Into the Wild (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
April 2008 Reviewed by: Mischa Hayek Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Into the Wild tells the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsh), a recent graduate of Emory College who, in 1990, turned his back on his parents, Walt (William Hurt) and Billie (Marcia Gay Harden), and their affluent life and set out on a two-year cross-country journey. Into the Wild is told in flashbacks, beginning with McCandless’s arrival in Alaska, toward the end of his journey, and his discovery of the "Magic Bus," an abandoned school bus in the wilderness that serves as his home. McCandless’s Alaskan experiences are interspersed with his road adventures, which ultimately lead him north.

Director Sean Penn does not paint a glamorous picture of life on the road. To some, the characters McCandless meets will be charming and fascinating; to others, they will seem like pathetic losers whose advice is, at best, questionable. Nonetheless, it’s a joy to follow McCandless on his journey, never knowing where he will end up or whom he will meet.

Penn made sure this film was shot big and with glorious natural backdrops. As a result, the video image looks impressive for its vast, picturesque quality that shows excellent detail, at least for DVD. The colors are also entirely natural and, for the most part, vibrant when they need to be. The only thing that’s lacking is the umpteenth level of resolution, which a high-definition transfer would provide. In fact, I bet the HD DVD (no Blu-ray right now; that’ll change) looks fantastic.

As for the sound quality, it’s very good for movie sound. However, when you compare the Eddie Vedder-penned songs that dominate the soundtrack with the CD of the same name, you realize that the Dolby Digital mix lacks the detail and vibrancy that the music-only disc provides. Still, if you haven’t heard the CD, you won’t likely be disappointed with what’s played back here.

On the second disc are the bonus features, which consist of a theatrical trailer, and two featurettes. "Into the Wild: The Experience" consists of interviews with the actors, director, editor, and director of photography among others concerning their experiences making the film -- often on location. One senses that it was a difficult film to make, because it was filmed at the actual locales where McCandless traveled. Nothing was filmed on a comfortable set. The other featurette, "Into the Wild: The Story, The Characters," focuses more on the many characters in the movie -- as the title suggests -- and director Penn and others give more insight into what motivated them to be a part of this film. Everyone interviewed is a little too much in awe of everyone else involved in the production, but this feature is still interesting and fun to watch.

Sean Penn wrote the screenplay, based on Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book of the same title, and created the quintessential road movie. But unlike most road movies, Into the Wild is not only about one person’s physical journey, but about his mental journey as well. Whether or not McCandless actually learned anything on his trip will be a topic for discussion. Did he set out on the road for the right reasons, or was he doomed from the start? This unique, rewarding, and thought-provoking film garnered many awards at local and international film festivals and will be remembered as one of the best films of 2007.

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