A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 6, 2017

The 1924 short story, “The Most Dangerous Game” (by Richard Connell), has been adapted on multiple occasions over the last 90 years, but in 1945, it was still fresh creative ground, arriving on the big screen as “A Game of Death.” Changes were made to accommodate a new creative perspective, but director Robert Wise sticks to the essentials of the macabre horror story, pitting strangers against a madman on a remote island, where the sport of hunting takes on a whole new level of intensity once man is made the target.

John Loder stars as a beloved author of hunting novels who comes up against a German ghoul (played by Edgar Barrier) who enjoys the challenge of hunting humans on his private island. However, the screenplay by Norman Houston doesn’t indulge violence right away, building an uneasy atmosphere as clues are gathered and realizations set in, giving the feature room to hash out motivations before the climatic chase begins. Strong acting supports “A Game of Death,” with lively performances achieving a level of panic that assists the story’s ultimate resolution, making the effort a little more than a slow build-up to the inevitable.

A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "A Game of Death" is sourced from a slightly tattered print, which showcases a generous amount of scratches and speckling during the viewing experience, along with a few jumpy frames. It's not a restored picture, but the basics are acceptable, leading with a decent amount of detail for the softly shot feature, which delivers a sense of facial textures and set decoration, while set-bound outdoor chases retain distances. Delineation is satisfactory and whites are stable.

A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a quieter track with a few passages of damage, but nothing severe. Dialogue exchanges are preserved, offering intelligible performances that pick up on emotional ranges and dramatic intensity. Scoring is supportive but never remarkable, lacking encouraging instrumentation to remain memorable. Sound effects are basic but understood.

A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Richard Harland Smith.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

A Game of Death Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wise directs efficiently, toying with shadow play and budget-minded disasters, and he's mindful of escalation, keeping the movie relatively suspenseful as grim discoveries are made around the island compound. The ending is reserved for a major chase sequence, bringing in animals to sweeten the panic, giving "A Game of Death" a proper jolt to pay off what's mostly a solid 50 minutes of expositional and investigative delay before the human hunt begins and the film finally delivers its promised test of survival.