Can't Hardly Wait - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

This film is approaching its 30-year anniversary but somehow still feels timeless with its factions of stereotypical teenagers in high school. But there is a sweetness to this film and a wonderful love story through a series of mishaps and comedy that somehow manages to still conjure up laughs and warm feelings in the heart three decades later. This movie manages to capture the soul of the '90s with its music selection, wardrobe, and dialogue, and with the absence of social media and video cameras, the camaraderie feels real and brings everyone back to a time when parties were actually fun. 

What Can't Hardly Wait does so well is that it follows a guy who doesn't belong to one of those infamous cliques in high school. He's not a jock nor a nerd. He's not even in choir, a member of the marching band, or even a '90s hippie who smokes too much weed. He's just Preston. Other students know him only a little bit and describe him as having hair, being tall, and wearing tee shirts - sometimes. Thus, Preston floats like a feather through those scary informative years through the hallways of growing up, avoiding fights, popularity, and getting in trouble in order to be a professional writer. But on graduation day, Preston gains the confidence to profess his love to a fellow student who he has admired for four years in a grand romantic gesture inside a letter. 

But a series of unfortunate events at an after-party has Preston trying to avoid everything he has successfully navigated at high school all in one night. But the sheer determination and these characters wearing their hearts on their sleeves are what give the film its soul that has lasted for thirty years. The way these kids feel about each other and take an active interest whether it is signing a yearbook or getting trapped in a bathroom showcases their ability to adapt, remember where they come from, and form new friendships in a sweet way without the use of social media and video every piece of narcissistic pranks that may come their way. This all-star cast leads the way for the ultimate party of a somewhat older coming-of-age story that might be so far-fetched, yet be cooked with pure sweetness in the end. Can't Hardly Wait stands the test of time and should make anyone who watches it want to take the night off and party with their high school friends one last time. 

For another take, here's Peter Bracke's Review from 2008

The best teen films are universal. It doesn't matter that the fictional Huntington Hills High in 'Can't Hardly Wait' is a bit too homogeneous (and filled with far better-looking kids) than the schools we likely attended in our youth. Nor that the big, final blow-out party that the graduating class in the film attends probably wouldn't enjoy such a cross-section of disparate types and personalities. What matters in a teen film like 'Can't Hardly Wait' is that by creating a recognizable microcosm of teen life and plopping it squarely in the middle of Anytown, U.S.A., it allows all of us to see some aspect of our own high school experience reflected at us. 'Can't Hardly Wait is a fine example of this, a movie that may be slight in plot but makes up for it with subtle insight and likable, winning characters.

Written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfront, 'Can't Hardly Wait' takes place entirely during a single night, and with many subplots and side stories interwoven throughout. Our main protagonists are probably everygirl Denise (Lauren Ambrose), who isn't the party type but tags along with her sorta-dorky best friend Preston (Ethan Embry) because he's had a long-standing crush on the most beautiful girl in school, Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt). Preston has a note that he's written for Amanda, and is planning to finally profess his love, especially now that her relationship with her jerky jock boyfriend Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli) is on the rocks.

Meanwhile, uber-geek William ('Hook's Charlie Korsmo) has his sights set on Dexter, only in a different way. He's been at the mercy of the jock's torments for years, and tonight will finally see William stage his comeuppance. Throughout all of this is poor Kenny (Seth Green), aka Vanilla Ice-lite, who is just about as cool as the "Ice Ice Baby" superstar. In classic teen movie fashion, Kenny just wants to lose his virginity, and he'll spend all night trying to do it. As all of these characters' paths converge, they'll learn some painful teen lessons, forge new friendships, and even find their romantic dreams fulfilled in unexpected ways.

'Can't Hardly Wait' is a contained (and far less ambitious) version of 'American Graffiti.' It's got the same rambling, cross-cutting narrative style, which helps give the film a loose and natural energy (it's no surprise to learn on the supplements that a great deal of improv happened on the set). Nothing of grand relevance happens, nor is this a slice of life filled with small, dramatic moments. The film merely depicts an event that, because we understand the end of high school will ultimately be of far more significance than these kids are yet able to realize, takes on a narrative weight under our hindsight. That gives 'Can't Hardly Wait' a wistful nostalgia almost by accident and despite its slightness.

