You're not a star mr Diesel, but we'll be kind and give you one!
Ah, another Vin Diesel movie, that statement doesn’t exactly get the juices flowing these days having appeared in such dross as The Pacifier and Find me Guilty in recent years, so does a return to his more action orientated roots fare any better? in a word …no.
To be fair to Vin this isnt entirely his fault, this production was rife with rumours that the studio and director Matthieu Kassovitz didnt share the same vision for the movie, subsequently the movie was heavily delayed and Kassovitz turned his back on the project.
The result inevitably is a movie with no real identity, and what follows is a mish-mash of other, better action films most notably The Transporter and Blade Runner, as exiled bad ass Toorop (Diesel) is tasked with escorting Aurora (Melanie Thierry) from Russia to the U.S in exchange for a new passport and a return to his New York roots. Familiar chaos ensues as it becomes obvious that there’s more to Aurora than meets the eye.
Unfortunately though the action here is tepid and formulaic while the script seems rushed and unfinished. Just like the actual climax to the picture in fact, as the ending leaves you wondering exactly where the rest of the movie is (on the cutting room floor perhaps?).
Blu-Ray wise its all pretty decent stuff, with the movie itself presented in pristine 2.35:1 with great colours and black levels and no hint of any noise or artifacts. Ditto the sound with the DTS-HD Master audio ticking all the right boxes for audiophiles with clear concise surround that fills the room with gunfire and explosions without forcing you turn the levels up to hear the dialogue. Extras are reasonable with the usual array of features, documentaries and deleted scenes but not really anything to get excited over.
Overall though even bolstered by great picture and sound this pretty poor film is still not good enough to warrant your money, rent only folks.
| Blu-Ray Disc Ratings:
Movie: Sound: Picture: Overall (Not an Average): |
