Artisan Home Entertainment presents

Men Seeking Women (1997)

“Women are like a hieroglyph, you never know how to read them.”- Les (Grant Shaud)

Stars: Will Ferrell, Grant Shaud, Anthony Palermo
Director: Jim Milio

Manufacturer: WAMO
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for language, crude humor
Run Time: 01h:33m:23s
Release Date: 2003-09-23
Genre: comedy

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
C	B-	C	C	D-

 

DVD Review

I am of the opinion the Will Ferrell is a true comic genius. From his early days on Saturday Night Live to his recent breakout hit, Old School, Ferrell is quickly climbing to the heights reached by only a handful of SNL alumni: a truly bankable movie star who possesses a pure comedic talent. Now that Ferrell has risen in the ranks of in-demand actors in Hollywood, it is only fitting that his lesser known films become available on DVD, the most recent being Men Seeking Women.

Les (Shaud), Al (Ferrell), and Nick (Anthony Palmero) are three lonely single guys on the lookout for something more. As one last ditch effort, the group concocts a two thousand dollar bet to see which of them can be the first to successfully embark on a relationship for at least three months. With the money at stake, each goes through the trial and tribulations of finding a girlfriend, be it by personal ads or any other means.

The simple premise of Men Seeking Women has been used numerous times before, though the results here show it to be one of the better, if still failed attempts. Writer and director Jim Milio earns points for giving the viewer three likable male characters rather than a trio of shallow and uninteresting protagonists. The film toys with the idea of fear of commitment, and the way in which men fail to grow up unless faced with responsibility. Too often, though, Milio plays it safe, without the needed amount of sarcasm and cynicism.

The cast is the best part of Men Seeking Women. Ferrell plays generally the same type of character as he has in other films, though here it seems as if he is miscast in the role of Al. Still, watching Ferrell play a part, good or bad, is more entertaining than most anything. Shaud and Palmero do acceptable work in their roles, but neither has any true standout moments, as these seem to be saved for Ferrell.

In the end, Men Seeking Women is frighteningly average in nearly every aspect. The writing is a tad better than most low budget independent films of this nature. It isn't bad, but that hardly makes it worthwhile.

Rating for Style: C
Rating for Substance: B-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	no
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Presented in full frame, Men Seeking Women boasts one of the lesser quality transfers I have seen in some time. Colors are average with no real vibrancy, while black levels show a small of amount of grain and lack solid depth. The transfer is inundated with edge enhancement and print flaws, which drag the quality of the image down several notches.

Image Transfer Grade: C
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Those expecting a bombastic sound mix will be seriously dissapointed with the Dolby Surround track that is offered. Dialogue is anchored in the center channel, but it is often muffled and hard to understand. The surround and left and right channels are given virtually no activity, making this a very poor mix.

Audio Transfer Grade: C 

Disc Extras

Static menu
Scene Access with 18 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: No extra features have been made available for this DVD.

Extras Grade: D-
 

Final Comments

I am unsure as to whether or not my nearly positive acceptance of the film is because it is truly decent, or because it went beyond my expectations in that it was not the worst film ever made. Either way, if you are a Will Ferrell fan, the film is recommended. Everyone else: watch it on cable.

Kevin Clemons 2003-11-04