I was rather surprised by Sony’s recent release of “The Ugly Truth.” However, the surprise was not a pleasant one. I like a good romantic comedy, or what is generally referred to as a ‘chick flick.’ When the characters are likable, I don’t even mind if the story is a little bit inane. I thought with a cast that included Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl would offer a few laughs for a nice quiet evening. It didn’t. “The Ugly Truth”, in which Heigl stars as a television producer (Abby) and Butler as a public access show host (Mike), plods its way through one uncomfortable situation after another. Abby is a perfectionist who wants nothing more than her station to have high ratings. She also wants to find the perfect man. Mike is rough, gruff and Abby despises him… both as a TV show host and a matchmaker. They strike a bargain that will make or break their professional relationship… only to find out that they were made for each other.

What is unfortunate is that they were made for each other because they are both very unlikable people.

Heigl has gotten a lot of audience approval in earlier romantic comedies and Grey’s Anatomy and is a fairly serviceable actress, though I’ll admit to really only caring for her in TV’s “Roswell” and not understanding why she currently gets offered leading roles. Butler, on the other hand, has proven that he can pull off just about any role in any genre. He is a very versatile actor, and while he is excellent in his role here… he is so good that when you find out that maybe he’s not such a jerk after all, it’s very unbelievable.

So the fact that both characters have so little to like about them beyond their looks made this a film that I found hard to enjoy. Making matters worse, the filmmakers opted to go into ‘R’ rated territory which also doesn’t really work for a romantic comedy. There’s little romance involved when the few borderline cute moments are savaged and turn towards vulgarity. Not that I don’t enjoy vulgar humor, but only when in the appropriate type of film.

Sony is releasing the DVD and Bluray for “The Ugly Truth” this month, and aside from a terrific picture and soundtrack, there are only a handful of extra features. Director Robert Luketic and Producer Gary Lucchesi offers up a little bit of commentary, but not on the whole movie. They only pony up the goods for a few scenes. There are also a few deleted scenes, a gag reel, and two featurettes focusing on the idea of the Battle of the Sexes and the cast’s comedic abilities. You’ll also find a Digital Copy of the film.

“The Ugly Truth” isn’t a horrible film by any standards, but it really felt as though it could have been much, much better.

Directed by: Robert Luketic
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Eric Winter, John Michael Higgins, Nick Searcy, Kevin Connolly, Cheryl Hines
Extras: Deleted and Extended Scenes, Gag Reel, Digital Copy
Specifications: 1080p (2.40:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 11/10/2009
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.sonypictures.com

We'll give The Ugly Truth (Bluray) a C.