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Mr. Wrong
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // PG-13 // June 4, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Comedian Ellen Degeneres was doing well a few years back in her ABC television series. Obviously, the actress was eventually going to step into feature film projects, but, based on this one-and-only starring role, she didn't exactly choose wisely. While the actress might have done very well with an ensemble comedy, she doesn't really display enough presence here to carry her own show. In fact, "Mr. Wrong" seems like the pilot for another sitcom.
Degeneres stars as Martha Alston, a 31-year-old who is being pressured to settle down by her parents after her younger sister gets married. While she doesn't exactly get along with most of the men she meets, she stumbles into Whitman (Bill Pullman) one night at a bar. At first, Whitman and her hit it off; he's nice, rich and a published poet.
While their romance goes well for a while, it's not very long before things begin to fall apart. Whitman soon starts to show his true self, which is bizarre - at one point, he breaks his finger to proclaim his love for her. To make matters worse, Whitman's ex-girlfriend Inga (Joan Cusack, in her worst role) begins to warn Martha to stay away.
It's amazing that a trio of writers (Chris Matheson, Kerry Ehrin, and Craig Munson) were able to come up with...well, nothing. The film apparently means to playfully riff on the romantic comedy genre, but there's really nothing funny about it. Degeneres does have terrific comedic timing, but that's not really in evidence here, as she seems to sense there's little material to go on. Pullman, however, plays creepy with surprising ease.
"Mr. Wrong" had potential to make a moderately funny movie out of the plot, but there's little humor in evidence here, as the 92-minute picture wastes the talents of a lot of talented actors.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Mr. Wrong" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen by Buena Vista. Out of the extremely mixed quality of the recent catalog titles from the studio I've seen so far this week, "Mr. Wrong" is the best-looking (although also the most recent). While certainly not a flawless presentation, the picture quality is at least a little above average. Sharpness and detail remain solid throughout most of the film, aside from a couple of slight instances of softness.
Flaws were noticable, but not major. There were a few instances of minor specks and dirt on the print used at times, but most of the picture appeared crisp and clean. A slight instance or two of pixelation were spotted, but no edge enhancement was seen. The film's vibrant color palette was usually well-rendered, with only a very slight hint of smearing once or twice. Overall, while not an exceptional presentation, "Mr. Wrong" offers very good picture quality. The film's cinematography is by John Schwartzman, better known for his work on director Michael Bay's movies.
SOUND: "Mr. Wrong" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and really is a distinct example of a "comedy soundtrack" - the surrounds essentially go unused. A dialogue-heavy picture with the occasional cheesy tune on the soundtrack, there's certainly nothing that will test a system here. Dialogue remained clear and crisp throughout, while there were no instances of bass.
MENUS: Very basic, essentially using the cover art for the main menu background.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: All movies have their fans and those who enjoyed "Mr. Wrong" might want to pick this DVD up, as it can be found for around $15. However, I wouldn't recommend it as either a purchase or rental otherwise.
Comedian Ellen Degeneres was doing well a few years back in her ABC television series. Obviously, the actress was eventually going to step into feature film projects, but, based on this one-and-only starring role, she didn't exactly choose wisely. While the actress might have done very well with an ensemble comedy, she doesn't really display enough presence here to carry her own show. In fact, "Mr. Wrong" seems like the pilot for another sitcom.
Degeneres stars as Martha Alston, a 31-year-old who is being pressured to settle down by her parents after her younger sister gets married. While she doesn't exactly get along with most of the men she meets, she stumbles into Whitman (Bill Pullman) one night at a bar. At first, Whitman and her hit it off; he's nice, rich and a published poet.
While their romance goes well for a while, it's not very long before things begin to fall apart. Whitman soon starts to show his true self, which is bizarre - at one point, he breaks his finger to proclaim his love for her. To make matters worse, Whitman's ex-girlfriend Inga (Joan Cusack, in her worst role) begins to warn Martha to stay away.
It's amazing that a trio of writers (Chris Matheson, Kerry Ehrin, and Craig Munson) were able to come up with...well, nothing. The film apparently means to playfully riff on the romantic comedy genre, but there's really nothing funny about it. Degeneres does have terrific comedic timing, but that's not really in evidence here, as she seems to sense there's little material to go on. Pullman, however, plays creepy with surprising ease.
"Mr. Wrong" had potential to make a moderately funny movie out of the plot, but there's little humor in evidence here, as the 92-minute picture wastes the talents of a lot of talented actors.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Mr. Wrong" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen by Buena Vista. Out of the extremely mixed quality of the recent catalog titles from the studio I've seen so far this week, "Mr. Wrong" is the best-looking (although also the most recent). While certainly not a flawless presentation, the picture quality is at least a little above average. Sharpness and detail remain solid throughout most of the film, aside from a couple of slight instances of softness.
Flaws were noticable, but not major. There were a few instances of minor specks and dirt on the print used at times, but most of the picture appeared crisp and clean. A slight instance or two of pixelation were spotted, but no edge enhancement was seen. The film's vibrant color palette was usually well-rendered, with only a very slight hint of smearing once or twice. Overall, while not an exceptional presentation, "Mr. Wrong" offers very good picture quality. The film's cinematography is by John Schwartzman, better known for his work on director Michael Bay's movies.
SOUND: "Mr. Wrong" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and really is a distinct example of a "comedy soundtrack" - the surrounds essentially go unused. A dialogue-heavy picture with the occasional cheesy tune on the soundtrack, there's certainly nothing that will test a system here. Dialogue remained clear and crisp throughout, while there were no instances of bass.
MENUS: Very basic, essentially using the cover art for the main menu background.
EXTRAS: Nothing.
Final Thoughts: All movies have their fans and those who enjoyed "Mr. Wrong" might want to pick this DVD up, as it can be found for around $15. However, I wouldn't recommend it as either a purchase or rental otherwise.
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