Blu-ray Movie Reviews

A veteran cop finds himself ensnared in a deadly web of conspiracy and betrayal. Reeves stars as Tom Ludlow, a hard-nosed detective with a talent for delivering brutal street justice. When evidence implicates him in the murder of a fellow officer, the violence around Ludlow explodes as he realizes his own life is in danger and he can trust no one.

This one made a very brief trip to theaters despite the talent involved. Keanu Reeves is quite good in this and brings a bit of a departure role from his normal nice guy persona. The film is a bit predictable overall but the balance of action and tension lend to a solid thrill ride overall.

Fox delivers a very contrasty presentation for this one with stark blacks and exceptional depth and detail. Fine object detail is impeccable throughout and the thin veil of film grain makes for a very film-like presentation. Colors are a bit exaggerated and lend to the stylistic presentation with rich hues and great definition. Another solid day-and-date title for Fox.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is a nice balance of dynamics and score. The action sequences feature some intense bass and sharp dynamics from the gunplay. The score adds to the mood and heightens the action perfectly with its industrial tones and strong use of guitar/synth themes. Dialogue is balanced nicely within the mix and never gets drowned out in the action. The surrounds do a great job of heightening the experience without distracting too much from the main soundstage.

Despite being a rather unknown film, Fox has delivered quite the load of supplements on this release. This title is Bonus View enabled and includes a picture-in-picture feature that looks at the production and including on the set footage and interviews. There is also a feature commentary with director David Ayer, quite a few production features and a look at the real issues facing LA’s streets today. An HBO feature on the film is also included along with a host of deleted scenes and trailers.

This is a solid crime thriller with nice intensity and solid performances from its ensemble cast. I’m surprised this didn’t get more attention in the box office. Fox has done an outstanding job with the presentation and this one is definitely recommended for fans of crime thrillers.