Teen Wolf

Like all teenagers, Scott Howard is going through some... changes. But, unlike the rest of the students at Beacontown High School, Scott's changes include long hair that covers his entire body, claw-like fingernails, fangs, a heightened sense of smell, superhuman strength and the extraordinary ability to ...play basketball? An that's just the beginning.

Naturally, these uncanny new features turn this lovable loser into the most popular kid in school. But by embracing his newly minted popularity, has the Teen Wolf lost sight of what it truly means to be Scott Howard? (Synopsis from packaging.)

I grew up in the 80s, so I had seen Teen Wolf a time or two. Not always in one sitting. When it came to review it and the sequel (see below), no one volunteered. So, as the newbie who is working on a new series of articles, I got nominated to watch the fur fly. Some films you go back to as an adult really only have a nostalgic or sentimental value on a post puberty rewatch. Watching Teen Wolf as an adult was a much more pleasant experience than I imagined.

The Film 3.5/5

The film is exactly as stated: geek turned cool; zero to hero; swan to ugly ducking. Normally teen  comedies of all eras have an unattractive character who either becomes beautiful or is ignored by the protagonist. Here we have a young, fresh faced Michael J. Fox as Scott becoming essentially a monster. Since it is a comedy, there is a little push back from his peers and elders when Scott first "wolfs out". A lot of this film is absolutely predictable and ridiculous, but it really shines with the heart. Fox's performance is wonderful. No one can play an awkward teen with a popped collar like he can, which unfortunately typecast him. Watching his facial expressions and mannerisms, I was pulled into this ridiculous story. I also love the casting of James Hampton as the ewok-esque, chubby and soft spoken elder werewolf. I have to say, the biggest misstep was  Mick's ribbing of Scott at the bowling alley where he tells a story of killing Scott's mom with a shotgun. The story and screen play were written by Jeph Loeb and Mathew Weisman in three weeks. There are plenty of films where the screenplay is worked on for months by many people who come out with a script no better than this one.

Audio/Video 2/5

This was supposed to be a 2K scan of the original film in contrast to the bare bones version previously released on Blu-Ray. The film was just as expected - slightly fuzzy at best and grainy at its worst. The sound was also atrocious. I had to turn my TV up ten bars louder than usual to catch all the dialogue. I *might* have peeked at a couple reviews, since I got the set late, where people raved about the look and sound. I would have loved to watch one of those copies.

Extras 3/5

The disc contains one documentary broken into several parts. I found them to b e interesting and informative. One piece had an interview with a clinical psychologist who analyzed the characters. I enjoyed the description of the movie from Jeph Loeb. He is known now for his work in comics, but at the time he had not made it that far. To him, this film was his love letter to comic heroes. The story parallels Spider-man at times and not just in the use of the "great responsibility" line. I think I enjoyed the film more after watching the documentary. The cast and crew seemed to have as much fun making the film as it seemed on screen. There is also a gallery of photographs like you would see on early DVD extras. I found the music leading into each segment some of the worst 80s synthesizer ever put to tape and one segment had some video interference, both bringing down my score a bit. Most Bu's have much more content for the extras, but for a film written, shot, and edited in the course of three months, extras other than new content are hard to come by. Even if you don't purchase it, check out the cover art by Paul Shipper. It depicts Scott profiled against a full moon in full wolf mode.

Overall 3/5

This film may not be thought provoking, but it is a fun 80's romp with a lot of heart and less raunch. This may be a turn off to some, but I would definitely watch this again. Granted, it won't be often. Some days you just need lighthearted fluff after a long day at work. If you can get a good deal on this edition or love this movie already, pick it up.

Teen Wolf Too

Jason Bateman stars as Todd Howard, a Hamilton University Freshman with a full athletic scholarship -- only Todd has no idea why, since he's far more interested in veterinary medicine than sports. But his boxing coach, Bobby Finstock, is very familiar with the Howard family secret and he's hoping he can use it to his advantage. When the whole school -- including Todd -- finds out he's a werewolf with superhuman abilities, Todd's popularity skyrockets and he becomes the big wolf on campus. (Synopsis from packaging.)

What can I say about this sequel? If you change the protagonist and environment (albeit slightly) then subtract the heart, you have Teen Wolf Too.

The Film 1/5

This film gets a point for trying. My god, it tries SO HARD. When Michael J. Fox did not want to return for the sequel, it should have been tossed. But no, someone assumed since it worked once it will work again. Not to mention all the werewolf movies in the atmosphere at the time. The better sequel to Teen Wolf Too? The 90s TV show Big Wolf on Campus. Maybe even the animated series I found out about while researching this franchise. Possibly the nixed version starring Alyssa Milano which I can only assume would be in the vein of Karate Kid III could have been better. There were so many missteps in this film. From what might be cool to college students in 1987 (Hint: it's not singing "Do You Love Me (Now That I can Dance)" at a party) to a antagonist who has even less of a reason to want to literally kill the lead. Todd stole his girlfriend maybe? All those popped collared, quasi-Ivy league school kids looked exactly the same. I had higher hopes for this film, even after the first few minutes where James Hampton returns as a tie to the original/Jiminy Cricket of sorts. I got excited when I saw John Astin. He is absolutely someone who can do camp in a serious manner, but the outrageous scripting of his Dean character was too over the top even for a movie about a teen werewolf. Four of the characters came back for this film, but only tow of the original actors. Another reason to scrap pieces of the script. The ending fight scene went on longer than I wanted and the reveal of his Biology teacher also being a werewolf was ruined when she had a tail. A TAIL. None of the male werewolves had tails so the addition to her was egregious.

Audio/Video 3/5

This particular disc was less grainy than the original film. Shame as Justin Bateman did not hit his handsome stride until much later in life. The audio was clear and at an acceptable level. It was by no means ultra clear 4K visuals or engulfing surround sound. But for what the film had to start with, it was pretty good.

Extras 2.5/5

Like the original film, Teen Wolf Too had featurettes and still photographs. There were fewer segments this time and to be honest, after watching the entire film, I could not make it through them all.

Overall 2/5

If you are a Jason Bateman or Teen Wolf completist, get this film. If it winds up in a set with Teen Wolf, get this film. Even with the problems with the grainy footage and low sound, Teen Wolf is the superior film. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT SPEND $26 ON THIS FILM.

Teen Wolf > Teen Wolf Too. Michael J. Fox > Jason Bateman. Stiles Prime > Stiles Too.