The Film
Ed Helms has become quite the leading man. The second star to come out of The Office (The Daily Show, if you want to get technical), Helms travels to Cedar Rapids to snag that top spot on the marquee, as well as an executive producer's credit. However, much like The Hangover, he makes the trek with a nice comedy posse, which includes Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., the scene-stealing John C. Reilly, Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver, Mike O'Malley, Stephen Root, and Kurtwood Smith.
Helms plays Tim Lippe, a 30-something who lives in his childhood home, sleeps with his childhood teacher (Sigourney Weaver), and works his childhood dream job. Of course, his dreams weren't that lofty. He's an insurance salesman in Brown River, Wisconsin, which may actually be more boring than being a paper salesman in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Still, he seems to enjoy the little things, such as airplane exit rows, rental cars, and the chlorine smells of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is the mecca for an annual insurance convention.
Tim heads off to the big shindig, to pick up what should be his company's fourth consecutive Two Diamonds Award. Instead, he parties like a rock star with his fellow conventioneers and learns the truth about his job and his life.
Cedar Rapids is a trip through familiar territory. It has the fish-out-water formula with shades of The Office and The Hangover. It even gives Helms the opportunity to belt out another ditty (about insurance!). It's also sweet, weird, and pretty darn funny. If you missed Cedar Rapids in theaters (did it even play in Cedar Rapids?), you'll want to catch it on Blu-ray.
The Picture
Who knew that Cedar Rapids could be so beautiful? OK, that's sort of a stretch, but this 1.85:1 transfer is very nice. The colors range from bland to dark, and are exactly as the filmmaker intended. After all, this is an insurance convention, not a bridal shower. That said, those same colors are stellar, with the varying suits looking especially nice. The film has a nice sharpness and good detail, which is most evident on clothing and in the many faces that pass throughout the film.
The Sound
Cedar Rapids follows the comedy formula and uses its DTS-HD Master Audio track mostly to deliver the film's dialogue. It's definitely the main focus, and comes through crystal clear. The surrounds don't exactly get the day off, though, with plenty of party, bar and convention chatter. There's nothing here that you'll walk away remembering, but it delivers the goods quite well.
The Extras
For such a small film, Fox has given Cedar Rapids a collection of extras worthy of the Two Diamonds Award. There are six deleted scenes and a gag reel, and 13 minutes of promotional interviews with pretty much the entire cast. Also included are two Fox Movie Channel promos and the film's "Top Notch" commercial. Kind of interesting is the quickie peek at comedian Mike O'Malley's dancing skills, as well as in-depth featurettes on the meth scene and the lesbian wedding.
Also notable is the BD Live on this disc, which does have one exclusive titled, "Ed Helms: Mad Chopper Skills." That short featurette is almost exactly what it sounds like, with Helms showing off his abilities behind the tiny controls of a remote-controlled helicopter.
Final Thoughts
Is this trip really necessary? Cedar Rapids may seem familiar, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. The cast works really well together. Even better, they make the material work. That and a nice Blu-ray package make Cedar Rapids a nice stop on your Blu-ray travels.
Product Details
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