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Traveta reviews
MGM
- Cert: R
- Cat.no: 1002322
- Running time: 97 minutes
- Year: 2002
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 1, NTSC
- Chapters: 16
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 (Eng only)
- Languages: English, French, Spanish
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
- Widescreen: 2.35:1; Full-frame: 1.33:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: $29.98
- Extras:Theatrical trailer, audio commentary, and behind-the-scenesphoto montage.
Director:
- Scott Kalvert
Screenplay:
- Paul Kimatian and Christopher Gambale
Cast:
- Leon: Stephen Dorff
Bobby: Brad Renfro
Annie: Fairuza Balk
Betsy: Drea DeMatteo
Scooch: Frankie Muniz
Freddie: Max Perlich
Deuces Wildis another notch in a long string of bombs for MGM. Forsome idiotic reason, MGM released this film on the same weekend asStar Wars Episode 2and expected it to do well. What is it with MGM and badtiming? If you ask me I think they need to fire who ever is in charge ofrelease dates. This movie just came out in theaters so this DVD marksit’s third month of release. Talk about releasing it fast.
The plot of Deuces Wild is very contrived. To tell you the truth, Ireally only had a guess of it and I watched it the whole time. The plotin this movie isn’t really that important anyway. Taking place inBrooklyn in 1954, it tells the story of a street gang called the Deuceswho protect the streets from drugs and such. A rival gang called theVipers have it in for them as their leader has just been freed fromprison. Of course the leader hates the Deuces’ leader Leon (StephenDorff) and has it in for him. What follows is in the same vein as TheOutsiders more than Goodfellas since it tells the tale through the eyesof the gangs and not the bosses.
Deuces Wild has its moments where you just laugh out loud. The fightscenes between the two gangs are plagued with thunder booms, and slowmotion. For some reason the end fight also has FAST motion thrown in forgood measure. What did they think – that fans ofThe Matrixwould go see this movie? And when they fight you can’t tell who’s who. That’s whatmakes the characters so forgetable because there’s nothing about them tomake them stand out. I mean I’m not expecting them to throw onbasketball jerseys so we can root for whoever’s team but you shoud stillbe able to tell who’s fighting.
Running at 97 minutes it seems to last forever as it starts off goodthen just drags on an on. Being made in 2000 and shelved for two years andreleased on the same weekend as the summer’s other big blockbuster (not theoverratedSpider-Manflick, the other one) you can tell MGM didn’t have much confidence in iteither.
Into the disc. MGM has included both 2.35:1 widescreen and a fullframe transfer on the one side of the disc. Of course I watched thewidescreen version but even the good picture cannot save this film. Inoticed a small scratch on the print here and there but the transfer isstill top notch with sharp colors and good fleshtones.
The sound is good too – very audible during the fights (even withthe laughable thunderclaps) and throughout. MGM usually does a good jobwith the audio so this is no suprise.
The extras are very minimal. MGM is known for putting extras on mostof their new movies but this one was rushed. A theatrical trailer, acommentary, and a behind the scenes montage are the only extras you’llfind here. Maybe they couldn’t put deleted scenes since both versions ofthe film are on one side. I can’t imagine anyone who would want to spendanymore time with this movie anyway.
Overall, Deuces Wild is a forgetable film that didn’t have what ittook to contend with the others and still doesn’t. A top notch transferand great sound are what save this film a little bit. Only recommendedfor fans of The Outsiders and movies that take place in the ’50s.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLEmailTraveta
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.