Teen Wolf Too - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Teen Wolf Too: Collector's Edition

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
I have no idea how this ever made it to a Scream Factory Collector’s edition. I really don’t. Teen Wolf wasn’t exactly a fantastic movie, but it WAS the start of Michael J. Fox’s career and a decently fun flick. The addition of the sequel MUST have been in relation to the original movie, as I can’t seen any logical reason for this movie to exist on home video at all. Usually the movie can only be sold as an add on to the original movie in that double feature DVD that has been sitting around Walmart for the last 10+ years. Still, Scream Factory has done a very nice job of bring a VERY bad film to Blu-ray in the best condition that I think it can possibly look and sound. The movie itself is TERRIBLE, as it coasts off of the mild success that was Teen Wolf and just remakes it with boxing instead of basketball.

The only redeeming factor about Teen Wolf Too was that it introduced us to the incredible acting of Jason Bateman in his first feature film as a young man. Other than that the movie is best relegated to the trash as it adds nothing new to the original besides wore acting and a general sense of laziness in the creation. Besides a couple cameos from James Hampton as Scott’s father (and Jason Bateman’s uncle) and Chubby (Mark Holton) from the first movie, there is nothing at all holding any relevance to the Teen Wolf.

Todd Howard (Jason Bateman) is the cousin of legendary man/wolf Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) from Teen Wolf, and he’s about to head off to college at Hamilton university. Coach Finstock (now played by Paul Sand) has gone on to work at Hamilton after moving on from high school work and is gives Todd a full athletic scholarship at Hamilton based upon his relationship to Scott and hope that Todd will become a wolfish athlete like his cousin. Todd has other plans though. He wants to become a veterinarian and move up the scientific ladder, but he’s soon roped into the wide world of sports with the promise of his financial aid. Sooner rather than later, his hereditary traits start to peek though and the boy finds his “animal” instincts.

Just like the original, Todd soon falls into the same trap as his cousin Scott. The wolf side of him takes over and his human side loves the fact that he is no longer picked on. The belle of the proverbial ball, Todd dances and hams his way to the top, winning fight after fight for the fame hungry Dean Dunn (John Astin) who is desperate for his chance to bring Hamilton back into the limelight. Well, it doesn’t take a genius to see where this is going. Todd becomes the next Scott, and realizes that with the help of newfound girlfriend Nicki (Estee Chandler), that he’s more than just a party mongering wolf. He can bring together his ragtag band of boxing failures and actually win against the heavily muscled and much more skilled opposing team.

Yeah, pretty much everything from Teen Wolf Too is a rehash of Teen Wolf, just without the charm and camaraderie of the original cast. Teen Wolf was actually a pretty mediocre movie, but Teen Wolf Too is absolutely atrocious as it takes every cliche and stupid moment from the original and magnifies it to ridiculous proportions in the sequel. The only good thing to come from Teen Wolf Too is that it brings Jason Bateman to the forefront of our attentions. I do chuckle that there is no return of old actors to do a commentary or anything, and Jason Bateman is on record for saying that he’d rather commit Hari Kari than have anything to do with the film, even after so many years. I can’t blame him though, as I’d rather put my face on a cheese grater and rip away then ever watch Teen Wolf Too again. The movies is a horrific example of 80s cheese and the desire to capitalize on a sequel without any heart or soul whatsoever.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




Video:

Despite having no information whatsoever on a new restoration, or the status on the film capturing elements, Teen Wolf Too actually looks really good on Blu-ray. The fine detail and colors look about as pleasing as the first film, with plenty of fine detail on faces and athletic gear perfectly replicated on screen. Colors are warm and well done, with a good ruddy look for the faces, and decent contrast. You can see the stitching on individual tweed jackets, as well as the freckles on Jason Bateman’s face. Black levels are strong and healthy, and the grain level looks natural enough to allow me to give this a solid thumbs up. There’s no major artifacting to my eye and the overall transfer will be enough to please just about any fan (or non fan as the case may be).
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Audio:

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA 2.0 track is about on par with the first film in score, but differs slightly in execution. Teen Wolf was a bit thin and anemic, but Teen Wolf Too is much more vibrant and robust in nature. The difference comes from the dialog. The dialog in Teen Wolf Too is a bit harsh and sharp on the end of notes, giving it a big of a brash and annoying tone throughout. The vibrancy of the music and the surround effects works well with the limited ability of a 2.0 track, and the LFE is a bit punchier, bu that increase is offset by the harshness of the vocals, which gives the track a much more rough sound than it really should. From what I can gather this was the encode that MGM gave Scream Factory, so I can’t really blame them, but the track is not a wild improvement over the DVD as a result.






Extras:

• Working With The Wolf – An Interview With Director Christopher Leitch
• Otherworldly – An Interview With Co-star Kim Darby
• A Man of Great 'Stiles' - An Interview With Co-star Stuart Fratkin
• Nerdy Girl Saves the Day – An Interview With Co-star Estee Chandler
• A Wolf In '80s Clothing – A Look At The Wardrobe Of Teen Wolf Too With Costume Designer Heidi Kaczenski
• Still Gallery

Final Score: ​

If you like Teen Wolf Too I truly apologize. I just can’t see anything redeeming about the film other than seeing a teenage Jason Bateman star in his first feature film. The film is nothing but a rehash of the first one, and the extras are nothing special (even though they are all brand new, it’s just a bunch of repetitious stuff from studio heads without a single actor making an appearance to talk about the experience). The Blu-ray itself looks good and sounds about as best as can be expected, but overall it’s just a tagalong to the original film without any motivation or direction of its own. While I still think Teen Wolf is a worthy pickup if you’re a fan of 80s classics, Teen Wolf Too is only worth picking up if you’re the most rabid of film collectors who MUST have every sequel. Personally, I’d just skip it.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jason Bateman, Kim Darby, John Astin
Directed by: Christopher Leitch
Written by: Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman
Aspect Ratio: 1.85.1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 2.0
Studio: Scream Factory
Rated: PG
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: August 8th, 2017

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Skip It

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Obviously this one was made for the cash due to the success of the first one.. lol.

I saw this long time ago and don't plan on watching it again.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I agree... great example of the flick that probably shouldn't have been made.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I can't believe Amazon is charging $22 for this!

 

[tripplej]

lol. It should be in the under $5 bin at walmart..

 

[Michael Scott]

I can't believe Amazon is charging $22 for this!

Scream Factory is a boutique label, as such their prices are higher, much like Kino Lorber, Twilight Time, Criterion and Arrow