I
have to admit, I like Rob Schneider’s movies. They may not be great cinema,
but they are always good for some lowbrow laughs. Schneider is a very
likable comedian, who has made a career of portraying everyday slobs that
manage to find themselves in way over their heads. Such is the case with
Schneider’s latest flick THE ANIMAL ($28), which produces consistent
laughs and giggles.
In
THE ANIMAL, Schneider plays a likable looser named Marvin, who
wants more than anything to become a police officer, just like his dearly
departed father. Regrettably, Marvin isn’t the greatest specimen and repeatedly
fails the Police cadet’s physical examination. Still, Marvin tries his
best and even works in civilian capacity within the Police department.
However, when there are no cops available to answer an emergency 911 call,
Marvin jumps in his car and attempts to save the day.
Unfortunately,
on his way to the rescue Marvin gets into a serious automobile accident
and awakens a week later with a physical prowess he did not possess before.
Marvin’s new abilities get him his dream job as a police officer, but
his sudden notoriety also brings him a visit from a slightly demented
scientist named Dr. Wilder (Michael Caton). Marvin learns it was Dr. Wilder
who found him after his automobile accident, and in order to save Marvin’s
life, the doctor transplanted a number of animal parts into his body.
Discovering that he is now part animal also goes a long way in explaining
why Marvin finds himself fighting off a series of bizarre urges that are
making his life even stranger than usual.
THE
ANIMAL also features Colleen Haskell
of TV’s SURVIVOR as our leading man-beast’s love interest Rianna.
Haskell may not but putting an Academy Award up on her mantle any time
soon, but she is a real cutie, who could have a steady career in this
type of lightweight comedy. The cast of THE ANIMAL also includes
John C. McGinley, Edward Asner, Louis Lombardi and Guy Torry. Look for
Norm Macdonald and executive producer Adam Sandler in amusing cameos.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made THE ANIMAL available on DVD
in a 1.85:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback
on 16:9 displays. Since this in a brand new movie and Columbia TriStar
has a reputation of producing first class DVD presentations, it is not
surprising that THE ANIMAL looks great. The image is crisp, clean
and incredibly well defined. Colors are quite vibrant and flesh tones
appear convincingly natural. It should be noted that none of the more
intense hues produce any form of chroma noise or smearing. Blacks appear
very accurate and the picture produces a healthy dose of shadow detail.
Owning to the fact that THE ANIMAL was in theaters only a couple
of months ago, the film element used for the transfer appears pristine,
with little appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are well
concealed on this dual layer DVD.
THE
ANIMAL is presented on DVD with
a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. Since THE ANIMAL is a dialogue
driven comedy, the sound mix is pretty standard. Dialogue is very clean
and precisely rendered, so that one can hear all the jokes. There are
some sound effects that take advantage of the discrete abilities of the
Dolby Digital format, but this sound mix is a long way from action movie
territory. Music is well integrated into the sound mix and is the one
element that uses all of the channels on a consistent basis. The bass
channel is solid enough to firm up the music and occasional sound effects.
English and French Dolby Surround soundtracks are also encoded onto the
DVD, as are English and French subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s amusing interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as a few nice supplements. As a Special Edition
THE ANIMAL features two separate audio commentaries. The first
includes Rob Schneider and producer John Schneider, while the second features
director Luke Greenfield. The Schneider commentary is definitely the more
entertaining of the two, while the Greenfield provides far more technical
detail on the making of the film. Both have their merits, but casual viewers
will probably be attracted to the Schneider commentary for it entertainment
value. Badger Delivery is an interactive feature that will
bring up a special icon during the course of the movie, which will allow
one access to bits left on the cutting room floor. Also included on the
DVD is the Comedy Central’s "Reel Comedy: The Animal",
which runs under a half hour. This program is hosted by Rob Schneider
and Colleen Haskell and includes interviews, as well as a look behind-the-scenes.
A short featurette entitled Animal Instincts is also provided,
as are deleted scenes, an interactive game called What’s In Marvin,
filmographies, a theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
THE
ANIMAL is a funny flick that will
appeal to an audience’s less evolved side. Columbia TriStar has produced
a great looking DVD with some nice supplements to keep fans happy. If
you are a Rob Schneider devotee (and know what this word means), you will
definitely want to check out THE ANIMAL on DVD.
