What's Wrong With Grandma and Grandpa?
Released by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Production Year: 2015
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:34:01
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 / Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1 / French DTS-HD MA 5.1
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
THE FILM - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
"The Visit" was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense). The film stars Olivia DeJonge (The Sisterhood of Night) as Becca and Ed Oxenbould (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) as Tyler, two kids who visit their grandparents for the first time at their secluded Pennsylvania farm. At the start of the film we learn that their mother, played by Kathryn Hahn (We're the Millers), left home amid an unpleasant situation and has not spoken to her parents since. Recently they contacted her and long story short, the kids wanted to go visit them with the dual purpose of getting to know their grandparents as well as giving their mother time alone with her new boyfriend as they go on a vacation.
The trip begins innocent enough with the typical pleasantries and thoughts of homemade food by grandma. I mean, who doesn't love that, right? But, it doesn't take long for grandma and grandpa to start exhibiting... odd behavior. As one might expect, things escalate as the children become more uneasy about their visit with their increasing strange grandparents. I won't spoil details of the film so you will have to watch it for yourself and find out what is going on.
I thought the actors in the film did a very good job in their roles. Olivia DeJonge was great as Becca and I imagine we will see much more of her in the coming years. Ed Oxenbould was very good as the annoying little brother. Whether it was intentional or not I don't know but I would guess that it was. Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie as Nana and Pop Pop also gave fine performances and the film could have easily been hindered by poor acting but thankfully the film sports a cast that helped carry the film along with ease. Kathryn Hahn does a nice job but she has a rather small, supporting role in the film.
For a film that resembles a "found footage" style of shooting, "The Visit" doesn't have that shaky cam look that makes some of those types of films unwatchable. The camera does move around of course since the majority of the time one of the characters is carrying or holding it but you can probably get a good idea of what to expect from the trailer. I found the film to be enjoyable and an improvement on the last few films by M. Night Shyamalan. I hope this is the start of an upswing on his career.
AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"The Visit" comes with several audio choices such as English, Spanish and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks as well as a DVS (Descriptive Video Service) options. English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are included as well. I thought the audio sounded very good overall. Dialogue was clear and crisp for the most part. The audio was well balanced throughout and the volume levels were stable. I did not encounter any problems such as hissing or dropouts.
VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"The Visit" arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. The video quality was quite good and many will be relieved to find that it does not look like most "found footage" style films with subpar picture quality. Colors look beautiful and are very bold. The Blu-ray surprised me with the amount of fine detail in some of the close up shots, from the visible fibers on clothing to hair and facial features, the film looks downright amazing at times. There are times that I thought the film looked slightly soft but that could very well be a result of how the film was shot. I think viewers should be very pleased with how the film looks in general. Black levels seemed fine but were not particularly strong and I think the picture suffered most in the darker scenes where some of the detail seems to give way to a softer image and perhaps some black crush. Skin tones looked very natural and spot on.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 2 / 5 ]:
Alternate Ending (2:25)
Deleted Scenes (8:34) - 10 scenes in all with a "Play All" option. I really didn't think any of them added anything necessary to the film, so they're right where they belong. They are a nice addition though because people often want to see what was cut from a film.
The Making of "The Visit (9:56) - A candid interview with M. Night Shyamalan and a behind the scenes look at the film. Excerpts of some of the cast auditions are included as well.
Becca's Photos (1:13)
IN CONCLUSION:
An enthralling, suspenseful film that looks and sounds good on the Blu-ray and DVD and Digital HD Combo Pack. If you are a fan of M. Night Shyamalan's early work or obviously all of his work, give this one a chance. I thought it was his best film in years and am hoping it is the start of a trend in his career.
OVERALL RATING: [ 3.5 / 5 ]
AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"The Visit" comes with several audio choices such as English, Spanish and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks as well as a DVS (Descriptive Video Service) options. English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles are included as well. I thought the audio sounded very good overall. Dialogue was clear and crisp for the most part. The audio was well balanced throughout and the volume levels were stable. I did not encounter any problems such as hissing or dropouts.
VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"The Visit" arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. The video quality was quite good and many will be relieved to find that it does not look like most "found footage" style films with subpar picture quality. Colors look beautiful and are very bold. The Blu-ray surprised me with the amount of fine detail in some of the close up shots, from the visible fibers on clothing to hair and facial features, the film looks downright amazing at times. There are times that I thought the film looked slightly soft but that could very well be a result of how the film was shot. I think viewers should be very pleased with how the film looks in general. Black levels seemed fine but were not particularly strong and I think the picture suffered most in the darker scenes where some of the detail seems to give way to a softer image and perhaps some black crush. Skin tones looked very natural and spot on.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 2 / 5 ]:
Alternate Ending (2:25)
Deleted Scenes (8:34) - 10 scenes in all with a "Play All" option. I really didn't think any of them added anything necessary to the film, so they're right where they belong. They are a nice addition though because people often want to see what was cut from a film.
The Making of "The Visit (9:56) - A candid interview with M. Night Shyamalan and a behind the scenes look at the film. Excerpts of some of the cast auditions are included as well.
Becca's Photos (1:13)
IN CONCLUSION:
An enthralling, suspenseful film that looks and sounds good on the Blu-ray and DVD and Digital HD Combo Pack. If you are a fan of M. Night Shyamalan's early work or obviously all of his work, give this one a chance. I thought it was his best film in years and am hoping it is the start of a trend in his career.
OVERALL RATING: [ 3.5 / 5 ]