Teen Wolf The Complete Season One on DVD

If one drew up a list of films that should get a remake for the television screen, the campy Teen Wolf would likely not be near the top. Yet, last year MTV aired a series loosely based on the movie of the same name, and received pretty positive reviews. With season two airing this summer, those who missed it the first go-round may want to catch up with The Complete Season One DVD, on sale now.

MTV's Teen Wolf differs from the movie in many ways. For one, the television series is much darker, building suspense, mystery, and mythology into the story. Goofy humor will only take you so far, and Teen Wolf is mainly a drama, not a sitcom. As such, many of the film's conventions had to go.

But that doesn't mean that the message has changed. Teen Wolf still features a teenage werewolf, struggling not only with normal adolescence and hormones, but supercharged by the strange change that has come over him. One might draw parallels between the curse and puberty. After all, both find young men not sure how to deal with new emotions, aggression, and body hair. But Teen Wolf takes itself completely seriously, and viewers who tune in will likely do the same.

Season one sets a lot of things up. In the first episode, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey, Lincoln Heights, Doc) is bitten. The only person he can trust with his secret is best friend, Stiles (Dylan O'Brien, The First Time), who is quite impressed with the changes in Scott, once he gets over the initial shock. However, neither of these boys know what is going on, exactly, or what to do about it.

Enter Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin, 7th Heaven), a local man, who also happens to be a werewolf. Derek's entire family dealt with this issue, and the end result was most of them being burnt alive. Derek skulks the woods, and while his motivations remain unclear initially, he becomes a sort of mentor to Scott. Too bad Derek's not the only wolf around.

Scott has other worries besides wolves. Not everyone is in the dark about the werewolf race. There are a group of hunters who have long sought to rid the world of the beasts. Very unlucky for Scott, the girl he likes, Allison (Crystal Reed, Crazy, Stupid, Love), just happens to be the daughter of one such enemy (JR Bourne, The Secret Circle, The Exorcism of Emily Rose). Talk about a scary dad!

The cast is mostly young and good looking, as one would expect from a series such as this. Thankfully, most of them are also decent performers. Posey struggles a little, but has enough charm that many fans, especially the female ones, will forgive him, much like Tom Welling in early episodes of Smallville. It's likely he will grow better as the series progresses, especially when he is surrounded by even better talent.

There are a number of special features on The Complete Season One DVD, for fans who would like to go a little deeper into the show. "Meet the Cast of Teen Wolf" is probably the most interesting and informative of the extras. There is also some commentary on select episodes.

For the teen girls who love the show, there's "Teen Wolf: Working the Red Carpet," "Love Bites!" and "Shirtless Montage." A gag reel is included, too.

There are also bonuses for those who favor substance over presentation. An extended version of the season finale, "Code Breaker," is included. There are deleted, alternate, and extended scenes, which give even more glimpses into what has been filmed, and how it all comes together, and is edited down for broadcast.

Teen Wolf The Complete Season One is a worthwhile release, with enough to keep viewers engaged for many an hour. It is a pretty enjoyable series, that only gets a little too hokey and melodramatic occasionally. One could categorize this show as being part of the better programming MTV is putting out this past year or so, and worth setting a DVR for. Pick up your copy today.

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