Plot: What’s it about?
This is the 21st century and movies about marijuana (and the actual drug itself) are getting more and more commonplace. Just recently, I’ve seen a new ad campaign that focuses on young teens and the reprucussions of what happens to them because they got caught smoking pot. What’s this have to do with the film in question? Nothing at all. But it’s a precursor to what we’re about to see. Granted, times change as do people and in that respect; so do movies. So while a movie like this might not have been made a few decades ago, this is but the latest in a line of ever-growing films about this budding (pun intended) topic. What seems to be even more odd is that all of the more recent movies made about marijuana seem to be comedies, therefore eluding the fact that this is a dangerous and highly addictive drug. Is Hollywood to blame for glossing over the pot problem? I don’t think that argument has a proper spot in this review, but think of it as food for thought. And onto How High…
We meet our “heroes”, Silas P. Silas (Method Man) and Jamal King (Redman) as they are on their way to take the college board exams. Certainly it’s not something to be taken lightly. So they decide to smoke a “special” blend of a certain substance that happens to be deceased. Their late friend, Ivory (Chuck Davis), ghost appears when they’re smoking and just happens to give them the answers to the test and they go on to ace the test. Now they have unbelievable scores and have a free ride to any college in the country…so where do they pick? Harvard, naturally! The chancellor (Fred Willard) is looking to give Harvard a more ethnic look and promises the boys a good time. Being easily convinced, they accept and it’s not long afterwords that things start to happen. Going after the daughter of the Vice-President of the United States (see any similarities here?) or other ladies, the guys are all about having fun while trying to stay in school. And lest we forget…pot plays a big part in the movie. While this certainly won’t win any awards, if you set your expectations a bit low, then you might enjoy yourself. The film wasn’t a total bust and I even considered getting high for the review; but then I remembered that I don’t do drugs! Still, the film has a decent cast, it’s just too much of a shame that their efforts were wasted here. The disc sports plenty of extras, so if you like this movie at all, then this DVD will be right up your pipe.
Video: How does it look?
How High is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very good visual effort, but it has some flaws to report. I suppose the material is somewhat to blame, but since no serious issues arise, I won’t be too rough on it. The print looks clean, but shows some small blemishes and defects, a few more than expected, given the film’s age and pretty quick move onto DVD. Even so, the colors look bright, flesh tones are natural, and contrast seems accurate, so all the basics are covered here. This should please viewers despite the flaws, as they never get in the way that much.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc houses dual 5.1 surround tracks in Dolby Digital and DTS forms, so whichever format you prefer, you’re covered here. I knew this material could use some terrific audio presence, but these mixes are flawless, I was blown away in both cases. The sequences with music stand out as the most powerful, but the entire film is laced with dynamic audio. No problems surface with vocals either, which are replicated here in crisp and clean form at all times. As per usual, a slight edge is present with the DTS edition, but in either case, you’ll be treated to a reference level audio experience. This disc also includes a French 5.1 track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Featuring what can be called a “surprise”, How High has more than the lion’s share of extras. It’s no secret that the film didn’t do that well at the box office, so perhaps Universal is hoping that the disc, loaded with supplements, will find more of an audience on DVD. In any case, the main draw here is the feature-length commentary track with the two main stars of the film, Method Man and Redman. While the two aren’t the best at commentary tracks, we don’t really learn much about the film either. The two seem to have fun doing the track, as they did during the movie. Still, some might actually find it more entertaining than the film itself. A nice addition. We have the “Making of How High” which is, just as we might expect, a typical featurette that has some behind the scenes footage and some interviews with the stars. Interesting at best, but nothing that you absolutely need to watch. Some 22 deleted scenes are included as well. The way I see it though, this film seemed to be a conglomoration of deleted scenes to begin with, so why not throw them in? In any case, they can all be watched together, but you can’t skip from scene to scene for some odd reason. Some outtakes are pretty funny, and as can be expected, add some value to the disc. And as we might guess, some music videos are included (who’d have thought…music videos on a DVD starring two rappers?). Universal’s standard cast bios and production notes are also included as is a Universal Showcase with trailers for two upcoming films (Undercover Brother and 8Mile). And lastly, there is some limited DVD-ROM content with weblinks and such. On the whole, a great disc of a rather so-so movie. But that’s just my opinion. True fans of the movie, admit it…you’re out there, will be in “How High” heaven!
