Originally released on February 14, 1992, WAYNE’S WORLD marked the feature film debut of Wayne and Garth, the wildly popular characters originated by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey on “Saturday Night Live.” A hilarious send-up of pop culture, the film also features Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere, and Alice Cooper (we’re not worthy!).
Directed by Penelope Spheeris and written by Mike Myers and Bonnie Turner & Terry Turner, WAYNE’S WORLD follows Wayne and Garth as they try to promote their public-access cable show.
For thoughts on Wayne’s World, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Wayne’s World comes to Blu-Ray from Paramount Home Entertainment with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 that is the same disc that was first put out over a decade ago. At the time, the disc was already middling in terms of quality, and this older master only looks worse by modern standards. The presentation is passable throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being generally strong. Instances of outright print damage are few and far between, but overall clarity and detail is lacking quite a bit. The film thankfully does not present with much in the way of unnatural digital tinkering. This transfer has some natural film grain, but you have to contend with it being unstable and a bit clumpy in instances. The picture can run a bit soft in numerous shots, but colors are natural even if they are lacking extreme depth. Black levels could stand to be much deeper as fine detail is often lost in shadow. This presentation is watchable, but a new scan would likely do wonders for the film. Go ahead and give us a 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Paramount!
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray provides a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix that does not knock it out of the park, but once again does what it needs to do. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with some quality tunes bumping out without filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout these presentations, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The classic dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some occasional activity with ambient sounds, but it is not a standout in that regard. The low-end support feels a bit anemic compared to what it could be. The track accomplishes what it needs to do, but with a film so beholden to the power of music you expect a bit more. If Paramount ever remasters the video, they should also give a new pass to the audio, as well.
Special Features
The main reason for this new release is to get the film in a sleek new SteelBook that is quite fetching in person. The bright orange SteelBook features front artwork with Wayne and Garth surrounded by quotes from the film, and the rear features more of the same with a full-body shot of the boys ready to rock. The interior sports a still photo of Wayne and Garth at the factory. Photos of the SteelBook can be found at the end of this review.
- Audio Commentary: Director Penelope Spheeris delivers an excellent commentary track in which she discusses the symbiotic promotion between Wayne’s World and Saturday Night Live, her desire to keep the film grounded in some kind of believable reality, her experiences with Lorne Michaels, how the film utilizes music, the sets and production design, the various comedic talent in the film and more. Spheeris is a wealth of information and a true joy to listen to throughout.
- Extreme Close-Up: A 23-minute vintage featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the origins of the character, the development of the movie, the work of Penelope Spheeris, the importance of music, the ensemble they assembled for the secondary characters, the experience of shooting various scenes, improvisation in the film and more. There are a lot of enjoyable moments offered here including stories of certain cast members being unfamiliar with working on a movie set.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Wayne’s World is one of the ultimate quotable comedies of the ‘90s. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are a truly magical pairing who play off each other so incredibly well, easily taking the act from the small screen to become an even more satisfying feature-length adventure. The pacing of the jokes is unmatched when it comes to most comedies of the time or even since. Paramount Home Entertainment recycles their old passable Blu-Ray in a pleasing new SteelBook packaging. The film is in desperate need of an A/V upgrade, and some additional features would not hurt. Yet, it is one that deserves to be in all collections, and this is the best option for collectors at this time.
Wayne’s World is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, SteelBook and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
