Overboard (2018) Blu-Ray Review
THE SET-UP
A spoiled billionaire (Eugenio Derbez) with amnesia is tricked into believing he is the husband of a disgruntled former employee (Anna Faris), who proceeds to put him to work to support her struggling family. Also stars Eva Longoria.
Directed by Rob Greenberg
THE DELIVERY
The 1987 film Overboard wasn’t a comedy classic in the critical sense, but the irresistible charm of real-life couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn elevated some pedestrian laughs in an otherwise average screwball comedy. It’s accessible and watchable, and repeated airings on cable have wedged it into the hearts of millions of fans.
The announcement of a remake, headlined by Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez, was met with skepticism by those fans, but they needn’t worry about the film being a cheap copy that diminishes the original. The new Overboard flips the gender script on the original premise, making Derbez the spoiled rich person, and Faris the struggling parent who needs a hand.
When Derbez’s Leonardo wrongs Faris’ Kate, and later gets amnesia, Kate convinces him they are married. She has a plan to use him as a source of income to make up the money she lost because of him. It works, except Kate and her family begin to bond with Leonardo, whose family is beginning to figure out where he disappeared to.
The new Overboard doesn’t try to retrace the 1987 film’s steps. Often, however, it does what the original did right: allow the leads to showcase their comedic prowess.
This approach works, for the most part, but the script runs nearly all of the laughs through Derbez, leaving Faris to do little more than react to the goings-on. Derbez is great at delivering slapstick comedy, but Faris was proven herself to be hilarious as well, as her show “Mom” and films like The House Bunny have proven. She seems totally underutilized here, and you can’t help but feel that the movie left a lot of laughs on the table by not unleashing Faris to do her thing.
That’s not to say the film isn’t funny, it certainly is, but it spends far too much time trying to logically play out the ludicrous plot. It may have seemed somewhat feasible in the 1980s, but pulling off this story in modern times is far tougher. It also has to stop and explain how to get around some obvious modern problems – it gets a bit cringy when Faris has to discuss how to let a strange man take care of her girls and yet not leave him alone with them.
The film works when it doesn’t worry about logic and it just embraces the silliness. Faris’ natural goofiness sells the idea, and she expertly delivers the snappy dialogue, but she doesn’t quite have the chemistry with Derbez the movie needed to make it fully work. When the movie takes an emotional turn in the third act, however, both actors deliver on their performances, hitting the right notes to tug the heartstrings and end the film on a high note.
Ultimately, Overboard is as silly a premise as it was in 1987, but this version works because it offers a screwball comedy with a sweet-nature that wins you over. When the inevitable revelation comes, it actually plays out far better than you would expect. Overboard may never be considered a classic, but it’s a fun diversion and a comedy worthy of the original.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
The high definition transfer shows excellent sharpness and the colors show some pop, despite the fact that the film has a somewhat muted color palette.
The audio is a solid 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, which is more than enough for this film. The dialogue gets proper prominence and the channels have good separation.
SPECIAL FEATURES
A handful of extras are included, mostly featurettes that offer a look behind the scenes.
The special features included are:
“Chemistry is Comedy” featurette. The cast and crew of the film discuss doing a remake of the classic comedy, and address the importance of chemistry between Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez. Running Time: 13:50
“Culture Clash” featurette. Eugenio Derbez and the cast and crew discuss how some of the most popular actors in Mexico were cast in the film to give it more authenticity. Running Time: 6:39
“Captains of the Ship: Bob and Rob” featurette. The cast discusses the leadership of writer-director Rob Greenberg and writer-producer Bob Fisher. Running Time: 3:56
Audio Commentary. Writer-Director Rob Greenberg, writer-producer Bob Fisher, and producer Benjamin Odell provide a lively commentary. In all honesty, it isn’t a must-hear, as this film doesn’t really scream for a deep dive into how it was made.
Digital Copy. A code, which provides a digital copy of the film for services including iTunes and Ultraviolet services, is included.
THE BOTTOM LINE – 6 out of 10: Overboard Isn’t a Classic, But It’s a Fun Trip
It isn’t the funniest movie you’ve seen, but Overboard sneaks up on you, delivering a sweet-natured screwball comedy that will leave you smiling when the final credits roll. This is primarily Derbez’s film, and he delivers a winning, likable performance.
BLU-RAY SPECS
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 112 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Digital Audio, English Descriptive Audio
Subtitles: English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish
Special Features: “Chemistry is Comedy” featurette, “Culture Clash” featurette, “Captains of the Ship: Bob and Rob” featurette, Digital Copy.
Audio Commentary: With Writer-Director Rob Greenberg, Writer-Producer Bob Fisher, and Producer Benjamin Odell.
Label: Lionsgate
Click here to order Overboard on Blu-ray from Amazon.
