Man Up appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a good but not great transfer.
Sharpness looked mostly good. A little softness cropped up during occasional shots, but the majority of the film was fairly accurate and distinctive. I witnessed no shimmering or jaggies, and edge haloes remained absent. As expected, the film lacked any print flaws.
In terms of palette, Man Up went mainly with amber, though some teal and red emerged as well. Within the stylistic choices, the hues seemed fine. Blacks were deep and tight, and shadows looked smooth and clear. Although the image didn’t dazzle, it appeared satisfactory.
The movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack suited the story. This meant the soundscape accentuated general atmosphere and not much else. A sequence on an train opened up matters, and bar scenes boasted some good involvement, but most of the mix seemed pretty restrained. The elements added a little breadth but not much.
Audio quality appeared good. Speech seemed distinctive and concise, without roughness or brittleness. Music was warm and full, and effects came across as accurate. This ended up as a decent mix for a romantic comedy.
Only minor extras appear here, and we start with interview clips from actors Simon Pegg and Lake Bell. Both sit together for this four-minute, seven-second discussion of working together, romantic-comedies and dating experiences. They mostly joke around, but it’s mildly interesting.
The Seven Beats of Man Up goes for 40 minutes, 32 seconds. It gives us info from Pegg, Lake, producers James Biddle and Nira Park, writer Tess Norris, director Ben Palmer, choreographer Litza Bixler, and actors Ken Stott, Harriet Walter, Ophelia Lovibond, Keir Charles, Stephen Campbell Moore, Olivia Williams, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Rory Kinnear.
We learn about the project’s development and path to the screen, character/story areas, cast and performances, the “seven-beat” romantic-comedy structure, Palmer’s impact on the production, locations, a dance scene, and general thoughts. With 40 minutes at its disposal, I hoped for a deep look at the film’s creation, but insteadm “Beats” favors fluff. We learn a little along the way but too much praise and superficial material dominates.
Next we get a six-minute, 23-second Gag Reel. This offers a largely standard compilation of mistakes and silliness. It does include some alternate lines, though, which makes it better than average.
The disc opens with ads for Some Kind of Beautiful, UnREAL, MI-5, The Forger and She’s Funny That Way. No trailer for Man Up appears here.
Desperate to offer wacky, witty charms, Man Up instead becomes a grating bore. Cliché-filled and with no intelligence or inspiration, it delivers a poor excuse for a romantic-comedy. The Blu-ray brings us mostly positive picture and audio along with minor supplements. Chalk up this film as a major disappointment.