6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
It's graduation day at Huntington Hills High-- a time for Pomp and Circumstance, tassels and mortarboards, and serious introspection about the future. But tonight, the seniors will leave all that behind for the things that really matter; romance, revenge and rock 'n' roll. It's the ultimate teen party, a once-in-a-lifetime alternate universe where class nerds become class studs, super-jocks are humiliated, and freshman crushes blossom into grown-up romance. From prom queen to bimbo, meathead to misfit, everyone will be there for a hormone-charged bash tapped for out-of-control fun.
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter FacinelliComedy | 100% |
Romance | 55% |
Teen | 47% |
Coming of age | 25% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Tonight is our independence night.
What happens when you take hundreds of school-weary graduating seniors, all with varied
backgrounds, big ideas, tall tales, regrets, and desires, and throw them into one house the night
of
graduation? You find the biggest party of the year! Can't Hardly Wait is an
amalgamation of all things teenager, with every social class within your typical 1990s-era high
school represented. From the jocks to the nerds and everyone in between, co-directors Harry
Elfont and Deborah Kaplan have created a miniature universe where worlds collide, dreams are
shattered and fulfilled, hopes rise and fall, and destinies are penned, all with a humorous
yet touching atmosphere. The film works well in spite of the fact that it revels in characters with
little originality about them. The arrogant football jock, the recently dumped princess, the love
struck average Joe, the hormonal boy, and the nerd are all caricatures of the varied populace of
your average student body. The movie works well in spite of its mostly stereotyped characters
because each actor brings a genuine spirit, enthusiasm, and charisma to each role. Can't
Hardly Wait, only 10 years since its
initial release, has become quite the popular movie thanks to its entertaining story and collection
of
interesting and diverse characters, all with their own tale to tell and each with a destiny sure to
make this party one they -- and we -- will never forget.
I still know Jennifer Love Hewitt can't hardly wait to hear a ghost whisper.
Can't Hardly Wait features a decent, but not great, 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Viewers will be treated to a fairly standard high definition image, one that, at this point in the game, won't wow anyone who has seen several Blu-ray discs in action, but it won't disappoint fans of the film or the format either. The picture is somewhat dim and not very vibrant. Still, colors are fine, flesh tones are good, detail is generally solid, and black levels are acceptable. There are a few speckles over the print, and a bit of grain is retained over the image. Nothing about the transfer stands out as being particularly impressive or repulsive. It's definitely a middle-of-the-road Blu-ray, but still easily surpasses upscaled standard definition material.
Can't Hardly Wait parties on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's opening sequence over the graduation ceremony features some voices emanating from every speaker, and it sounds somewhat gimmicky and forced. The popular music sounds fine, and the hip-hop songs come to us with the appropriate lows that work the subwoofer more than one might expect from a comedy soundtrack. In fact, popular music plays a pivotal role throughout the film and each track is alive and vibrant, with a fine presence and a rich, full sound. The party sequences, which make up the majority of the film, are reproduced well, and the track never fails to submerge listeners into the film as it creates a nice atmosphere all around the soundstage. The sounds of laughter, chatter, music, and more work in harmony to create a nearly seamless environment that often places us in the middle of the action. Dialogue reproduction is clear and accurate, generally via the center channel. All in all, Can't Hardly Wait's lossless soundtrack won't blow you away, but it offers a solid foundation and builds a great atmosphere.
Can't Hardly Wait rounds out its curriculum vitae thanks to its participation in several
extracurricular activities. Two commentary tracks are available, one being the "original" track
featuring co-writers/co-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, producer Jenno Topping, and
actor Seth Green. The track is fast-paced and fun, combining a recounting of stories from the
set,
technical details of the shoot, the music of the film, cuts and edits made in the film to earn the
desired rating, and plenty more, with many lighthearted moments between the participants
thrown
in as well. Track number two features actors Peter Facinelli, Donald Faison, Seth Green, Joel
Michaely, and co-writers/co-directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. Amongst plenty of laughs
and catching up, this track, again, features jokes intertwined with some serious
information. The track is also unique in that it features a couple of participants who play only
minor
roles in the film, and hearing from those who aren't the headliners amongst the cast and crew is
quite the treat. Can't Hardly Wait fans will love both tracks.
Three featurettes are next. Huntington Hills High Class of '98 Reunion (1080p, 26:43) is
a great feature that showcases various members of the cast and crew recounting their
experiences, from casting to the opportunity the film offered many of the actors, the approach
to the characters each actor embraced, and plenty more. As with the commentaries, longtime
fans of the movie are going to fall in love with this feature. 'Can't Hardly Wait': The Making of
a Teen Classic (1080p, 14:28) is next. Here, the co-directors discuss the ideas they had for
the film, how their lack of experience added a certain charm and realism to the film, and
recounting what they like and dislike in the film. Meanwhile, the cast, from the top down, further
relate their experiences on the set. The Life of the Party (1080p, 9:28) features the cast
discussing the phenomena of teen party movies and their own high school experiences. Six
deleted scenes (480i, 7:26) are next. Special K's 411 Track Yo' is a fairly standard
pop-up trivia track. You Know You're '90's If... is a multiple choice quiz to determine how
much you remember from the 1990s. I took the 20 question quiz and scored 193 meaning that
"[I am] so 90's!" Next is the I Can't get Enough of You Baby music video (480i, 2:52)
by Smash Mouth. 1080p trailers for Men in Black, You Don't Mess With the
Zohan, and Married Life are also available.
Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled. At the time of writing, this feature takes
users to Sony's standard page with trailers, a survey, and a FAQ.
Can't Hardly Wait graduates with honors. It's a fairly good teenage party movie with characters that fall into stereotype, but the actors play them with a genuine spirit that makes the movie not just tolerable, but mostly likable. The film hits all of the expected clichés, too, including broken hearts, broken and mended relationships, teenage hormones, popularity, revenge, and plenty of laughs that hold the film together in between the more serious, dramatic moments. The film covers these bases well, and with sincerity and heart. Can't Hardly Wait is fine for what it is, a film with some memorable characters, plenty of laughs, a good soundtrack, and a fairly high replay value. Sony's release of this teen classic onto Blu-ray makes the grade. Featuring decent picture quality, a nice lossless soundtrack, and plenty of bonus materials that longtime fans of the film will enjoy, Can't Hardly Wait is a Blu-ray disc that is worth waiting for. Recommended.
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
2010
20th Anniversary Edition
1989
10th Anniversary Edition
1999
2001
25th Anniversary Edition
1995
2002
Unrated + Theatrical
2003
1999
Unrated Version
2004
2008
Remastered
1984
2009
Unrated + Theatrical
2006
1987
2009
2009
1982
Unrated + Rated
2009
2013