The Stepfather Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
When a teenager returns home from military school, he begins to suspect his mother’s new boyfriend is not the
charming man he appears to be in this riveting, psychological thriller.
It's remake time in the land of movie magic, and the latest entrant into the annals of blah, bland,
and blasphemous is the The Stepfather, a film following up on the picture of the same
name released all the way back in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven
(spelling it out makes it sound older and more "worthy" of a remake). Glossed up and dumbed
down, this 2009 "Horror"-slash-"Thriller" is nothing but a retread of Horror-lite movies past.
Haven't
seen the original? No problem. Viewers familiar with pseudo-Horror/Thriller convention will have
this one figured out just by looking at the poster, and indeed, the film follows the formula so
precisely that any semblance of suspense is canceled out by the picture's insistence
on doing everything it can to stay within strict, and apparently inflexible according to The
Stepfather, genre guidelines. The Stepfather
is
so one-dimensional and by-the-book that one can't help but think that there's going to be
some
major twist at some point to lull the audience out of a false sense of security, but no, the film
plays out exactly as expected. Everyone expected to live lives, everyone expected to die dies, and
the final shot is the final insult in what is one of cinema's laziest forays into Remake-ville yet.
Gourmet cookies? Really? Stepfather prefers a tub of raw cookie dough. My preciousssss....
Madman "David Harris" (Dylan Walsh, The Lake House) has
just killed his family on Christmas day in Utah, and he's traveled northwest to Portland, Oregon in
search of the next single mother with children to kill. "David" doesn't just kill them. He becomes
part of their lives, moves in, marries the widow, and serves as a father figure to the children,
establishing himself as a man to be trusted and respected before coming to realize that they, too,
fail to meet his strict criteria as to what makes a perfect family, and subsequently butchering
them and moving
along. His latest victim-to-be is Susan Harding (Sela Ward, The Day After
Tomorrow), a single mother of three children, including Michael (Penn Badgley), a
teenager recently returned home from military school and learning that his mother is engaged to
"David" after a quick six-month turnaround since her divorce. "David" wants only to keep the
family together;
Michael won't be returning to military school, and "David" has made sure Michael has a place to
continue
on with his swim training at the local high school. When the family's nosy neighbor insists she
saw "David" on "America's Most Wanted," Michael begins to suspect that "David" may not be who
he says he is when the neighbor turns up dead. Along with his skeptical girlfriend Kelly (Amber
Heard, Zombieland),
Michael attempts to piece together "David's" past before his family suffers a terrible fate.
In the interest of playing fair, perhaps the (relatively short) list of positives to stand out in
The Stepfather should be brought to light before beating this one into submission. On
the plus
side of the ledger, the film does show competent helmsmanship by Director Nelson McCormick.
His
shooting script may be in shambles, but he shows a good eye for filmmaking and keeps things
fresh from a visual perspective. Never does the film feel stale or otherwise unpalatable in this
regard, and McCormick even -- somehow -- manages to keep the audience drawn to the picture
even if there's absolutely no mystery or other reason to watch. Hopefully, his next venture will
see him paired with a
slightly smarter script. Additionally, The Stepfather's cast turn in professional, but not
remarkable, efforts. For as one-dimmensional and aimless as the characters may be, each of
them give it a passable effort and, while taking the material seriously, seem to let through a
slight touch of wit, passing along to the audience a figurative wink-and-a-nod that they know the
film's not much of anything or worth anyone's time or effort. Dylan Walsh in particular gives a
performances that's about all anyone could expect by playing off of such a transparent script;
rather than channel his darker side, he's more often having fun with the dual persona and trying
to maintain a slight bit of creepiness even underneath the cool, collected, and respectable
"everyman" demeanor that he shows off in the film's first act. He also plays central to the
picture's best segment, the opening scene that gradually reveals the death of his "family" in
Utah. It's borderline brilliant in the slow reveal that starts out with a slightly disturbing but
otherwise innocent feel, and Walsh sells the gag wonderfully.
Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. The Stepfather is the proverbial Thriller
without thrills, and without rehashing what's already been written, suffice it to say that this
picture's got absolutely nothing going for it in the thrills/chills/originality department. The film
employs a soundtrack that's a complete rip-off of those often heard similarly-themed pictures.
It's a standard Chiller
refrain, and it's put to miserable use in a film that offers up the usual array of false scares -- such
as the cat leaping across the screen -- or the truly haunting imagery of a row of
freshly-sharpened pencils arranged neatly in a row on a desk, and the finale offers nothing but a
standard chase scene through the house accompanied by the obligatory driving rain storm and
plays out with a somewhat similar feel to another recent dud, Obsessed. As if the
total lack of originality and completely predictable nature of the story weren't bad enough,
The Stepfather's script takes things even farther, introducing plot elements and
character
traits that don't matter in the least. Why does it matter that Michael was in military school?
