There are few actors who can seamlessly blend into any genre so that when they pop up in a movie, there’s no disruption the flow of the film. Comedy, action, drama, horror, satire — he appears and your first thought is, “this tracks.” This thespian is, of course, the Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage whose work not only spans several decades, but whose recent work has demonstrated that he’s capable of not just quiet intensity (Pig) and brash grief (Mandy), but a self-awareness that enables him to embrace his public persona without sacrificing talent (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent). While each of these films were released with a certain splash, one recent release did not receive the same treatment, and that’s largely due to the timing of its release. Horror comedy Willy’s Wonderland was set for a theatrical opening in October 2020, but the pandemic shut that down, resulting in an initial February 2021 VOD release and *limited* theatrical before a physical edition dropped April of the same year. Now, roughly three years after its debut, the Kevin Lewis-directed (The Accursed) G.O. Parsons-written blood-soaked romp is getting the 4K UHD treatment via Scream Factory, joined by most of the special features that came before.
If you prefer to go into Willy’s Wonderland spoiler-free, head over to the initial release review. If you’d like to learn more about the film in a spoiler-filled context, head over to the initial home release review. In order to discuss the 4K UHD edition, there will be spoilers, so make your choice carefully.
Front L- Front R: Emily Tosta as Liv and Nicolas Cage as The Janitor in WILLY’S WONDERLAND.
In the small town of Hayesville, North Carolina, resides the defunct children’s entertainment party location Willy’s Wonderland. A vestige of its former self due to years of neglect after rampant horrors were found to have been performed within its walls by the serial killer owner and his fellow cannibalistic accomplices. The spirits of those murderous fiends continue to haunt the place, venturing out to quench their hunger for murder only when a sacrifice is failed to be delivered. This year, however, a man (Cage) driving through Hayesville is randomly chosen as the latest sacrifice, delivered to Willy’s under the guise as a one-time nighttime janitor to work off a debt for work on his car. What is expected to be an easy kill turns out to be anything but as the creatures of Willy’s, the local cops, and even a past survivor in the form of teenager Liv (Emily Tosta) all realize that the man isn’t locked up with them, but he’s locked up with them, and he’s determined to see the night through.
Considering that this film has been reviewed twice before, what follows will focus primarily on this edition of the release.
Nicolas Cage as The Janitor in WILLY’S WONDERLAND.
Cage’s full-on Harpo Marx homage is delightful as hell, especially when he stops mid-fight to take breaks (those were his instructions and he’s just trying to ensure he does his part to earn his ride back), but a good portion of the fun of Willy’s is how it looks and sounds. In this case, the audio is given a slight upgrade as it shifts from 5.1 surround sound/2.0 Stereo to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/2.0. What this means is that the sound is a higher quality auditory experience that allows for some compatibility with home theaters that are out-fitted with 7.1 setups. Both versions of the film (original Blu-ray and new 4K UHD) on the same 5.1 surround sound system and, frankly, there’s not enough of a noticeable difference where general audiences are going to feel impacted by the newer audio track. Here, the audio remains clear, clean, and well-balanced, allowing for the audience to feel immersed in the auditory aspects of the film. Of course, if you’ve got more sensitive ears or a higher-end system, you are more likely to notice the differences in audio tracks.
In terms of the visual components, this is a plus-and-minus situation brought on by the Dolby Vision and HDR-10 compatible 4K UHD disc. The big plus with 4K discs with HDR is the enhanced range of color, allowing for a more detailed natural picture, as well as deeper blacks and brighter colors. The benefits here are in close-up shots of the animatronics, such as a close-up of Willy’s eye where now we can make out the worn yellow-orange-red paint on his eyelids and the ways they’ve been scratched away to reveal the metal underneath. It’s a small detail, but one that’s far more noticeable with the 4K UHD edition than the regular Blu-ray. However, there’s also a great deal of shadows in the film, which means that faces, like Cage’s nameless man, can be more difficult to clearly discern with so much shadow across them. In an early sequence within the building as Cage takes a break and notices the covered pinball machine in the kitchen/breakroom, there’s a moment when the natural lighting of the scene casts a significant shadow across his face, obscuring the only manner he has to communicate and making any read of his expressive face near impossible. In the same scene on the Blu-ray, the shadow is far less dark, his face just slightly easier to see and understand. Additionally, on the 4K UHD disc, there’s also a more harsh orange to the earlier sequences whereas they come off as more brown on the Blu-ray — indicators of more color detail, but ones that hamper more than help the overall look and immersion.
In terms of bonus features, this is a little bit weird. It’s not uncommon for special features to be carried over from one prior release to another. These legacy features are often a way to ensure that new owners get the same access to things as old ones, even while offering a new package or video/audio experience with the same film. This Scream Factory release is odd in that all of the legacy features are present *except* for an image gallery of production design artwork. Both of the other image galleries are present, as are the four featurettes that offer insight into the making of the film. One can’t help but wonder if there’s some kind of rights issue that prevented the singular gallery to be missing. It’s not likely a space issue as the on-disc materials are all on the Blu-ray disc with nothing but the film on the 4K UHD disc.
Nicolas Cage as The Janitor in WILLY’S WONDERLAND.
Additionally, and this is a small thing, the Blu-ray disc is not a reskin of the prior 2021 Blu-ray disc. The artwork of the disc which once featured Cage now features a blood-covered Kathy (Caylee Cowan) as she’s attacked by Arty Aligator; the main menu is designed after the artwork used for the steelbook edition; and in place of the track “Willy’s Wonderland” over the menu, “The Birthday Song” plays instead. These are cosmetic changes, but it’s worth knowing what you’re getting before the purchase.
Emily Tosta as Liv in WILLY’S WONDERLAND.
Be advised that Scream Factory is also offering a steelbook edition of the 4K UHD release. The review copy provided by Scream is the standard 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo Pack and cannot offer any insight into what to expect from the steelbook in terms of external/internal design or total style. But, if that’s your thing, it appears to be the same two-disc combo as the standard 4K release.
L-R: Emily Tosta as Liv and Nicolas Cage as The Janitor in WILLY’S WONDERLAND.
As someone who’s thoroughly enjoyed Willy’s Wonderland each time I’ve watched it, the 4K UHD edition is not an exception to the rule. The film is still an entertaining blast filled with plenty of twists to turn the genre-expected elements on their heads. It also has one of the more unhinged Cage performances and it’s purely because the character (intentionally or otherwise) doesn’t speak, requiring the performer to use everything else to convey an entire backstory and current intention through choice and action. The trick with this specific release edition, though, is that it’s missing one art gallery and the HDR often gets in the way of the genre goodness, giving us a natural look when less is more. In that vein, if 4K editions are your thing, that this release also includes the Blu-ray means that you have two different versions to select from based on your desire. It does also mean that, while you are getting better picture and sound, you may lose a little something of the magic in the process.
Choose wisely, birthday boy. Choose wisely.
Willy’s Wonderland Blu-ray Special Features:
- Inside the Fun: The Making of Willy’s Wonderland (7:39)
- Set Tour with Christian Del Grosso (2:18)
- Colorful Darkness and the Demon-Atrons: The Production Design of Willy’s Wonderland (1:45)
- Fresh Meat (The Cast) (1:12)
- Teaser Character Artwork Gallery
- Character Artwork Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
Available on VOD and digital February 12th, 2021.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD April 13th, 2021.
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo and 4K UHD Steelbook Combo February 13th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Screen Media Films Willy’s Wonderland webpage.
To purchase, head to the official Shout! Studios Willy’s Wonderland 4K UHD Blu-ray or 4K UHD Steelbook webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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