Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 118 mins – 2008 – Rated R and Unrated – 1080p widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

The success of films, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and SuperBad, have made Judd Apatow and everyone in his entourage, the ‘go-to’ guys when it comes to comedies. The premise of this style of films usually involves a goofy looking guy who in the end gets hooked up with a hot girl, that in reality they would never have a chance with unless they had a very big bank account. Forgetting Sarah Marshall fits that molding to a T, but this time a guy who could be Seth Rogen’s cousin is the goofball trying to get the girl. Forgetting Sarah Marshall comes to Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment, hoping to make you root for the loveable loser.

THE MOVIE

Forgetting Sarah Marshal stars Jason Segel as a guy named Peter Bretter plays a musician in Hollywood who scores the TV show that his famous girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), stars on. Peter’s world is rocked when Sarah tells him that she needs her space and thinks they should break up, sending him deep into depression. He attempts to move on, sleeping with a variety of other girls, but he can’t get over Sarah. Peter decides to get away and take a trip to Hawaii, but matters get worse as he sees Sarah staying in the same hotel as he is, and to top things off she’s not alone, but romancing her new British rock star boyfriend Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).

Peter has reached the lowest point of his life, but fortunately he begins to build a bond with the hotel’s receptionist, Rachel (played by Mila Kunis from That 70’s Show), who feels sorry for him. And in the formula of the Judd Apatow style of comedy, Peter goes through a series of scenarios with various oddball characters, trying to find love by most of the time making a fool of himself, until he finally gets his act together. Obviously Rachel becomes the new spark in his life, and he eventually forgets Sarah Marshall…the end.

Its star, Jason Segel, who based the film his own personal break-up experience, wrote the film and while it has very funny moments, it’s not as tight as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, which were actually directed by Judd Apatow instead of just being produced by him. Segel is likable, but he’s doesn’t have that total loser quality that makes Seth Rogen so appealing, mainly because Segel appears to be more competent and less of a slacker. Fans of the Apatow entourage will be happy to know that several cast members from his previous films, such as Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Bill Hader, have small parts in Forgetting Sarah Marshall to add to the comedic element.

The best thing about the film is that it stays away from the Mathew McConaughey or Patrick Dempsey ‘chick-flick’ romantic comedy style and targets the male audience with lots of female eye candy, potty mouth humor, and full frontal male nudity, because nothing makes you laugh more than seeing a guy’s pecker. Russell Brand’s steals many of the scenes playing the pretentious English rocker, obviously mocking a compilation of front-men from various British bands.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall has its heart in the right place and is very funny in places, but it lacks those small Apatow elements that would make it a matching set for his other comedies. But it’s still worth a look, and you’re sure to be entertained because it has a lot of good moments.

VIDEO

Forgetting Sarah Marshall looks great with a full 1080p picture and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, showing off excellent colors and skin tones. Being that most of the film was shot in Hawaii is also a big plus, because the scenery shines in high-definition with crystal clear blue water, and glowing green palm trees. Night scenes do look a little patchy in places with portions of grain, but fortunately the daylight sequences are plentiful. Overall, this is a good looking transfer.

AUDIO

With a solid DTS HD 5.1 master audio track, Forgetting Sarah Marshall sounds good, giving you everything you’d expect from a romantic comedy. Dialogue sounds smooth, and ambience such as crowd scenes or the background waves of the ocean sound clear. The Dracula puppet rock opera is one of the main highlights, and should be seen and heard to believe. Nothing explodes and there are no shoot-outs, but for what it is, the sound design works well.

EXTRAS

Two versions of the film are included on the disc, the theatrical cut and the naughty un-rated one, so you can pretty much guess which one is going to get more play time.

To match this there are two audio commentaries, one for the theatrical and one of the un-rated cut featuring Nick Stoller, executive producer Rodney Rothman, producer Shauna Robertson, writer/star Jason Segel and cast members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer provide a track for the theatrical.

Then Nick Stroller, executive producer Rodney Rothman, producer Shauna Robertson, writer/star Jason Segel and cast members Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jack McBrayer, go at it for the un-rated cut.

This Blu-ray features so many extras that it would spoil things by describing them all, so here’s a list of goodies:

Puppet Break-Up

Line-O-Rama

Sex-O-Rama

Drunk-O-Rama

Gag Reel

“A Taste for Love”

“Dracula’s Lament”

Russell Brand: Aldous Snow

“The Letter U”

“We’ve Got to Do Something” Music Video

Crime Scene

Sarah’s New Show

Raw Footage – Video Chat

Video Diaries

Red Band Trailer

Deleted and Extended Scenes

Universal’s U-Control is featured allowing you to access visual commentary track via picture-in-picture (PiP); there’s also a collection of PiP interviews with the cast and crew, allowing you to play it as you watch the movie. There’s also a Karaoke mode that allows you to sing along with various songs featured in the film, including the theme from the Dracula play.

And to top it off there is a Digital Copy of the film that you can download and play on your portable device of choice. Whew! That’s a lot of stuff for a film where the lead character exposes his genitals.

BOTTOM LINE

If you liked other films from the Judd Apatow team, you are sure to get your fill with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Those who saw this in the theater may feel like suckers, because this Blu-ray featuring two versions of the film and an endless amount of extras, including a digital copy is one of the best deals around. Universal must be given credit for delivering a fun disc that gives the movie a ton of replay value so you won’t forget Sarah Marshall.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.5

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0