Blu-ray Review: Whip It

Release Date: January 26th
Running Time: 111 minutes

The Film

Many people have no idea that roller derby still exists, but it’s not the same sport that was prominent in the ‘70s. In the early 2000s the sport was revived in Austin, Texas with a new underground, do-it-yourself flavor mixing spectacle and real contact sport athleticism. It is an empowering experience for the women involved as they have sexy and strong alter egos that allow them to set aside their daily lives and be superstars. My wife is involved in the LA Derby Dolls so the sport is very close to me. When I saw previews for Whip It I feared it would be a sappy affair that wouldn’t do the sport justice. Foot in my mouth, I can say I was pleasantly surprised. The directorial debut of Drew Barrymore is an energetic good time; too bad the Blu-ray is nearly devoid of special features.

The film is based on the novel by Shauna Cross, a former LA Derby Doll. Ellen Page stars as Bliss Cavendar, a 17-year-old living in the podunk town of Bodine, Texas. She participates in countless beauty pageants to please her mother (Marcia Gay Harden). While working as a waitress with her friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat), Bliss dreams of escaping the tiny suburb to find something to embrace as her own.

One day while shopping in Austin, Bliss sees a group of strong, tattooed roller girls handing out fliers for the next roller derby match. Enamored, Bliss and Pash sneak out to the bout and Bliss falls in love with the sport. Roller girls on the team the “Hurl Scouts” draw her attention, particularly: Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig); Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell); Rosa Sparks (Eve); and Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore). Upon praising the team, Maggie Mayhem suggests Bliss tries out. You have to be 21, but Bliss lies and says she is 22. During an after party she also falls for a boy in a local band.

Bliss tries out and impresses coach Razor (Andrew Wilson) with her speed. She is selected to be on the Hurl Scouts and tells her parents she is taking an SAT prep course in order to attend practices. Bliss, now dubbed Babe Ruthless, continues to improve and soon finds a nemesis on another team named Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis). But lying to her parents about her passion, and to her team about her age, it is only a matter of time before things begin to unravel for Bliss. Yet the conflict forces Bliss to fight for what she loves and become her own hero.

The acting in Whip It far surpassed my expectations. First and foremost I was very impressed with Ellen’s skating skills, and her character never reminded me of Juno (something I feel Ellen has struggled with before). The supporting players are memorable and fun as well: Barrymore’s carefree aggressiveness; Wiig’s dry delivery; Bell’s obvious physical talents, etc. Andrew Wilson practically stole the show as passionate coach Razor, and even Jimmy Fallon had his moments. Outside of the derby scenes the parent characters were memorable as well. Daniel Stern as the understanding “cool” father was the perfect foil to Marcia Gay Harden’s overbearing but lovable mother role. I could have done without the requisite love story, but it thankfully plays second fiddle to Bliss’ love for the sport. I never went into the film expecting to care about the characters or story; I was only interested in the derby aspect, so kudos to everyone.

As a representation of roller derby, Whip It definitely succeeded in capturing the spirit of the sport. If you’ve ever been to a bout you know it has a unique feel of a party, a contact sport, and a concert all in one. Barrymore’s direction of the bouts showed a good understanding of the sport and featured some decent camera direction, especially for a first time director with no real experience filming action. The film also portrays the camaraderie and pure love for the sport that I see in my wife’s own experiences. Yes the film does have some sports movie clichés, but derby is so unique and fresh that those moments don’t draw attention to themselves. When all is said and done Whip It is a very well rounded film and a great time. The previews, which seemed very sappy, did NOT do the film justice. If you are at all interested in what roller derby is all about then Whip It should be at the top of your list.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.40:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Primary colors pop off the screen, most notably in the stylish uniforms and the grandeur of the bouts. Inky black levels preserve excellent shadow detail. Fine detail is consistently solid in close up shots and costume textures, and it even holds up with some notable background detail and depth. There are some rare soft shots, but they hardly detract from the experience. There are no serious technical problems such as compression artifacts or video noise. For a smaller film that didn’t do huge money, this is a hell of a transfer.

The video is presented in an English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio track and Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/Spanish subtitles. The mix features crisp sound design, though it does tend to be front heavy. The bouts are the most sonically impressive moments, featuring crunching hits, palpable crowd atmosphere, and energetic music. The dialogue is always the primary focus, and the soundtrack is balanced throughout. If anything I felt like the mix could have been just a touch more detailed and aggressive to really get a spot-on feel for the energy of derby, but again the mix is technically very well done.

The Extras

I found the meager selection of special features very disappointing. They had a chance to shed more light on the sport through revival documentaries or training featurettes. Though I’m not a fan of commentaries, I would have loved to hear more about Drew Barrymore’s experiences as a first time director.

“Fox Movie Channel Presents Writer’s Draft: Shauna Cross of Whip It” (3 minutes) is an interview with the author/screenwriter who briefly touches on her own time as a Derby Doll. This could have been a very solid segment except it is far too short to get in-depth about any one topic.

8 Deleted (mostly extended) scenes and an Alternate Opening run 16 minutes and would not have added anything more to the film.

A 30-second soundtrack advertisement spot is offered as well.

Lastly, a Digital Copy of the film is included.

Final Thoughts

Whip It is a highly enjoyable film with a solid technical Blu-ray release that completely drops the ball in the extra content department. Still, I would recommend renting the title for anyone interested in the underground revival of roller derby because the film does the sport justice.