Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 5, 2016

1966’s “Ambush Bay” has the impossible task of selling Mickey Rooney as a grizzled career Marine, handing the diminutive actor a machine gun and some choice lines to build him into a force of nature. To the production’s credit, the transformation works, with Rooney one of the highlights of this meat-and-potatoes war film, joined by Hugh O’Brian and James Mitchum in a World War II story that explores the price of valor and the fatigue of combat.

Directed by Ron Winston, “Ambush Bay” strives to find a corner of WWII to explore, setting the action on the eve of the American invasion of the Philippines, following a group of Marines on a secret mission to locate a radio and a special Japanese contact deep in the heart of enemy territory. There isn’t much room in the screenplay for extravagant personalities, with the effort spending the first five minutes of the run time putting names with faces, only to lose contact with individuals as the action breaks out. It’s a Men on the Mission feature, but the emphasis here is on self-awareness, with an untested radio tech (Mitchum) acting as the audience surrogate, confronted with weary men and a special Japanese-American figure (Tisa Chang), which colors his wartime experience and expectations.

Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation battles a war of its own with extended passages of day-for-night processing, which never translates as ideally as it could. It's a dark viewing experience, with blacks encountering a few points of solidification -- delineation is always better served in natural lighting. Detail isn't strong, wrestling with age and period cinematography, which softens a lot of close-ups, but a passable amount of sweaty textures endure, communicating the humidity of the location. Colors aren't dynamic, but stronger hues make an impression, and military costuming is accurate. Skintones are adequate. Source isn't disrupted by significant damage, but speckling remains.

Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is functional, never remarkable, leading with acceptable dialogue exchanges that preserve militaristic coolness and combat chaos. Dramatics remain within a comfortable range. Scoring isn't defined to satisfaction, but it supports as intended, with adequate instrumentation and volume to carry the moment. Atmospherics are modest at best, but an outdoorsy feel remains, helping to set the coastline mood. A modest amount of hiss is detected.

Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:44, HD) is included.

Ambush Bay Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Winston keeps "Ambush Bay" on the move, ordering up shoot-outs and chases, while a major escape sequence takes up the final act. The acting isn't meant to drip with emotion, leaving the feature slightly bloodless, but it's a solid picture that feels authentic at times, trying to recreate the Marine experience with respect and surprise, even making Rooney a plausible warrior for the American way.