The film also knows about the teen film's conventions, which gives it a post-modern panache. Elfront and Kaplan were no doubt inspired by the classic John Hughes films of the '80s as they crib parts from all of his films, from the geeky party shenanigans of 'Sixteen Candles to the more somber, introspective characterizations of 'The Breakfast Club,' to the romantic pathos of 'Pretty in Pink.' That 'Can't Hardly Wait' was produced at the end of the '90s is fitting, too, as it is to the teen films of the '80s what 'Scream' was to the teen slasher flicks of the same era. 'Can't Hardly Wait' is minor yet arguably more influential than it's given credit for. The film made a pastiche of familiar genre conventions but updated it with a then-hip young cast and self-knowing character humor of the kind that would later be mined by such hit teen TV series as 'Dawson's Creek,' 'The OC' and today's 'Gossip Girl.'

Like any good teen film, 'Can't Hardly Wait' is fun to watch simply because it takes recognizable character types and gives them relatable stories. Few of us can't recognize the kids in the film, and who can't remember that last big blow-out of high school before the anxieties and disappointments of the adult world beckoned? That 'Can't Hardly Wait' enjoys such a great cast of now-recognizable faces only makes it more resonant. While this isn't a classic teen film -- it just doesn't tackle the kind of meaty concerns to grant it iconic status -- it's one of the better the genre has seen in recent years. Here's one '90s teen flick that's worth revisiting.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Can't Hardly Wait parties its way to 4K + Digital Code via Columbia Pictures and Sony. The sole disc is housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. There is an insert for a digital code. The artwork resembles the original poster artwork with the six main characters on the front cover having a good ol' time. 

Can't Hardly Wait finally arrives at the party with a new 2160p UHD 4K transfer with Dolby Vision. It's been over 15 years since Can't Hardly Wait was released on those early years of Blu-ray which didn't quite exactly look pristine. However, in 2024, this exquisite new 4K image looks wonderful and feels like watching the movie for the first time all over again.

The colors are more realistic and toned down a bit do not utilize that intense warm glow that the previous version had. The interiors of the house party still have those brown and beige walls with dark wood that look amazing. The party wardrobe is now more fluid and has a colder look with big pops of brightness in the band's clothing, and especially on Kenny's blue and green jacket. The light blue pool water mixes well with the green grass in the backyard and the nighttime sky above with its inky black levels. This new image with Dolby Vision allows for the warm aesthetic of the '90s inside a teenage house party with bursts of great primary colors.

The detail is sharper and more vivid this time around as well. Closeups reveal makeup applications, individual hairs and stubble, facial pores, beads of sweat, acne, freckles, and even bubbles in the beer cups. Textures on the dresses, tee shirts, jackets, and more all look amazing in the warm interiors. The skin tones are way more natural on this 4K release too. There are no problems with banding, aliasing, or heavy noise. This is a much-needed upgrade that looks amazing. 

Now this is how to revitalize a '90s film with a Dolby Atmos track. This release does in fact come with that amazing Dolby Atmos mix that utilizes the impressive soundtrack of songs from the '90s that sounds like the viewer is front row for a concert. But the smooth transition of noises at the house party from speaker to speaker is simply phenomenal and creates a fully immersive listening experience. People talking, screaming, and laughing from all locations inside the house are consistently heard by each speaker and change spaces as the characters wander in and outside the house.  

Sound effects of glass breaking, pool splashes, and alcohol being opened all sound wonderful here. But the music choices are where the Dolby Atmos track comes in with a big punch in almost every scene. The height speakers pick up the students partying from upstairs as well. The dialogue is always clean, clear, and easy to follow. There are no issues with any audio dropouts or scratches. 

There are about 60 minutes of bonus features, plus two commentary tracks. There are NO new extras, but all of the previous bonus features have been included here and are worth watching. Hopefully one of these days, there will be a big retrospective of this film with the A-List talent coming back to discuss the film. 

• Audio Commentary feturing Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, star Seth Green, and Betty Thomas. 
• Audio Commentary featuring Elfont and Kaplan, Seth Green, Peter Facinelli, Joel Michaely, and Donald Faison.
• Featurette: "Huntington Hills High Class of '98 Reunion" (HD, 27 minutes) 
• Featurette: "Can't Hardly Wait: The Making of a Teen Classic" (HD, 14 minutes) 
• Featurette: "The Life of the Party" (HD, 9 minutes) 
• Trivia Track - Dubbed "Special K's 411 Track, Yo!", 
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 7 minutes) 
• Smash Mouth 'Can't Get Enough of You Baby' Music Video (SD)

Can't Hardly Wait is still one of the best high school movies that doesn't revolve around sex. There's a sweetness to it and a ton of comedy in each scene. Not to mention, almost every actor in this film went on to become A-list household names today. The new 4K image with Dolby Vision is a wonderful upgrade and the Dolby Atmos audio track sounds excellent. All of the great bonus martial has been transferred over too. This is Highly Recommended!