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Blu-ray Review: THE DUFF

Jun 21, 2015 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

High school senior Bianca Piper’s (Mae Whitman) two best friends, Casey (Bianca A. Santos) and Jess (Skyler Samuels), are two of the hottest, most popular girls in school. Bianca has always been more of the bookish nerd and more free-spirited type, comfortable in her overalls and combat boots, and would rather watch a classic horror film than go shopping for clothes. She is content with her role in life—that is, she was content in her ignorance of her true role in life. Bianca’s world is turned upside-down when she is enlightened by former childhood BFF and neighbor, now football captain and social player Wes (Robbie Amell). One night at a school party, Wes explains to Bianca that she is a “DUFF”—the “Designated Ugly Fat Friend”, who serves as the liaison for her hotter friends. While at first Biance is insulted and refuses to believe Wes, but she soon starts noticing DUFFs in every social group around school.

Bianca has had a crush on musician Toby (Nick Eversman), but can never muster up more than two words whenever she’s in his presence. Meanwhile, Wes is in danger of flunking Chemistry, getting suspended from the football team, and losing his college scholarship. So the two strike up a deal—Wes will teach Bianca how to become beautiful and talk to guys, while Bianca will help Wes with his studies. However, when queen bee/resident mean girl Madison (Bella Thorne) sees Bianca spending time with her on-again-off-again boyfriend, she grows jealous and starts to make Bianca’s life a living hell.

 

In the 80s and 90s, we had a lot of these high school clique teen comedies where the outcast tries to transcend his or her social status and become part of the popular crowd. The formula is generally the same in all of these films—like some of my favorites, Can’t Buy Me Love and She’s All That—where the protagonist unexpectedly falls for his or her social coach (whom they thought they hated) and come to the realization that it is always best to just be yourself. The DUFF is another take on this same formula, but this modern-day Pygmalion-meets-teen-comedy story is very much grounded in the experiences faced by the current generation of teenager. Elements like social media and cyberbullying play a major role in the way the story is told. (While watching this film, I was very happy there was no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram around when I was in high school!)

The story is told through the eyes of Bianca, who provides a narrative commentary throughout the film. The commentary is used to provide additional information to the view, but also add a dry, sarcastic layer of humor to the film. As Bianca introduces each character we see some fun on-screen hashtags describing that character’s personality traits. Social media is a huge part of these characters lives, and so we also see the text messaging on screen as well.

I really enjoyed the film—it is a great mix of witty writing and physical humor. It felt like a throwback to the teen comedies I enjoyed in high school and college, but with a very modern sensibility. What I really appreciated was that the filmmakers did not rely on cheap stunts or gross-out moments, but rather went for smart writing and more intelligent comedy and humor.

While the story may be somewhat predictable if you’ve seen any other film in this genre, that doesn’t mean this movie isn’t still fun and entertaining! Mae Whitman is delightful in her performance as the geeky misfit. There is a scene where she’s trying on clothes, trying to figure out her new persona—this actress proves she’s not afraid of looking like an idiot and dives right into the ridiculous, fun physical comedy. Robbie Amell is also charming as the dim-witted jock with a heart of gold—and the ladies will appreciate his numerous shirtless scenes. Amell and Whitman have great on-screen chemistry, and you really believe these two characters have known each other for a long time.

The supporting adult cast is filled with talented comedic performers who are a lot of fun to watch. Allison Janney (Mom) plays Bianca’s divorced mother Dottie, who now teaches self-help seminars and is thinking about getting back into dating. Romany Malco (Weeds) plays the always-upbeat Principal Buchanan; Ken Jeong (Community, The Hangover) plays school newspaper editor Mr. Arthur, who always has advice and encouragement for Bianca; and Chris Wylde (Legit) plays the super-creepy teacher Mr. Filmore, whose outrageous thoughts probably shouldn’t be vocalized.

The Blu-ray picture quality looks amazing—the colors pop and the picture is crystal clear, and I didn’t notice any issues throughout the film. As for the audio track, all of the dialogue is clear, but I didn’t notice much use of the surround channel, except for the musical soundtrack which sounds excellent.

For bonus features, the Blu-ray includes both iTunes and Ultraviolet Digital HD copies of the film, and on the discs there are about 21 minutes of extras including a gag reel and interviews with the cast and creators. While the featurettes are entertaining, I would have loved to see more—such as an audio commentary and deleted scenes. But the movie itself is worth the price of admission anyway.



What’s Included:

Film: (1:41:15)

    Blu-ray:

    • 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
    • Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish

    DVD:

    • 480p / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
    • Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
    • Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

    Digital Copy (Redemption Deadline 6/9/2016):

    • iTunes Digital HD Copy
    • UltraViolet Digital HD Copy redeemable via Flixster or Vudu

Extras:

  • The Duff Hits The Red Carpet (3:30)
    Red carpet footage and interviews from the film’s premiere event as the cast and director talk about working on the film, working with the other actors and the positive message of the film. Those interviewed include actors Nick Eversman (“Toby”), Bianca Santos (“Casey”), Skyler Samuels (“Jess”), Mae Whitman (“Bianca”), Ken Jeong (“Mr. Arthur”), Chris Wylde (“Mr. Filmore”), Allison Janney (“Dottie”), Bella Thorne (“Madison”), Robbie Amell (“Wesley”) and Romany Malco (“Principal Buchanan”), and director Ari Sandel.
  • Extended Gag Reel (3:15)
    The cast flub lines, improv alternate takes, and have fun on set. Also includes b-roll footage from the bonus feature interviews where the cast tell their nicknames for one another.
  • Bringing The Book To Life (2:15)
    Author Kody Keplinger talks about her inspiration for the book, her 2010 blog post where she listed Mae Whitman as part of her dream cast for a film, and the adaptation of her book to the film. Also includes interviews with director Ari Sandel, and actors Mae Whitman and Ken Jeong.
  • Teen Comedies And The Duff (2:04)
    The cast and crew talk about some of their favorite teen comedies, and the how The DUFF tackles the classic concepts of a high school comedy. Includes interviews with director Ari Sandel, producer McG, and actors Bianca Santos, Skyler Samuels, and Allison Janney.
  • I Am The Duff (2:42)
    The cast and creators talk about what it means to be a “DUFF” and offer up some of their own acronym labels. Includes interviews with actors Ken Jeong, Robbie Amell, Bianca Santos, Skyler Samuels, Allison Janney, Romany Malco and Mae Whitman, producer McG, and director Ari Sandel.
  • The Duff Files (7:21)
    The cast and creators talk about the film’s characters. Play All or select from “Bianca”, “Wesley”, “Madison”, “Jess And Casey” and “The Faculty of Malloy High”. Includes interviews with actors Mae Whitman, Bianca Santos, Skyler Samuels, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Romany Malco and Ken Jeong, and director Ari Sandel.
  • Also From Lionsgate (9:34)
    Trailers for The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Spare Parts, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and What If.

 


Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Film:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Recommended

The DUFF is a modern take on the high school teen comedy that is sure to strike a chord with the millennials. Mae Whitman is delightful and has wonderful on-screen chemistry with co-star Robbie Amell. The film is a bit predictable as it follows the same tried-and-true high school comedy formula that has worked for decades. However, the result is still a highly-entertaining and delightful film that leaves viewers on a high note. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great, but aside from the two digital copies, it only includes a short-but-entertaining 21 minutes of bonus material. This film is definitely worth checking out for a fun movie night.