Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

A Man Apart Blu-ray Movie Review

Watch out, Vin Diesel is emoting.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 8, 2012

Technically, 2003’s “A Man Apart” doesn’t fall into the Vin Diesel career feeding frenzy that developed after the release of 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.” Although issued after the monstrous “XXX,” “A Man Apart” was actually shot in late 2000/early 2001, when the star was merely a curiosity with a minor hit (“Pitch Black”) on his resume. However, post-production troubles kept the feature out of sight for the next two years, finally released when Diesel’s brand name was red-hot and audiences were starting to question the Hollywood hype machine surrounding the growly brute. Intended to play into the actor’s more dramatic interests, “A Man Apart” was marketed as a tough guy experience, emphasizing the lead’s position as a thunderous force of big screen revenge, peppered with explosions and cowering villains. The reality of the effort was far more jumbled, with the story of a grief-stricken cop aching for vengeance mingling awkwardly with scattered DEA enforcement activity, along with attention paid to border hostilities between Mexico and America. It’s a movie that’s not overwhelmingly ambitious, and what little it has to offer is botched in execution, leaving the picture strictly for Diesel die-hards who’ve built up a patience with the icon and his sluggish attempts to grow as a performer.

Sean Vetter (Vin Diesel) is a hero DEA agent frustrated with attempts to quell drug production and distribution in Mexico. Bringing violence to a simple bust, Sean manages to capture drug lord Memo (Geno Silva), a powerful kingpin feared across the land. Happy to celebrate his accomplishment with partner Hicks (Larenz Tate), Sean is soon hit with tragedy when goons break into his home and kill his beloved wife, Stacy (Jacqueline Obradors), leaving the cop with a gunshot wound that knocks him out for weeks. Awakening to find his world turned upside down, Sean regroups and turns his attention to Memo, now locked behind bars but able to continue business dealings. Pushing the limits of excessive force, Sean works the cartel hierarchy, greeting cocky dealer Hollywood Jack (Timothy Olyphant) and middleman Pomona Joe (Jeff Kober), demanding the identity of the phantom criminal figure known as Diablo. Alienating Hicks with his relentless attitude and propensity for violence, Sean is consumed with retribution, eventually warming up to Memo as the drug lord looks to help the determined widower with his task as a way of controlling his own organization.

“A Man Apart” emerges from the revenge movie tradition, with Diesel channeling the likes of Charles Bronson as Sean works his way through layers of ghoulish cartel employees, taking out the garbage with minimal attention paid to procedural delicacy, driven solely by the memory of his late wife. However, instead of the star simply steamrolling through the adventure with gritted teeth, Diesel looks to infuse a perceptible emotional flow to the character, making Sean a content man whose life has been ripped out of his hands due to his professional hubris. This requires the hulking actor to actually act for a change, which seems perfectly alien to his traditional screen routine of stares and grunts, tickled to work on his action figure posture instead of developing an interesting handle on the nuances of thespian communication. “A Man Apart” does represent a stronger side to Diesel’s screen output, but it’s certainly not as expressive as it could’ve been, with much of Sean’s agony internalized to a point of slumber, diluting the hero cop’s motivation in a picture that strives to work itself into a rage. Diesel has Sean’s brood and carelessness down, but the reach of despair is missing, removing a prime opportunity to understand the interior decay of such horrific spousal loss and the desperation to fill these holes with bloodshed. The screenplay (credited to Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring) appears to be aiming for a profound sense of grief. Unfortunately, Diesel can only manage the occasional display of misery.

While hardly aspiring to Shakespearean heights, “A Man Apart” gives off the impression it was once a character-driven film encompassing a wide range of influences in Sean’s life. The final production (reportedly reworked during its two-year stint on the shelf) merely hints at a story that once was, with director F. Gary Gray (who found greater success in 2003 with “The Italian Job”) stumbling to explore the depths of Memo’s trustworthiness and the influence of Diablo. Actually, the mysterious, violent cartel figure is a spectacularly mangled element of the tale, introduced as an enigma Sean is working to uncover, only to slip in and out of importance casually, leading to a climax that attempts to pay off a reveal that’s hardly explosive due to Gray’s strange indifference. Also lacking purpose is Hicks, Sean’s weirdly bipolar partner, who appears as though he played a larger role in the original script, here reduced to an afterthought once the movie was pared down to The Vin Diesel Show. More successful are funky confrontational moments with the west coast drug stooges, gifting “A Man Apart” a momentary sense of humor and more broadly defined acts of intimidation, which the star plays with expected comfort.

A Man Apart Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.36:1 aspect ratio) presentation is diminished by impenetrable black levels, which remove necessary detail from backgrounds and costumes displayed in limited lighting. Crush is a major problem here, solidifying anything in the frame that's not directly emphasized, obscuring enticing evening encounter particulars. Bright daylight manages to boost the viewing experience substantially, bringing out satisfactory detail, with close-ups a particular highlight of textures. The image feels a tad sharpened, with a few bursts of noise popping into view. Colors are comfortable and stable, with an adequate pop on vehicle paint jobs and the neon hues of the underworld locations. Skintones are expressive and natural.

A Man Apart Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix generally carries itself with a frontal presence, with surrounds basically regulated to providing a sense of distance, also bringing neighborhood atmospherics to life with a subtle touch. Dialogue exchanges are solid and deep, with Diesel's sporadic narration holding securely with a low-end growl, while scoring needs are met with a fuller, booming sound, supporting the on-screen action. Violence is dialed up a little louder, but chaos isn't an issue, finding gunfire and explosions rendered tastefully, without distortion. Directional activity isn't much of an event here, with track specifics provided in a straightforward manner. The basics are cared for without much surprise, maintaining immersion without a dynamic show of sonic force.

A Man Apart Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (10:24, HD) reveal a few alternate story routes, including Sean's dealings with a corrupt Mexican cop and more time with his sympathetic captain. The scenes aren't as substantial as hoped, concluding with an extended version of a dance floor seduction performed by a member of Memo's harem.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:32, SD) is included.

A Man Apart Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"A Man Apart" doesn't achieve much in the way of pace during its run time, despite numerous shoot-outs and betrayals. Gray only manages a sense of mediocrity mixed with unrealized potential, struggling to make sense of the story while keeping Sean a sympathetic monster. The elements are here for a rousing tale of badge-tossing street justice, blended with potent border drug war woes, yet "A Man Apart" isn't effective, losing passion and clarity (the climax of the picture is nonsensical, despite obvious reshoots to clean up an editorial mess) as the film scrambles to make sense of itself, while trying to provide the requisite stings of machismo Vin Diesel has built his career with.