Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Weinstein Company/Genius Products Movie ••½ Picture/Sound •••½ Extras •••

Its premise, of an innocent who unwittingly sparks a gangster war, is quite ingenious. But Lucky Number Slevin's nervous mix of gory action and black humor is a real misfire. An alternate ending and two commentaries - one by director Paul McGuigan, the other by stars Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu along with screenwriter Jason Smilovic - are just so-so. But the three deleted scenes, including a memorable extended one between gang bosses Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley, help spike up the DVD. The transfer isn't pretty (reds are screaming red-orange, blues are bright aqua), but that seems to be the film's design. Dialogue in this movie is as clear as Joshua Ralph's quirky music score. The sound mix is kept mainly in the front channels, with the surrounds kicking in just for exceptionally loud gunshots. [R] English and French, Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

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