It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas – Blu-ray Review
Blu-Ray Review – It’s Alway Sunny In Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas
Folks, this was my first exposure to the show “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”. I had no ill will toward the show in any way, but never felt the desire to make it through an episode. I’d heard wonderful things and can usually find some entertainment in the form of Danny DeVito. Still, with all the rave reviews and good buzz, I was yet to be persuaded. Well, as this job would have it I finally crossed paths with the show via this Christmas special.
And truth be told, I was entertained. Some gags fail and the show’s offensive nature is a double-edged sword, but I often found myself at least amused by what was presented. This special seems set on mocking every Christmas story ever told and often succeeds in this quest. Even the old Rankin/Bass specials are not spared in a hilarious manner that features a spinal cord hanging. Yes, this is the type of humor the show aims for and if that alone offends you then you know not to bother.
That’s also a problem with this episode in that it really won’t persuade newcomers that the hype is real. While unexpected, this definitely seems catered toward fans who will likely eat this up. As mentioned, another problem the show has is that it goes too far, almost desperately trying to offend. Sure, most of its offensive nature is outright hysterical (particularly Charlie assaulting Santa Claus brutally in a mall) and it’s true the show prides itself on that. Yet for as many of those moments as we’ll get, it also badgers us with a subplot involving Mac (Rob McElhenney) apologizing for his parents being gift-thieves. Offensive? Maybe not, but desperate? Sure seems feels that way, not helped by the fact Mac is a completely unlikable character. Maybe though, that’s the point.
My first experience with “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” was a pleasant one, but I don’t believe I’ll be coming back to it anytime soon. There are plenty of laughs here in this A Very Sunny Christmas episode (all uncensored) and if you’re a fan, this is definitely worth a look. Those on the fence should ask themselves how offended they can get, then decide if it’s worth a risk.
6 out of 10
The Video
The transfer here is a little tricky as the show itself was not shot in HD, but has been up-converted to 1080p. A Very Sunny Christmas appears in 1.78:1 ratio and is very noisy, soft, and is marred by a ton aliasing. Given the source, this isn’t much of a fault, nor can you really fault the studio for releasing this on Blu-ray as it’s being pushed as the standard. Oh well, it is what it is.
3 out of 10
The Audio
We get DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio for this episode and actually performs rather well. Music comes in clear, and dialogue for the most part. Some of it is thin, as are most of the effects. Quite honestly, I don’t think fans of the show are going to care and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
6 out of 10
Packaging and Extras
The disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray case featuring the cover work. Nothing special.
“Blu-ray Intro” kicks things off and has Rob McElhenney explaining how a show not shot in HD has been up-converted. Short, but nice to have.
“Deleted Scenes” are next and runs a three minute reel of deleted material. Most of it you can see why it didn’t make it to the final cut, but the Captain Caveman bit is amusing.
“Behind the Scenes Making-of” is next and features Kaitlin Olson talking about her most cherished holiday memory as well as brisking through the making of this special. There’s some decent information here, and at a short time of seven minutes is worth a look.
“Sunny Sing-A-Long” runs for three minutes and has the cast cuddled around a piano singing Christmas Carols. Enjoyable, if anything.
There isn’t much to be had here, but what is here is decent enough. Nothing earth shattering or anything, but some effort was put into this release which is always nice to see.
7 out of 10
Overall
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is an offensive romp that when it hits, the show is outright hilarious. When it misses, it’s painful but as a first-timer, I was very happy with what was given to me in A Very Sunny Christmas and think fans will be pleased with what the gang does here. This Blu-ray features ho-hum video, decent audio and some a serviceable set of extras. Fans of the show should pick it up if they feel, but you’re really just fine renting this.
Blu-ray Overall Rating – 5 out of 10
Mac was not apologizing for his parents, there is a long-running gag on the show about how Mac's parents are horrible and don't care about him. He thought he had a nice family Christmas tradition and he found out that, instead, his family was stealing. Mac is really not any better than his parents, so his attempts at making amends for stealing don't go too far, but that is the point. The characters are all egotistical and awful but they are terribly funny. I am so incredibly tired of seeing people review this show who have never even seen it.
Yeah, but I gave it a fairly positive review. Wouldn't you, as a fan, be happy about that?