6 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After he and his wife are murdered, marine Ray Garrison is resurrected by a team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine - Bloodshot. As Ray first trains with fellow super-soldiers, he cannot recall anything from his former life. But when his memories flood back and he remembers the man that killed both him and his wife, he breaks out of the facility to get revenge, only to discover that there's more to the conspiracy than he thought.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, Talulah RileyAction | 100% |
Comic book | 43% |
Fantasy | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
With Bloodshot, first-time director David S. F. Wilson adapts the Valiant Comics character of the same name with technical proficiency but without that hook to draw audiences into the world and leave the theater craving more. There's an obvious want to see this kick off a franchise but that seems unlikely, not only because the material as it's presented here is rather tepid and generic but also considering the entire state of the moviemaking world where it might only be surefire blockbusters and independently funded films going forward. Will there be room for middle-of-the-road movies like Bloodshot over the next few years? That remains to be seen, but it would be surprising to find this particular picture as the seed for something big moving forward with sustained box office performance and rabid fanatics eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Do and die...
Bloodshot was digitally photographed and smoothly makes the transition to Blu-ray. The presentation is stout and sturdy, presenting high end close-up details without fault or flaw. Intimate pores and hairs are regularly in evidence, and some of the film's scenes even pass for film quality; take a look at the sequence in which Ray meets Wiggins (Lamorne Morris) in chapter 10 for an example. The movie's locations are likewise sharp and revealing and the digital effects enjoy fruitful definition, though they do sometimes look a hair cartoonish compared to what one might find in a more lavishly budgeted production. Colors are healthy through the film's varied lighting parameters and color timing specifics. There's a good long stretch partway through where the frame is bathed in red, and within there's good tonal definition and variance to be found and the stretch is without any serious look of artifacts getting in the way of the dusty, smoky, location. At other times, the picture takes on blue or green tinting, looking like something out of The Matrix. But it's very well balanced and seemingly accurate to the filmmakers' vision. Black levels are fine and skin tones are healthy if understandably reflective of the shifting color timing. It's also a bit noisy in low light and various establishing shots, notably in the film's opening minutes, don't hold up to the same level of clarity and sharpness standards, but the bulk of the image looks quite nice.
Bloodshot's Blu-ray includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack whereas the companion UHD features a Dolby Atmos presentation. This track is solid as-is, though upon comparison it's easy to notice the spacial limitations inherent to the 5.1 track versus the more widely expanded Atmos track. Nevertheless, this one handles duties admirably, with action obviously serving as the sonic highlight. Gunplay produces tangibly effective results for shot depth, bullet travel, and impact intensity. Vehicles zigging and zagging around the stage during some high energy chase sequences are engineered to delightful effect, and the climactic battle offers a multitude of high energy output elements with plenty of surround and subwoofer integration to please any Action fan looking to exercise their ears and sound systems. Music engages widely and with solid clarity while environmental details are pleasantly integrated, such as when the track opens up at the rehab center in chapter four and again in chapter 11 during some "flashback" sound effects. Dialogue is well prioritized, efficiently detailed, and grounded in the front-center channel.
Bloodshot contains outtakes, a couple of featurettes, and deleted and extended scenes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital
copy code are included with purchase. This release does not appear to ship with a slipcover.
Bloodshot has "franchise" written all over its periphery, but this debut film isn't all that endearing (and likely not enduring) and not quite strong enough to see a clear pathway towards more. It's a perfectly fine film as it is, reasonably entertaining and sure to satisfy Action junkies, but it also reeks of "been there, done that." And that's fine. It's competent, enjoyable, and generally well made and performed. It's just not likely to spawn the next big thing, particularly in this current environment. Sony's Blu-ray is quite good in the aggregate, obviously less than the UHD in terms of A/V output but both are fine on this format. The extras aren't world-changing but do just enough to bring fans a little closer behind the scenes. Worth a purchase on a Black Friday sale.
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
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