I Still Know What You Did Last Summer Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray video presentation of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" by Sony is a mixed bag that swings between adequacy and disappointment. It harbors an overall 1080p resolution on a 2.40:1 frame, which, while promising, fails to consistently deliver the visual clarity and depth one might expect from a catalog title by Sony. The color reproduction across the board displays a wide spectrum, with instances where hues appear vibrant and natural, yet in several scenes, colors drift towards the unrealistic, being either dimmed or excessively saturated. Specific attention to contrast and brightness settings reveals an elevation that inadvertently leads to washed-out blacks and whites, occasionally causing scenes to lose their visual impact and depth—a problem compounded by shadow sequences that, while retaining some detail, often appear flat or overly processed, lacking the dimensional quality seen in brighter, daylit scenes.

Detail and texture vary significantly throughout the film, from college campus exteriors and interiors capturing a decent level of intricacy to numerous softer shots that obscure finer details. Certain elements, like the distinct straw hat in chapter four, demonstrate a better resolution, suggesting inconsistent quality control during the transfer process. Furthermore, facial textures and skin tones exhibit a tendency towards being overly smooth and unnaturally tinted, particularly underlining an evident heavy-handed post-processing with a conspicuous absence of film grain, leading to visuals that sometimes appear sterile. Despite some scenes displaying adequate depth and a handful of daylight shots offering a semblance of three-dimensional pop, the overall impression leans towards a presentation that is less definitive, marked by a softness that does not fully do justice to the original film texture.

Contrary to expectations set by Sony's previous catalog releases, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" on Blu-ray does not quite rise to the occasion. With fluctuating black levels, visible color banding in places, and an overall lack of vibrancy in darker scenes, the video quality sporadically distracts from the viewing experience. Although it navigates through varying degrees of visual fidelity—from the fairly detailed to the decidedly bland—the transfer ultimately presents a film that feels flat and lifeless, devoid of the vitality expected from a modern HD presentation. This inconsistency suggests a certain neglect toward fully leveraging the film's atmospheric potential, leaving it entrenched in mediocrity rather than allowing it to slash its way out with visual flair.

The audio presentation of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" on Blu-ray, featuring Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtracks in English, French, and Portuguese, offers a competent yet not groundbreaking auditory experience. Across the board, dialogue is well-rendered, maintaining clarity and sharpness, ensuring that it cleanly cuts through the mix without overpowering other elements. This balance is particularly noticeable in scenes dense with atmospheric sounds, such as the film's opening in a church and during a downpour in the climactic sequences. These moments showcase the mix’s ability to create a believable auditory space, where sound effects from rain to the ambient noise of a nightclub are positioned to envelop the listener, albeit without reaching the heights of audio immersion seen in more contemporarily mixed films.

The soundtrack adeptly handles both the diegetic music encountered in club scenes—with rock tunes initially bursting with energy before receding to make room for dialogue—and the score's attempts at heightening tension through sudden loud noises and shocks. While these jolts aim to contribute to the horror atmosphere, they come across as somewhat predictable elements of the genre's audio design. The bass response, though not ground-breaking, is effectively used to lend weight to certain scenes, enhancing the overall impact without venturing into over-exaggeration.

There's a noticeable effort to make use of the rear channels, particularly evident during the storm scenes where the sound of thunder and rain adds to the film's setting and mood. Discrete effects such as environmental sounds do bring some depth to the soundscape, though there are remarks on the overall mix feeling slightly constrained. The addition of multiple language tracks and a wide selection of subtitles makes this release accessible to a broader audience, even if it doesn’t push the boundaries of what modern home audio systems can achieve.

