Wrong Turn appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. The movie came with a disappointing transfer.
The main negative stemmed from softness. From the very start, the movie often looked less concise than I expected. In fact, it showed so many issues in this domain that I wondered if the softness was a stylistic choice to give the flick more of a 70s vibe. However, nothing else here led me to that conclusion, as the other aspects of the visuals seemed more modern and didn’t exhibit a self-conscious gritty look. This meant the softness was simply puzzling and off-putting. The movie never looked tremendously ill defined, but it usually lacked the precision I expected.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering appeared, and edge enhancement remained absent. Source flaws were minor. I saw a smattering of specks but nothing major, and grain was essentially non-existent. That was actually a bit of a disappointment; at least a grainier image would’ve better explained the blandness of the general definition.
In terms of colors, the movie tended toward a green natural tone that matched the wooded setting. The hues looked decent, but like the rest of the image, they lacked much vivacity. I thought the colors were fine but not exceptional. Blacks seemed a bit bland and inky, and shadows tended to be a bit on the dense side; most low-light shots came across as somewhat flat. This wasn’t an awful presentation, but I didn’t think it deserved better than a “C”.
On the other hand, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Wrong Turn was a real winner. The soundfield really brought the semi-cliché material to life. The creepiness of the woods presented a great sense of place, and the many action elements kicked the story into high gear. Various components cropped up in all five channels and created a strong environmental side to the story. Music showed good stereo imaging, and the various effects added measurably to the presentation.
Audio quality was consistently satisfying. Effects packed a strong punch, as LFE response seemed tight and loud – but not too loud, as the bass matched the rest of the material well. Effects also came across as clean and concise. Music was full and robust, while speech appeared natural and crisp. The soundtrack worked very well and contributed to the movie’s effectiveness despite the mediocre visuals.
With that we head to the extras. We open with an audio commentary from director Rob Schmidt and actors Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at influences and tone, cast, characters and performances, makeup and effects, sets and locations, stunts, music and problems that occurred during the shoot.
Expect an up and down commentary. On the negative side, we get a fair amount of dead air, and those moments make the track plod at times. However, when the participants speak, they usually offer good information. We find a nice mix of details here, so despite the frustrations of the many silences, there’s enough useful material on display to make the discussion worth a listen.
Three Deleted Scenes appear. We get “Waterfall” (3:03), “Francine Kill” (0:31), and “Francine Kill Dailies” (3:20). Nothing memorable appears here. “Waterfall” presents a bit more character development between Chris and Jessie; we already get a good feel for the pair, so this becomes unnecessary. “Kill” offers a little extra gore, while “Dailies” just shows outtakes from that scene.
Four featurettes follow. Making of Wrong Turn goes for four minutes, two seconds and includes remarks from Schmidt, Dushku, Harrington, producer Stan Winston, and actors Jeremy Sisto and Emmanuelle Chriqui. They do little more than recount the film’s plot and characters. We see a few fleeting behind the scenes shots, but those aren’t enough to redeem this superficial promotional piece.
Next comes the three-minute and 42-second Eliza Dushku: Babe in the Woods. It features remarks from Schmidt, Winston, and Dushku. Essentially we learn what a great actor – and tough chick - Dushku is. Expect more promotional fluff.
A Stan Winston Featurette goes for four minutes, 40 seconds and includes notes from Winston, Schmidt, Dushku, and Harrington. Winston gives us a very short overview of his career highlights and his work on Wrong Turn. This isn’t a bad piece, but it’s too superficial to become memorable.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we end with another featurette. Fresh Meat: The Wounds of Wrong Turn runs nine minutes, 25 seconds and provides notes from Schmidt, Winston, and editor Michael Ross. “Wounds” looks at the design and execution of the film’s makeup effects and gore. It becomes easily the most informative of the set’s programs.
Wrong Turn gets the job done as a pragmatic and utilitarian slasher flick and was mind-numbingly enjoyable in spots. And while it’s a good way to waste less than 90 minutes of your life, it’s hard to recommend sight unseen to anyone other than hardcore Fangoria subscribers and fans of the genre. The Blu-ray offers excellent audio but comes with a mediocre transfer and a minor array of supplements. This is a good movie, but except for the soundtrack, the Blu-ray disappoints.
To rate this film visit the original review of WRONG TURN