Blu-ray Review - Best Man Holiday

A tight-knit group of college friends reunites for the first time in 14 years for an unforgettable celebration in The Best Man Holiday, coming to Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet^™ on February 11, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  The all-new sequel to 1999’s beloved ensemble comedy The Best Man finds all nine friends together again for a reunion packed with laughter, love, and surprises. The Blu-ray Combo Pack comes with exclusive bonus features that include an alternate ending and deleted & extended scenes.

The film’s stellar ensemble cast includes Morris Chestnut (Identity Thief), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Taye Diggs (Baggage Claim), Nia Long (Soul Food), Sanaa Lathan (Contagion), Regina Hall (Scary Movie franchise), Harold Perrineau (Zero Dark Thirty), Monica Calhoun (Love & Basketball) and Melissa De Sousa (Miss Congeniality), all reprising their career-launching roles, as well as Eddie Cibrian (Good Deeds) and John Michael Higgins (Pitch Perfect) in the long-awaited next chapter of the film that ushered in a new era of comedy. 

The Blu-ray^™ Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet.

·               Blu-ray^™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.

·               DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.

·               DIGITAL HD with Ultraviolet lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad^®, iPhone^®, Android^™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players, game consoles, and more.

Bonus Features Exclusively on Blu-ray^TM  

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Commentary by Writer/Director/Producer Malcolm D. Lee
• Smack Talk: Filming The Girl Fight Scene—Step into the ring to learn how the big fight scene was filmed. Hear from stars Regina Hall and Melissa De Sousa and writer/director/producer Malcolm D. Lee.

Bonus Features on Blu-ray^TM and DVD

• Gag Reel
• Holiday Reunion: The Making of The Best Man Holiday—Join the cast and crew of the of The Best Man Holiday to find out how the characters, and the actors who play them, have evolved in the 14 years since the first film and what it’s like for them to be working together again, as well as how “new kid on the block” Eddie Cibrian fits in, and what writer and director Malcolm D. Lee brings to the franchise. 
• Feature Commentary By Writer/Director/Producer Malcolm D. Lee

SYNOPSIS

Share the laughter, love and surprises as Harper (Taye Diggs), Lance (Morris Chestnut), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Jordan (Nia Long), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Mia (Monica Calhoun), Murch (Harold Perrineau), Candy (Regina Hall) and Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) all reunite for the first time in years. As they share their triumphs and tragedies,  these college friends soon discover how easy it is to reignite long-forgotten rivalries and romances—all while new discoveries are made and secrets are revealed. The Best Man Holiday is the comedy that critics are calling “a feel-good celebration” (James Verniere, Boston Herald). 

My Thoughts

Best Man Holiday is a story of romance and friendship that will make you laugh, cry and then laugh  a little more. First, let me say that I didn't watch the original Best Man, but you can still follow and enjoy this film regardless of whether you watched the first installation. It stands on its own. In this movie, a group of old college friends reunite. Candace and Julian are a married couple expecting their first child, after years of struggling  to get pregnant. Candace has the added struggle of trying to overcome her past as a stripper. Jordan is a career woman whose control issues are keeping her from the happiness both she and her new boyfriend deserve. Quentin is the comic relief most of the time, but he can also pull of a serious front when the situation calls for it. And of course you have the original couple who started it all. Lance and Mia have been married for years and have four children together. He's a pro-football player living the high life. It all seems like just a fun college reunion, but there is a deeper reason for the get-together and when that secret is revealed it will leave the audience reeling.

Best Man Holiday is a fun and emotion packed film. The movie touches on a lot of common issues, including infertility, financial struggles, and overcoming the past.The cast gives a stellar performance. I was really impressed with the movie and I'm surprised I didn't hear more about it. It was never in theaters in my area and its really a shame because this is a movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen.