Seriously… was a director’s cut of this film really needed? Extended versions of The Lord of the Rings films are welcome, but come on now, The New Guy? This disc includes a mere 4 extra minutes of footage, all of which adds to the back-story; so for those of you hoping of a little bit of added ranch… sorry. You have probably read it before, but here is the premise…
- ”Terminally nerdy Dizzy Harrison (Qualls) is routinely laughed at, ridiculed and picked on. His senior year is nothing but an exercise in pain…and torture. So Dizzy decides to change his luck. After purposely getting expelled from school, he enrolls in a rival high school with a new look, becomes a major stud and finds himself the big man on campus-complete with girls, popularity and more girls! But when his past resurfaces and threatens to expose the real Dizzy, he must rise to the occasion to show the world exactly what he’s all about.” – Columbia-Tristar
Video
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is marginally better then the transfer found on the original DVD release for this film. The few added scenes have been seamlessly cut into this new version of the film. The overall visual feel is good, with crisp color and decent contrast, but there is still a mild grain through most the film.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track for this disc is pretty standard fare for a comedy film. The sound is focused around the front/center channels, and the surrounds channels are used sporadically. The bass level was lower then desired from most of the film, but the overall left/right sound separation was pretty good.
Special Features
With a brand-spanking new release of the is film on DVD, you would think that Columbia-Tristar would put some effort into adding some valuable content in terms of extras. This is not the case here. The only main addition from the previous release is an audio commentary with director Ed Decter and the cast. This commentary helps to shed light onto where new footage was added and why. Other then this track, the other extras can also be found on the original DVD release… a music video and trailers.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoyed this film, and do not already own The New Guy on DVD, this is the version to pick up. There was no real need for this disc to ever be released since it does not really add substantial value over the original release, but it is a marginally better overall DVD presentation.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary with cast & crew
- Music Video
- Trailers
