
Dead Wrong was a difficult project for Rob Schneider (SNL), attempting to carry Schneider’s timid mob lawyer character. The comedian and actor makes a hearty turn in his career as an actor and this role has come to him as a favor. Rick Bieber, the writer and director of this film, has developed a crime thriller in the likes of Elmore Leonard replete with old-time Hollywood stars, and he did alright in this one. It is best described as a low-budget Goodfellas with unsophisticated subplots revolving around child abductions and pseudo-lawsuits.
In Dead Wrong major roles are played by Katrina Bowden and Cress Williams (Black Lightning) along with Rob Schneider. Schneider takes on a central part however, that is just one aspect of the whole picture. Chet Hanks has an explosive performance in the role of a dangerous crooked mobster. First, let us remind you that Chet’s father is a world superstar Tom Hanks and he has been known for a half-joking Rap “White Boy Summer” song which had its slight success prior to him turning to acting.
Looks are deceiving and this is the case with Billy (Derek Smith) and Barbara (Katrina Bowden) as from the outset it would appear they are in a picture-perfect marriage. But things are not as easy as they seem, especially with Billy, who seems calm and cool, but in real life, he is entirely the opposite. He is in an active business partnership with a childhood friend who happens to be a local mobster, Jacko (Chet Hanks). On the other hand, the husband is also having an affair with Barbara’s sister (Chelsea Debo). There is also the case of the ‘Billy Doesn’t Love Me’ drama as Barbara is more than keen to have a child but at the same time Billy doesn’t believe that having kids is in the cards anytime soon so he is more than content with their childless arrangement.
Another name to the list is Ethan Boggs (Rob Schneider), a lawyer running out of time and the clock has begun to tell him that it is only a matter of time before they wrap the noose around his neck in the form of a outstanding mob debts and unabashed baby selling. To supplement his income, Billy employs home-based profit-making schemes. Watching their kids being sold to the highest bidder, Boggs is left more bitter than angry and out of desperation agrees to participate in the deal but does the bare minimum to appease the mob boss.
It has a great cast, and the characters are entertaining to watch which gives credibility to the belief that it is based on a book. In this half of the film, the plot has a good deal of details inserted into it while pointing in different directions and is more of a classic neo-noir film. Also a bit of parody and irony with regards to those people who hire other people in the media thinking it is done to help out the victim in the system.
Primarily bury him with the brilliant moments Rob Schneider is, but the thriller is more stereotype mafia drama a few times. Thug tore, charming women and a dash of cheese. Mostly known for his “Saturday Night Live” and several films, Schneider is decent in these more serious roles. It seems that Dead Wrong is a run-of-the-mill mafia action drama with an impressive cast, albeit an interesting one. Chet Hanks, an upstart actor seems to steal the limelight from lesser guys. His portrayal of a brutal mobster outdoes everything ‘Hollywood’ has to offer. One could assume due to having parents who are Hollywood actors himself, Chet inherited a few acting genes, but who knows, right?
The movie comes out on Blu-ray disc with a digital filming aspect ratio of 1.78:1 which for a Mill Creek release is pretty decent. Dead Wrong measures in at a standard hour and fifty minutes and there is a Director’s cut which is approximately an hour and thirty-four minutes long. Both seem to be using a variant of AVC banding or posterization.
The 1080p video is rough and has a definition that conforms to that of 2024, maybe one can tell from the screenshot its definition. The definition of the picture is beyond any doubt without an exception. Both variants of the movie have identical picture quality or display resolution. The single thing that looks awful in Dead Wrong is some dreadful disfigurements of the effects. Some of the funniest fake blood that has never been seen in an independent movie rare in which Troma Production may not do justice to the brutalization of a character.
Land pariahs are out separately filmed laps, overweight, strong contrast, and black level. Interiors are studio looks, clean and crisp. Instead of the normal dark Opa lenses, the filmmakers have opted for the proper lens to capture the best digital image. The Standout is bundled with a rather plain vanilla 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround sound mix. The Dead Wrong audio has well-placed dialogue and sound effects that make the voices easily discernible. The soundstage is not too expansive, and sound immersion does not seem to be the main point of the project. This weak mix includes small amounts of surround support and moderate use of the subwoofer.
There are a few pieces in the soundtrack that stand out and are decent for listening. It is more than a few, declaratively, the recording is quite good and well-balanced, but still mostly instrumental. As for Mill Creek, they mostly submit the BD with no add-ons of any sort, aside from the cut that comprises a few scenes of the feature film Dead Wrong. It is said that this version is quite a bit shorter than the full version, but it aims for much of the original, as it has a few changes and other score cues. Considering the amount of additions and cuts made to the film, I feel that the original cut of the film is better.
Let me clarify all concerns related to conflicts of interest this Blu-ray was given to me for review by the label Anti. However, this has not changed to any considerable extent the editorial policy of DoBlu. For more information on our approach to critiques and sensitive issues, our positions, facts, and policies, please check out the DoBlu’s about us page.
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