Starring: Jason Gann, Elijah Wood
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Running Time: 286 minutes
Season: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
I have to admit, I was not aware of this show during it airing on FX last summer. I am sure glad that I had the opportunity to review the first season’s Blu-ray because it is not one of my favorite shows on television. “Wilfred” is adapted from an Australian-show, also created by Jason Gann. The show is so unique and really delivers some great laughs. Jason Gann is such a laugh riot playing Wilfred the dog, he is subtle and really steals the show. Elijah Wood is also amazing in this role, who is the only person able to communicate with Wilfred. It is a complicated and obscure relationship but very entertaining. I am looking forward to season two very much premiering June 28th on FX.
Elijah Wood stars as Ryan, a suicidal ex-lawyer, who doesn’t have the best luck. He forms a unique relationship with his neighbor’s dog Wilfred. Though Ryan sees Wilfred different from everyone else, as a weed-smoking, foul-mouthed Australian man in a dog suit (Jason Gann). The two spend a lot of time together and also get into a lot of trouble together. As the season goes on Wilfred seems to push Ryan’s sanity of what is real and what he is capable of.
The video and audio on this release are good but nothing special. The 1080p transfer is simple yet effective for this show, especially on its low-budget. The comedy really doesn’t benefit much from its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, though it does sound good. The special features on the Blu-ray are impressive. “Wilfred at Comic-Con 2011” features the show’s Comic-Con panel. There are a good 15 minutes of deleted scenes, some better than others. “Wilfred and Bear: A Love Affair” is a montage of scenes with Wilfred mating with his friend. “Maryjane Mashup” is a montage of pot-smoking scenes. Lastly “Fox Movie Channel Presents: Life After Film School with Jason Gann” is a Q&A with Jason Gann. I would have loved to seen some commentary track included for this season. Maybe on the season two Blu-ray?
Great review! I got the season one DVD’s right before Season 2 started a few weeks back. I was pretty excited for the Wilfred-marathon I had planned, and though I absolutely love the show, and the DVDs were great, it was the extras that kind of bummed me out. Don’t get me wrong, what they had was cool; the bit at ComiCon and the smoking montage were great, but it just felt like there could have been, and should have been, more.