Book Club: The Next Chapter Blu-ray review

Jul 22, 2023- Permalink

The 2018 film Book Club, which starred Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen and Diane Keaton, was a box office hit, earning over $104 million against a budget of $14 million. With cash like that a sequel was ordered and now five years later the four readers reunite in Book Club: The Next Chapter. This installment sees Vivian (Fonda) inviting her pals to her wedding in Italy, where hi-jinks ensue. Who really needs an excuse to hang out with these four great actresses? Universal has released the movie on Blu-ray and I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation has great detail in facial features, textiles and locations. The colour palette captures all the gorgeous hues of the Italian landscapes from sparkling blue waters, lush vegetation and beautiful architecture. Compression artifacts and digital noise are absent. Warning: watching this film night have you looking up flights to Italy.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack as well as Spanish and French DTS 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, and Spanish. Though the dialogue-driven comedy has the mix a bit front heavy, the surrounds do some work with ambient sounds and the odd effect. The score is bright and dialogue is clear and well prioritized in the mix.

In the US, the Blu-ray set also comes with a digital code and a DVD. The Canadian release I was sent for review did not include a digital code, which seems to be a hit and miss option here. There are three short featurettes that look at revisiting the story, the fashion and the foursome in Italy.

Fans of these four actresses or those looking for a light comedy that doesn’t involve vulgarity and explosions will be served well by Book Club: The Next Chapter. Great audio and video and the visuals of Italy earn this Blu-ray release a recommendation.