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Wild Things Blu-ray Review |
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Wild Things Blu-ray
Unrated Edition Sony Pictures | 1998 | 115 mins | Unrated | Jul 17, 2007
Wild Things Blu-ray ReviewFlorida NoirReviewed by Ben Williams, August 5, 2007 What can be said about Wild Things that hasn't already been said? The film seems to be known more for a saucy lesbian scene between Neve Campbell and Denise Richards rather than for being an excellent and sleazy modern film noir. That's really a shame, as director John McNaughton has crafted a well plotted and thoroughly entertaining film with a nice veneer of grimy South Florida corruption thrown in to boot. Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is a seemingly mild mannered high school guidance counselor in the sleepy town of Blue Bay, Florida. Although he has the reputation as a bit of a playboy, the community is shocked when the daughter of a prominent local family accuses him of rape. Courtroom drama is just the beginning as this intricate story wraps plot twists and turns into a wonderfully tangled web of double-crosses and backstabbing.
Confused yet? Well, that's kind of the point. Wild Things exists to wrap you so tightly in plot developments and potential double-crosses that you'll have a hard time figuring out which way is up. Along the way, there are some terrific character moments at play in the film. Bill Murray shows up as Sam's scheming lawyer and just about steals the show. Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards all play their parts convincingly and to the best of their abilities, despite some limitations in acting ability (I'm looking at you, Denise Richards). Of course, the famous Neve Campbell and Denise Richards lesbian scene is here in 1080p for all to enjoy. Commence slow-motion playback, Denise Richards fans! It should also be noted that this is the "unedited" version of the film. The additions must be minor, as I didn't notice any particularly groundbreaking new scenes or exposition, just a few scene extensions and a few nice plot details added at the finale. Video  Wild Things definitely doesn't qualify as the type of eye candy that is all-too-often thought to be a requirement in high definition. Deeply saturated colors, extreme fine detail and rock-solid black levels are oftentimes not found here. Instead, this is a dirty, gritty and grainy film that is full of shadows. Much of the film is shot in purposefully dim lighting and shadow details and contrast can often suffer. None of this is any fault of the transfer, as it does a remarkable job of very accurately portraying the essence of the visual look of Wild Things. The one exception I do have to take with this presentation is in the quality of the master that was chosen. There are numerous scenes with visible dirt on the print as well as a few scratches and other defects. Perhaps this was the best print available for the transfer, but a little more time could have been spent in cleaning it up. All in all, this is another solid catalog release from Sony. Audio On the audio side of things, Wild Things isn't much of a show stopper. The musical score from George S. Clinton is nicely presented with its heavy reliance on nicely panned percussion with the occasional fill in the rear channels and a nice, tight abundance of bass. This adds a quirky element to the film that definitely helps complete the seedy atmosphere of the story. Besides that, there isn't much to add any excitement to this dialog heavy film. The uncompressed PCM track does do an outstanding job of crisply presenting the dialog from the film, and the few scenes featuring any surround activity are nicely enveloping. Take for instance the scenes where Sam jets around the everglades in his swamp boat - the music is usually cranked to top volume and we are treated to an excellent usage of the surround channels as his watercraft plows through the swampy marshes. Once again, I think the advantages of uncompressed audio are clear, even on a track that wouldn't necessarily be considered as a prime candidate for PCM treatment. I'll never complain about clearer dialog, richer music and an overall much more robust experience. Supplements  I'd love to go into detail on how there were so many extras on this disc that I barely had enough time to review them all. Alas, this is not the case, as there isn't a single extra to be found. Final words Wild Things is a great raunchy thriller with its roots firmly placed in noir territory. The story draws you in with its intricate twists and turns. It is a true guilty pleasure to watch as it unfolds gracefully before your eyes. While the audio and video on this release won't win any awards, it does represent another faithful effort from Sony to deliver a product that is accurate to its theatrical roots. 
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