The Feature:
Did you know that Mira Sorvino won an Oscar? You wouldn't know it from all the bombs she's been in lately. In speaking of bombs, would you believe that Mariah Carey outshines her in this movie? Yes, THE Mariah Carey, star of one of the worst movies ever made, "Glitter." Don't get me wrong; Sorvino is good in this movie, but Carey surprised me. Anyways "Wise Girls" is the story about Meg Kennedy (Mira Sorvino), a former medical student with a sick grandmother who becomes a waitress in a restaurant whose only patrons seem to be involved in the mob. Rounding out the waitress crew is the feisty Raychel (Mariah Carey) and actress-wannabe Kate (Melora Walters).

This is a passable movie that you don't really know what to expect from it. My major gripe is the over-stereotyping of the restaurant patrons in this movie. All of them are caricatures of "mob guys" (all of them have the usual mafia names like "Carmine" and "Frankie"). In addition, all they do is eat, threaten people, and kill in this movie. If you're gonna portray the mob, at least make them a little more realistic please.

Back to the movie. Eventually, Meg's character is hit on by a cocky mob guy, Frankie (Christian Maelen). The next thing you know, the movie becomes a chick flick as we learn of Meg's tragic past. Then things take a massive turn when a mob guy slaps her while she is bartending. I don't want to give away the rest of the movie, but let me tell you something… it gets very wacky.

Video:
Lions Gate presents "Wise Girls" in what seems to be widescreen 1.66:1. Colors range from dull to sharp, depending on the lighting of the scene. Skin tones look a little pale, and the print has some grain and artifacts on it. I am disappointed with the lack of an Anamorphic transfer. I know I haven't said many nice things about the transfer, so I have to clarify that it is decent, just not as good as I was expecting.

Audio:
The audio is presented here in Dolby 2.0. Standard stuff here. There are no audio dropouts, and everything sounds okay. The soundtrack did little to give my speakers a workout, but considering the budget of the film, I really have no beef.

Menus:
Static DVD menu offers the vast selection of "Play" and "Trailers." Sorry for the sarcasm.

Extras:
All we get are trailers for "Wise Girls", "One Way Out", "Speed of Life", "May", "Secretary", "Rules of Attraction", and "The Grey Zone."

Final Thoughts:
If you like the movie, then buy it. If you've never heard of it, you may want to rent it first. Unfortunately "Wise Girls" suffers from an identity problem, as it doesn't know whether it wants to be a "chick flick" or a "mob movie." The lack of any sort of extra except for trailers is very disappointing in this era of 5-disc special editions, but honestly, would a commentary really help out here? I feel that Lion's Gate did a rush job on this DVD, and it shows. Therefore, I give this a 'Rent It' at best.