The Stepfather (2009/Sony Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture:
B-/C+ Sound: B/B- Extras: C- Film: C-
When you
remake a film that was not that good to begin with, you either improve on it or
you are just doing it again to cash in on some cult reputation. One such example is the recent remake of the
1987 film The Stepfather. Sony picked up the rights to the
independently producer film and thought they could get a hit out of it. It was a feasible idea, but despite the
potential, this is no better than the first, though it could have been much
better.
The big
mistake was hiring Nelson McCormick, a TV director who does not know his way
around the thriller genre. Then there is
the highly formulaic screenplay by ever-formulaic J.S. Cardone, who is clueless
on how to do anything new with any genre and seems to have a PC formula
program, because that is how mechanical the plot is. You can almost hear the gears cranking and
the result is a phony end product anyone could have written.
What does
work here and is wasted is the good cast.
Dylan Walsh is surprisingly good as the title psychopath, until the
script and director fail him and this implodes into another failed remake. Also good are the ever-likable Sela Ward as
the naïve (at first) mother, Amber Heard as her daughter and Penn Badgley (the
biggest surprise here considering the fluff he has done in the past) as the
inquisitive son who must fight back.
There is chemistry, intensity and believable interaction in the cast,
but it is ruined by its handlers. What a
shame.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot in Super 35mm film, but is
color gutted and is not always as good looking as it could or should be
throughout. The anamorphically enhanced
DVD is even paler and in both cases, that is a shame considering the money
spent on setups. Director of
Photography Patrick Cady does some of his best work to date here just the
same. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
lossless mix is the highlight of both discs with some impressive sound moments
in its best spots, but the soundfield is not consistent, though I give the
mixers credit for silent moments. The
Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD is not as good, but as god as that old codec will
get there.
Extras
are BD Live and movieIQ interactive features exclusive to the Blu-ray, while
both feature a Gag Reel, two making-of featurettes (Open House & Visualizing
The Stunts) and a feature-length audio commentary by McCormick, Badgley and
Walsh.
For more
on the original 1987 film, try this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9092/The+Stepfather+(1987/Shout!+Factory
- Nicholas Sheffo
