Neighbors appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer seemed pretty positive.
Sharpness appeared mostly strong. On occasion, wide shots came across as a little soft and fuzzy, but the movie appeared solid the majority of the time. The image usually displayed crisp and concise information. Jagged edges and moiré effects created no concerns, and edge haloes were absent. Print flaws remained absent, as we found no specks, marks or other issues.
Neighbors utilized a fairly naturalistic palette, and the disc reproduced those tones well. Party scenes offered more dynamic hues, as they gave us some deep purples, greens and blues. The colors consistently came across as nicely accurate and precise. Nothing here dazzled, but the image remained very good.
As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Neighbors, it offered an experience typical of comedies, as the soundfield displayed an emphasis on the forward channels. Music showed nice stereo imaging and moved the songs and score to the back speakers.
Most of the effects tended toward environmental material, though a few sequences added some pep; for instance, party scenes showed solid information around the room. Nonetheless, the majority of the mix stayed dialogue-intensive and without real theatrics.
Audio quality came across as good. Speech seemed natural and distinct, and I noticed no issues related to edginess or intelligibility. Music was reasonably full, with clear tones overall. Effects were accurate and concise, without distortion or other concerns. Nothing here excelled, but the audio was fine for a comedy like this.
As we shift to extras, cut footage starts the set. In addition to an Alternate Opening (6:40), we get 10 Deleted/Alternate Scenes (12:55). The “Opening” shows us what happened to Delta Psi’s prior house and why they needed to move. Fans who enjoy the movie will be happy to see it, but I think the story works better with a later introduction to Teddy and pals.
In terms of the deleted/alternate scenes, they tend toward minor additions. The most significant new sequence shows a fraternity prank aimed at Jimmy. Another shows the end of Teddy’s academic career, and a third lets us see Jimmy take revenge on Scoonie. We also get a return visit from the realtor. The latter offers some amusement – Liz Cackowski plays the part well – but the others seem less memorable.
More unused material arrives via Line-O-Rama. In this two-minute, 52-second compilation, we get a variety of alternate lines for a scene in which the fraternity leaves a huge mess in front of Mac and Kelly’s house. This becomes more of a deleted scene than anything else, but it’s a good addition.
Next comes a five-minute, 57-second Gag Reel. I thought this might include more alternate lines, but it mostly gives us Seth Rogen’s annoying laugh.
Four featurettes follow. An Unlikely Pair runs five minutes, 34 seconds and includes notes from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Evan Goldberg, and actors Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Craig Roberts, Zac Efron,Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Rose Byrne. The show looks at the movie’s lead actors and tends toward fluffiness. We get a few interesting elements – like some unused dialogue – but happy talk dominates.
With the seven-minute, 17-second Partying with the Neighbors, we hear from Goldberg, Byrne, Stoller, Rogen, Barinholtz, and writers Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. This one examines the Mac/Kelly relationship as well as aspects of the Rogen/Byrne pairing and the parental tale in the film. Again, a few alternate lines add some value but most of the piece seems superficial.
On the Set With… fills three minutes, 41 seconds and gives us moments with Mintz-Plasse, Carmichael, Rogen, Franco, and property master Sean Mannion. “Set” provides details about various penis-related props and effects. That doesn’t sound promising, but it’s the most informative reel on the Blu-ray.
Finally, The Frat occupies five minutes, 44 seconds with notes from Efron, Stoller, Carmichael, Mintz-Plasse, Roberts, Franco, O’Brien, and Cohen. The featurette follows the same format as “Pair” and “Neighbors” except with a focus on the Delta Psi characters and actors. Like its predecessors, it has a few decent bits but usually seems lackluster.
The disc opens with ads for Jarhead 2: Field of Fire, The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power, The Fluffy Movie, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Purge: Anarchy, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 and A Millions Ways to Die in the West. Previews also provides clips for Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse, Identity Thief, Ted, The Big Lebowski, Bridesmaids, The Change-Up, Couples Retreat and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. No trailer for Neighbors appears here.
A second disc provides a DVD copy of Neighbors. It comes with the same extras except for the alternate opening, the deleted/alternate scenes and the “On the Set With…” featurette.
With a good cast and a fun premise, Neighbors boasts solid comedic potential. Unfortunately, it wastes our time with ridiculous situations and poor jokes. The Blu-ray brings us good picture and audio as well as a decent mix of bonus materials. Neighbors turns into an obnoxious clunker.