Technical Specs

• TBA
• Digital copy

Video Resolution/Codec

• 1080p/VC-1

Aspect Ratio(s)

• 2.40:1

Audio Formats

• English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Subtitles/Captions

• English, Spanish

Supplements

• Recreating The Past, Imagining The Future
• It's All About Connor
• The Legends, The Lessons, and The Ladies

Exclusive HD Content

• BD-Live
• A sea of women

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (Blu-ray)

New Line Home Entertainment / 2009 / 100 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: September 22, 2009
List Price: $35.99 (Buy it at Amazon and save)

Reviewed by M. Enois Duarte
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

If ever there is a handbook for how to be the ultimate ladies' man or the ideal philanderer, I imagine Connor Mead would be its famed author. In 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past', his sexual exploits and gallivanting about town are depicted as things of legend to young horny men. For women -- and here's the strangest part of this new romantic comedy -- his wanton behavior is viewed as arousing rather than despicable or even repulsive. At one point, three women even argue as to who is next in line to be his latest conquest. Only in the movies can such a character exist; random, contemporary women be so gullible; and the guy ultimately be reformed by a Dickens classic, as if he'd ever read it.

After ending three separate relationships all at once via an online chat, Connor arrives to his younger brother's (Breckin Meyer) wedding rehearsal in a less than congratulatory mood. His method of gift-giving is to hand his brother keys to a car in order to run away instead of taking him aside to whisper advice and best wishes. He is unapologetic about his humbug attitude towards marriage, and makes no secret as to his philosophy on spooning. In fact, he's pretty much a schmuck and a jerk about all things love-related, as displayed by his embarrassingly loud tirade in the middle of a family dinner. This guy is easy to despise (Oh yeah, and he's played by Matthew McConaughey).

Order Disney Pixar's 'UP' Get your copy of one of the best Blu-rays of 2009!

It's to the credit, then, of McConaughey that the audience remains invested long enough to see Connor's transformation all the way through to the end. He plays the slick, fast-talking playboy with an entertaining charisma and swagger that only he could really pull off. Although his pretending to be a New Yorker with a thick Southern accent reveals some limitations, he is plausibly funny as an irredeemable bachelor about to be visited by the ghosts of past, present and future. As with Scrooge (and this is not a spoiler, as long as there is some familiarity with the traditional Christmas fable), Connor is made aware of the moment when he became a womanizing arse and is shown the fate his current path will lead him to.

Adding to the humor is Connor's Robert Evans-wannabe Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), the ghost who warns his nephew of the three paranormal visitations. As un-PC as the character may be, Douglas is perfectly cast with the best lines in the entire flick. Jennifer Garner plays the childhood sweetheart who got away. Or better yet, the one Connor just couldn't see himself spending the night with. She does fine in the role, standing toe-to-toe with McConaughey, but the sparks between the two actors are no more powerful than static electricity. The spotlight really goes to a very funny and talented Emma Stone as the ghost of girlfriends past. Although too young to know anything about 80s fashion and lingo, she's absolutely adorable in her denim outfit and puffy hair scrunchie.

Director Mark Waters ('Freaky Friday', 'Mean Girls') does surprisingly well with the material, maintaining the Scrooge tale at the level of witty ploy, rather than a direct cookie-cutter copy. He also seems to impart his film with a kind of holiday spirit that is unexpected, yet works nicely with Daryn Okada's photography. But in the end, the fact that the filmmakers didn't completely spoil Dickens's masterpiece has to be the romcom's greatest accomplishment. That, and the few clever, "aw-shucks" moments sprinkled throughout. There's only one thing I can't seem to put my finger on: who is supposed to be Tiny Tim in all this?

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

p>'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' debuts on Blu-ray with a very attractive, cinematic look, revealing fine textural details in architecture and other various objects. The VC-1 transfer (2.4:1) captures Daryn Okada's hospitable photography and renders the lushly warm color palette with wonderful variance in the hues and strong, bold primaries. The well-defined image displays rich black levels and clean gradations, giving the entire picture a pleasant depth of field. Outdoor nighttime sequences are actually quite excellent, while low-lit interiors come with really heavy shadows that fortunately don't obscure any background information. Contrast is interesting in that it appears a bit low-key, particularly in those same interior shots, but it gives the film plenty of visibility nonetheless. I also picked up a few minor instances of ringing, but they're negligible and I'm not sure if the encode is to blame or the result or if they're intentional. Other than that, 'Ghosts' enjoys strong video presentation.

The Audio: Rating the Sound

The audio is about equal, if not to some extent more impressive, than the picture quality, with a very welcoming and expansive acoustical presence. The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack exhibits excellent, well-centered dialogue reproduction, delivering McConaughey's Texan drawl with great fluidity, and a wide dynamic range that stays smooth and consistent throughout. It's a mostly front-heavy mix, which is expected of a film in this genre, but rear activity is nicely employed every so often, creating an immersive and realistic atmosphere. The score also lends itself well to enhancing the soundfield, and low-frequency effects are generally reserved for any on-screen action. In the end, 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' materializes with an engaging lossless track.

The Supplements: Digging Into the Good Stuff

As with the 'Observe and Report' release, 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' premieres as a barebones DVD disc, making all the supplemental material exclusive to the Blu-ray edition.

HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?

Likely done in an effort to convince fans to take the hi-def plunge, the Blu-ray of 'Ghosts' is definitely the one to purchase if you're in the mood for some McConaughey. The special features are a throwaway bunch, but they're lighthearted entertainment nonetheless.

• "Recreating the Past, Imaging the Future" (HD, 9 min) - Typical promotional fluff with cast and crew interviews rehashing the movie. Although it contains a few sprinkles of insight that went into the costuming and set designs, the behind-the-scenes look is run-of-the-mill material with nothing of great interest. Not that I was expecting anything worthwhile; but it is surprising Dickens's name is not mentioned with a little more respect and recognition.
  
• "It's All About Connor" (HD, 4 min) - The cast is again interviewed, this time playing up the part that McConaughey is much like the movie's protagonist. It would have been fun and cheeky, if not for the sudden change of heart to praise the actor to high heaven. Seriously!?! Four minutes on what a great guy he is?
  
• "The Legends, the Lessons and the Ladies" (HD, 8 min) - This piece recoups the lameness of the previous one by being the most interesting (and believe me, that's not saying much). The characters Connor Mead and Uncle Wayne are examined here, with a look at their background and origins. It's nothing prophetic or insightful, but it's an easy eight minutes to sit through.
  
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 10 min) - The collection of additional footage comes with an alternate opening act and a few other scenes which were wisely removed.
  
• BD-Live - The feature allows users to browse through Warner Bros. online portal; but as per usual, there's nothing to be found other than trailers.
  
• Digital Copy - The bonus disc is a transferrable copy of 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' for portable devices via iTunes or Windows Media Player.
  

Easter Eggs

No easter eggs reported for 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' yet. Found an egg? Please use our tips form to let us know, and we'll credit you with the find.

Final Thoughts

Despite coming off as a complete jerk, Connor Mead is a likable character in 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' and McConaughey does a laudable job at keeping us interested in his ethereal awakening. With strong direction and a good cast, the romcom is a decent enough entry amidst some other poorly done films. The Blu-ray arrives with excellent picture and audio, and the exclusive supplemental package makes this hi-def version a definite purchase for fans.

Discuss this review in our forums, or check out other recent discussions.