MovieFreak.com - "Malibu's Most Wanted" DVD Review

DVD REVIEW

Malibu's Most Wanted (2003)

Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Regina Hall, Ryan O'Neal

Director: John Whitesell

Rating: PG-13

Distributor: Warner Home Video

Release Date: September 9, 2003
Review posted: September 19, 2003

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

Don't be hatin' 'cause of who he is. Or who he isn't. All that Brad (Jamie Kennedy) - make that B-Rad - wants is to roll with his Malibu homeys and bust rhyme as the greatest rapper ever to survive the 'Bu. But everyone knows a kid from the Left Coast's poshest bling-bling beach is no playa. And Brad's dad Bill Gluckman (Ryan O'Neal), a candidate for governor, knows B-Rad's lack of chillin' is killin' his campaign.

Critique

Jamie Kennedy is funny...on his WB TV show, that is. Granted, he’s not always funny, but most of the time he’s convincingly funny and crazy as the prankster of the Jamie Kennedy Experiment. One of Kennedy’s characters on the show is a white wanna-be rapper called B-rad. So with a considerable amount of cash ($15 million), a somewhat half-baked storyline, and some general interest from the TV show’s audience, a decent film version about the character seems like a no-brainer. Good call on Malibu’s Most Wanted as the film sure proved somewhat profitable at the box office, taking in almost $35 million. However, Malibu’s Most Wanted is a mostly unfunny, tired, and generic comedy.

The story is thin, as one could expect, although the setup is good. It’s the execution of the setup that fails to make Malibu’s Most Wanted anything more than a ridiculous comedy. Kennedy’s character is way over the top, but that’s his motto apparently. His jive is funny at first, such as “holy shizzle for rizzle,” but as the film goes on this type of talk is getting annoying quick. “Don’t be hatin’,” you might argue? Even though it’s part of the act, annoyance still stands. Kennedy is kind of impressive the way he acts like a complete idiot to everyone around him, including the two actors/kidnappers who are hired to show him the reality of the ‘hood.

The film’s first act moves pretty fast, and that’s an asset. Yet the second act fails to build on the setup and create good material for the duration. There are a few moments when I smiled, but at no point in the film did I actually laugh out loud. I guess this type of film is just not for my taste. Secondly, I didn’t care much at all about the ridiculous and embarrassing B-rad. Most of the actors here seem like they’re having a really tough time trying to make their characters more interesting than the script permits. Anthony Anderson can do anything, and he handles the material to a decent degree. Taye Diggs, however, seems totally lost. Ryan O’Neal does some good as does Regina Hall. Snoop Dogg’s cameo as a rat is hardly worth the hype or space on the cover art. All in all, don’t bother with Malibu’s Most Wanted unless you have a strong interest in Jamie Kennedy.

The Video

Warner Bros. presents Malibu’s Most Wanted in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a surprisingly nice presentation, except a few problems that occur. But first of all, the print image is clear and quite sharp. Colors look well-adjusted and offer a nice mixture of both subdued and bright. However, few daytime exterior scenes appear too bright, and in that case colors seem a bit faded. Some problems include small amounts of grain during some scenes and slight edge enhancement, as well as tiny bits of compression artifacts. However, these minor inconsistencies don’t hurt the transfer that much. Bottom line, this is a pretty nice transfer.

The Audio

Warner Bros. presents Malibu’s Most Wanted in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. I expected a lot of rap songs from this soundtrack, and this presentation gives the soundtrack some “rad” amount of bass. Aside from that, dialog scenes are clear and easy to understand, so some of the screaming/rapping, whatever you want to call it, should be pretty loud. Surround usage is limited to ambient sounds and musical cues, such as scenes involving crowds and a particular exchange of bullets, but performs strongly nevertheless. Though it appears the front speakers get most of the work-out. Despite being a comedy, this audio presentation includes some good moments.

You can also choose to view the film in French, which is dubbed in Quebec, but listening to this track during some of the rap freestyle scenes offers some amusement. Oddly, the English subtitles don’t pop up during rhymes or rap battles.

The Extras

Instead of putting all the bonus booty you be wantin’ on the same side as the film, WB’s arrangement is a bit strange. Side A naturally includes an Audio Commentary with Cast & Crew. That is, featuring Director John Whitesell, Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Anderson, Regina King, and writers Fax Bahr and Adam Small. You’ll notice early on that this track is an edit. Whitesell and Kennedy are in the same room together, and they provide info such as locations and the basis of B-rad. Anderson and Hall voice their opinions together, as do the two writers. So, three separate sessions in one edit. Sure, conversations are two-sided and lack natural flow, but the editing of their comments works to decent effect. However, I didn’t find this track very informative or interesting, but my standpoint to the film is clear. If you like the film you could give this track a listen.

The DVD also lists 11 deleted/alternate scenes, but you need to flip to side B to view them. Why? Among an extended dream sequence that includes a funny cameo is an alternate ending that serves up a decent laugh. Most of these scenes are brief and don’t add much to the film.

Want to see the film’s Theatrical Trailer? Side B got it. Cast and crew highlights? Nope, need to turn to side A. Missing from this release is behind-the-scenes footage or a featurette. No HBO making-of, huh. Oh well, it’s not terribly important to me.

You can select to view the film with optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated. The 86-minute feature is organized into twenty-six chapters.

Overall

Malibu’s Most Wanted is not very funny. In fact, the film is mostly ridiculous. Video/audio is pretty good, and the two main special features are fine. Fans of Kennedy might want to check this film out, as well as anyone interested in hip-hop or rap (just for laughs, I guess). This DVD is rental material, at least.

RATINGS SUMMARY