Champions appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into a winning presentation.
Overall delineation worked well. Though the occasional wide shot felt a bit soft, most of the film came across as accurate and well-defined.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects appeared, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to materialize.
Colors leaned toward a predictable amber and teal. These hues came across with appropriate reproduction and impact.
Blacks looked dark and deep, while shadows appeared smooth and concise. The movie offered an appealing image.
Though not dazzling, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack worked fine for the material. This meant a mix heavy on atmosphere and music.
Some scenes broadened horizons, mainly via basketball games. In general, though, the soundfield emphasized environmental information.
Audio quality satisfied, with speech that appeared natural and concise. Music showed nice range and punch.
As noted, effects usually lacked much to do, but they came across as accurate and clean, with nice power during a few louder bits like a car crash. Again, this didn’t turn into a memorable mix, but it made sense for the story.
A few extras appear, and we begin with an audio commentary from director Bobby Farrelly. He offers a running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, and related domains.
Prior Farrelly commentaries tended to vary between okay and awful. This one leans toward okay but not better.
Farrelly does shed light at times, but as in the past, he tends to like to describe the movie and simply name the actors. Still, he brings a decent chat, even if it lacks real depth.
12 Deleted Scenes occupy a total of 18 minutes, two seconds. These tend to provide either added exposition or more with supporting characters.
Some decent material appears. However, because the movie already runs long at 124 minutes, more footage would’ve bogged down the end product.
Three featurettes follow, and Keeping It Friendly runs four minutes, 49 seconds. It brings remarks from Farrelly, acting coach AB Farrelly, and actors Woody Harrelson, James Day Keith, Joshua Felder, Alex Hintz, Cheech Marin, Kaitlin Olson, Madison Tevlin, Casey Metcalfe, Matthe Von Der Ahe, Tom Sinclair, Bradley Edens, Ashton Gunning and Kevin Iannucci.
“Friendly” looks at the cast of the movie, with an emphasis on the intellectually disabled actors. This mostly feels self-congratulatory and lacks much real substance.
Woody and the Team goes for two minutes, 40 seconds and features Harrelson, Bobby Farrelly, Olson, Metcalfe, and Tevlin.
We get basics about Harrelson’s work in the movie. Expect more fluff.
Finally, Casting the Friends lasts four minutes, 37 seconds and involves Tevlin, Iannucci, Metcalfe, Keith, Gunning, Felder, Hintz, Von Der Ahe, Sinclair, and Edens.
We see home video of the supporting actors. Some charm emerges via our ability to see them in regular life.
While I appreciate its attempts to celebrate folks with different abilities, Champions seems far too trite to go anywhere satisfying. It puts its heart in the right place but nonetheless ends up as a predictable and limp mix of comedy and drama. The Blu-ray boasts solid visuals and audio plus a mix of bonus materials. I respect the movie’s goals but the final product sputters.