Reviewer's Rating 4 out of 5
Miss Congeniality DVD (2001)

Sandra Bullock sends her sexy self up in the comedy caper "Miss Congeniality", and the DVD is now out with some sparkling extra features.

Picture quality is excellent, as you'd expect for this new Hollywood film. All the bright colours of the pageant pose no problem for this fine transfer.

The 5.1 sound mix keeps busy with rear atmospheric effects and a full music score. There are a few moments of action in the movie, and these get suitable enhancements from the subwoofer.

"Miss Congeniality" is an inoffensive comedy, but some of the humour seems a little forced. If you're not inclined to agree, take a listen to the audio commentary with Sandra Bullock and Marc Lawrence. It's a silly affair as they goof around and make up complete lies about the filming. What's striking is that Bullock is such a naturally funny person, and this film, like so many others she has made, fails to truly capture her talent for charming self-deprecation.

Commentary two is a solo affair with director Donald Petrie filling in on all the technical details missed out in the first track, and he does reveal that like her character in the movie, Bullock buys those Starbucks compilation CDs in real life.

Two featurettes round up the extra features on this DVD, and they are well worth watching. There's the usual character and story analysis from the interviewees, but it's light on cheese, and there are plenty of highly amusing outtakes sprinkled throughout.

Region: 2
Chapters: 33
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features:Scene selection, audio commentary with producer/star Sandra Bullock and co-screenwriter Marc Lawrence, audio commentary with director Donald Petrie, 'Preparing for the Pageant' featurette, 'The Pageant' featurette, cast and crew list, trailer, multiple language subtitles, and English for the hearing impaired.

End Credits

Director: Donald Petrie

Writer: Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford, Caryn Lucas

Stars: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Candice Bergen

Genre: Comedy

Length: 109 minutes

Cinema: 23 March 2001

DVD: 12 November 2001

Country: USA