The Wraith Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

The Wraith Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 21, 2021

In an interview included on this Blu-ray disc as a supplement, writer and director Mike Marvin makes absolutely no bones about how he patently "stole" ideas from various films to cobble together The Wraith, including perhaps slightly improbable forebears like High Plains Drifter. Marvin makes the case that this kind of purloining is not only standard operating procedure, but that it continued apace when The Wraith itself was "stolen" from to (according to Marvin) come up with The Crow. One may or may not subscribe to Marvin's sanguine acceptance (even promotion) of "shared" content, or even his general hypothesis linking the Eastwood film to the Alex Proyas effort with The Wraith providing the intermediary "conduit" of sorts, but there's absolutely no disputing the fact that many viewers will, kind of like the characters interacting with a mysterious stranger in The Wraith, feel like things look familiar even if they can't quite recall why. The Wraith has a supernatural element which is never really explained, and which simply needs to be accepted in order for the plot to flow unimpeded by questions of logic, and which involves the seemingly paranormal creation of a Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor, replete with a black clad driver who may in fact remind some people of a similarly adorned Brandon Lee in The Crow. The main story revolves around a bunch of drag racing punks who are kind of like the Sons of Anarchy, albeit with hot rods rather than motorcycles as their preferred mode of transportation, though ironically, The Wraith himself, who goes by the name of Jake Kesey (Charlie Sheen), does in fact ride a "hog", at least when he's not he all gussied up in that black leather attire. When he is so dressed, his aforementioned Turbo Interceptor with him in the driver's seat show up to mete out justice, with a number of fiery crashes resulting.

There really are large, gaping holes of narrative left for the viewer to fill in, though some passing stabs at 'splainin' do get proffered now and again. While Jake just mysteriously shows up one day and almost instantly establishes a relationship with Keri Johnson (Sherilynn Fenn), it takes a while before it becomes completely clear that Jake is evidently a reincarnated version of Keri's former boyfriend, Jamie, who was the victim of some foul play by that gang of street toughs, led by the kind of hilariously named Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes). Lest anyone think of Packard as anything less than a complete cad, he's also taken Keri for himself.

The Wraith goes on to detail the simultaneously unfolding aspects of The Wraith in his "supercar", which take out any number of ostensible nemeses, with the more "personal" story of Jake and/or Jamie and Keri, with Packard and his goons looming on the sidelines. The film is a very odd combo platter of ideas and might have resonated more effectively had at least some effort been made to offer up the supernatural aspects in at least a semi-comprehensible way. The film is briskly paced, and includes some great stunt work by its drivers, and it is a fun pairing of two scions of famous acting families. Randy Quaid is also on hand as a put upon sheriff type and it is perhaps indicative of the often gonzo proclivities of this film that Quaid's characterization is actually one of the more restrained despite its intentionally cartoonish aspects.

The Wraith Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Wraith is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Vestron Video, an imprint of Lionsgate Films, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. In true Vestron Video Collector's Edition tradition, the cover of this release offers a generic "digitally restored" without any other technical data that I could see. There are some some rough patches on display that are at least partially attributable to opticals and old style composited effects (as Marvin gets into in some of the supplements, this film was shot pre-CGI, and so all of the effects are either practical or old school animation style), and even in some of the less problematic moments grain can look clumped and yellowish. The element utilized may have faded slightly, as evidenced by some slightly brownish looking flesh tones, but on the whole this boasts a reasonably nicely suffused palette. Fine detail is typically quite good on things like fabrics, even the kind of rubbery looking suit that The Wraith wears. There were some moments here that struck me as slightly digital looking, notably a scene with Jake and Jamie's brother Billy (Matthew Barry) at a beach. My score is 3.25.

The Wraith Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Wraith features a nicely robust DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, though audiophile curmudgeonly types might wonder how much a surround track might have added to the drag racing scenes, some of which end in spectacularly fiery crashes. That said, this track offers clear and secure fidelity, and a nicely boisterous low end. Dialogue, effects and score are all rendered without any problems. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Wraith Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Writer / Director Mike Marvin


• Audio Commentary with Actors Dave Sherrill and Jamie Bozian


• Isolated Score Selections Featuring Audio Interview with Co-Composer J. Peter Robinson is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.


• Tales from the Desert (HD; 16:21) is an appealing interview with Mike Marvin.


• Rughead Speaks (HD; 12:24) features the engaging Clint Howard.


• Ride of the Future (HD; 11:44) profiles the cars built for the film, and includes some fun interviews with Gary Hellerstein, Transportation Coordinator, and Buddy Joe Hooker, Stunt Coordinator.


• The Ghost Car (HD; 11:43) focuses on visual effects in general, not just the "Ghost Car", and features Peter Kuran, Visual Effects Producer.


• The Wraith Filming Locations: Then and Now (HD; 27:11) is a tour of locations led by Mobile Instinct's Chris, who evidently likes to keep his last name a secret.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:03)


• TV Spots (HD; 1:25)


• Alternate Title Sequence (HD; 1:48) is for the version called Interceptor.


• Still Gallery (HD; 5:42)

Additionally, the packaging includes a slipcover, and a digital copy is also inside the keepcase.

The Wraith Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Wraith lives up to Marvin's description of it having been built, Frankenstein monster style, out of pre-existing elements, and that odd multi-ingredient casserole aspect both helps and hinders the final film. There are some appealing performances here (I especially liked Clint Howard's out of control Rughead), but the story is muddled at best and maybe intermittently confounding at worst. Video is a little lackluster at times, but audio is fine, and as usual this Vestron Video edition features superior supplements, for those who are considering making a purchase.