7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
JW - once promising Trading College with a big hunger for quick cash. Now, he pays the price; four years in Norrtälje Institution. Prison time is tough but JW has a plan on how he should get out of the criminal world and change your life right. But one day everything changes when a new deadly inmate comes to prison, a man from JW's violent past - Mrado Slovovic.
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Matias Varela, Dragomir Mrsic, Fares Fares, Madeleine Martin (III)Action | 100% |
Thriller | 97% |
Crime | 87% |
Foreign | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Swedish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Cinema is quite literally littered with hundreds upon hundreds of movies within each and every genre, most of them looking and sounding almost the same, only the settings and their characters' names and faces really changing from one to another. It's a rare event when a movie arrives that truly bucks the system, does something old in a new way, or bursts onto the scene with a completely novel approach to storytelling. The "Gritty Crime Drama" is right up there amongst the genres with the most transparent wannabes on the (now usually virtual) shelf. It's easy to see why. The backdrop tends to offer ample opportunity for dark themes, dangerous dealings, shaky morals, questionable interpersonal relationships, and heightened violence. Most every one of them falls into obscurity, rehashing old ideas and never really exploring new territory within the well-worn confines of genre basics. Easy Money: Hard to Kill is one such film, and one with aspirations of ascending above the fray. It takes off but never quite soars. It works hard but never reaps all that many added benefits. It shows potential but never really seizes the opportunity. It's a solid take on an old style and certainly a film genre aficionados will want to watch, but it doesn't bring much novelty to the table, even as it does what it does better than many others of its kind.
Freedom.
Easy Money: Hard to Kill looks fine, though it doesn't necessarily dazzle in the greater sense. Cinedigm's Blu-ray transfer is dependable and stout, often good looking but never a cut above or of reference quality. It's a touch flat, sharp but not razor-sharp, clear but a hair hazy. Details are good but don't impress beyond basic high definition goodness. Facial and clothing textures are adequate, showing positive, intricate and intimate details but not the sort of mind-blowing, eye-popping stuff found in the best transfers. Likewise, colors are fair but don't show an explosive, natural pop. The palette pushes through a well-rounded collection of hues that replicate real life but don't go that extra mile to truly awe the senses. Black levels are never neither too dark nor too bright. Skin textures are satisfactorily even. The image suffers from no major bouts of noise, banding, blocking, or other maladies. In a few words, one might describe the transfer as "serviceable and professional but not extraordinary."
Easy Money: Hard to Kill's go-to track is a native Swedish language DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Cinedigm has also included a dubbed English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Both presentations offer a positive overall listening experience. The film begins with light rainfall that quickly gives way to a tremendous amount of bass, the kind that's so heavy and deep that it's bound to shake objects off the nearby bookshelf. It's very powerful and a little sloppy at the bottom but the effect is undeniably exciting. The penetrating low end sets a dark, dangerous tone for the film and powerful bass is no stranger to the rest of the picture. Music plays big on a few occasions, notably during a brief dance scene in chapter two that pushes heavy beats into the listening area. Smoother notes shaping less potent moments are well spaced and enjoy excellent clarity. The track presents a number of scenes with nicely enveloping ambience. Action sound effects are full and satisfying. Dialogue plays evenly and accurately from the front-center. English subtitle options are included. Note that audio tracks cannot be changed "on the fly;" users will have to navigate either the main or pop-up menu to switch between the native Swedish and dubbed English audio presentations.
This Blu-ray release of Easy Money: Hard to Kill contains only the film's trailer (HD, 1:53, DTS-HD MA 5.1).
Easy Money: Hard to Kill isn't a perfect movie. Its superficial pieces cannot escape from genre convention and generality, but it does find a satisfying and very well done emotional core underneath the violence and other "gritty criminal underworld" staples that are expertly interwoven and admittedly very well done. The film is better enjoyed with a familiarity of the first film, but most audiences won't have too much trouble piecing together the backstory as this film evolves. It won't set the world on fire, but genre fans will appreciate the attention to detail, solid performances, good pacing, and deep inward content the film has to offer. Cinedigm's Blu-ray release of Easy Money: Hard to Kill features good video and audio. Unfortunately, supplements are limited to a trailer. Recommended to series fans, and newcomers should track down a copy of the novel or the first film before diving into this one.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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