Ghosts of Girlfriends Past appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into a watchable but erratic image.
Sharpness was largely fine. Some softness crept into wider shots, but the movie usually came across with appealing delineation.
No instances of jagged edges and shimmering occurred, but some light edge haloes popped up through the film. Grain felt surprisingly heavy but the film lacked print flaws.
Colors tended to be dense. The movie went with a heavy golden tint, one that made it seem like the characters spent too much time in tanning beds. The colors weren’t bad, but they failed to display much vivacity.
Blacks were somewhat crushed, and shadows tended to be a little thick. This felt like a decent image but not one that excelled.
As for the film’s Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, it provided a decidedly low-key affair. Music exhibited nice stereo presence, but the rest of the mix offered little action.
This was a film that featured general ambience and little more, which was a bit of a disappointment. With the supernatural aspects of the tale, I’d think we’d find something more dynamic. However, the track remained restrained and didn’t do much more than offer light environmental support.
Audio quality was fine, as speech came across as accurate and concise, without edginess or other issues. Music sounded good, as the score and songs boasted nice warmth and range.
I suppose the effects were fine, though they were so subdued that they rarely demonstrated any power. A couple of minor “time travel” elements had some oomph, but they were rare. This was an average track at best.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD version? The lossless audio offered a bit more punch than its lossy counterpart, but given the soundtrack’s subdued nature, it didn’t seem especially different.
As for visuals, the Blu-ray looked more accurate and dynamic compared to the subpar DVD. While the BD became a moderate disappointment, it still topped the decidedly weak DVD.
No extras appeared on the DVD, but the Blu-ray adds some, and we open with three featurettes. Recreating the Past, Imagining the Future goes for eight minutes, 39 seconds and delivers notes from director Mark Waters, producer Jon Shestack, screenwriters Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, costume designer Denise Wingate, production designer Cary White, and actors Michael Douglas, Matthew McConaughey, Emma Stone, and Noureen DeWulf.
“Past” looks at story/characters, the “rules” of the use of ghosts, costumes and period details, sets and locations, and cast/performances. It mixes fluff and facts to become a mediocre reel.
It’s All About Connor spans four minutes, five seconds and offers comments from Stone, Douglas, Waters, and actors Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster and Anne Archer.
With “About”, we examine McConaughey’s work and presence on the set. Expect little more than praise for the actor.
Finally, The Legends, The Lessons and the Ladies runs eight minutes and involves Waters, Shestack, McConaughey, Douglas, Garner, Archer, Wingate, DeWulf, Meyer, and producer Brad Epstein.
“Legends” tells us about the film’s characters and cast. It brings a smattering of insights but mostly relies on happy talk.
Four Additional Scenes occupy a total of nine minutes, 32 seconds. These include an “Original Opening” that sticks with a lot of what we find in the final movie, but it more clearly establishes the film’s post-Christmas setting. This ties it into Christmas Carol more clearly but essentially feels unnecessary.
As for the rest, they offer expansions on Connor’s brief tryst with Kalia (Christina Milian) as well as scheming by the bridesmaids and a longer take on young Connor’s first “lesson” from his uncle. None of them seem memorable.
In the category of rom-coms, you can do worse than Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - and you could also do better. The film features a good cast and a few amusing moments, but usually it feels too predictable and uninspired to become a winning product. The Blu-ray features adequate picture and audio along with a smattering of bonus materials. If you’re desperate for a date night rental, this’ll do, but otherwise I’d advise you to skip it.
To rate this film visit the DVD review of GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST