SYNOPSIS: In this heartwarming comedy, underachiever David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) learns he’s actually an overachiever — he’s fathered 533 children via donations made twenty years earlier! David soon discovers that the shock of his life might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Along the way he discovers not only his true self, but also the father he could become. Also starring Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders — and complete with bonus materials, including behind-the-scenes footage — it’s a feel-good movie that really delivers.

FILM REVIEW: Writer/Director Ken Scott creates this remarkable remake of the original Starbuck (2011), initially penned with Writer Martin Petit. Having seen the original years earlier, in Europe, I have to confess that I approached this latest effort with lots of apprehension. Who can blame me? Hollywood tends to not be very good at remaking foreign films, in my humble opinion. That being said, it’s a bit rare and a little weird for a director to get to remake his own movie, but Scott pulls it off quite smoothly, introducing this update with a similar balance of absurdity and heartfelt honesty. The biggest adjustment seems to not just be in simply recreating the movie in English, but in reframing it within the context of mainstream American cinema. I guess Scott/Petit, et al have had time to perfect it for the American taste-buds because this film has been remade in several different countries and languages over the years, including Canada and Germany. And according to sources there are remakes continuing to happen currently, including a “Bollywood” version. Go figure!

What’s notable and quite interesting is how Vince Vaughn brings a more toned-down sense of humor to this Hollywood release, stepping into the role of bumbling man-child David Wozniak, who just can’t get his act together, despite having all those that know him, simply fall in love with him and his big heart. His lovable character tends to draw the audience’s attention in such subtle ways that in no time one can only empathize with him and his situation, instead of being totally “weirded-out” and disgusted by the act that got him in the situation in the first place.

Though this film seems very similar to the original from the outside, differences emerge during the 103 minute runtime. The original flick was driven by a wacky, haphazard series of misfortunes that seemed at times to be a big stretch on reality; However, Delivery Man kinda’ moves along at a pace that is both comfortable and heartwarming. It has a nice mix of laugh-out-loud amusement, drama and family oriented struggles that most can relate to (despite the film’s obvious weird scenario). It drives home the idea that complete strangers seeking connections, can find them in each other. Plus, Vaughn is great and nails the role as the unlucky guy who wants to prove to his family that he can be the person they need him to be.

Overall, this Hollywood release is a very good effort that’s worth checking out. It could be either a nice date movie at the theaters or simply a DVD worth cuddling up to because it is holiday-centric, in a sense. It deserves four out of five stars for quality storytelling and meaningful messages worth conveying. Great acting and very touching plot! 

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 1.78:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (1.78:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks 

Subtitles - English Spanish French

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Blu-ray™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring perfect hi-def picture and hi-def sound. 

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Digital Copy provides consumers with a choice of formats from a variety of partners, including options to watch on iPhone®,
iPad®, Android, computers and more.

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