6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson - TRANCERS) is a traveller from outer space who is forced to land on Earth. Though regular sized on his home planet, he is doll-sized here on Earth, as are the enemy forces who have landed as well. While Brick enlists the help of an impoverished girl and her son, the bad guys enlist the help of a local gang. When word leaks out as to his location all hell breaks loose. Brick is besieged by an onslaught of curious kids, angry gang members, and his own doll-sized enemies. Now he must protect the family who has helped him and get off the planet alive
Starring: Tim Thomerson, Jackie Earle Haley, Kamala Lopez, Humberto Ortiz (I), Nicholas GuestSci-Fi | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (448 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
If big things come in small packages, then Brick Bardo must be one heck of a guy. Dollman follows the pint-sized alien cop's exploits on Earth in a fun, if not hugely campy, 1991 flick directed by Albert Pyun (Cyborg, Captain America), a love-him-or-hate-him sort of filmmaker known, primarily, for lower budget cheese (though Cyborg, in this reviewer's opinion, is an excellent example of style and acting on a budget saving a movie from disaster). Dollman is classic Pyun, a movie that's small in scope and stature but fairly big on style, if not somewhat corny and goofy at times. The movie stretches its resources further than they should reasonably go, which is both classic Pyun and classic Full Moon. Theirs is a collaboration, then, that makes a lot of sense in the context of Pyun's career peak and Full Moon's heyday. Dollman could have benefited from a larger budget (not to mention modern digital technology) but the movie is surprisingly robust and convincing considering all of the limitations surrounding it. The result is a movie that, aside from a few unconvincing optical effects and a godawful 90s-style "bad guy" musical refrain that plays over, and over...and over, holds up well and proves enjoyably entertaining while remaining fairly novel to boot.
Lil Deth.
Dollman's 1080p transfer generally satisfies, and frequently looks quite good, but it's plagued by some smaller issues that detract rather considerably from the overall experience. When it's on, the movie looks great. The film elements are presented with a moderately heavy grain structure that helps accentuate details but that does give way to a somewhat pastier and cleaner appearance in spots, almost entirely early on in the first act. Once the action shifts to Earth, the image tightens up considerably with a more flattering filmic texture and better accentuated details, evident particularly in human faces and bits of rubble and debris. Indeed, close-ups are strikingly rich and filled with little detail, with special emphasis on Sprug's grimy head and rotting teeth. Colors are flat in the film's open, but again as the action moves to Earth the palette brightens up a bit and produces clothing and terrain hues with commendable accuracy. Black levels, however, aren't perfect, ranging from lightly pale and purple to slightly crushed but generally finding an acceptable middle ground. Skin tones don't appear problematic. The image suffers from a number of speckles, pops, and a couple of stray vertical lines. It wobbles to excess in several places, particularly early on when Bardo confronts the hostage-taker on his home world. It's as if the telecine machine was operated on top of a waterbed considering how badly the picture moves in waves. Still, the good outweighs the bad. There's a strong transfer in here but one that's lessened by some annoyances that aren't often overtly problematic in the moment but that do add up over time.
Dollman lacks a lossless audio option; this Blu-ray features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (in addition to a 2-channel Dolby Digital offering). The film opens with a nicely presented musical intro, with wide, healthy spacing and a firm, constant surround support. Clarity and weight are impressive, though the midrange can sound a little muddy. Music that plays later in the film often feels a bit less sturdy and aggressive, often playing underneath rather than on top while lacking the width and depth of the opening title score. Gunfire and explosions enjoy adequate oomph and good clarity, particularly the laser blast sound effects that play with each trigger pull on Bardo's high-powered pistol. There's not much in the way of immersive ambient effects and the front-and-center action stays largely up across the front end of the stage. Dialogue does come through cleanly and efficiently from the center. This is a decent enough track but one that may leave more discerning listeners wanting something a little juicier.
Dollman contains a vintage featurette, a new sit-down, and a large assortment of trailers.
Dollman is a rock-solid entertainer, simply yet smartly constructed with its limitations in mind. What could have been a disaster on a low budget is instead a fun little example of smart filmmaking and simple design mastering a clear lack of resources. While the film's pedestrian sets and filming locations leave a bit to be desired (even if they do satisfy core movie requirements) and some of the optical effects look pretty bad, the overall feel and flow is excellent thanks to a tight script, an interesting idea, good pacing, and strong lead performances. It's not a movie that will change the world, but Sci-Fi fans will find plenty to like in this entertaining little slice of moviemaking that is, literally, all about the little guy overcoming big odds. Full Moon's Blu-ray release of Dollman could have been improved with a deeper collection of supplements, a more carefully presented video transfer, and a lossless audio track, but it's still a good value for fans and newcomers alike, provided a low price point. Recommended.
1990
Warner Archive Collection
1984
1990
Collector's Edition
1996
1956
Collector's Edition
1984
1990
1966
1989
Enemy From Space
1957
1959
4K Restoration
1991
1986
2016
Ultra Turbo-Charged Collector's Edition
2015
2011
1992
2019
1987
2011