I
have to admit, I like Rob Schneider’s movies. They may not be great cinema,
but they are always good for some lowbrow laughs. Schneider is a very
likable comedian, who has made a career of portraying everyday slobs that
manage to find themselves in way over their heads. Such is the case with
Schneider’s latest flick THE ANIMAL ($28), which produces consistent
laughs and giggles.
In
THE ANIMAL, Schneider plays a likable looser named Marvin, who
wants more than anything to become a police officer, just like his dearly
departed father. Regrettably, Marvin isn’t the greatest specimen and repeatedly
fails the Police cadet’s physical examination. Still, Marvin tries his
best and even works in civilian capacity within the Police department.
However, when there are no cops available to answer an emergency 911 call,
Marvin jumps in his car and attempts to save the day.
Unfortunately,
on his way to the rescue Marvin gets into a serious automobile accident
and awakens a week later with a physical prowess he did not possess before.
Marvin’s new abilities get him his dream job as a police officer, but
his sudden notoriety also brings him a visit from a slightly demented
scientist named Dr. Wilder (Michael Caton). Marvin learns it was Dr. Wilder
who found him after his automobile accident, and in order to save Marvin’s
life, the doctor transplanted a number of animal parts into his body.
Discovering that he is now part animal also goes a long way in explaining
why Marvin finds himself fighting off a series of bizarre urges that are
making his life even stranger than usual.
THE
ANIMAL also features Colleen Haskell
of TV’s SURVIVOR as our leading man-beast’s love interest Rianna.
Haskell may not but putting an Academy Award up on her mantle any time
soon, but she is a real cutie, who could have a steady career in this
type of lightweight comedy. The cast of THE ANIMAL also includes
John C. McGinley, Edward Asner, Louis Lombardi and Guy Torry. Look for
Norm Macdonald and executive producer Adam Sandler in amusing cameos.
Columbia
TriStar Home Entertainment has made THE ANIMAL available on DVD
in a 1.85:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback
on 16:9 displays. Since this in a brand new movie and Columbia TriStar
has a reputation of producing first class DVD presentations, it is not
surprising that THE ANIMAL looks great. The image is crisp, clean
and incredibly well defined. Colors are quite vibrant and flesh tones
appear convincingly natural. It should be noted that none of the more
intense hues produce any form of chroma noise or smearing. Blacks appear
very accurate and the picture produces a healthy dose of shadow detail.
Owning to the fact that THE ANIMAL was in theaters only a couple
of months ago, the film element used for the transfer appears pristine,
with little appreciable grain. Digital compression artifacts are well
concealed on this dual layer DVD.
THE
ANIMAL is presented on DVD with
a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. Since THE ANIMAL is a dialogue
driven comedy, the sound mix is pretty standard. Dialogue is very clean
and precisely rendered, so that one can hear all the jokes. There are
some sound effects that take advantage of the discrete abilities of the
Dolby Digital format, but this sound mix is a long way from action movie
territory. Music is well integrated into the sound mix and is the one
element that uses all of the channels on a consistent basis. The bass
channel is solid enough to firm up the music and occasional sound effects.
English and French Dolby Surround soundtracks are also encoded onto the
DVD, as are English and French subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s amusing interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as a few nice supplements. As a Special Edition
THE ANIMAL features two separate audio commentaries. The first
includes Rob Schneider and producer John Schneider, while the second features
director Luke Greenfield. The Schneider commentary is definitely the more
entertaining of the two, while the Greenfield provides far more technical
detail on the making of the film. Both have their merits, but casual viewers
will probably be attracted to the Schneider commentary for it entertainment
value. Badger Delivery is an interactive feature that will
bring up a special icon during the course of the movie, which will allow
one access to bits left on the cutting room floor. Also included on the
DVD is the Comedy Central’s "Reel Comedy: The Animal",
which runs under a half hour. This program is hosted by Rob Schneider
and Colleen Haskell and includes interviews, as well as a look behind-the-scenes.
A short featurette entitled Animal Instincts is also provided,
as are deleted scenes, an interactive game called What’s In Marvin,
filmographies, a theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
THE
ANIMAL is a funny flick that will
appeal to an audience’s less evolved side. Columbia TriStar has produced
a great looking DVD with some nice supplements to keep fans happy. If
you are a Rob Schneider devotee (and know what this word means), you will
definitely want to check out THE ANIMAL on DVD.
