| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Wicked
Columbia/Tri-Star // R // August 28, 2001
List Price: $24.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Many times, when a star's popularity rises, their back catalog of never-before-seen titles are sought. Studios can simply purchase the home video rights if they don't already own them and have the title hit the video shelves in the hope that customers will say "I've never seen her/him in that before." Witness "Wicked", which Columbia/Tristar is releasing to show-off current teen sensation Julia Stiles.
These films usually remain sitting on the shelf for a reason. Stiles plays Ellie Christianson, who lives with her family in one of those gated communities that always seem like a tiny town onto themselves. Her parents are having some serious trouble with their relationship - the mean-spirited mother is having an affair with the next-door neighbor, while it becomes apparent that the father might be having an affair with the nanny. When the mother passes on, everyone becomes a suspect. Was it the daughter who hated her or was it the next door boyfriend, or was it someone else?
Things become slightly odder, though. Ellie starts to turn into the mother figure of the family, literally. She wears her former mother's clothing and starts cooking dinner, as well as attempting some other things. In terms of acting, Stiles is really the only one who stands out here, with a very good little turn in what I believe is her only "bad girl" role. The other actors either are mildly unconvincing or amateurish. The film at least has a professional look, with nice cinematography by Bernd Heinl("Little Vampire", "Bodies, Rest and Motion"), which captures a few striking shots with terrific shadows and light. The score, on the other hand, sounds rather generic for the mystery/thriller genre.
This isn't the worst "taken-from-the-shelf" picture to get a relase that I've seen lately, but Stiles has certainly moved on to bigger and better things beyond "Wicked". She's certainly one of the best of the new generation and although "Wicked" is probably not something she'd be thrilled is getting a release, it does at least show that she's capable of playing a mean-spirited role.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Wicked" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a pan & scan edition on the flip-side of the DVD. It's not one of the studio's best efforts, but taking in the film's low-budget nature, the slightly lackluster image quality is to be expected, I suppose. Sharpness and detail are moderately solid, with some scenes looking slightly on the soft side, and some darker scenes looking a tad murky.
A few minor flaws do pop up during the film, including some minor edge enhancement and a few print flaws, including some minor speckles and marks, as well as a scratch or two - some scenes appeared mildly grainy, as well. A couple of traces of pixelation appear, but other than that, there's nothing too much to be concerned about.
Colors were visibly strong, looking well-saturated and crisp, with no instances of smearing or other problems. Flesh tones looked natural and overall, although showing some imperfections, the presentation was fine. Subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Thai.
SOUND: The film's Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is perfectly fine for the film, which takes place mainly in interiors and is simply dialogue-driven for the majority. The music sounds crisp and rich, dialogue sounded clear and easily understood. Nothing too remarkable, but enjoyable in terms of quality.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus that simply re-use the cover art.
EXTRAS:: Filmographies and trailers for "Wicked", "U-Turn", "Cruel Intentions 2", "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and "The Devil's Own".
Final Thoughts: "Wicked" is essentially a Julia Stiles show. Her performance as the evil daughter is not one of her best, but it's interesting to see her play mean-spirited for once. Columbia/Tristar's DVD provides fine, but unexceptional audio/video and nothing substancial in the way of extras. Hardcore fans of Stiles might want to check this out as a rental.
Many times, when a star's popularity rises, their back catalog of never-before-seen titles are sought. Studios can simply purchase the home video rights if they don't already own them and have the title hit the video shelves in the hope that customers will say "I've never seen her/him in that before." Witness "Wicked", which Columbia/Tristar is releasing to show-off current teen sensation Julia Stiles.
These films usually remain sitting on the shelf for a reason. Stiles plays Ellie Christianson, who lives with her family in one of those gated communities that always seem like a tiny town onto themselves. Her parents are having some serious trouble with their relationship - the mean-spirited mother is having an affair with the next-door neighbor, while it becomes apparent that the father might be having an affair with the nanny. When the mother passes on, everyone becomes a suspect. Was it the daughter who hated her or was it the next door boyfriend, or was it someone else?
Things become slightly odder, though. Ellie starts to turn into the mother figure of the family, literally. She wears her former mother's clothing and starts cooking dinner, as well as attempting some other things. In terms of acting, Stiles is really the only one who stands out here, with a very good little turn in what I believe is her only "bad girl" role. The other actors either are mildly unconvincing or amateurish. The film at least has a professional look, with nice cinematography by Bernd Heinl("Little Vampire", "Bodies, Rest and Motion"), which captures a few striking shots with terrific shadows and light. The score, on the other hand, sounds rather generic for the mystery/thriller genre.
This isn't the worst "taken-from-the-shelf" picture to get a relase that I've seen lately, but Stiles has certainly moved on to bigger and better things beyond "Wicked". She's certainly one of the best of the new generation and although "Wicked" is probably not something she'd be thrilled is getting a release, it does at least show that she's capable of playing a mean-spirited role.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Wicked" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a pan & scan edition on the flip-side of the DVD. It's not one of the studio's best efforts, but taking in the film's low-budget nature, the slightly lackluster image quality is to be expected, I suppose. Sharpness and detail are moderately solid, with some scenes looking slightly on the soft side, and some darker scenes looking a tad murky.
A few minor flaws do pop up during the film, including some minor edge enhancement and a few print flaws, including some minor speckles and marks, as well as a scratch or two - some scenes appeared mildly grainy, as well. A couple of traces of pixelation appear, but other than that, there's nothing too much to be concerned about.
Colors were visibly strong, looking well-saturated and crisp, with no instances of smearing or other problems. Flesh tones looked natural and overall, although showing some imperfections, the presentation was fine. Subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Thai.
SOUND: The film's Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is perfectly fine for the film, which takes place mainly in interiors and is simply dialogue-driven for the majority. The music sounds crisp and rich, dialogue sounded clear and easily understood. Nothing too remarkable, but enjoyable in terms of quality.
MENUS:: Basic, non-animated menus that simply re-use the cover art.
EXTRAS:: Filmographies and trailers for "Wicked", "U-Turn", "Cruel Intentions 2", "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and "The Devil's Own".
Final Thoughts: "Wicked" is essentially a Julia Stiles show. Her performance as the evil daughter is not one of her best, but it's interesting to see her play mean-spirited for once. Columbia/Tristar's DVD provides fine, but unexceptional audio/video and nothing substancial in the way of extras. Hardcore fans of Stiles might want to check this out as a rental.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Forum | Blu-Ray | Advertise | |||
|
Copyright 2026 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||