Search - Wildboyz - The Complete First Season on DVD

More Animal Hijinks!

Cubist | United States | 04/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tired of the over-earnestness of The Crocodile Hunter and Jeff Corwin? Those crazy Wildboyz are back for a second season filled with more snake bites and animal poop jokes than you can shake a stick at. This season is a mix of countries they visited last time around with some new places too. They haven't messed around with the formula at all (if ain't broke, why fix it, right?) as Chris Pontius and Steve-O mix it up with various dangerous animals and insects while also performing all kinds of gross out stunts that usually involve both of them puking their guts out at some point.

The Florida episode is, without a doubt, the most entertaining one as the boys hook up with animal expert Manny Puig, venomous snake expert David Weathers and "movie star" Johnny Knoxville who is his typical smart-ass self. The highlight of this episode occurs when Knoxville pulls a practical joke on Steve-O, fooling him into believing that he's been mortally wounded by a lethal snake. As Knoxville is being "rushed" to the hospital, he tells Steve-O that it was all a joke.

What makes the Wildboyz work so well is that they don't take themselves too seriously. The relationship between the whiney Steve-O and the happy-go-lucky Chris works well and their dynamic is only improved when they include someone like Manny or Knoxville into the mix. This season certainly won't convert fans who didn't like the first one but those who love watching these goofy guys take the piss out of animal shows like The Crocodile Hunter will find a lot to enjoy with these episodes.

Disc one features an audio commentary on every episode by Chris, Steve-O and co-creators/producers Jeff Tremaine and Dimitry Elyashkevich. Wee-Man joins them on his episode (Kenya) and Knoxville joins them on his two (Florida and Indonesia) - not surprisingly, these are the best commentaries of the bunch. They are often chaotic affairs as everyone proceeds to make fun of Steve-O and crack jokes at what we are watching.

Disc two starts off with deleted footage from each episode that totals 40 minutes! It's really a shame some of this footage was cut, for example, in Australia Chris and Steve-O have salt water crocodiles swim between their legs and then they dive in their tank!

There is also a 20-minute collection of outtakes and bloopers that include, most interestingly, fall-out from certain segments, like just how painful the ant glove incident was for Chris and Steve-O.

"Wildboyz Unclothed," is a behind-the-scenes look at the Costa Rica episode that shows how certain segments, like Steve-O's bungee jump, came together.

"Wildboyz Encyclopedia" is the "educational" extra that takes a look at a particular animal from one of the episodes and allows you to view a clip from said segment showing the animal in action.

There is also a trivia game which tests your knowledge of Season 2 and rewards all the right answers with a previously unseen clip that maybe should have been left unseen.

"Bite List" gives a run down of how many animal bites Chris and Steve-O have received over the season, where on their body and in which country.

Finally, there is a photo gallery of most of the episodes with captions for each picture which is a nice idea."

Brilliant nature show!

Mr. Ben | mid-michigan | 11/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do not watch this show if you have a weak stomach! There are numerous instances where the Wildboyz engage in antics featuring animal feces! They both get hurt quite often, but never very badly. The worst injury actually happens to their cameraman who is scratched by a Cheetah (and he needed 7 stitches). That being said, this show is hilarious! It is easily funnier than most programming out there on TV, and it does in fact have a respect for nature. If nothing else, you'll realize that there's a reason these species have survived for so long.

One thing that is also great about this set is that the episodes are consistantly good. i can't say that there is one "best" in the set, simply because they are all so strong. There is virtually no stunt repetition (unless you count the "black mamba" which is just goofy). Also worth checking out is the interaction the Wildboyz have with native peoples. Be they Zulu or Eskimo, Steve-O and Chris put on a show for the people.

The DVD has a good load of extras, with easter eggs that are actually worth finding. The extras inlcude some funny deleted bits, some funny outtakes and a surprisingly strong making-of video (along with other obligatory extras). A great plus to such a unique show.
It is such a strange show in that on the one hand they can do very disgusting and stupid things, but at the same time have a respect for nature. Animals are stupid, but so are humans. These guys push the limits and risk their lives. As Chris says in the first episode, "Its a jungle out there, and we're Tarzan.""

