Fatman Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Fatman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 15, 2021

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and it is very cold at Christmas. With that in mind, Writers/Directors Eshom and Ian Nelms craft Fatman, a story that pits a gruff, gun-toting, and cookie-munching Chris Cringle against a vengeful brat and a determined hitman. It's a novel idea if it's anything, one that explores the darker side of humanity against the season of holiday cheer, though it does so without digging beyond the superficial. But in this case dabbling around the periphery of some basic ideas proves just enough to make the movie work, mostly because this isn't something audiences have seen before.

Young Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield) is as spoiled as he is rich. He's at the center of his own world, and any interference in his perceived success are swiftly and vengefully dealt with. He has a hitman named Jonathan Miller (Walton Goggins) on speed dial and frequently calls him up to take care of his problems, like a classmate who wins first prize in the science fair instead of him. Billy's naughty deeds and sour attitude have not gone unnoticed. He's near the top of Chris Cringle's (Mel Gibson) bad boy list and, this year, Billy receives a lump of coal for Christmas for his efforts. Billy, enraged and in disbelief that he would be treated in such a manner, calls up Miller and puts a hit a out on Cringle. It turns out Miller is equally upset with Cringle; he only ever received a single gift on Christmas and still carries those emotional scars, that ever-present disappointment, and that unassuageable anger from his youth. As Miller sets out to locate Cringle, settle his own score, and collect a paycheck for his troubles, Cringle finds himself in financial distress and forced to shift operations to accommodate a military contract instead of building toys for the good little boys and girls.

Fatman is certainly a film of its own creation and identity. It builds on familiar Christmas beats but adds a long list of unique identifying characteristics to its name. Cringle is neither fat nor jolly, even if he loves himself a few good cookies. He's a good shot with his beloved .45 and, when he's not munching on his wife's (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) tasty cookies or rallying his elven troops, he's honing his skills on the shooting range. He is an efficiency expert whose government contracts are not as lucrative as they once were, primarily because so many children, like Billy, are receiving coal rather than the toys he's commissioned to build. The naughty list is only growing in length with no end in sight. But Fatman is more interesting as it follows its antagonists, a pair who despise Cringle for passing them by at Christmas. They both hold skewered perceptions of self and believe they were wrongly shunned even if they rarely do right in Cringle's eyes. Billy is the more superficial villain and Miller the more complex. The former is a spoiled brat who demands his way and takes extreme measures to either get what he wants or to get revenge on those who pull him from his perch. The latter is more complicated but the film never digs quite so deeply as it probably should. The audience understands Miller's perspective, but a deeper dive and brighter illumination would have enhanced the climactic showdown's emotional and visceral impacts alike.

The picture's production and performance elements satisfy. The parts do not stretch Gibson or Goggins, largely because the characters are not so well conceived as they could have been. Much of the depth remains below the surface, and the actors do little to bring out more than the necessary beats to advance the story. Gibson brings a physical toughness to the part while finding a tender side alongside his wife with whom he shares serviceable chemistry. Goggins' character has more upside but it's explored only in bits and pieces and without much of a satisfying feel for his motivations beyond the superficial, try as the film might to build him beyond (for example, he collects other people's unwanted Christmas toys, often paying top dollar for them). There's not much time or money spent on lavish sets, either. Cringle's workshop, populated by elves, is not so colorful as is expected. It's spartan, which at least matches the movie's tone. The final shootout is well designed and executed.

Fatman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount's Blu-ray is clean, efficient, sharp, and well colorful. The picture was digitally photographed and the Blu-ray brings the native material to life with impressive efficiency. Perhaps most telling of the transfer's prowess comes in close-ups. Anytime the camera pushes in and lingers on Gibson's Chris Cringle, audience are treated to a remarkable level of innate depth to wrinkles and razor-sharp definition to the dense facial hair. These shots push the format right to its limits; they couldn't look more densely textured and naturally realized at this resolution. Certainly winter clothes, natural environments, barroom interiors, and the plush estate where Billy lives all thrive, too, each of them revealing corner-to-corner sharpness and allowing the audience to soak in every last minute texture. Colors are equally strong. Crisp, bright, clean whites on garments and snow, vital to the film's final act, show the SDR spectrum at its best, particularly when intensely bright red blood starkly contrasts with it. Support tones on clothes, toys, furnishings, and the like enjoy the same faithful and fruitful tonal output. Flesh tones appear spot-on and black levels offer no reason for concern. The picture is all but free of distracting source noise and there are no encode anomalies of note. This one pushes right up against Blu-ray perfection.

Fatman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fatman's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a capable listen within a nicely realized sense of space, making fine use of the front stretch, surround immersion, and low end support features. The track features solid directional effects and stage fill both in less demanding scenes and in the climactic shootout. That shootout is easily the film's sonic highlight, surpassing even some of the edgier and more intensive musical cues scattered throughout the film, which do boast excellent clarity, spatial balance, and subwoofer support. The finale offers well defined stretch, depth, and detail to a blaring alarm, complimented by deep and pure gunfire during a shootout in a workshop. When the shooting moves outside, the echoing is heard and felt all around the listener, giving each shot a proper environmental report, supported by terrific pitch and depth to each shot, whether from an AR-15 or Cringle's 1911 pistol. Lighter ambient effects usually go unnoticed, but in a good way: the track's seamless supports effortlessly draw the listener into any environment with extracurricular background elements. Dialogue is true to its center position and excels in detail and prioritization.

Fatman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fatman isn't bloated with extras but fans should be satisfied with the main course supplements which include a commentary track, deleted and extended scenes, and a storyboard featurette. No DVD copy is included but Paramount has bundled in a digital copy code.

• Audio Commentary: Actor Mel Gibson, Directors Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms, Producer Michelle Lang, and Cinematographer Johnny Derango thoroughly dissect the film: photography and color timing, cast and performances, story, editing, and more with smart but accessible insight into every scene. The track is a nice blend of informative, listenable, and light. With optional English and Spanish subtitles.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 9:12 total runtime): Included are Forgotten Milk, Stealing Checks, Letting Her Go, Tracking Down Santa, Mahjong, and Milk for the Road. With optional directors' commentary.
• Storyboard to Film Comparison with Director's Commentary (1080p): The final film clips play full screen and the corresponding storyboards appear bottom right. Commentary plays atop. Included are Breaking the News (3:01) and The Showdown (6:58).

Fatman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mel Gibson's turn as Chris Cringle won't be remembered in the same breath as his roles as Martin Riggs and William Wallace, but he does serviceable work as the tough-as-nails, and not so jolly or fat, bringer of Christmas cheer (and a whole lot of emotional baggage, it seems) in Fatman. The picture is lean and lacking much depth but it's efficient and different, which in today's movie landscape are two laudable qualities. Paramount's Blu-ray delivers rock-solid technical specs and a few extras. Recommended.