Sisters

When the Ellis Sisters, the always-responsible Maura (Poehler) and impossibly hotheaded Kate (Fey), receive word from their retired mom and dad that their family home is on the market, they discover they have one weekend left to clean out the old junk in their bedroom. As they comb through the artifacts of their teen years, Maura and Kate's trip down memory lane leads them to a seemingly crazy plan. Looking to recapture their glory days, the sisters throw one final “Ellis Island” blowout for their classmates, resulting in the cathartic rager that a bunch of ground-down adults really need. (Gary Reber)

Both the theatrical version (01:57:46) and the unrated version (02:02:24) are available. Special features include commentary with Director Jason Moore, Star/Producer Tina Fey, Star/Executive Producer Amy Poehler, and Writer Paula Pell; eight featurettes: The Improvorama (HD 08:40), How To Throw A Party (HD 01:36), Grown-Up Parties Suck (HD 05:18), The Alex Chronicles (HD 02:51), The Kate And Pazuzu Chronicles (HD 02:05), A Teen Movie … For Adults (HD 10:26), The Original Sister (HD 06:40), and Pool Collapse VFX (HD 00.50); nine deleted scenes (HD 18:03); nine extended scenes (HD 16:54); a gag reel (HD 03:17); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, set in sunny Florida, is really, really colorful with strong primaries that pop. Eye-popping blues, pinks, reds, and greens, as in foliage, cast a vibrant tone on the production design. Fleshtones remain generally natural, but everything else is deeply saturated. Black levels are nicely deep, and shadow delineation during night scenes is excellent. Contrast is well balanced. Resolution is often superb, but at times the imagery in parts is softly focused, and a slight veil of noise is visible. Texturing is finely detailed, such as clothes fabric, structural sidings, interior objects, party graffiti, bottles, cups, and an array of mixed imagery. Everything is bright and vibrant, with striking hues, which results in a really pleasing picture with eye-popping colors. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is rather reserved during the first half of the storytelling but takes off once the “Ellis Island” party gets energized. Dialogue is prominent, with supporting atmospherics and Foley that is nuanced. The music score enlivens the proceedings but still lives mostly in the background. Both the party's wild interior and exterior segments fill the soundstage, and aided by the dance music, extends to the surrounds. Bass is emphasized during the music's presence. The one special effect provides enhanced oomph but not to the extent that the image suggests, Dialogue is consistently intelligible and generally spatially integrated, even during the louder music segments. This is a sonically fun experience. (Gary Reber)