Code 8 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Code 8 Blu-ray Movie Review

"Code Eight! I repeat... Code Eight!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 1, 2024

Remember when you and the kids in your neighborhood would grab a camcorder (or sigh just use an iPhone), pile into your basement, head for the backyard or brave the woods, slap together some props, maybe a costume or two, and shoot a zero-dollar homegrown movie? Remember how cinematic it all looked in your mind's eye? How exciting it was to pour your 10-year-old imagination onto a tape, run to the TV, hook the camera up to the VCR (showin' my age), and watch your masterpiece as if it were the next Blade Runner, Terminator or Aliens? That's Code 8 in a nutshell, albeit from CW superhero brothers Stephen and Robbie Amell working from a 10-minute proof-of-concept short film they used to raise a seed budget of $4 million from 30,000 crowdfunders. The result is a solid little sci-fi, superpowered actioner, even if it requires one to look past its seams and fx limitations and imagine the wider world of Code 8 to get the full oomph of what the brothers are envisioning.

"You know we built this city, right? Ran the mills. We built the buildings. We built the roads. They brought in these machines, not to drive the profit line, they did it to drive us out. Because normal people have always hated us. They just used to do it with a smile on their face."

Set in a world where 4% of the population is born with a variety of outlawed super powers, Code 8 introduces an entire subclass of people -- monitored and policed relentlessly -- who are forced to scrape by and find work, sometimes day by day, trapped in lives of poverty, suffering social exile and, in some cases, left with little choice but to turn to crime. Enter Connor Reed (Robbie Amell, The Flash), a young, unregistered day laborer "cursed" with illegal powers and struggling to raise money for his mother's (Kari Matchett, The Tree of Life) medical treatments. With her health on the line, he finds himself lured into the employ of Garret Kelton (Stephen Amell, Arrow), a ranking member of crime lord Marcus Sutcliffe's (Greg Bryk, Frontier) drug empire. Connor finds freedom and friends within Kelton's crew, but it isn't long before the militarized police are in pursuit, deploying drones and heavy-firepower units called Guardians to hunt down the supes. Directed by Jeff Chan (who also has a story credit) and screen-written by Chris Pare, the film also stars Aaron Abrams, Kyla Kane, Laysla De Oliveira, Vlad Alexis, Peter Outerbridge, Wesley Cumbo, Jeff Sinasac, Shaun Benson, Martin Roach, Ess Hödlmoser, and Alex Mallari Jr.

I keep coming back to the word imagination. For all its strengths and, more so, for all its weaknesses, Code 8 excludes that intangible quality of imagination that makes it all at once feel like something dreamed up by a kid, yet executed competently by experienced filmmakers. There is a decided lack of polish at times, particularly when lofty ideas collide headlong with budgetary constraints. (You can tell how badly Chan and the Amells want to open up the world and let everyone see the intricacies they know lie just beyond the horizon we can see.) It doesn't take a lot of brain power to pick up on the plight-of-the-illegal-immigrant social commentary, to the point I'm kind of shocked Code 8 isn't paraded around on the right as an example of Hollywood Gone Woke. But it's a salient commentary, and a sharp one. It registers and hits hard, at least until the third act when it all descends into a showdown of bullets vs. super powers. Connor is a likable enough protagonist too, if not a bit flat and one dimensional. There's the sense that the colorful supporting characters might have more interesting back stories, but so it goes. Kelton is a serviceable enough mid-level baddie, despite the fact that it's the tiniest of tiny spoilers to reveal the Amells team up by the end (and for future sequels). It's all but inevitable from the moment Connor and Kelton meet, so no angry messages please.

The action tends to be hit or miss, ranging from legitimate big screen wow moments to fx-sizzling clashes that would be more at home on The Flash or Arrow than in a feature film. Which isn't to say the flash-n-splash-n-dazzle isn't good, especially considering the budget and Code 8's humble origins, just to set expectations. Just as the original 10-minute short was a proof-of-concept to raise funds for the film, Code 8 serves more as a proof-of-concept for a sequel (which, lo and behold, just so happens to be available to stream now) than it does as a standalone sci-fi drama. (In that way it compares favorably to the first Purge film.) That also means it will be the expansion of the world, characters and series that determines just how effective this opening entry is, or just how misleading a tease it actually was. Either way, there's enough fire in the engine and grit in the mettle of Code 8 to earn a watch or even a purchase, if the price is right. The Amells could both use a touch more intensity in their performances, but that's a long-standing critique that traces back into their CW roles. Give us more, boys, and we'll follow you into dystopian hell as many times as you roll out a new sequel.

Code 8 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Code 8 holds its own on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that only struggles when some of the film's lesser fx show their seams. Otherwise colors are quite strong, with warm skin tones, bristling primaries (especially pronounced when powers flare up or the Guardians' charge in, flashing their red "eyes"), deep black levels free of distracting crush, and striking contrast that lends itself to the high-tech-v-super-powers dystopian futurescape. Detail is exacting too, with crisp edge definition and consistently well-resolved fine textures. And without any substantial banding, artifacting or errant noise to speak of, there isn't anything in the way of hinderances. If you can look past a few less than stellar special effects, you'll be set.

Code 8 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Code 8's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track might just be the highlight of the disc, though ranking audio quality in comparison to video is a bit too apples to oranges for me to say for sure. Code 8 has its quiet, subdued moments; expositional dialogue, hushed conversations, tense moments where Connor has to hide from nearby authorities... all of which are as smartly prioritized and crystal clear as you could hope for. But you aren't here to chat about the talky bits. Rest assured, when fingers ignite in flame or crackle with electricity, when Guardians open fire, or the ground splits open, Lionsgate's lossless mix has you covered. LFE output is aggressive and weighty, lending welcome power and explosive force to battles and chases. The rear speakers follow suit as ricochets, pieces of rock, splintering wood and fireballs rip across the soundfield, joining the already immersive ambient environmental elements to create a nicely involving experience. Dynamics are terrific, channel pans slick and smooth, directionality precise, and the music layers into the chaos perfectly. Granted, the third act has far more to offer in the realm of sonic stunner sequences than the two that proceed it, but when the film flexes its aural muscles, it really flexes.

Code 8 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Making of Code 8

• Blooper Reel

Code 8 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Code 8 is a solid opening chapter in what promises to be a greater, grander sage. I haven't caught Part II yet (it only recently debuted on streaming) but the first film did enough heavy lifting and promise making to bring me back for more, cautiously optimistic that it will be worth the return trip to Lincoln City. If the Amells' passion project continues to grow and expand, while paying particular attention to character and story, we might just have ourselves a new sci-fi series to look forward to with each new entry. Or... it'll all crash and burn in ambition and poor execution. Only time will tell. Fortunately, Lionsgate's Blu-ray release of Code 8 (Part I) offers an excellent AV presentation that bests its Netflix predecessor like any good BD should.