Blu-ray Review: TICKET TO PARADISE

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Dec 18, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Architect David (George Clooney) and art gallery owner Georgia (Julia Roberts) fell madly in love and got married 25 years ago. Shortly afterwards, they welcomed daughter Lily into their family. However, their careers were on different trajectories, and the couple got an unamicable divorce five years later. It’s been nearly 20 years and they still can’t be in the same room together without bickering. Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) has just graduated college, and while on a short pre-job vacation to Bali with best friend Wren (Billie Lourd), she meets and falls in love with local seaweed farmer Gede (Maxime Bouttier), and the two get engaged.

For the first time in a long time, David and Georgia Cotton actually agree on something—they cannot let their daughter make the same mistake they did, and must find a way to stop the wedding. So they head to Bali, pretending to be supportive of the situation, but secretly working together to sabotage the wedding, hoping to get either the bride or groom to stop the nuptials. While Lily may be blind to her parents’ manipulations, Gede quickly catches on to what is happening. However, in his culture, it is important to have the parents’ blessing before getting married, so he may be forced to call things off. Meanwhile, working together, even for nefarious purposes, stirs up some old feelings between David and Georgia, though neither really wants to admit it. Are they making a mistake trying to meddle in their daughter’s love life, and how will she react if she figures out what they’re up to?

Ticket to Paradise is a delightful romantic comedy, which I enjoyed just as much the second time around watching on this Blu-ray release. Roberts and Clooney have such great chemistry, and it’s wonderful to see them working together again. The love-hate dynamic between their characters is so much fun, and the two actors play off one another perfectly. David and Georgia move from one scheme to the next in hopes of stopping the wedding, all of which usually end up backfiring in some fun way, but in the process end up pushing the two of them closer together. The supporting cast is also excellent, with Kaitlyn Dever and Maxime Bouttier playing a believable young couple in love, and Billie Lourd often stealing the scene as Lily’s quirky best friend who always finds some way to amuse herself. Also a scene-stealer is Lucas Bravo (Emily in Paris, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), who seems to be in everything this year, even outside Paris. Bravo stars as Georgia’s overzealous younger pilot boyfriend, who feels a lot more strongly for Georgia than she does for him. Every time Paul makes some grand gesture for Georgia, he literally ends up falling flat on his face, but that never seems to dampen his resolve or enthusiasm.

The film is set in Bali (though filmed in Australia), and the scenery is gorgeous. If this movie doesn’t sell people on tropical vacations, I don’t know what would! The film also does a nice job of portraying the Balinese culture and customs, and the actors playing Gede’s family also bring a lot of humor to the movie. Gede’s father Wayan (Agung Pindha), who’s going to officiate the ceremony, likes to joke around with the Cottons. Gede’s mother doesn’t speak any English but seems to have a lot to say, and Gede’s sister comically provides brief translations for her mother’s long-winded comments.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The video is pristine, with a clean and clear picture that showcases the beauty of the island setting. From the green trees, to the tan beaches, to the blue ocean, the colors look so rich, and there is solid level of detail throughout. The audio track provides clear dialogue as well as an immersive ambiance for the tropical paradise.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs comes packed in either side of a standard HD keepcase, along with an embossed carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem an HD MA digital copy of the film, as well as a code for a free bonus digital movie. The discs also contain about 15 minutes of interviews with the cast and crew.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:44:01)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 1/31/2024):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 1/31/2024)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of about a dozen free digital titles usually changes around the first of every month.

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Return of the Dynamic Duo (4:36)
Stars/executive producers George Clooney (“David Cotton”) & Julia Roberts (“Georgia Cotton”) talk about reuniting for this love story featuring an “older” couple. Other cast and crew discuss working with the stars, and writing the film specifically for them (the characters were originally named Julius and Georgia). Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director Ol Parker, producer Tim Bevan, and stars Kaitlyn Dever (“Lily Cotton”), Maxime Bouttier (“Gede”), Billie Lourd (“Wren Butler”) & Lucas Bravo (“Paul”).
Destination Wedding (3:38)
The cast and crew discuss the picturesque wedding location, ensuring the Balinese customs and traditions were depicted properly and accurately, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director Ol Parker, supervising location manager Lauren Cooper, producer Tim Bevan, cultural consultant Agung Pindha (“Wayan”), property master Emma Rudkin, and stars Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd & Julia Roberts.
Production in Paradise (3:44)
The cast and crew talk about finding the right locations, filming Australia as Bali, and shooting in paradise. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director Ol Parker, producer Tim Bevan, supervising location manager Lauren Cooper, and stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Billie Lourd, Kaitlyn Dever & Maxime Bouttier.
Keep a Straight Face (2:35)
Real life BFFs Kaitlyn Dever and Billie Lourd talk about the joy of making this film together, and some of the other cast members who made them laugh. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director Ol Parker, and stars Billie Lourd & Kaitlyn Dever.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Ticket to Paradise is a fun romantic comedy about two people who thought they hated one another and had given up on love, but come to realize they never really lost the spark they once had with one another. Clooney and Roberts are hilarious and have such great on-screen chemistry, and are joined by a fun, talented supported cast in a beautiful setting. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes about 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew. This is an easy recommendation for fans of romcoms or of the cast. But those still on the fence can check out the movie first on Peacock, where it is currently streaming.