Why does it matter that he's a swimmer? Perhaps the former was just a device meant to allow
him to return home after an absence to find his mother engaged, but something more relevant
to the plot or the character -- maybe a journey of self-discovery or a backpacking trip through
Europe meant to ease the blow of his father's departure would have worked better, but in no way
does the film use his military school education and/or training (and not to mention his swimming
credentials) to any obvious benefit. Additionally, is there any
significance to "David" killing the first family at Christmas? Was he planning on killing this group
at
Christmas, too? How many families has he killed on past Christmases? The film opens several
similar doors that it never once bothers to shed light on, but considering how awful
the movie otherwise is, in the end it really doesn't matter, anyway, though some more
dimension to the characters and added importance placed on plot revelations and developments
would have made this unsavory disaster a beat easier to swallow.
The Stepfather moves into Blu-ray and yields and incredibly film-like and altogether
splendid 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. This is a natural, high quality image, retaining a slight
layer of film grain that allows for a nearly perfect cinematic appearance. Colors are incredibly rich
and natural in tone, and the film sports a diverse and eye-popping palette that sparkles in every
scene. Whether bright green grass, party adornments, or the striking blue shade of a pristine
backyard swimming pool, The Stepfather delivers a consistently convincing color scheme
that practically places the viewer in and around the Harding household. Detail is exceptionally
natural
throughout, with faces -- and that of Dylan Walsh in particular -- showcasing every bump, line,
and imperfection with precision. Additionally, the image is sharp as a tack and only rarely shows
even a hint of softness, and it also features a deep, realistic appearance that, in addition to the
colors and detail, brings the image to sparkling life. The print is absolutely pristine with nary a
hint of debris or other distracting artifacts, leaving only the fine film grain to convey a strong
filmic appearance. Unfortunately, blacks do suffer from an unnatural tone, appearing a bit too
bright and altogether unconvincing in a few shots, and flesh tones sometimes
showcase a slight red push. Otherwise, The Stepfather makes for a handsome transfer
that's another in a long lineage of high quality images from Sony.
Sony sets up The Stepfather with a technically proficient but fairly routine DTS-HD MA 5.1
lossless soundtrack. Indeed, this mix is fine in almost every regard, but there's not much to speak
of in terms of out-of-the-ordinary or otherwise noteworthy elements. Sound effects do pan
naturally across the soundstage, and there's often a rich, fulfilling feel to the track; never does it
seem cramped or in any way stuck in one speaker or portion of the soundstage. Atmospherics are
nicely rendered, too; the constant buzz of an overhead light in the basement makes for a constant
companion in appropriate scenes, and the random background din of the party sequence early in
the film transports listeners into the midst of the festivities. Music enjoys fine clarity in all its
generic Horror/Thriller glory, whether front-and-center or playing as background noise in a lounge
scene or through Michael's stereo. Surrounds are implemented sparsely but effectively; the
thunderstorm as heard near the end of the film does well to fill the back speakers with a realistic
tone that convinces the listener of the approaching storm. Unfortunately, dialogue can sound a bit
uneven, but that's the only true mar on what is a technically strong but sonically uninteresting
soundtrack.
The Stepfather contains several extra features. First is a commentary track with
Director
Nelson McCormick and Actors Penn Badgley and Dylan Walsh. They speak on the scenes that
share similarities with the original The Stepfather, the film's themes and "David's"
motivations, shooting with a
particular rating in mind, shooting styles and equipment, how the participants came to be
involved in the picture, filming locations, cuts and edits, visual effects enhancements, and
plenty of other pertinent and anecdotal observations. This is a solid track that listeners might
find worthwhile should they be so inclined. Open House: Marking the Film (1080p,
20:12) features information on cast assembly and their performances, shooting in a Pasadena
Craftsman home, shooting styles, assembling particular scenes, storyboarding, the work and
talent of Director Nelson McCormick, and the nature of the story and the message of the film.
Visualizing the Stunts (1080p, 11:35) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the film's
stunt work. Also included is a gag reel (480p, 4:52); the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:33);
six TV ads (1080i, 0:32 each); BD-Live functionality; Sony's MovieIQ connectivity; and
additional 1080p trailers for The Boondock Saints II: All
Saint's Day, Armored, Soul Power, 2012, The Damned
United, Zombieland, "Breaking Bad," Michael Jackson's This is
It, Prom Night, The Exorcism of Emily
Rose, and Universal Soldier:
Regeneration.
Another day, another terrible remake. The Stepfather is certainly far from the worst movie
out there, or even the worst of 2009. Its short list of
positives -- all of which are technical rather than thematic in nature -- simply cannot save an
otherwise terrible movie that's full of holes, unresolved or completely superfluous character traits
and developments, and a plot that proves to be one of the most predictable and generic of all time.
The Stepfather might work well for someone that's never seen a movie before, but for
those with a few Horror/Thriller films under the belt -- and Heaven help genre veterans -- this one's
really a stinky stinker of a movie. Sony's Blu-ray release, on the other hand, is of the studio's usual
high quality output. The disc features a borderline reference-quality transfer, a fine but fairly boring
lossless
soundtrack, and an appropriately small collection of extras. The Stepfather is worth a
rental for anyone that doesn't want to have think even in the slightest, but otherwise, this one's
best left sitting pretty on the shelf.
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