Final Kill Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		1.5

Final Kill Blu-ray Movie Review

Dr. Drew and Randy Couture, together at last.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 9, 2020

Justin Lee's micro-budget Final Kill sounds like a parody of every revenge flick from the last 30 years...and though it isn't that self-aware, there are worse ways to kill 90 minutes. It actually squeaks by at 76 if you count the black-screen opening titles, two unnecessary side-stories, several drawn-out establishing shots, flashbacks, and a goddamn blooper reel before the end credits. In other words, it's a short movie stretched to the breaking point, and not an original one at that: aging "protection specialist" Mickey Rome (Ed Morrone) accepts one last job and things go south quickly.

That's Mickey on the left there, and he's been assigned by boss Carl Riser (Billy Zane, kinda slumming it) to sit on a young couple hiding in Costa Rica. Ol' Mick's not happy about the job either, taking every chance to complain about being trapped in a beautifully manicured McMansion with a giant pool, amenities, and a stunning view of the Caribbean. We're told that he's really good at what he does but, aside from a few stray flashbacks, we don't find out how good until the last 20 minutes when the bad guys show up. From there it's guns blazing, a hilarious double-cross, some decent hand-to-hand combat, one death by fridge door, and a couple jokes thrown in for good measure. Before that, Final Kill is content with being almost all talk as it gradually reveals why Mickey's so damn sour all the time.

Clearly aiming to capture the spirit of films like The Transporter, Final Kill comes nowhere near those modest heights. But it does have a few decent action scenes, solid cinematography, and a few random cameos including Danny Trejo, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Randy Couture who are, for the most part, not used terribly. (Maybe that's damning with faint praise, but I'm sure Final Kill will take what it can get.) But be warned: it's nowhere near polished with a number of wooden supporting characters, questionable dialogue, and enough technical gaffes to drive eagle-eyed viewers crazy. If you're still on board, Cinedigm's Blu-ray at least offers decent A/V specs to go along with zero bonus features.

Final Kill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cinedigm's 1080p transfer of Final Kill offers a pretty faithful representation of this low-budget but capably shot production. There's a surprising amount of color on display here: indoor and outdoor scenery captured at the primary "McMansion" location, the neon lights of a bar seen in flashback, and a warm tropical beach glimpsed halfway through the film. Aerial footage looks especially nice with lots of fine detail and no flagrant compression artifacts. Other scenes appear a bit muddier with fewer textures, but it's no fault of the Blu-ray -- either lesser equipment was used, or it just wasn't shot somewhere pretty. Overall, a nice-looking picture that stands as this release's high point.

Final Kill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is a bit more hit-or-miss, although less impressive moments are clearly due to inconsistent sound design rather than a disc defect. Gunfire and other explosive moments don't pack a lot of punch, and other action-related effects are sometimes just given vague echoes without much in the way of true discrete activity. (Some effects even sound like they're missing, but I'll let you pick those out for yourself.) Even so, the original score and occasional atmospheric touches elevate this lossless 5.1 mix to reasonable heights, along with dialogue that's generally clear and easy to follow. The optional English (SDH) subtitles are formatted nicely and fit within the 2.39:1 frame.

Final Kill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

None, unless you count "chapter selection", "interactive menus", or a slipcover.

Final Kill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The generic but fitfully fun Final Kill will only appeal to low-budget action junkies with...let's just say questionable standards. It feels unfinished in spots but decently entertaining in others, although the paper-thin plot is stretched to its absolute limit and barely crosses the 70-minute mark. Still, I've seen much worse in this genre and Cinedigm's Blu-ray at least offers decent A/V specs but no extras. This is the very definition of "try before you buy."