6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Wrestling champion and fitness icon Trish Stratus explodes onto the screen in her feature film debut, Bounty Hunters, a thrilling and sexy ride through crime-infested streets where everyone has a price.
Starring: Trish Stratus, Frank J. Zupancic, Christian Bako, Boomer Phillips, Andrea James LuiThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
I once worked with a grizzled old dude who fancied himself an after-hours bounty hunter. He liked to talk big about driving down to Florida on weekends to track bail-skippers—and he did keep a pair of .357 Magnums in the glove compartment of his truck—but I think it was all self-aggrandizing bluster. He was probably just staying in, watching Cops on Fox and reading Guns & Ammo during the commercial breaks. My point—and I do have one—is that his Saturday afternoon exploits on the couch were probably about as interesting as Bounty Hunters, a dull straight-to-video actioner that's more routine than a cop scribbling a traffic ticket. With low-budget production values and a stultifyingly pointless story, the film is notable only because it stars the hard-bodied former WWE wrestling idol and current fitness guru Trish Stratus, who can kick serious ass, yes, but has the acting chops of...well, a former WWE wrestling idol. Director Patrick McBrearty—whose only other credit is 2007's poorly received slasher Psycho Ward—seems to be banking that his target audience cares less about performances and storytelling than seeing the 37-year-old Stratus dolled up in a schoolgirl costume. Maybe he's right. Regardless, Bounty Hunters is bad.
Arriving on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation, Bounty Hunters looks okay for what it is—an ultra low- budget action movie. Shot digitally with the more-than-capable Red One camera, the film's somewhat flat, uninteresting image is further proof that careful lighting is just as, if not more important than sharp lenses and a high-resolution sensor. Still, aside from poor artistry, there's not much technically wrong with the picture here. Clarity is generally strong, with fine facial and clothing detail visible in closeups, and though I did notice some strange intentional blurring in a few scenes—see the edges of the frame during the strip club locker room sequence—there are no issues with DNR, edge enhancement, or other types of filtering. Source noise is present in small amounts, but I didn't spot any blatant compression issues or problems with aliasing/moire. While the cheap-o lighting does give the movie that low-production-value look—it's basically one step above a porno—the image at least has a decent sense of density and color consistency. As long as you know what you're getting into here, picture quality-wise, there are no major distractions.
The disc has four sound options in the set-up menu—the default lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo fold-down, and a French Dolby Digital 2.0 dub. Providing you're not French and you have a capable home theater system, the default mix is the way to go. Like the picture quality, the audio is functional and distraction- free, but short of impressive or noteworthy. Dialogue, most importantly, is clear and easy to understand from the front speakers, while the rear channels are used for occasional effects, light ambience—falling rain, strip club clamor, etc.—and the film's aggressively bland, if full-bodied, action-rock score. No problems here. The disc also includes optional English subtitles, which appear in tiny yellow drop-shadowed lettering.
Unless you're an undiscriminating collector of awful ultra-low-budget action films, a WWE enthusiast, or a Trish Stratus fan looking for some fan-service, I'd advise you to skip Bounty Hunters, which has a weak story, routine action, and little to offer general movie audiences. It's like a dumber, artless Domino. For those still interested, at least know that MPI's Blu-ray release is decent, with good video/audio quality—considering the resources the movie was made with—and a respectable collection of bonus features.
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