By Frankie Dees Apr 13, 2009, 19:15 GMT
One has to wonder why Paramount even bothered to circle back and release ‘Strange Wilderness’ on Blu-ray as the film is a sloppy, low-budget mess with only a few random laughs in it’s corner. It certainly doesn’t scream to be viewed in high-def.
A product of Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison productions with a few of Sandler’s second-string getting supporting roles (Peter Dante and Allen Covert), one has to guess that Sandler just finances these film’s out of a loyalty to friends that would be akin to taking a bullet – ‘Grandma’s Boy’ and ‘The Benchwarmers’ spring to mind.
‘Strange Wilderness’ is a particularly lackluster example that seems almost completely derived from a random string of ineffective improv. Written by former SNL writers Fred Wolf and Peter Gaulke with Wolf directing, I’m speculating whether there was a script at all or if performers just showed up on the day ready to throw something out and see if it sticks.
Because of this, there are a few good laughs but that doesn’t make the film feel any less haphazard – this cast certainly deserves better. Steve Zahn is the headliner as Peter Gaulke (the writer named the lead character after himself…I have no idea why unless this is an autobiography?), the son of the late legendary host of ‘Strange Wilderness’, a popular wildlife show that seemed to exude a certain charm and class.
When Peter’s father died, he took over the show and took the show in more of a crass and not class route. With ratings plummeting in the 2am slot, Peter and his motley crew have to come up with something quick and they get just the chance with an old friend shows up with a South American map detailing the location of Bigfoot.
With very loose funds, the crew assembles for a road trip to Ecuador with the plan to shoot five episodes on the way down. Joining Peter is the loyal sound recorder (Allen Covert), crazy wacko (Peter Dante), fat crazy wacko (Jonah Hill), just fat guy (Kevin Heffernan), pothead wacko (Justin Long) and the token hottie (Ashley Scott).
So, yeah, we get a surprisingly capable cast that also includes various other characters played by Ernest Borgnine, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker and Harry Hamlin and every so often, something comes off as genuinely amusing. It’s essentially that old chestnut of a monkey taking a multiple choice test – some right answers are bound to happen.
But just when the film builds up some goodwill and comes across as a legitimate comedy, Zahn gets a Turkey attacking his genitals for unknown reasons in a truly embarrassing sequence for all involved. I imagine everyone signed up to the film based on everyone else’s involvement and then thought the cast as a whole would be able to pull something off. They don’t.
The 2.35:1 1080p transfer is satisfactory but nothing in the source lends itself to an exemplary high-def image. The film is colorful but low-key and even with the promise of South American jungles, we get a forest that looks suspiciously like the forests around L.A. (an extra confirms this). A lossless Dolby True HD 5.1 track is also provided and is equally indifferent.
Special Features include 22-minutes of Deleted Scenes, a 21-minute ‘Reel Comedy: Strange Wilderness’ which feature cast interviews, and short featurettes ‘What Do We Do?’, ‘The Turkey’ and ‘Cooker’s Song’.
At best, a rental for fans of the cast, ‘Strange Wilderness’ was probably trying for the success of ‘Without a Paddle’ but ended up more in the range of it’s sequel ‘Nature’s Calling’.
The cast do what they can with the roles but there is absolutely no plot here and it’s a completely arbitrary series of mostly unfunny toilet humor. The Blu specs are merely okay but I guess if you were gonna rent the film, the Blu would be the way to go.
Strange Wilderness [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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