6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Secret Ops agent Marcus is sent to Detroit to take out an arms dealer and the head of the hedge fund that is financing him. His CIA backup has other plans and turns on him and it's a fight to survive in a hospital.
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Robert Davi, Gary Daniels (I), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Zoë BellAction | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 0.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
I am a killer.
Rehash the Wesley Snipes (Brooklyn's Finest) personal life drama elsewhere; the only thing that will
be on trial in this review is the actor's latest DTV feature, Game of
Death. The verdict? Guilty for giving even the direct-to-video film a bad name. Game of Death is a miserable with a capital-M movie
that's lacking in every key area: acting, direction, and story, not to mention the most important part of the equation for the DTV Action movie,
action. Game of Death is miserably-paced, too, beating out only watching water boil, paint dry, and grass grow, but even those offer
some tangible, worthwhile something at the end of the day: hot water for that perfect cup of tea, a new look for a tired room, or a lush lawn
to enjoy barefoot on a warm spring day. Game of Death offers no value of any kind either during or after a watch. A laborious, tiresome
endeavor, Game of Death is an example of how not to make a direct-to-video movie, a poster child for a subset of film that seemed
already replete with ill-fated efforts but has, maybe, its crowning achievement of bad now and forevermore.
What in the world is going on here?
Game of Death was filmed digitally on the Red One camera. Sony's 1080p transfer shows flashes of brilliance -- particularly early on and in any scenes inside the church -- but it occasionally appears flat, sterile, unattractive, and absent any character. At its best, the image yields remarkable detail in skin textures. Close-up shots of Marcus and the priest offer striking attention to detail, as do the fancy adornments around the church. Even each individual pew appears to have a character of its own, with small imperfections in the wood clearly visible. Colors, too, are fantastic in such scenes, the transfer revealing the subtle differences in the rich shading of each pew. Unfortunately, parts of the rest of the image sport flat and in some cases smeary details and pedestrian colorings, particularly in those scenes inside the hospital which is admittedly bland by nature. Still, the drop-off in color and texture is obvious. The image is fairly clean and crisp in most spots, though, even if it does appear flat and devoid of much in the way of vibrancy and life. Blacks are solid and flesh tones are stable. The biggest issue is the severe banding that plagues almost the entire middle section of the movie. It's maybe even the worst banding ever seen on a Blu-ray disc, appearing so heavy at times that it literally circles the entirety of the image like an ugly frame. Otherwise, the transfer is certainly passable, but it won't dazzle even the easiest-to-please of viewers.
Game of Death sports a decent DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack that's good here and subpar there. It rounds into form as a decidedly average track, not because of Sony's efforts but because the film seems to sport a fairly bland sound design by its very nature. Even some of the more high-powered elements come up lacking; spinning helicopter rotors sound fairly clear but never seem to slice through the soundstage. Gunfire, albeit many shots emanating from suppressed weapons, lacks any kind of oomph on projectile impact into hardened surfaces, and even the film's music seems to see its energy level drop and rise for no apparent reason. When the track is on, it's suitably crisp, accurate, and even a bit spacious; music flows across the front and the surround channels carry a fair load of the material. Minor atmospherics -- the steady hum of a jet engine as heard inside the cabin, for instance -- are handled nicely. Dialogue is clear, robust, and focused right up the middle. Still, this is a bland soundtrack accompanying a bad movie; there are jolts of energy and hints at superiority, but the entire package comes up lacking just enough to lower the score by a couple of points.
Game of Death contains a few self-explanatory and short throwaway featurettes.
Game of Death's best action scenes are the ones that don't leave audiences wanting to stop the movie or start twiddling their thumbs, and those rarely make an appearance. It's an exercise in endurance to be sure, and while it's certainly not the absolute worst film reviewed on this site, it's pretty bad, separated from the worst-of-the-worst only because Blu-ray.com does not allow reviewers to rate a movie "0/5." Sony's Blu-ray release of Game of Death delivers serviceable video and audio for those who choose to watch, and there are even a few scattered extras for gluttons for punishment. Skip it.
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