The Blu-ray release of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" offers a modest collection of extras, largely mirroring those found on previous DVD editions and predominantly presented in standard definition (SD). A brief Making of Featurette delves into the basics of production, touching upon the filming location in Mexico intended to mimic the Bahamas and includes general cast and crew praises for the film, offering little depth. The "How Do I Deal" music video by Jennifer Love Hewitt, the film's lead, provides a musical addition to the extra content but fails to leave a lasting impression. Additional materials consist of the theatrical trailer and high-definition (HD) previews for “21” and “Starship Troopers 3: Marauder,” alongside BD-Live functionality for interactive content. This collection ultimately comes off as underwhelming, with its most substantial features feeling more obligatory than enriching, catering to completists or casual fans seeking a basic enhancement to their viewing experience.

Extras included in this disc:

• Making of Featurette: A general overview of the film's production, featuring insights from cast and crew.
• How Do I Deal - Music Video: Performed by Jennifer Love Hewitt.
• Theatrical Trailer: A brief promotional piece for the film.
• HD BD Previews: High-definition trailers for the movies 21 and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.
• BD-Live enabled: Offers access to additional online content.

"I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" returns with a sense of hollow continuation rather than a fresh sequel, anchored barely by the reappearance of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. as they navigate through a narrative that stretches the credibility of its original premise to its breaking point. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Bahamas, the film attempts to transplant the eerie atmosphere of its predecessor into a tropical setting, but ends up lost in a storm of clichés and uninspired plot developments. Despite the exotic locale's promise for a new direction, the sequel falls victim to the typical pitfalls of horror follow-ups, prioritizing recycled scare tactics over genuine tension or innovative storytelling.

From the technical side, the film employs decent production values, yet it's marred by a derivative script that scarcely utilizes its setting or characters to any meaningful effect. The narrative hinges on an absurdly convoluted plot, with antagonist Ben Willis lacking the menacing presence required to sustain the horror across this expanded geography. The kills, pivotal to any slasher's appeal, are executed with an over-the-top flair that leans more towards unintentional comedy than horror, undermining any semblance of fear they might have otherwise instigated. This sequel doesn't just struggle with pacing and originality; it also suffers from performances that range from disinterested to caricatured, doing little to elevate the material they're given.

Moreover, the film squanders the opportunity to build upon the psychological trauma of its central character Julie James, offering repetitive scenarios that dilute her paranoia rather than exploring it in any impactful manner. Amidst occasional moments that hint at potential—the struggle of moving past trauma, the dynamics among survivors—the movie ultimately succumbs to tedious repetition and lazy scripting, easily predicting its every move. Even with a connection to previous events and a semblance of continuity in character arcs, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" stands as a testament to how swiftly a horror franchise can devolve when it forsakes the essence of what made its original intriguing for mere replication without innovation.

The Blu-ray presentation of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" leaves much to be desired, both in terms of film quality and technical presentation. Despite being showcased on a calibrated JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector and being played on high-quality players such as the Oppo BDP-83 Universal disc/Blu-ray Player and Sony Playstation 3, the movie fails to deliver anything beyond a mediocre viewing experience. The transfer, while not terrible, certainly does not exploit the full capabilities of the hardware, resulting in an underwhelming visual presentation. The lossless soundtrack is serviceable but doesn't dazzle, reflecting the film’s lackluster effort to rekindle the eerie atmosphere of its predecessor.

Technical aspects aside, the movie itself is a disappointment, embodying the lowest points of the Teen Slasher genre with its uninspired plot, forgettable characters, and lack of genuine scares. The decision by Sony to release this sequel with minimal supplements and an adequate yet unimpressive audio-visual quality mirrors the film's rushed and profit-driven conception. It stands as a sequel that not only fails to live up to the first installment's charm but also diminishes the overall impact of the franchise.

In conclusion, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" on Blu-ray serves as a cautionary tale of sequelitis where neither the film's content nor its physical presentation justify the investment. The Blu-ray, despite being compatible with high-end audiovisual equipment, fails to elevate the movie’s flawed execution. It's advisable for only the most ardent fans of the franchise to consider adding this to their collection, and even then, waiting for a significant price reduction would be wise. This release underlines a missed opportunity to revitalize a sequel with quality presentation and serves as a stark reminder of how low-effort content translates into an equally uninspiring home entertainment experience.