6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Newly arrived at Terminal Island, a prison for the convicted criminals who are beyond rehabilitation, Carl "Luke" Lucas must prove his mettle in a race to the death.
Starring: Luke Goss, Lauren Cohan, Sean Bean, Ving Rhames, Tanit Phoenix CopleyAction | 100% |
Thriller | 69% |
Sci-Fi | 30% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
BD-Live
D-Box
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Did anyone really need to know who Frankenstein was before he donned an iron mask, before he helped put triple-max prison Terminal Island on the television map, before he died in the early minutes of Death Race? No, but with Jason Statham politely declining to star in Death Race 2, producer Paul W.S. Anderson and his annointed sequel filmmakers were left with little choice but to give fans a prequel. But wait... without Joan Allen, how could a prequel work? Didn't her character create and nurture Death Race from its inception? Eh, a clever line of dialogue here, some plot hole-patching historical revisionism there, and voilà! A viable prequel with new stars, a new storyline and even a few returning bit players from Anderson's original. Not too shabby.
Click click... vroom?
Just as Reine managed to mask many of his film's budgetary constraints, Universal manages to mask many of the prequel's direct-to-video limitations, granting Death Race 2 a fast and furious 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that almost, almost looks as good as its predecessor. Reine's grim grease-monkey palette is bleak, barren and, at-times, monochromatic, but bold spalshes of red, retina-searing explosions and the yellow hull of a shiny new Shelby punch through the otherwise grisly proceedings. Primaries sizzle, skintones are relatively convincing and black levels are fairly well-resolved, at least on the whole. Delineation isn't exactly revealing (particularly when night falls on Terminal Island), muted shadows sully many a shot, noise and crush trail close behind, and the hyper-bright digital-video sheen of Reine's photography pancakes several scenes. Even so, detail is quite impressive. Edges are sharp and serrated (without much ringing to speak of), fine textures are crisp and unflinching, and closeups, both long and midrange, are immaculate. (After watching Machete, Rodriguez's Mariachi trilogy and Death Race 2, I'm now intimately familiar with the recesses of Danny Trejo's craggly mug). The studio's encoding efforts are commendable as well. While a few negligible instances of artifacting and banding appear, outright distractions are rare. All in all, Death Racers willing to overlook the sequel's less-than-stunning production values will declare their high definition dollar well spent.
"Well, it's certainly loud." So chirped my wife shortly after Universal's sinewy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track kicked into gear. Before Lucas even finds himself incarcerated on Terminal Island, a botched bank robbery, a few cracked jaws, a chaotic shootout and a citywide car chase rip through every channel. By the time our thankless antihero is behind bars, swooping helicopters, prison riots, gladiator battles, roaring flame throwers, testosterone fueled warehouses, slow-mo explosions, bloodthirsty crowds and, of course, high-octane racers do everything they possibly can to wake the kids and upset the neighbors. But while the lossless track is certainly loud, it lacks balance and finesse. The rear speakers go for the jugular, pumping the soundfield full of directional effects, rending metal and sprawling flames. Strangely enough though, the rear soundscape is occasionally more aggressive than the front, making Death Race 2 one of the first rear-heavy mixes I've encountered. Once a race is underway, the normally ripped and rowdy LFE channel takes a back seat to the ensuing chaos as the environment supersedes the action. Thankfully, it amounts to an oddity rather than a deal breaker. Dialogue is always crisp, clear and neatly prioritized, low-end output flexes enough muscle to intimidate anyone in the vicinity, dynamics pack serious heat, pans are slick and smooth, and the soundfield is altogether encompassing. Much like the film it accompanies, whatever the mix lacks in artistry it makes up for with power and persistence. I have a feeling anyone who has a blast with Death Race 2 will have a blast with Universal's lossless fireworks as well.
Nothing flashy here. Just six simple but solid special features fans of the film will appreciate. Reine's commentary is an exceedingly extensive one, a trio of EPKs fill in whatever gaps remain, and a strong selection of deleted scenes add further value to Death Race 2's Blu-ray release.
As direct-to-video sequels/prequels go, Death Race 2 is a quasi-decent followup to one of 2008's most entertaining guilty pleasures. Whenever its casting, performances and script fall short, its suitably talented director prevents the film from outright crashing and burning. Just be warned: a healthy affection for Anderson's Death Race is required. Not so of Universal's Blu-ray release. Regardless of how you feel about the film itself, it's tough to deny the film's video transfer is an excellent one (particularly for a DTV affair), its DTS-HD Master Audio track is strong and satisfying, and its special features are actually worth digging through. Death Race 2 doesn't roar past its predecessor, nor does it even come close. But it's a competent prequel for the most part that leaves the door wide open for Death Race 3.
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2011
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2013
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