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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Release Date: November 18, 2008
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Single-disc Blu-Ray case
Year: 2008
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1h59m
MSRP: $35.99
MAIN FEATURESPECIAL FEATURESVideo1080p high definition 16x9 1.85:11080p or 1080i high definitionAudioDolby TrueHD: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: English 5.1, French 5.1 (dubbed in Quebec), Spanish 5.1, Portuguese 5.1Audio standards my varySubtitlesEnglish, French, Spanish, Portuguese (movie and select bonus materials)
The Feature: 3/5
Staying friends for a lifetime is not easy. As people grow up they can also grow apart, which is the challenge facing friends Tibby (Amber Tamblyn), Carmen (America Ferrara), Bridget (Blake Lively) and Lena (Alexis Bledel) AKA the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Though sharing a pair of lucky jeans once brought the girls good fortune and united them across great distances, it seems to have lost its power. Tibby might be pregnant, Carmen feels alienated and unsure of herself, Bridget has unresolved issues with the death of her mother, and Lena is still reeling from a recent break-up with the love of her life. But for any relationship to work, it must have trust and communication and perhaps in order for the Sisterhood to survive its members must stop relying on a sentimental object to do for them what they must ultimately do for themselves. If they can see that truth, then they might manage to be a sisterhood for a lifetime.
Though I'm obviously not the target audience for the inelegantly titled sequel to "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," I can certainly see its appeal and importance to teen girls. You have four young women with various interests and personalities figuring out life and learning what it means to be an adult. It's just unfortunate that the adult issues facing them are predominantly about love and relationships. The sole character to be unencumbered by it is Bridget and it's her story and emotional journey that is ultimately the most compelling and memorable. The stories for the rest are largely by-the-numbers, relationship drama, which besides being predictable also serves to cheapen the film's underlying female empowerment message. Still, it's obvious that the movie was not intended as some great dialectic on women's issues. Taken as it is it's reasonably entertaining and more than appropriate for consumption by its intended audience.
Video Quality: 4/5
Though labeled as 1.85:1 the image fills the entirety of my 16x9 display. The VC-1 encoded transfer is devoid of blemishes and shows deep and consistent black levels, though shadow detail is sometimes obscured by some minor black crush. Fine object detail is good overall, though wide shots suffer from a noticeable drop in detail and skin texture and strands of hair lack the definition seen in the best transfers. Colors show good depth and fidelity, however, with saturation varying a bit, though usually looking appropriate for each scene's locale and mood.
Audio Quality: 3/5
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio mix is front stage dominant, with a consistently clear and intelligible presentation of dialogue. Surround activity is subdued, offering support for the score but little else.
The 640 kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 track offers a similar experience and most would have trouble differentiating between tracks without some aggressive A-B switching.
Special Features: 1.5/5
"Go Jump Off A Cliff" (4m25s): A promotional look at the final cliff jumping scene. In high definition with stereo audio.
Gag Reel (4m05s): In high definition with stereo audio.
Additional Footage (8m29s): Director Sanaa Hamri introduces each of the four scenes that were removed for time. In high definition with stereo audio.
Digital Copy: Download a digital copy for playback on computer or portable video device. Compatible with both Mac and Windows.
Recap
The Feature: 3/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 3/5
Special Features: 1.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3/5
A sequel to a popular film for teen girls gets a very good video transfer, decent audio and a meager set of special features.
