7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
A Philadelphia shop owner has enough of the criminals' violence's and ravages. He organizes a patrol of civil people. It all starts to go wrong because his team's actions are taken as racial discrimination.
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Patti LuPone, Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto, David RascheDrama | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
As a longtime resident of one of the cities in the United States regularly held up as a prime example of the issue of out of control crime, namely Portland, I can say with some authority that there are a lot of people screaming about the (obvious) problems, but very few coming up with rational, implementable solutions. And that right there is the rub. How exactly are we law abiding types supposed to deal with rampant crime, whether or not it stems from someone long ensconced in such activity or, as seems to be the case in my hometown, at least sometimes the result of unbelievable hardships foisted on people due to the pandemic and its after effects, which then arguably push them toward their darker angels? They say that the fifty states in our country provide fifty laboratories for different ways of doing things, and in that regard, there are probably hundreds of relatively major population centers scattered throughout every region of the United States where crime is more or less out of control, and a number of these metropolises have tried any number of different strategies to confront various issues. And yet crime persists, again not to state the obvious. Fighting Back gives away its basic plot premise in its very title, and as hardscrabble and realistic as this Lewis Teague film obviously wants to be, the fact that it has a decidedly if intentionally ironically rosy ending with crime supposedly being eradicated may in fact push this story into the realm of the fairy tale, or so those prone to being cynical may argue. The fact that Fighting Back has by that point shown its focal hero John D'Angelo giving into his darker angels gives this film some supposed depth, but despite a really interesting cast and some effective writing, things never quite gel completely.
Fighting Back is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following pretty generic information on the transfer:
Fighting Back is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with original mono sound. The high definition master was supplied by Paramount Pictures.I'm not assigned to regularly cover Paramount's own Blu-ray releases, and so don't have a wealth of experience, though the few things from them that I have reviewed have generally offered solid technical merits, and that's once again the case here. A really healthy palette is one of this transfer's strengths, and everything from flesh tones to gritty urban environments have a very natural look. Detail levels are generally excellent, admittedly ebbing at times in some low light situations, which can also introduce a bit of crush and a noticeably chunkier grain field. There's no major damage of any kind to report.
Fighting Back features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that provides fine support for a soundtrack that is often rife with the clamor of a busy urban environment. Ambient environmental sounds reverberate believably and a kind of funky score by Piero Piccioni also sounds great. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Look, I'll admit up front that I don't have any "easy answers" as to what to do about rampant crime, but I'm not sure becoming a vigilante and killing and/or maiming all sorts of people is the right way to go about things. That said, there is an undeniable visceral thrill to seeing some idiot criminal get his comeuppance, and that element recurs throughout Fighting Back. Fans of the cast may want to check this out despite any perceived flaws, and for anyone who may be considering making a purchase, technical merits are solid and the supplements very enjoyable.
Standard Edition
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Limited Edition to 3000
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1977
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2018
1989
Blast
1972
1984
1984
2014
1972
2008
1982
1973
1994
2K Remaster
1974