Jerry Maguire (Blu-ray)

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Video:
"Jerry Maguire" looks better than ever in Blu-ray, with only the slightest grain noticeable at times. "The Searchers" is still the miracle of catalog titles, but this HD transfer to a BD-50 (AVC/MPEG-4 codec) is solid. I noticed no compression artifacts, and though this film has traditionally looked a little "soft" in places, the picture is more vibrant than previous standard def releases. Black levels are a little stronger than in the past, though the colors in some scenes still seem undersaturated.

Audio:
Sony has been running with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack lately, and in English, French, or Portuguese the audio is clear and precise. The rear effects speakers get what seems to be only random channel assignments, but in terms of timbre and sound quality the TrueHD delivers. Dialogue mostly drives this one, but when Rod Tidwell does his thing and the big game comes, there's big sound to accompany it. Even the mid-tones come across with pleasing clarity. And there are a ton of subtitle options, a testament, perhaps, to the wide appeal the film holds: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Indonesian, Arabic, and Dutch.

Extras:
Everything is here from the two-disc Special Edition except for the video commentary--or at least I couldn't find it anywhere on the box or menu screen. But the rest is here: the above-average free-wheeling commentary track with Crowe, Cruise, Gooding Jr. and Zellweger, which is spiced with jokes and asides; the equally fun "first commercial" staged by Rod Tidwell (Gooding Jr. in character); three interesting clips of rehearsal footage where we see actors improvising scenes that will become a major part of the film; five deleted/alternate scenes with optional commentary (as there is on the rehearsal footage); real sports agent Drew Rosenhaus doing his hyped up primer on "How to Be a Sports Agent"; a "Secret Garden" Bruce Springsteen music video; and a weaker-than-most short making-of feature. The last three are really throwaways as far as I'm concerned, with the commentaries on the feature and bonus footage providing the real meat of these extras.

Exclusive to Blu-ray is a video montage of Jerry Maguire's mission statement, which seems more like the kind of tribute you get at the Oscars than an informative bonus feature for curious fans or would-be filmmakers. This disc is also BD-Live enabled, so on release date fans who want more can check out whatever downloads are available.

Bottom Line:
If it ever comes down to a chick flick/ guy flick argument, "Jerry Maguire" is a perfect compromise. It's a romantic comedy with attitude . . . and more laughs than a beer commercial. If guys can't meet their women halfway with this film, then they're hopeless bachelors, because "Jerry Maguire" nails male/female relationships and also does a pretty good job with the world of sports as big business.

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