This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

The fearless young Stouffer brothers — Marty (Scott Bairstow), Mark (Devon Sawa) and Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) — can hardly imagine going into the family business hawking auto parts in small-town Arkansas. With the begrudging approval of their no-nonsense father, the brothers set out on a dangerous cross-country camping trip, intending to capture on film their encounters with wild animals and the last remnants of the natural world in the rapidly vanishing American West.

For thoughts on Wild America, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tgmHjkh1298?si=AwDS__e6wWEqqNDY&t=2087]

Video Quality

Wild America debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio from a dated master that is passable even without a refresh. This high definition upgrade is welcome, but given the visual majesty of some of these locations there is a desire for a complete overhaul – we won’t even bother asking for a 4K UHD release. Colors are a bit uninspiring as all the hues never quite reach the level of depth and nuance you expect from the format. Skin tones can occasionally veer towards the pasty side. Black levels struggle a bit with compression artifacts in the dark corners of the bear cave, but otherwise they make a good impression. The natural film grain is mercifully present and consistent enough while still coming up short when it comes to fine detail in the environment. The source does not exhibit much in the way of damage but there are some specks in the mix. This Blu-Ray presentation could have been much worse, but we would not pass up a brand new master either.

Audio Quality

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings us this Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is a bit reserved but does what it needs to. Dialogue comes through clearly while rarely being drowned out by the adventurous score or sound effects. The music from Joel McNeely provides some emotionally resonant moments that land well when they are flowing from the speakers. The environmental effects such as explosions and animal noises are forefront but not particularly overwhelming. Sony has done a fair job with this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Trailers: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Wild America is a fun family film which delivers something for the younger set to sink their teeth into besides familiar animated tales. While we also love these movies, there is a need for live action tales that encourage you to look beyond the world immediately in front of you. This particular narrative balances rollicking fun with good-natured humor effectively. The three boys do a good job in their roles, but ‘90s babies will likely agree that Sawa and Thomas are the main draw. There are some expected missteps, but this narrative delivers what it needs to. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a fair A/V presentation and next to no special features. If you like adventure and brotherly bonding, you are going to love this. Recommended

Wild America can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures 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.