Dumb Money (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio:  Sony
 Release Date: December 12, 2023
 Rating: R
 Film:  3.5/5
 
 Plot
 Dumb Money is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall video game store) into the world’s hottest company. In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich – until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down. 
 
 My Thoughts
 The Big Short is one of my favorite movies from this century because it combined two things I’m passionate about—movies and finance/economics. When I saw this press release land in my inbox it really looked like something I’d enjoy and thankfully, Sony honored my review request.
 
Out of the box, the film is entertaining mainly due to the ensemble cast of characters portrayed. I was very familiar with the GameStop short-squeeze and actually made a small profit off of it back in 2021 thanks to a tip from my son, who also follows financial matters. Unfortunately, I sold 24 hours too soon—if I had waited one more day my miniscule $4500 profit would have jumped to over $36,000 (I only bought 150 shares and didn’t do any options trades). I wish I had a time machine, that’s for sure!
 
I do have a couple of complaints about the film. First, the soundtrack is quite crude. One of the first songs you’ll hear is “WAP,” which is about as crude as you get. This is just the tip of the iceberg and songs such as this are strung throughout the film—on the plus side, the bass track is rockin’! Second, unlike The Big Short, the filmmakers assume the audience knows what’s happening on the screen and doesn’t do a very good job of explaining “Calls” and “Puts” and what a “Short Squeeze” is, which means I had to explain these things to my wife who doesn’t understand them and it took away from my enjoyment of the film (along with her many complaints about the crude music).
 
Overall, I thought the presentation was quite good from a video perspective. Let’s be honest here, digitally shot films transfer over the Blu-ray and all look pretty damn good. Sure, sometimes the black levels are a bit better if the DP plays particularly close attention to what’s going on, but in most cases, films such as this all look outstanding because the majority of the scenes are well lit and don’t tax the digital capture method. The soundtrack is excellent though (speaking of its fidelity) with good use of the surrounds and it highlights the 30Hz region quite well.
 
 Video 4.5/5
 Audio 4.5/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
 
 Special Features:
 

• Fat Cats vs. The Roaring Kitty
• Diamond Hand Ensemble
• Join the Cast and Discover the Insane True Story!
• Deleted Scenes
• Filmmaker Commentary
• Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmr8YmwnZ3w&ab_channel=SonyPicturesEntertainment


 Conclusion
 While the film has its flaws, I was very much entertained and it was fun to see the “inside story” of how it all happened. One thing that fully comes to light is how crooked our SEC (and government) is and how the well-connected Wall Street types get away with financial murder on a daily basis and there’s no one there to hold them accountable. Like The Big Short, no one was prosecuted even though laws were broken because the politicians don’t want to see the money flow from Wall Street to their pollical campaigns dry up. If the subject matter interests you, definitely give this a look but do a bit a research beforehand on the financial terms I highlighted above—it will aid in the enjoyment of the film.      
 
 
 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
 Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
 ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Kaleidescape Strato + Server
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-990
 M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
 M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Paul Heroy]

Thanks David. I remember when that was happening and the subreddit was flying high. Strange times. Like you I really enjoyed The Big Short but I think I'll pass on this though, at least with the wife.

[SRW1000]

Thanks for the review, David.  

Did the extras shed any light on the story?  Sounds like it would have been helpful, although they usually give away too much of the plot to justify watching before the actual movie.

[David Vaughn]

Thanks for the review, David. 

Did the extras shed any light on the story?  Sounds like it would have been helpful, although they usually give away too much of the plot to justify watching before the actual movie.

I haven't had time to go through the extras...that's on the agenda tomorrow. After I review them, I'll report back. I'm on vacation until Jan 2, so I'll have plenty of time.