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The Movie: Despite being the first in production, "The Wild" found itself in second place last year when it was beaten theaters by "Madgascar", which became a hit. "The Wild" came afterwards and likely looked too similar to audiences. However, after watching both films, while they are similar in plot, I think they couldn't be more different in terms of humor and tone. "Madagascar" was a family movie, but there were plenty of jokes that were largely meant for adults and it had a bit of an edge to its humor. "The Wild", on the other hand, is geared completely towards the younger crowd (although the youngest may find some too-scary moments.) "The Wild" opens with lion club Ryan (voice by Greg Cipes) dismayed that he doesn't share the same talent of roaring like his father, Samson (Keifer Sutherland). One night, Ryan wanders off and accidentially winds up in a shipping crate headed towards Africa. Samson heads off in persuit, accompanied by Benny the Squirrel (James Belushi), Nigel the Koala Bear (Eddie Izzard), Bridget the Giraffe (Janeane Garofalo) and Larry the Snake (Richard Kind). "The Wild" isn't without its moments, however. There's a scene early in the picture where the animals make their way into New York City at night that's quite beautiful and made me recall how I felt looking out at the city from the spectacular view of the top floor of the hotel I'd chosen on my last trip. Once there, the animals manage to make their way into a ship and follow Ryan to Africa, where they encounter a wildebeast tribe lead by Kazar (William Shatner in the film's best bit of casting), who can only be the king of his jungle if he takes down a lion in battle. Samson could definitely be that lion, although as we find out, Samson may not be as brave as his stories make him out to be. "The Wild" is technically impressive, with crisp, detailed animation that is better than one might expect from a film with a budget smaller than most CGI animated films these days. However, it's too bad that more attention wasn't paid to the screenplay, which feels seriously formulaic and quite predictable. The film's attempts at humor don't go over well, either: the jokes are bland and Sutherland, despite being a strong dramatic actor, does not exactly bring the funny. Belushi and Garafolo don't have much to work with, either. The film's real highlight is Shatner, who is so wrapped up in his own Shatner world (here and otherwise) that he turns the character into the film's most interesting creation. Patrick Warburton, who could make reading the phone book funny (see "Emperor's New Groove"), sadly only gets a few lines as a minor character. Overall, given the resume of director Steve Williams (visual effects animator or supervisor on such blockbusters as "Jurassic Park", "T2", "The Abyss" and "The Mask" - also the guy who did those "Carl and Ray" Blockbuster ads), I'm surprised he didn't wait to find better material for his directorial debut. "The Wild" looks good, but the movie ultimately feels forgettable. The DVD VIDEO: "The Wild" is presented by Disney Home Entertainment in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The film's presentation quality was excellent, with sharpness and detail appearing consistently first-rate throughout the show. No pixelation appeared, but a few slight instances of edge enhancement were seen. Colors looked bright and popped off the screen nicely. Black level also remained solid. SOUND: The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation was less thrilling, largely staying rooted in the front speakers. While the surrounds occasionally chimed in to offer some sound effects or refinforcement of the music, the rear speakers often went unused. Audio quality was fine, as the soundtrack brought the pop tunes and Alan Silvestri's score to life well, and dialogue remained crisp and clear. EXTRAS: A couple of short featurettes ("Meet Colin: The Rock Hyrax", "Eddie Izzard Unleashed"), 5 deleted scenes, a music video and sneak peeks for a few other titles from the studio. Final Thoughts: "The Wild" has some moments and a few good supporting performances, but the picture suffers from a script that's too formulaic and predictable. The DVD offers fine audio/video quality and a few minor extras. Families interested in the film should try a rental first. 
Film Grade The Film C DVD Grades Video 92/A Audio: 91/A- Extras: 70/C- |