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The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
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Extras:
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Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
86
Studio and Year: Warner Bros. - 2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 99 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: VC-1
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Terry Crews, Ice Cube
Directed by: Erik White
Music by: Teddy Castellucci
Written by: Abdul Williams
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: November 16, 2010
"Winning is just the beginning. Surviving is another story"
Film Synopsis:
Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) has just won $370 million in the Mondo Millions Lottery. But the Lottery Claim Office is closed for a long holiday weekend, so before he can collect, Kevin must figure out how to keep a lid on his good fortune and survive the next three days. As his prize news spreads, Kevin quickly discovers the good, the bad and the ugly in his friends and neighbors. It's funny what people will do when money is involved - and this free-wheeling comedy has your winning entertainment numbers. Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Devine, Ice Cube, Keith David, Terry Crews, Mike Epps and more make for one all-star jackpot.
My Take:
Lottery ticket plays out very much like another urban comedy bro flick from the hood, Friday. Kevin/Benny or Craig/Smokey, two interchangeable sets of characters that are equally likeable. Both are set amidst a sea of stereotypes and surroundings that are tailor made for the trappings of young adult life in the inner city. Friday works on multiple levels and in my opinion is simply hilarious. Lottery ticket does succeed but is much less dimensional and fresh. It carries a positive message about giving back, friendship and responsibility but the story is extremely derivative and the formulaic humor is old hat. What I liked most about it was the portrayal of the friendship between Kevin and Benny and the blind romance subplot between Stacy and Kevin. I know we have seen the old girl/boy friendship thing where she loves him but he is too dumb to see it (but comes to realize it only after screwing up) a hundred times but I like how it is handled here. All the requisite and clichéd archetypes are represented, some well some not but there are a host of familiar faces among the cast that help things along. Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson and Naturi Naughton gel nicely which helps to enliven the film's predictable narrative. In the end I found Lottery ticket to be unimaginative but not thoroughly unrewarding.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for sexual content, language including a drug reference, some violence and brief underage drinking.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 84
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Lottery ticket comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Entertainment featuring 1080p VC-1 encoded video that has an average bitrate of 25 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.
This is a great looking high definition presentation from Warner. Detail is exemplary as images look clean, sharp, three dimensional and lifelike. I never felt that video was lacking in terms of depth or the perception of visible detail within the structure of objects or people onscreen. Colors were cleanly reproduced with eye catching primaries and pleasing secondary hues. Fleshtones appeared natural with complexional variation and subtle texture that varied among the differing skin types of the cast members. Blacks were gradational, fairly deep and exhibited good dynamic range. Images were pristinely rendered and appeared free of compression related artifacts.
The DTS-HD MA soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well articulated dialogue. Sound effects had ample dynamic energy so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere from time to time. The mix excelled at creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field's acoustic environment. Low frequency detail was used to good effect when called for and added palpable solidity to the film's hip hop music/score.
Bonus Features:
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Final Thoughts:
Lottery ticket is a derived and formulaic comedy that I found mildly entertaining thanks to its well placed cast and genial story. Warner brings it to high definition on Blu-ray disc featuring excellent video quality and upbeat DTS-HD Master Audio sound. The bonus content offers more fluff than substance but should appeal to those who liked the film. If you enjoy genre pieces like Lottery ticket this is worth a rental but keeping expectations in check is recommended.
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Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Samsung BD-C7900 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Better Cables, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
86
Studio and Year: Warner Bros. - 2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 99 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: VC-1
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Terry Crews, Ice Cube
Directed by: Erik White
Music by: Teddy Castellucci
Written by: Abdul Williams
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: November 16, 2010
"Winning is just the beginning. Surviving is another story"
Film Synopsis:
Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) has just won $370 million in the Mondo Millions Lottery. But the Lottery Claim Office is closed for a long holiday weekend, so before he can collect, Kevin must figure out how to keep a lid on his good fortune and survive the next three days. As his prize news spreads, Kevin quickly discovers the good, the bad and the ugly in his friends and neighbors. It's funny what people will do when money is involved - and this free-wheeling comedy has your winning entertainment numbers. Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Devine, Ice Cube, Keith David, Terry Crews, Mike Epps and more make for one all-star jackpot.
My Take:
Lottery ticket plays out very much like another urban comedy bro flick from the hood, Friday. Kevin/Benny or Craig/Smokey, two interchangeable sets of characters that are equally likeable. Both are set amidst a sea of stereotypes and surroundings that are tailor made for the trappings of young adult life in the inner city. Friday works on multiple levels and in my opinion is simply hilarious. Lottery ticket does succeed but is much less dimensional and fresh. It carries a positive message about giving back, friendship and responsibility but the story is extremely derivative and the formulaic humor is old hat. What I liked most about it was the portrayal of the friendship between Kevin and Benny and the blind romance subplot between Stacy and Kevin. I know we have seen the old girl/boy friendship thing where she loves him but he is too dumb to see it (but comes to realize it only after screwing up) a hundred times but I like how it is handled here. All the requisite and clichéd archetypes are represented, some well some not but there are a host of familiar faces among the cast that help things along. Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson and Naturi Naughton gel nicely which helps to enliven the film's predictable narrative. In the end I found Lottery ticket to be unimaginative but not thoroughly unrewarding.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for sexual content, language including a drug reference, some violence and brief underage drinking.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 84
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Lottery ticket comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Entertainment featuring 1080p VC-1 encoded video that has an average bitrate of 25 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.
This is a great looking high definition presentation from Warner. Detail is exemplary as images look clean, sharp, three dimensional and lifelike. I never felt that video was lacking in terms of depth or the perception of visible detail within the structure of objects or people onscreen. Colors were cleanly reproduced with eye catching primaries and pleasing secondary hues. Fleshtones appeared natural with complexional variation and subtle texture that varied among the differing skin types of the cast members. Blacks were gradational, fairly deep and exhibited good dynamic range. Images were pristinely rendered and appeared free of compression related artifacts.
The DTS-HD MA soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well articulated dialogue. Sound effects had ample dynamic energy so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere from time to time. The mix excelled at creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field's acoustic environment. Low frequency detail was used to good effect when called for and added palpable solidity to the film's hip hop music/score.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Lottery ticket: Custom kicks - 11 minute featurette
- (HD) Junior's guide to the corner store - 5 minute feature
- (HD) Everybody's in: Casting for Lottery ticket - 7 minute featurette
- (HD) The Du-ray model - 2 minute feature
- (HD) 5 deleted scenes
Final Thoughts:
Lottery ticket is a derived and formulaic comedy that I found mildly entertaining thanks to its well placed cast and genial story. Warner brings it to high definition on Blu-ray disc featuring excellent video quality and upbeat DTS-HD Master Audio sound. The bonus content offers more fluff than substance but should appeal to those who liked the film. If you enjoy genre pieces like Lottery ticket this is worth a rental but keeping expectations in check is recommended.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector (Calibrated by Jeff Meier)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Samsung BD-C7900 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Better Cables, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
