Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment– 83 minutes – 2001 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio

This could be a topic of debate, but the ‘stoner movie’ genre began with the Cheech and Chong films, and has since evolved into later comedies such as the Bill and Ted, Harold and Kumar series to the current Pineapple Express. These stoner movies are cheap to make, aimed at a target audience (teenagers a frat boys), and are usually always profitable and maintain huge cult status on home video. The 2000 film Dude, Where’s My Car? was going for the same market, but unlike Bill and Ted or Harold and Kumar, it didn’t have that lasting appeal and sequel demand, becoming a one shot deal. Dude, Where’s My Car? is now available on high-definition Blu-ray from MGM Home Entertainment, so if you got a secret stash, light up, because that’s the only way to fully enjoy this flick.

THE MOVIE

Okay, work with me on this one because the plot of Dude, Where’s my Car? is way, way out there. Asthton Kutcher and Sean William Scott are best buds, Jesse and Chester, two slackers who wake up after a wild night to discover that their car is missing. The problem is both of them were so stoned that they have no memory of what happened the night before, so the search begins to find the missing automobile. This leads them on a path that involves a lot of chocolate pudding, aliens from another world, a gang of bullies, and a blonde the size of Godzilla wearing a mini-skirt and tiny kitty panties. Jesse and Chester unwillingly and unknowingly become the only hope of saving the universe when they get their hands on a device called the ‘Continuum Transfunctioner, the object that everyone is searching for, bringing peace to mankind and beyond.

Now you see why you may have to light up to watch this movie? It’s very difficult to critique this movie because the whole point of the film is that it’s supposed to be dumb. If you don’t say,“Why the hell did I just watch this?” after seeing the movie then it’s failed to serve its purpose. This role was made for Asthton Kutcher, “Mr. Punked” himself is the signature of what we identify a stoner-slacker to be. You know this guy was drawing on his own experiences from his teenage years, because it’s quite obvious that Kutcher is no rocket scientist. Sean William Scott plays it more as the straight-man sidekick for Kutcher, because while Scott does what he can, this is Kutcher’s movie to cash in on his That 70’s Show fan base.

The only thing that separates Dude, Where’s My Car? from other stoner movies such as Harold and Kumar, is that it’s not as clever and doesn’t target social issues. Dude is just a series of in your face skits and one-liners that either you’ll laugh at because they’re so stupid or you’ll just turn the movie off. Some of the film’s highlights are the tattoo scene, where they guys discover they have tats that spell out “Dude” and “Sweet,” or when Jesse and Chester decide to one-up Fabio, (yes, that Fabio) by making out with each other. Then there’s the rump-shaker mock music video that features the guys rapping alongside a bevy of girls in bikinis.

If you look at Dude, Where’s My Car? today you will spot a variety of familiar faces who were no names back then, such a Jennifer Garner, Kristy Swanson, comedian Hal Sparks, as well as some cameos by Andy Dick and Brent Spiner of Star Trek fame. The best thing about the film is that it’s obvious everyone knows exactly what type of film they signed on for and they are having fun with it. Dude, Where’s My Car? is not for those who do not enjoy this type of stoner humor, so if watching two guys scream “Dude!” and “Sweet!” all the time makes you want to cringe, seek your entertainment elsewhere.

VIDEO

Believe it or not, this is a really good transfer that is a huge leap over the standard DVD. Dude, Where’s My Car has full 1080p resolution and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The image quality is super sharp with great skin tones, and the highlights are the colors that stand out strong. This film is all over the place in an Alice in Wonderland type of way, so the far out scenery and bright colors actually draw you in. To test this just hit pause during various scenes and you can see the level of detail in the actor’s faces, right down to the crow’s feet on Fabio’s face. It’s not a work of art, but it is a very impressive image quality.

AUDIO

“Dude!” and “Sweet!” in DTS HD Lossless 5.1 audio; it doesn’t get any better than that. Dude, Where’s My Car offers a decent sound mix, but it won’t make you crank up your speakers. Dialogue sounds clear and when music starts, it’s mixed well so it doesn’t drown out what the characters are saying. There’s really not much to comment on because this is a stoner movie, not Apocalypse Now.

EXTRAS

Unless you consider the theatrical trailer as a bonus feature, there’s nothing here. No audio commentary, no making of featurette, no gag reel nothing. The film speaks for itself.

BOTTOM LINE

When the history books for American cinema is written, there will be no mention of Dude, Where’s My Car? So for those of us in this generation, enjoy it while you can. Face it; this film is only for fans of the film, because even though this Blu-ray has excellent picture quality, there’s not much else there to make you want to buy it. This is a fun rental for those days when you just want to lay back and get lit…However way you choose to do this is up to you. “Dude!” “Sweet!”

SCORES (0ut of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 0.0

Bottom Line: 2.0