The Trip to Greece may not offer anything the previous three movies didn’t already cover, but I still found this to be an enjoyable, even relaxing, road trip movie that provided some laughs thanks to both Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.
The Trip to Greece
(2020)
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
MPI Media Group | NR – 103 min. – $24.98 | August 25, 2020
Date Published: 08/24/2020 | Author: The Movieman
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MPI Media Group provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.5/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: When Odysseus left Troy, it took him ten years to get back to his home in Ithaca. Steve and Rob only have six days on their own personal odyssey in The Trip to Greece. On the way they argue about tragedy and comedy, astronomy and biology, myth, history, democracy and the meaning of life. Featuring locations such as: Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the unique island of Hydra, the Caves of Diros, Nestor’s Palace, Niokastro Fortress of Pylos, and Ancient Stagira, as well as a lot of shooting in restaurants and hotels in Athens, Hydra, Lesvos, Chalkidiki, Pelion, Kavala, and at the Peloponnese. Review: The Trip to Greece is the fourth and, apparently, the final film in the Trip series that began in 2010, formed as a feature film from a British television series, followed by The Trip to Italy, a culmination of the series’ second season, and then The Trip to Spain. All of these pretty much follow the exact same formula, two actors, playing versions of themselves, go on a road trip ostensibly for an magazine article. The pair try to make one another crack, do some impressions, some better than others, and take in the scenery as well as the local cuisine. Midway point, a couple gals drop in mid-trip to take some publicity photos, Coogan sleeps with one of them and off they go. Then Coogan and Brydon go on with their excursion across the landscap. Literally, that is the formula in each of these. And I don’t mind saying, I’ve enjoyed each one of these films, The Trip to Greece included. For me, these are like comfort foods. There’s no real plot, character development is pretty much kept to a minimum but the friendship, perhaps thin early on in the series, is what makes this such an enjoyable series. That said, four films in, and ten years in the making, probably not a bad idea for it to come to an end. In addition, probably a large swath of the audience may find it a bit self-indulgent even dull, but for myself, and this entry included, I managed to get a chuckle out of some of their jokes, even the old ones (such as Brydon’s “Small Man Trapped in a Box” routine). The Trip to Greece isn’t for everyone and you really would have to like road trip films plus Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, otherwise you may find this to be tedious if not downright boring. But like I said, this is like comfort for me and was entertained by this even if it’s pretty much a carbon copy of the previous entries. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 0.5/5 |
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This release only comes with the Theatrical Trailer (2:33). |
VIDEO – 3.75/5 |
| MPI releases The Trip to Greece onto Blu-ray presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer. Like the previous films, while the foreign landscape looks good, much of the central action, meaning two comedians talking and joking, is pretty basic. Details on most of the shots are sharp though and it is colorful at least, just not a transfer that will wow anybody. |
AUDIO – 3.5/5 |
| The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is satisfactory especially considering the film is almost entirely comprised of dialogue or quieter moments where some ambient noise, along with the score, making use of the front and rear speakers. Like the picture, it’s unremarkable yet functional. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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The Trip to Greece may not offer anything the previous three movies didn’t already cover, but I still found this to be an enjoyable, even relaxing, road trip movie that provided some laughs thanks to both Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. |