Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Trip to Italy

December 21, 2014

The Trip to Italy - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray

The Trip to Italy is a sequel to The Trip, which I previously reviewed. That movie was basically two people, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, travelling around northern England, eating food, and getting into weird conversations. Is this film any different? If not, is it worth watching a second time?

The Movie

The answer to the first question is not really. There is a subtle difference in the setup, as at the end of The Trip, Steve Coogan decided not to write about the trip and instead travelled to America to be with his girlfriend. As a result, Rob Brydon wrote the articles and it was popular enough that the publisher wanted a second go around, but this time around they are travelling in Italy. That's the biggest difference in the setup. They also talk about various new subjects, like the difference between Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette, as well as subjects from the previous film, like getting older and relationships. And of course, there's the duelling impersonations.

That's really all I can say about the plot of this movie; it s very much like a stand-up comedy set in that regard. Because The Trip to Italy is so similar to its predecessor, it is hard to say something I didn't say the first time around. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have a lot of chemistry together and their friendship is based on a lot of playful rivalry, which helps make their interactions more entertaining. They do wander into more ... what's the term? Inane. They do wander into inane subjects more often, usually as an excuse to do impersonations, so your enjoyment of this movie will depend heavily on your tolerance for this. Personally, I really liked both movies, but will admit this one doesn't feel quite as fresh.

The Extras

This time around, the only extra is 26 minutes of deleted scenes, which is a lot less than last time around.

The technical presentation is good, but not great. It was shot digitally, so the picture is crisp and the colors are strong, but this film went for a naturalistic look and it completely lacks flash. The audio is also clear, but uncomplicated. This is exactly what you would expect from a release like this.

The Blu-ray costs $23, which is $3 or 15% more than the DVD. That's an excellent deal.

The Verdict

The Trip to Italy isn't for everyone, but if you liked the first film, then you will likely enjoy this one as well. There are not a lot of extras on the DVD or Blu-ray, but it is still worth picking up.


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Filed under: Video Review, The Trip to Italy, Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette