Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Big Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 25, 2015

Big Game is a fun little movie that's more fantasy than reality, a kid's perspective Action/Coming-of-Age flick in which a young boy becomes a man when the weight of the world suddenly drops on his shoulders, when success or failure in dire consequences comes down to the unproven mettle of a physically untrained but mentally prepared youngster with visions of saving the day where everyone else couldn't. Indeed, the film plays out like an active adolescent dream, a dream of good versus evil, of survival, of building courage and standing tall in the face of danger, of playing the role of hero on a grand adventure. For this reviewer -- and this was many, many, many years ago -- that fantasy involved saving the day in karate class when bad guys burst through the door and did away with all of the more highly skilled older kids, leaving the instructor to call on the white belts to save the day, which of course always happened in the end. One cannot help but wonder whether the material, from Writer/Director Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale), isn't based on some recurring childhood fantasy of his own making. Regardless of how the story came to be, Big Game proves a simple entertainer that should satisfy audiences in search of true Action-based escapism that plays on both a personally intimate and physically large scale.

Unlikely allies.

The President of the United States (Samuel L. Jackson) is flying in Air Force One over Finland when the plane suddenly comes under attack from ground fired surface-to-air missiles. The President is hastily jettisoned from the craft in his escape pod, which lands safely, but his secret service detail is killed thanks to parachutes that malfunction after tampering. Now, POTUS is on the ground in unfamiliar and dangerous territory. He's discovered by a young local boy named Oskari (Onni Tommila) who is on a hunting quest his father believes will mature him to adulthood. The two form a quick bond, the President benefiting from the boy's knowledge of the terrain and burgeoning survival abilities and the boy the beneficiary of POTUS' reassuring words and companionship. As they effort to escape back to Oskari's father, they're tracked by the men who would see the President dead, which includes the man he used to trust with his life.

Big Game manages to mix together a few different bits, pieces, styles, and approaches to largely positive effect. The film frequently plays like a more serious, adult oriented Action movie that isn't wholly dissimilar from something like Cliffhanger and, of course, Air Force One, but at the same time there's an obvious kid-centric vibe to it, something that plays more in the tradition of Jumanji or Home Alone. It also manages to feel like a large-scale, nearly epic outdoor adventure while still constructing a believably intimate bond between the child and the President that grows quickly and more strongly as the story progresses. It's a film of odd bedfellows, then, a movie that's at once both seemingly aimed at the kids but sometimes too mature for younger audiences. It works, however, if taken at face value and understanding that it strives for nothing more than basic entertainment value.

The film does play out with easy predictability. It unfolds entirely as expected, and chances are most everyone in the audience will be able to piece together the entire plot -- broad arcs and subtle details alike -- in shot order once the critical pieces are introduced over the opening minutes. Big Game never strays from convention, but the upside is that it knows what it wants and needs to do and accomplishes its goals with ease. The action is exciting, accentuated by the rugged terrain and nice blend of cultures, survival techniques, and attack and defend strategies. Whether that's a real minus, though, is up to the audience. It's a plus if expectations are set low and one can enjoy the film as an easy escape, but it'll be a potentially movie killing minus if audiences are looking for any kind of dramatic novelty in the film.

The cast is fairly strong. Jackson isn't a revelation as the downed POTUS, but he's likable in the part, the kind of guy one would want to see rescued at the end of the day, which makes the entire scenario revolving around a traitorous ally all the more intense, if not, again, predictable. Jackson builds an immediate and effortless rapport with young Onni Tommila, both of whom devour the material's duality that, like that blend of Cliffhanger and Home Alone, mixes up deeply bonded survival and intimate character exploration with lighthearted banter that keeps the movie fresh and flowing without killing its action-heavy momentum. The bad guys are uniformly stale, but they fit the part of generic revenge-minded and angry types well enough, playing, essentially, basic foils for the heroes to battle in the movie's well-staged but usually not excessively overdone or grossly unbelievable action scenes.

Big Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Big Game's 1080p transfer is glossy, glossy, glossy. The digital photography results in a picture that's as smooth as a baby's bottom but nevertheless nicely defined and accurate considering the source. While a few blurry edges creep in here and there, the image is consistently sharp, revealing all sorts of finely honed textures -- smooth and clean Air Force One interiors, rugged terrain, grimy skin details, and clothes -- with remarkable accuracy. The transfer's effortless sharpness, clarity, and high attention to detail is evident even at distance, notably in some early flyover shots that reveal the beautiful terrain with pinpoint accuracy. Colors are satisfyingly bold, with some brightly colored clothes standing out against the gray-heavy rocky and green-hued vegetation backdrops seen throughout the film. Black levels are nicely deep and flesh tones, while pushing a bit pale, look nice. The transfer displays no immediately obvious examples of banding, excess noise, macroblocking, or other unwanted intrusions. All in all, and despite the naturally glossy digital veneer that will probably be a love-or-hate look, this is a technically sound presentation and a winner of a transfer from Anchor Bay.

Big Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Big Game features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, which is, unfortunately, available only with the theatrical cut. Anchor Bay has included only a drastically inferior Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack with the unrated cut. That's the bad news. The good news is that the 5.1 track is a treat. It's dynamically engaging, presenting every element at its disposal with commendable robustness and stage presence that creates a big, immersive, theater quality sound style. Music is heathy and deep, enjoying easy full-stage flow -- including an effortless surround wrap -- and a weighty, but balanced, low end. Gunfire and explosions are also hefty and deep, yielding a good bit of concussive power in the most robust action scenes. Ambient effects are impressive, with chilly air and other minor, but mood-critical, examples of natural outdoor ambience routinely filling the stage. Dialogue is placed in the center with minor reverberations when the situation demands. Vocal clarity is pristine throughout.

Big Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Big Game's only "special feature" is the unrated cut of the film accessed via the "special features" tab. The original cut runs 1:26:48 while the unrated version runs 1:30:33. The unrated cut features only a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack.

Big Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Big Game is a straightforward film that's as predictable as they come, but it's also charming in its simplicity. The action is decent, the hero characters are generic but nonetheless likable, and the villains are just plain-old generic. Gorgeous locations, an interesting blend of adult-themed and childlike action and atmosphere, and solid enough performances make the movie an overall net plus that Action fans should enjoy. Anchor Bay's featureless Blu-ray comes in two varieties, offering both a theatrical and extended cut. It's a shame the longer version doesn't include a 5.1 soundtrack, which is excellent on the theatrical cut. Video is top shelf, too, so long as viewers don't mind digital gloss. Recommended.