I love me some Drew Barrymore. She’s my white whale, the one actress that I really want to meet. I actually had a chance this year, but couldn’t do it. Her latest effort, Whip It, marks her Directorial Debut and you can see what attracted her to the material. It’s quirky, funny, and different. It’s a breath of fresh air. I didn’t see this last year when it came out, but now I wish I did. It definitely would have made my 2009 best of list it’s a lot of fun. My only issue with the movie is while it constantly explains the rules of Roller Derby, I still don’t understand what’s going on in the matches.
I love Ellen Page; I think she’s the new DB. She has an honest, open, yet vulnerable quality to her. She doesn’t come across as trying to be "quirky" and "hip." Jimmy Fallon is fun as the Derby Announcer. Barrymore doesn’t do much as a first time director here, she’s competent, it’s her cast, and the strong material that makes this film work. I was so into the characters that the predictability of the 3rd act didn’t bother me.
Details
- Movie Runtime – 1:50 Min
- Picture – 1080P
- Audio – English 5.1 DTS HD, Spanish and French in Dolby Digital
- Subtitles – English, Spanish, French
Previews
- Amelia
- Fame 2009 (One of the Worst Trailers I’ve ever Seen)
- 500 Days of Summer
Extras
Disc 1
- 9 Deleted Scenes (HD)
- Fox Movie Channel Presents Writer’s Draft: Shauna Cross of Whip It (SD) (4 Min)
- Whip It Soundtrack Spot (SD) (30 Seconds)
Disc 2
- Digital Copy
Comments
The picture quality on this Blu-ray is sharp, but the cinematography is sort of flat and bland so this isn’t the type of film you need to pay the Blu-ray premium on and the lack of quality extras further enhances this point. The packaging is standard and the menu navigation is also standard. I like that the fonts are nice and big. This is a film that’s universal and everyone should watch at least once. Certainly worth a rental, but I probably wouldn’t buy it.
Grades
- Movie – A
- Picture Quality – A
- Audio – A
- Features – D
- Presentation/Menu – B
Final Grade A
EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally posted 3.06.2010