6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
From the creators of Miami Vice, five Miami punks are whipped into shape by a Vietnam vet, then form a vigilante unit to wipe out drug dealers. Bob Dylan sings the title tune.
Starring: Stephen Lang, Michael Carmine, Lauren Holly, John Cameron Mitchell, Paul CalderonCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (384 kbps)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Band of the Hand's claim to fame is twofold. First, of interest to movie fans, is the picture's attachment to Michael Mann, who produced the film and was, at the time, smack-dab in the middle of Miami Vice. Mann would go on to direct several fan-favorite features as well, including Heat and Collateral. The film is also notable for its attachment to legendary musician Bob Dylan, who penned and performed the movie's theme song, also called "Band of the Hand." Beyond that, though, Director Paul Michael Glaser's (The Running Man) film is a well-done little Action flick, kind of like Lean on Me meets The Rescue: troubled teens are whipped into shape and undergo a combat operation at the end of the movie. It's a bit more gritty than Lean on Me, a bit more mean than The Rescue. It's an effective life-lesson, whoop-'em-into-shape flick with some gunplay and action in tow, too, making for something a bit more unique than the usual like fare on either side of the ledger.
Getting the band together.
Band of the Hand arrives on Blu-ray with, for whatever reason, the antiquated MPEG-2 encode. That said, Mill Creek's 1080p transfer is more than adequate, particularly given the release's age, price point, and relative obscurity. The image displays some serious wobble over the opening titles, a veritable roller coaster of shake of letters that's not a deal breaker, but certainly very annoying. For the most part thereafter, the image satisfies...not necessarily impresses and certainly not dazzles. Various little warts creep up from time to time, including basic print deterioration in the shape of speckles and even, around the 56-minute mark, a few random vertical lines that linger for a couple of minutes. Grain is retained, however, appearing a touch spiky and clumpy but certainly welcome and integral to preserving a basic film-quality texturing. Detailing is more than adequate. Whether grassy surfaces in the Everglades, rougher urban environments, clothing lines, or facial definition, the transfer squeezes out a fair bit of pleasing textural nuance. Colors are decent, with a fair bit of pop and punch to Miami 80s colors, whether clothing or, notably, splotches and swaths of paint. Contrast is sometimes a bit uneven, but the palette holds to a basic neutrality. Black levels are decent, for the most part, though pushing a little green during a nighttime campfire scene at the 21-minute mark. Skin tones appear fairly accurate. Some light compression issues are apparent as well, though overall the transfer satisfies much more often than it doesn't.
Band of the Hand's Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is certainly no challenge even for modest sound systems. It handles the movie's core sonic needs well enough, but don't expect any kind of revelatory presentation. Music does at least enjoy a fair, basic spread along the front, not pushing exceedingly far but there's a nice sense of width about it. Clarity is acceptable in that broader stroke musical context comes across well enough. Even heavier Dance club tunes heard at one point in the movie are more a mass of crude sound than pinpoint beats. Some light ambient details out in the Everglades come through with decent environmental definition, but nothing more. Heavier effects, like driving rain, are identifiable as intended but much more on the clumpy, mushy side of the ledger and obviously lacking any kind of immersion. Gunshots and explosions offer a decent enough sense of pop and heft, but again the track offers only the crudest, simplest of details in its action scenes. Dialogue is clear enough with a decent sense of push towards the center.
Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Band of the Hand contains no supplemental content. The top menu offers only a "Play" button. No pop-up menu is included. Subtitles must be accessed via the remote's "subtitle" button only. On the flip side (literally), the cover artwork is reversible with a different front image.
Band of the Hand's combination of the "troubled teenagers reformed" and "action/revenge" stories yields a fairly good little out-of-the-way movie. It may not be completely original in its parts, but it's fairly unique in the aggregate. It blends grit and some grace, both thematically and technically alike, that along with some quality acting and strong group camaraderie, makes for a fairly good watch that could use a bit of trim but is otherwise good-to-go. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Band of the Hand is disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, devoid of extra content. Video is fair, albeit in the antiquated MPEG-2 encode. The 2.0 lossy soundtrack is no great shakes. It's worth a pickup for the movie, particularly at a rock-bottom price.
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