry for being so oblivious to the chaos he was creating, I also felt the same for Tim who was oblivious that he had brought this on himself. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5697[/img]There were many actors that had great performances including Rudd as Tim and Galifianakis as Barry’s crazy boss from the IRS Therman. Probably the biggest surprise for me, other than Carell, was from Jemaine Clement. Until this movie, I have only seen Clement in ‘Gentlemen Broncos’ and am unfamiliar with his work in the ‘Flight of the Conchords’, but I found his performance as the over the top, alpha-male photographer/artist Kieran to be very funny.

Although this is a remake of the French movie ‘Le Diner de Cons’ (The Dinner Game) by Francis Veber, I understand that it is not a very accurate remake. That being said, I personally thought that Director Jay Roach, of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents fame, did an excellent job and the end result was very satisfying. The humor is zany and crude at times and many of the characters border on the absurd however; somehow it all worked for me and fit neatly into this little 114 minute film. The humor is very adult oriented, but not anymore so than an Austin Powers movie and was a welcomed relief from the onslaught of extremely crude comedies that have recently come to market.






*Rating:* 
Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.

*Video:* :4stars:
*MPEG-4 AVC/1080p/1:78.1*
This is a solid transfer with a lot of warmth and clarity. Skin tones are very natural as you would expect from this type of film which actually has a standout minute involving Galifianakis' character Therman as his face goes from natural, to red and back. Colors are warm and inviting without being overbearing. Scenes are flooded with detail from the grandest of architectural features to the tiniest facial imperfection; there is a lot to be seen. Depth is adequate and there is a quite a bit of grain throughout the movie. Overall a very good transfer, not incredible, but not too shabby by any means.
























*Audio:* :4stars: 
*5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio* 
This comedy is all about the dialogue and it is done very well. Voices are easy to hear with the utmost clarity even when Carell is whispering under his breath. Surrounds and LFE are lacking for most of the movie as this is in no way an action comedy however; there are occasional light bursts of low end and ambient noise coming from the sub and surrounds in a couple of scenes. Additionally the score punctuates a couple of scenes and swells in the surrounds occasionally as well, but again, as with the rest of the movie, is not very predominate as a whole. Overall a clear, articulate and thoughtful audio experience.



*Extras:* :2.5stars:
Really? No Digital Copy? Bad form Paramount...


The Biggest Schmucks in the World 
The Men Behind the Mouseterpieces 
Meet the Winners 
Schmuck Ups 
Deleted Scenes 
Paul and Steve: The Decision 
Trailer

*Overall:* :4stars:
‘Dinner for Schmucks’ is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Several theatrical reviews have been less than flattering, especially when compared to the original. In my opinion, this is a very funny comedy when it is placed in the context for which the filmmakers intended and not taken too seriously. There are some moments that are crude, but they are much more verbal than visual. Some of the characters are incredibly stupid, over- the-top, occasionally offensive and mean spirited and I am alright with that. If making fun of others offends you, then you probably won’t enjoy ‘Dinner for Schmucks’. I would suggest a rental to try it on. Until next time campers, have a good day and in case I don't see ya later, a good afternoon, a good evening, and a good night! :wave:


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## Binary (Nov 23, 2009)

I loved this movie! It was almost unbearably hard to watch the first half as you just want to get into the screen and start slapping people... and if you've seen it, you'll know what i mean. But it totally redeemed itself by the end. and then some.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

Binary said:


> I loved this movie! It was almost unbearably hard to watch the first half as you just want to get into the screen and start slapping people... and if you've seen it, you'll know what i mean. But it totally redeemed itself by the end. and then some.


I know, I found myself practically yelling at the screen: "You Idiots!!!!!" :rant: And then I remembered the title of the movie. :rofl2:


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## Binary (Nov 23, 2009)

Forget Practically! i was straight up yelling at them! :hissyfit:
You tend to forget its a movie when such blatant stupidity shows its face. I work for a wireless provider in Canada, You can imagine what kind of stupidity i see daily. Its why i related it to real life.lol. :rofl:


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## wheatenterrier (Jan 16, 2009)

This movie was very difficult to watch, it reminded me of the Ben Stiller movies, where embarrassing things just keep happening. It was almost painful. I was very frustrated for the first half. It was not so bad in the end, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.


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