Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Can't Hardly Wait Blu-ray Movie Review

An affable teen comedy comes to Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 27, 2008

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.

On the night of their high school graduation, a myriad of seniors gather for one final party that will be long remembered for its many twists and turns and the upheaval of the status quo that ruled their lives for four years. Popular jock Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli) has just dumped longtime girlfriend Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt, I Know What You Did Last Summer) in preparation for what he believes will be an onslaught of attractive girls to woo in college. Meanwhile, nerd William Lichter (Charlie Korsmo) plans revenge on Mike for the various humiliations he's endured at the hands of the jock and his friends over the years. Kenny Fisher (Seth Green, The Italian Job) comes to the party with a list of 10 female classmates, convinced one of them will wind up spending the night with him. Shy guy Preston Meyers (Ethan Embry, Vacancy) hopes to finally proclaim his longtime love for Amanda, and he drags friend Denise Fleming (Lauren Ambrose) to the party for moral support. As the night progresses, each of these characters will discover more about themselves, and each other, than four years of high school ever revealed.

Can't Hardly Wait works well with teenage audiences because, among the half dozen or so primary characters, there is someone most anyone can relate to as, by night's end, each of them sees their life altered, whether they learn important life lessons, break out of a shell, make new friends, or find a new romance. The movie features heroes and villains along with themes reinforcing positive values such as the importance of self-worth and the negative impact of superficially judging others. Still, nothing is overt in the film, except for the level of fun and the multitude of laughs. Can't Hardly Wait does an excellent job of intertwining everyone's story. In the process, the audience will sometimes find themselves genuinely surprised with some aspects of the film and reveling in the sheer predictability of others. The final destinations of many of the primary characters are easy to spot, but as is always the case with a movie such as this one, it is the trip the movie takes viewers on as it moves towards the final destination that makes or breaks the story, and in this case, the film is definitely worth the effort. With likable characters that are well-played, a fast pace, a good script, and a few surprises, Can't Hardly Wait makes for one of the better teenage comedies of the 1990s.

Can't Hardly Wait Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.