How High DVD: Review By bcloutier

Many movies I watch have a message they are trying to deliver. Be it political or religious or even some oblique life lesson, the majority of films out there have them. This film does not. And it is better for it. Cheech and Chong didn't have a message in the 70s and 80s, other than drugs are good mmmmkay, so why should this film. And yes the comparisons of Method Man and Redman, the film's stars, to that duo of super stoners from a bygone age is warranted. The movie is mostly about smoking weed and the chemistry these two have is impressive (so impressive they are starring in a series of deodorant commercial on a TV near you) and they manage to take what could be a silly premise that wouldn't hold any water and make it not only stand up but actually fun to watch. When I went to the theater to check this movie out last year I was wary. Yesterday when I found this little surprise waiting in my mailbox I was giddy with excitement.

Here is the setup. There are two guys, Silas and Jamal. Both are apparently bright guys who would rather smoke weed (marijuana for the uninitiated of you) than apply themselves. Through separate plot lines they end up at a college entrance exam together, which of course they ace (I won't tell you how because that would ruin one of the funniest gags in the movie). Fast forward to Harvard. They manage to use their "magic" to get them through most of the year. But as luck would have it at the last minute the "magic" runs out and they have to pass their finals on their own. I guess there is a message after all and that is...If you run out of magic weed you might have to actually do the work yourself.

How High is the most enjoyable movie about weed smoking since Up in Smoke. It far surpasses the lame Half Baked and just creeps past Friday. In fact I actually thought this was one of the better movies of 2001. Here's the reason. This film, and the people who made it did not try and make How High anything other than what it was. Its a funny movie about smoking pot. They didn't get bogged down in an over-serious plot or some sort of half c*cked redemption-from-the-evils-of-drugs. This movie is pure fun, nothing less nothing more. And if you go into it looking to just sit back, laugh and have a good time then you will not be disappointed.

Technically the transfer of the movie to DVD is excellent. It is presented in a beautiful 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic format. Granted, we're not talking Ridley Scott caliber visuals here but the film does have a good "look" to it and the DVD makers did it justice by giving it to us the way the director intended. And of course the sound is presented in Dolby 5.1. This works out nicely since the soundtrack is most excellent. In fact if I had any complaint about the extras, which we'll get to in a second, it would be that they didn't give us an isolated soundtrack on the he disk so I go turn it up and enjoy some Cypress Hill while I type this review.

Extras on DVDs are like the icing on the he cake for some of you. The movie is what you're after, and the extras are a nice bonus. And for others they are the cake, you've seen the movie and now you want all the other stuff that's out there. The makers of this disk should be applauded. In fact I'm standing on my desk applauding you right now. This, my fellow DVD enthusiasts is how the first release of a DVD should be. Never mind multiple releases that all us poor saps have to go out and buy. This is the first release and it has everything you could want! As an aside some (very few) films do need multiple release treatment, LOTR for instance definitely requires multiple releases and will be better off for it. Now, on to the extras!

First off is a commentary by the films stars, Method Man and Redman. This was highly enjoyable and very funny. Its good to see that the chemistry that they have built up over the years during their friendship is real and not just an act they put on. I hope we get to see more of the "Cheech and Chong of the 21st century", and I hope they do commentary every time.

Next we have the "making of" special that aired on the BET network. I saw this when it first aired and enjoyed it. And its a welcome addition to the disk. Basically it's a standard making-of video that outlines the basic plot, the movie's stars, and the filmmakers. Standard fare, but very fun. There is also the Method Man/Redman music video for How High for those of you who missed it when it was in rotation on MTV.

Deleted scenes and outtakes are on the verge of becoming standard DVD fare. The How High DVD definitely doesn't disappoint in this regard. There are a plethora of hilarious bits and gags that wouldn't fit into the film. I love outtakes, and these are some of the funniest I've seen.

Finally we have a very fun little DVD video game called "hide the stash". As you can probably guess from the title you're goal is to hide your stash of marijuana before someone can find it. Beyond those extras the DVD makers added a trailer section with some fun stuff and of course the dreaded production notes!

All in all I have to say this is one of the most well done DVD releases I've seen in awhile. The development and release was efficient and quick while at the same time giving us everything we could want the first time out. The movie is fun and definitely worth seeing. That, combined with a good transfer and excellent presentation on a disk loaded to the brim with extras makes this one worth buying and adding to your collection!

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Download the How High munchie invaders game right now!