Tired of Animal Planet?

Cubist | United States | 10/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine The Crocodile Hunter mixed with the antics of Jackass and you have a pretty good idea of what Wildboyz is all about. After the demise of Jackass, Steve-O and Chris Pontius did some soul-searching and decided to become "research scientists." To this end, they now travel the globe "studying" wild animals in their natural habitats and experience the local customs and practices indigenous to that area. What does this all mean? Plenty of Jackass-style gross-outs, captured in eight episodes on this solid 2-DVD set.

Wildboyz is a sly spoof of those old Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom shows with Marlon Perkins. As if to further reinforce the ridiculousness of these kinds of shows, there is even a faux British narrator who establishes every segment. Each episode is set in a specific area of the world (Alaska, Belize, Australia) and features Chris and Steve-O "studying" an animal or insect (or snake) and then getting bitten, clawed or otherwise maimed. They never hurt the animals. Nine times out of ten it is they who are hurt by said creature. Along for the ride on most shows is animal expert, Manny Puig, a wild-haired, scruffy looking dude who doesn't look like he'd be an expert of anything but seems to keep the boys out of trouble and offers the occasional bit of sage advice. Johnny Knoxville even makes an appearance in an episode set in Florida and fakes a fatal snake bite as a practical joke on Steve-O.

What makes the show work so well is the personalities of Chris and Steve-O and the dynamic between them. Chris is the braver of the two (in one episode, he sneaks up on a jaguar) while Steve-O is the scaredy-cat (and is often the first to run at the sign of any kind of danger). They make a great team and seem to be genuinely having fun and impart a love for animals.

Each episode features an audio commentary by Chris, Steve-O, series' director Jeff Tremaine and executive producer, Dimitry Elyashkevich. These are funny tracks as everyone jokes and makes fun of Steve-O for being such a coward. These are wonderfully chaotic and entertaining tracks-a must-listen for any fan of the show.

"The Making of Wildboyz" is a playful and irreverent look at the show with interviews with Steve-O, Chris, Manny and Jeff Tremaine. Chris and Steve-O talk about their experiences with clips of some of their most memorable moments on the show.

Also included is "Bonus Footage" from all the episodes, including lots of blown lines to introductions for various segments.

There is a snazzy "Photo Gallery" that features pics from all the episodes with captions. Nice touch!

There are two music videos for Turbonegro, who do the show's theme song (sadly, none of them are for that song).

There are biographies and interviews with Steve-O and Chris (anyone who quotes Led Zeppelin is okay in my books).

"Bite List" is a comprehensive list of bites that Chris and Steve-O have taken from various animals in the first season. Chris edges out Steve-O 18 to 17.

"Wildboyz Encyclopedia" supports my lame theory that Wildboyz is also an educational show. This extra gives you the low-down on an animal from each one of the episodes and a clip from said show. For example, one can learn about the giant squid from New Zealand.

Finally, there are outtakes from all the episodes, including Chris mixing it up with a "mean" camel. There is a very impressive amount of extra footage not seen on the show.

Tired of the wholesome family fun of Steve Irwin? Sick of Jeff Corwin's earnest shtick? Then, look no further. The Wildboyz is the gonzo nature show for you. There's plenty of macho action with men throwing up, running way from wild animals and bitten by nasty insects. The show is all in good fun and really should be viewed that way. This is 2-DVD set is crammed with extras (more than I expected) that fans of the show will spend hours enjoying."

UNCENSORED!!!!!!!!

Michael A. Torres | Tucson, Arizona United States | 11/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just to let everyone know, if you read a DUMMY'S review who said that this is censored, don't listen to him! I just bought this dvd today and it is 100% UNCENSORED!!! Cuss words, nudity, etc. I just though that I would let everyone know!"