It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas (Blu-Ray)

Twentieth Century Fox | 43 minutes | 2009 | Not Rated | Directed by: Fred Savage |
Blu-Ray reviewed by: Fusion3600

The Christmas spirit can find a path into anyone's heart, even the gang at Paddy's Irish Pub. Mac has his memories of opening other children's presents, Charlie recalls his mother's numerous bedroom visitors on Christmas, and Dennis and Sweet Dee could never forget Frank's fake out gifts, and lavish presents for himself. As Mac and Charlie discover their memories of the holiday are not what they thought, Dee and Dennis prepare to give Frank the Scrooge treatment. But getting into the spirit of Christmas isn't as easy as it might seem, as disastrous results follow all involved. Can anyone from Paddy's find the Christmas spirit they so badly want, or will this be just another excuse to get black out drunk and forget?

I love It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is hands down one of the funniest shows on television right now. The show has a unique, outlandish sense of humor that never fails to entertain. So when I found out a Christmas special was in the works, I couldn't wait to see how the show celebrated the holidays. As it turns out, this special delivers all the usual laughs and then some, with some of the most memorable moments yet. The added freedom of content means we have some stronger than usual language and even some nudity, but this remains in the spirit of the show. So they push the boundaries a little more, but this is still the same show you know and love. I had a blast with A Very Sunny Christmas, as it is a constant barrage of hilarious situations and of course, turns the Christmas special concept on its head. So if you're a fan of the show, you will love A Very Sunny Christmas, which is highly, highly recommended.

A Very Sunny Christmas is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As the introduction reminds us, the show isn't shot in high definition, so this is just upconverted from a standard definition source. This means the special looks just like the show always does, soft and worn, as Charlie intended. So this is a disappointment if you wanted razor sharp visuals, but this is faithful to the source and that's what we want. Why this needed a Blu-ray release however, I have no idea. There is almost no improvement over the DVD, but as I said, this is how the show should look.

This might have a DTS HD 5.1 option, but the soundtrack performs just like it would for the regular show. That means basic, unremarkable audio. The dialogue is crystal clear of course, which is the most important element. A slight bit of surround presence comes from the music, but this is a pretty limited track. That is fine however, as it stays true to the source. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

This disc includes a brief featurette, a disclaimer introduction about the video quality, a few deleted scenes, and a surreal sing-a-long that is beyond belief.