The Good

It's about time Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson got together for movie.

The Bad

I expected to laugh a bit more than I did.

Okay, I will admit that I probably made a mistake in watching Wedding Crashers when I did. I think I was the last person in America to see this film. As a result, all I heard from everybody before I saw the movie was how great it was. This tale of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as two guys who crash weddings, and then use the good cheer vibe at them to score chicks was a "must see." The scenes with Vince Vaughn and Isla Fisher were positively "hilarious." You name it, I heard about it, but I never got around to seeing the film until after it had made over $200 million at the box office and cleaned up on DVD.

Now, before you think I hated the movie just because I didn't see it before everyone else, let me make it clear that I didn't hate this film. I guess I was just expecting that it would be better than it was. I think when you go into a movie expecting to be entertained (or expecting to laugh), nine times out of ten you will be disappointed. So while I liked this movie, I didn't love it and sadly I will have more memories of all the hype of this film as opposed to the film itself.

Features

Deleted scenes

With titles like "Cleary Tests John" and "Jeremy Consoles John," I think it's safe to say that these scenes were cut for time purposes more than anything else. With four scenes total, it seems like they could have placed these sections anywhere in the film and they probably would have worked. I didn't watch any of these scenes and wonder why they were on here, so I guess that is probably a good sign. These scenes also have a commentary track from director David Dobkin.

Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes

The featurettes are Event Planning and The Rules. Event Planning is essentially a look at how this film was made. We get to hear from the cast and crew as they discuss this project, how good Owen Wilson and Vaughn are and pretty much everything you already know if you have ever watched one of this supplemental features. However, it is interesting (and daunting) hearing about how they had to plan all the weddings in the movie. The Rules is a tongue and cheek look from the people involved in the movie, about how one should conduct themselves if they are going to do what the characters in this film do. Pretty standard but it did give me a few chuckles.

Wedding Crashers Game

Well, if you are really into this movie (and chances are you are if you've bought this version of it) than this game is right up your alley. You basically can become the characters and live out your fantasies of doing what it is they do. While I am sure that this isn't as much fun as doing what Wilson and Vaughn do in real life, it is at least worth a try (only playing the game, of course!).

Commentary with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn

This was where I was expecting these two to really shine but they let me down. I am not saying that they were boring, I just don't think we got Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn on their best day. They talk about the film, their personal lives (nothing too personal) and generally seem like they are just doing this commentary as a favor to someone.

Commentary with Director David Dobkin

David Dobkin was pretty much how I expected he would be. Like Harold Ramis and John Landis before him, he has created an engaging comedy that captured the comedic zeitgeist of 2005, yet, if you asked him how he did it he probably wouldn't be able to tell you. This doesn't mean he doesn't offer hints in the form of a more cerebral look at his creation.

Video

Widescreen - 2.35:1. This film looks pretty much how you might expect. It's also filled with songs that highlight certain scenes probably more than they should be highlighted. I hate to be as down on this film as I feel like I am being, I just expected so much more from it and I didn't think it was as good as everyone said it was. From purely a filmic standpoint, everything looks fine. The picture is sharp and the compression doesn't seem to have had much of an effect on the quality of this film's transfer. I just wish everything else wasn't so by the numbers.

Audio

Dolby Digital 5.1 - Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. This film moves at a pretty quick pace. The dialogue, jokes and scenes either work or they don't. I didn't notice any moments really where a joke started flat and then worked at the end. Overall, the sound they have used is right on par with the picture. I didn't hear any drop outs or audio glitches and since this film is supposed to be a comedy (ie. dialogue dependent), that's a good thing.

Package

I have to praise the New Line marketing department for their restraint with this title. What I mean by this is because this movie was so big and popular, they could have really overblown this release but they haven't here. The front cover features the almost iconic shot of Wilson and Vaughn. The back features some shots from the film, a description of what Wedding Crashers is about, a "Special Features" breakdown and some technical specs.

Final Word

Here is my dilemma... I find that the role that Vince Vaughn plays of the loudmouthed, prodding friend is something that he is very good at. However, I think I am beginning to grow a little weary of Owen Wilson's "Sherlock Holmes" humor act. What I mean by this is that a lot of his comedy seems predicated on irony and jokes that you have to look for. I am not saying that I need my humor spoon fed to me, but I guess I am looking for Wilson to start stretching a bit more in his roles. Who knows? Maybe he acts in smaller movies where he can be different characters (like The Minus Man), but it seems like all his people push is the almost dimwitted character who is only a shell of his former Dignan self.

Wedding Crashers is a good movie and one that you should see if you haven't already.

While not one to own, certainly one to give a glance.

Wedding Crashers was released July 13, 2005.