Stepford Wives (DVD)

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Video:
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image is without blemishes. However, the picture is a tad soft, and the colors sometimes look off despite the colorful palette and bright lighting.

Audio:
The movie is dialogue-driven, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 English audio track carries the actors' voices well. There are some music-heavy sequences that provide the subwoofer and the rear channels with some action. However, directionality effects are quiet and subtle without being able to impress today's discerning viewers.

You can also watch the movie with DD 2.0 English and DD 5.1 French tracks. Optional English and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
This DVD offers numerous extras. However, the movie is terrible, and the extras try to make the movie into more than what it is. Therefore, not only are the extras lacking in perspective, they are also partial lies.

There's an audio commentary by director Frank Oz. Oz doesn't really address the movie's production or narrative problems. Rather, he does what so many other directors have done--cow in submission in order to be able to work again in the future.

"A Perfect World: The Making of 'The Stepford Wives'" is basically an extended preview of the movie. "Stepford: A Definition" presents a superficial view of what "Stepford" means in the American lexicon. "Stepford: The Architects" looks at the production design. "The Stepford Wives" and "The Stepford Husbands" gloss over how the movie was casted. "Stepford: Deleted/Extended Scenes" and "Stepford: Gag Reel" are self-explanatory items. Finally, you get the movie's two trailers as well as previews for other Paramount titles. The teaser trailer for "The Stepford Wives" is actually much wittier, cuter and more sophisticated than the movie itself.

--Miscellaneous--
Once again, a Paramount movie arrives on DVD without an insert or a booklet.

Film Value:
A lot of noteworthy actors participated in the 2004 version of "The Stepford Wives". I'm sure that the initial pitch and early screenplay drafts had something of worth to attract the talents' attentions. However, the final product is illogical, inconsequential, and not funny. The movie is so bad that it's the first one that I've seen in a long time that doesn't have a plot synopsis on its DVD rear cover art; it's as if Paramount hopes that Nicole Kidman's pretty face is enough to sell the movie to renters and buyers.

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