5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Darkman and Durant return and they hate each other as much as ever. This time, Durant has plans to take over the city's drug trade using high-tech weaponry. Darkman must step in and try to stop Durant once and for all.
Starring: Larry Drake, Arnold Vosloo, Kim Delaney, Renée O'Connor, Lawrence DaneHorror | 100% |
Crime | 3% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: 'Darkman II: The Return of Durant" is also now available in a three-film set from Universal.
Note II: The film's title alone spoils critical plot points for this film and the previous. This review will touch on happenings from the end of
'Darkman' and the beginning of this sequel.
Darkman was Director Sam Raimi's entry into the 'Superhero' genre,
even though the original film, and this one for that matter, fall more into the "vigilante" genre. The first film told the story of Scientist Peyton
Westlake, then portrayed by the venerable (and young) Liam Neeson, who was badly disfigured at the hands of criminal boss Robert Durant, left for
dead, somehow survived, and sought revenge on those who robbed him of most everything he had beyond his mind and determination. Raimi would
eventually find great
cinematic and financial success in a more mainstream Superhero trilogy, but he did not return for this direct-to-video
sequel, or for the third (which must be considered for "the cheesiest of the cheesy" film subtitles
in movie history), leaving the franchise in the mostly capable hands of Director Bradford May, who also served as the Director of Photography for both
films.
Darkman II: The Return of Durant arrives on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory with a decent and generally enjoyable 1080p transfer. The opening title sequence is badly damaged, disfigured to use the film's verbiage, with pops and speckles aplenty. In the opening minutes, badly faded blacks make an appearance, but at the same time black crush is apparent in some corners, creating a curious and somewhat troubling visual experience that tightens, for the most part, as the film progresses through its often darker visuals and scenes. Black levels find more even footing, rarely appearing perfect but enjoying a fairly steady stability towards the good end of the spectrum. Texturally, Darkman II plays with a decent filmic veneer about it, with grain modestly intense and largely even in presentation, a welcome visual style compared to today's less visually interesting (albeit more "clear") digital DTV constructs. The film isn't home to textural abundance, but core facial features are nicely revealed and environments, whether a low-light bar or a well-lit warehouse, enjoy good, firm complexity. The film's color palette is dull and desaturated by design, but gory and fiery reds, a few choice apparel examples, and a some other modest colors do present with adequate saturation within the film's context. There are some, albeit few, obviously upscaled standard definition shots intermixed throughout.
Darkman II: The Return of Durant features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The opening narration has a scratchy and muddy edge to it, not terribly obvious or distracting but there's a mild sense of something amiss. Dialogue is otherwise fairly straightforward, clean, and efficient. It images well towards the center of the stage and clarity and prioritization are solid enough. There are one or two exemptions, including a moment at the 17:52 mark when a little girl says "thank you, sir" and the sound is clearly very hollow and tinny. There are also a few examples of slightly amiss lip sync. The track otherwise works hard to extend itself to the edges. Music and effects take full advantage of the front-end width. A car chase and crash about six minutes in is one of the sonic highlights. Detailed debris and movement are highlights, and the track finds a good low end pronouncement even without the aid of a subwoofer channel at its disposal. An energy weapon fired at the 36-minute mark offers impressively deep and detailed weight and even almost creates a faux sense of surround detail. Ditto an explosion at the 58:52 mark. Gunfire is likewise a highlight, lacking a realistic weight but always elevating well beyond essentials. There is some nice reverb in Brinkman's warehouse as well. Fans couldn't hope for a significantly better listen under the two-channel constraints.
Darkman II: The Return of Durant contains a few interesting extras, including a commentary track (which is found under the "Audio" menu
tab rather than the "Bonus" tab) as well as a television cut of the film. No DVD or digital copies are included.
Darkman II: The Return of Durant isn't at all bad for a DTV sequel. It doesn't miss much with the transition from Neeson to Vosloo and Larry Drake is as mean and physically imposing here as he was in the last film. The story is flimsy but the film is nevertheless a decent enough entertainer and a fair follow-up to the original. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray delivers decent video and audio. A couple of good extras are included, including a commentary track and an alternate cut of the film (albeit in standard definition). Recommended.
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