10 Things I Hate About You (10th Anniversary Edition) – Blu-ray Review

The Flick:

I have always been a sucker for teen movies. I even enjoy watching the bad direct-to-DVD flicks that are released under the teen movie mantra. While most films released in this genre don’t even come close to the John Hughes films we all know and love, 10 Things I Hate About You doesn’t just come close, it matches the magic of Hughes’ flicks.

Director Gil Junger created a classic teen movie that perfectly captures the heartbeat of the teen psyche. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is a frigid feminist that has sworn off dating boys. Her younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) however wants to date boys. Only the girls have a slightly over protective father (Larry Miller) who instituted a rule that prohibits Bianca from dating until her sister Kat starts dating (smart guy). So Bianca’s love interest, Joey (Andrew Keegan) hires bad boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to get Kat to fall for him, and date him, so that he can take Bianca to prom. In-between all of the confusion Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls for Bianca as well and does everything he can to win her heart.

I know the plot doesn’t offer up anything new, but the character development, solid acting, and great script by writers Kristen Smith and Karen McClullah Lutz make 10 Things I Hate About You an unforgettable teen comedy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and heath Ledger turn in some of their strongest most heartfelt performances and the supporting cast is stellar as well.

This is a classic teen movie that deserves to be in every fan’s collection. If you already own the DVD, do yourself a favor and drop the coin on the blu-ray, because it’s worth every penny to see this flick in 1080p. 10 Things I Hate About You is positively a killer film.

The Blu-ray

Audio/Video

The audio sounded good for a film like this. It was loud and clear, but was a little weak in spots with multiple cast members or extras, but for the most part it did what it was supposed to do. If it was an action flick I’d have been disappointed, but it works for a teen comedy. The video was stellar. The transfer boasted deep black, warm tones, and crisp colors.

Special Features

Commentary: Writers Kristen Smith and Karen McClullah Lutz and many of the flick’s actors discuss the film. I wasn’t particularly impressed with this commentary track, but it wasn’t a complete bust. Kristen and Karen were nice to listen to.

10 Things I Hate About You 10 Years Later: A solid documentary that hosts plenty of interviews and behind-the-scenes snippets to make it an enjoyable 36 minutes.

Overall this package’s supplemental materials were pretty slim for a 10th anniversary release, but in hindsight the flick looks great and that’s what really matters.

The Flick: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating: