"Bubble Boy" DVD Review/Recommendation
Director Blair Hayes made his feature film directorial debut by jumping feet-first into this controversial project. As "Bubble Boy's" theatrical release date neared, opponents of the film weren't hard to find. Many thought that this twisted comedy about a boy in a plastic bubble should never have been made. The debate over the film's subject matter may have hurt its box-office numbers, as the film didn't do as well theatrically as it might have without the controversy.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Jimmy, an only child born without a working immune system and raised in a sterile environment by overprotective parents. His entire universe consists of a vinyl room shielded from the outdoors - and potentially deadly bacteria - via an intricate sterilization system. Jimmy's life changes as he falls for the blond next door, and he does everything in his power to stop her from marrying the wrong guy.
The "Bubble Boy" DVD includes an entertaining mix of extras, including a 15-minute featurette on the work that went into designing the bubble suit. Unlike many DVDs where the commentary attached to the film slides from entertaining to mildly interesting to mind-numbingly boring, Hayes and Gyllenhaal actually manage to pull off a commentary track that increases the film's entertainment value.
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