Wild Chicks - DVD

Film: The comedy Abserviert (OT: Waiting) was a small surprise success in 2005. With actors like Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Anna Faris and the American star comedian Dane Cook, the film had quite a prominent cast and with its shameless humor, Dumped managed to become a small cult hit. Now Wild Chicks, the sequel shot four years after the first part, is available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The prominent actors are admittedly no longer there. Only Justin Long makes a cameo appearance. From the first part are only some supporting actors still on board. And also the gags are rather second guard, which apparently should be compensated with skimpier outfits for the actresses and a bit cruder humor.

The ShenaniganZ is in deep crisis. Not only does new manager Dennis (John Michael Higgins) seem completely overwhelmed with his job. In addition, the competition with the direct neighbor, the Ta-Ta's Poultry Hut, has reached a new dimension. While the sexy waitresses there in short shorts and tight tops attract the mostly male clientele in droves, the ShenaniganZ remains frighteningly empty - and that could mean the end for the store. Dennis must try everything to increase sales. To do that, he'll have to take on the Ta-Ta's manager - and that's former ShenaniganZ employee Calvin (Rob Benedict), of all people, who's long gone from being the shy kid he was a few years ago.

Director Jeff Balis, who was involved in Dumped as a producer and also made a mini-guest appearance there as a customer at ShenaniganZ, as he did in the second installment, sticks closely to the concept of the first film, adopting many of the ideas almost 1:1. However, as is usual with a sequel, Wild Chicks naturally tries to top its predecessor. However, Balis apparently believes he can do this by focusing almost exclusively on dialogue and jokes that happen below the belt. While it's nice that some of the cast from the first part could be brought back in front of the camera for at least brief appearances here. And when, for example, the waitresses at Ta-Ta's Poultry Hut are shown making the guests sweat and collecting massive tips, while the crew from ShenaniganZ has to deal with stingy pensioners, it can definitely be called amusing.

But overall, the film just seems too much like a flat, low-level rip-off to still be considered successful. Steve Howey, for example, seems like a desperate and much worse Ryan Reynolds clone in the role of the wannabe Casanova Angew. If Jeff Balis had tried a little harder to be original with the characters and the story, while keeping the level a little higher and not constantly reaching into the fecal matter box, Wild Chicks could certainly have been quite funny. The potential is definitely there. As it is, however, this comedy will really only appeal to viewers who found the American Pie movies too pretentious and who love Hollywood comedies of the extremely crude kind.

Picture + Sound: Since only a data-reduced press sample was available for testing, no rating can be given at this point about the final picture and sound quality.

Extras: Also the bonus material could not be sighted on the press DVD. However, announced are an audio commentary, cut scenes, outtakes, a featurette and trailers. Sounds like a decent bonus package.

Conclusion: Wild Chicks is unfortunately not as funny as its predecessor Dumped, which was also already not a particularly sophisticated work. For whom the gags like to be particularly raunchy and the outfits of the actresses can not be scarce enough, but may be able to spend a few entertaining minutes in front of the TV here.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp