7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two policemen, one an old-timer, the other his volatile younger partner, find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics becomes the media's cause du jour. Low on cash and with no other options, these two embittered soldiers descend into the criminal underworld to gain their just due, but instead find far more than they wanted awaiting them in the shadows.
Starring: Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Thomas KretschmannHeist | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Getting “dragged across concrete” might not be that objectionable in the long run if the dragging is relatively brief and if it isn’t accompanied by what might be called Tarantino-esque commentary from whoever is doing the dragging (or in fact being dragged). Dragged Across Concrete is a film with some visceral content, and a slow burn approach that pays decent dividends for the patient, but that patience has to include tolerating an arguably way overstuffed running time (close to three hours) and a penchant for ridiculously flowery language that doesn’t always seem to suit the hard bitten characters who populate the film. For those who are fans of writer and director S. Craig Zahler’s previous entry, Brawl in Cell Block 99, there are some interesting connections, not necessarily limited to the sharing of star Vince Vaughn. Both films document men struggling desperately to rejigger the vagaries of fate, making what are from an objective standpoint completely idiotic decisions, decisions which nonetheless within the context of the film’s story seem at least somewhat understandably motivated. In the case of Dragged Across Concrete, there are actually at least two (and arguably significantly more) guys involved in a rash of bad behaviors. The two focal characters are policemen Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn), who have the bad luck to be caught on a cell phone video roughing up a suspect, which leads to their suspension without pay by their superior Calvert (Don Johnson in what amounts to a cameo). Both men are in the throes of family relationships that need some special navigating. Lurasetti is planning to propose to his girlfriend, Denise (Tattiawna Jones), while also wondering how he’s going to be able to support her (and this aside and apart from his suspension). Ridgeman, on the other hand, has an ostensibly more settled situation with his wife Melanie (Laurie Holden) and daughter Sara (Jordyn Ashley Olson), though things are not entire a bed of roses: Melanie is seriously ill with multiple sclerosis, and the less than opulent neighborhood the Ridgemans live in is rife with near gang activity, leading to his daughter being harassed.
Dragged Across Concrete is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. The IMDb lists the Red Weapon Helium as the camera of choice for this shoot. I'm frankly not that familiar with this particular model, but as I've discussed in many previous reviews, for whatever reason I tend to appreciate Red captured material more generally consistently than I do Arri Alexa captured material, and that preference continues with this release. Despite some extremely heavy grading like the almost cobalt blues bathing the first scenes of Ridgeman and Lurasetti, general detail levels and especially fine detail levels are often excellent. Zahler and cinematographer Benji Bakshi favor a neo noir style which frequently utilizes either low light or backlit moments, something that can occasionally slightly mask detail levels. Even a closing sequence that is misty and either lit or graded toward dirty yellows provides surprising amounts of shadow detail and general detail levels. This is actually a film I'd be very interested to see in 4K UHD, so maybe Lionsgate's seemingly random choices of what to release in that format will provide that experience sometime down the line.
Dragged Across Concrete features a generally immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, one which attains good surround activity courtesy of several scenes involving action of some sort, even "action" like the rather forceful coupling between Henry and a girlfriend that rather shockingly begins the film. A number of outdoor scenes have nicely placed ambient environmental effects, and the requisite showdowns provide bursts of LFE which are also often quite energetic sounding. The florid dialogue is delivered without any issues whatsoever on this problem free track.
Dragged Across Concrete has some really interesting aspects to it, but I personally probably would have responded more strongly to it had it been shorn of at least a half hour or so, not to mention had it featured dialogue a little less on the self consciously "arty" side. That said, this provides real showcases for its cast, and despite its length, the film delivers regular and substantial jolts of energy. Technical merits are solid, and Dragged Across Concrete comes Recommended.
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