Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson August 24, 2017

When Teen Wolf (1985) became an unexpected box office hit and audience favorite—thanks chiefly to Michael J. Fox's presence and lead performance—a sequel became almost inevitable for the Atlantic Entertainment Group. Fox didn't want to return for a follow-up film so producer Kent Bateman cast his son, Jason, to portray Todd Howard, a cousin of Scott's from the original. Jason had done a lot of TV work and was best know at the time for playing David Hogan in the family sitcom Valerie. Holdovers from the first film included James Hampton as Uncle Harold and Mark Holton as Chubby. Stuart Fratkin replaced Jerry Levine as Scott's best friend Stiles, who becomes Todd's college roommate. (Fratkin is quite good in his own right.) The series' original scribes Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman wrote a short outline/treatment for Teen Wolf Too and handed full writing duties to R. Timothy Kring. Unfortunately, Teen Wolf Too offers nothing new or fresh and is essentially a Xeroxed copy of the first installment.

At Hamilton University in Los Angeles, rapacious Dean Dunn (John Astin) and Coach Finstock (Paul Sand) are scheming to have Todd compete in the regional boxing finals, even though the eighteen-year-old has never boxed! Dunn and Finstock are aware, however, of the Howard family's history of lycanthropy and are counting on Todd to rake in money for the university. Todd hopes that it skipped his generation and isn't amused when his Uncle Harold goes wolf on him. Todd aspires to become a veterinarian so he enrolls in Professor Brooks's (Kim Darby) zoology class where he meets "nerdy girl" Nicki (Estee Chandler). Dunn would rather have Todd focus on boxing and transforming into the Big Man on Campus instead of academics so he arranges for Todd to dance with nubile co-ed Lisa (Beth Ann Miller), the campus queen, at a tea party. The two really aren't attracted to each other and when Todd turns into the wolf, bedlam ensues. Nonetheless, Todd KOs his opponents in the ring and is crowned a campus superstar. Dunn buys him a convertible and Nicki begins hanging out with him. Todd reaps material benefits but has become a jerk.

"I need my classes changed."

One of the problems with Teen Wolf Too is that the jokes are lame and fall flat. (The post-titles scene with Finstock, Dunn, and the latter's salivating dog is a case in point.) Also, several of the character archetypes and plot scenarios are just transposed from Teen Wolf. Although Todd and Nicki seem to have more of a romance than Scott and Boof, sparks don't fly and there isn't a magic chemistry between the two. Director Christopher Leitch, who was hired after the movie was green lit, worked with four different editors and this causes character development drawbacks. For example, Scott's relationship with Pamela is given considerably more screen time than is Todd's with Nicki, which is slight by comparison. When Todd crams with Nicki to prepare for his biology makeup final exam, Leitch and the editors engage in a prosaic exercise of montage: jump cuts and matches-on-action of Todd writing, reading books, and crumpling papers. This is humdrum filmmaking with errors in fidelity and implausibility (e.g., Why are there English literature books in Todd's pile with the biology texts? How can he cover this much material in one night?) Teen Wolf Too simply replaces basketball with boxing and because the latter is an individual sport, the team camaraderie and charm from the original is missing. Anyone whose seen the first film will know how the climax will go down.

Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Teen Wolf Too makes its global debut on Blu-ray as a "Collector's Edition" courtesy of Shout! Factory on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. The label gives the 1987 college comedy a healthy average bitrate of 31499 kbps while the whole disc sports a bitrate of 35.44 Mbps. Teen Wolf Too appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Although not officially a new scan, the print is in mostly pristine shape. There is very occasionally some white specks that crop up along with light scratches but those moments are fleeting. Primary colors and brighter hues exhibit excellent definition and delineation. (See Screenshot #s 3, 14, and 15.) Grain is ever-present and sticks out during the scene where a glum Todd sits in the ring as his uncle arrives (#13). Blacks are deep (#s 19 and 20) and contrast levels haven't been raised but some scenes can look a bit too dark. This may be the fault of the film's gaffers rather than Shout!'s technical authors. Skin tones are light and pinkish at times (#17). There was a radical shift in flesh tone for Professor Brooks (#21) but I'll desist from disclosing why.

Twelve scene selections are available for the main feature.

Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! includes the movie's original DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Surround (2103 kbps, 24-bit) as the sole sound track option. MGM gave Shout! an outstanding master. Dialogue is very crisp and clear throughout the presentation. Word enunciation was cleanly delivered in an exchange between Todd and Stiles in the dorm room, for example. The Hamilton University fight song has very good depth and frequency along the front speakers. One of the few bright spots of Teen Wolf Too is the ballads, including two by a young Danny Elfman ("Who Do You Want to Be Today" and "Outrageous," each performed by Oingo Boingo). The centerpiece is the raucous performance of Barry Gordy's "Do You Love Me?" at a campus party. The songs deliver tremendous amplitude and range for a late-eighties recording.

Optional English SDH can be accessed via the menu or by remote.

Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All MGM DVDs of Teen Wolf Too were bare bones, although the Region 1 had the theatrical trailer (which is left off this Shout! BD). Shout! has recorded five new interviews.

• Working with the Wolf – An Interview with Director Christopher Leitch (16:09, 1080p) - Leitch recalls how he got to direct Teen Wolf Too, working with the film's producers, star Jason Bateman, and the movie's cult following. Actors Estee Chandler and Stuart Fratkin, screenwriter Matthew Weisman, and Teen Wolf rabid fan Robert Galluzzo also chime in with their thoughts. In English, not subtitled.

• Otherworldly – An Interview with Co-star Kim Darby (6:33, 1080p) - Darby brings up a former spouse that was a producer for the film and also provides her recollections of Jason Bateman, Estee Chandler, and John Astin. Darby's comments are intercut with Leitch's remarks on the same topics. We also hear from Galluzzo and Stuart Fratkin In English, not subtitled.

• A Man of Great 'Stiles' - An Interview with Co-star Stuart Fratkin (16:27, 1080p) - The actor talks about how he approached the role of Stiles, gives his impressions of fellow cast members, Jerry Levine's performance in the original, and his overall feelings for Teen Wolf Too. In English, not subtitled.

• Nerdy Girl Saves the Day – An Interview with Co-star Estee Chandler (6:31, 1080p) - Chandler provides a character sketch of Nicki and what it was like to work with Jason Bateman, Kim Darby, and John Astin. In English, not subtitled.

• A Wolf in '80s Clothing – A Look at the Wardrobe of Teen Wolf Too with Costume Designer Heidi Kaczenski (9:49, 1080p) - Kaczenski speaks about her design style, collaborating with the production designer, and dressing the actors. Fratkin brings up a deleted scene involving his character. Leitch and Darby discuss wardrobe choices. In English, not subtitled.

• Still Gallery (:55, 1080p) - nine color production stills begin this brief slide show, which is wrapped by two theatrical posters for the film.

Teen Wolf Too Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Teen Wolf Too is a tired retread of the original that basically replicates the same formula with less effective results. Jason Bateman is alright in the lead but he can't match Fox's charisma. Shout! Factory supplies an almost spotless transfer and a first-rate rendition of the original sound track. Brian Ward produced some new interviews with Leitch and cast members along with extra snippets from his exhaustive Teen Wolf documentary on Shout!'s other BD. If you're a fan of Bateman and want to sample his earliest work in film, I'd recommend this disc but mainstream movie fans should give Teen Wolf Too a pass.