5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Malone, a man given a dangerous mission that pits him against a variety of villains, including Boulder.
Starring: Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames, Elsa Pataky, Doug Hutchison, Leland OrserThriller | 100% |
Crime | 70% |
Action | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Some men are harder to kill than others. Fortunately, I'm one of the harder ones.
It's been a largely successful few weeks for the direct-to-video marketplace; the release of the
surprisingly excellent Universal Soldier:
Regeneration renewed a modicum of faith in lower-budgeted Action fare, and the
same can be said of Give 'em Hell, Malone, a fun little inter-genre picture that
hearkens back to the days of classic Detective/Noir pictures but here infused with an over-the-top
cartoonish sensationalism and flavored with deliciously excessive violence, all with a modern
twist. Give 'em Hell, Malone isn't exactly a genre parody, nor is it a film that's meant to
be taken all that seriously; it recalls something like Black Dynamite in
its
ability to play straight but at the same time pay tribute to a genre of old, but Malone also
strays from straight genre convention throughout, certainly tipping its hat to and playing as a
throwback Noir picture, but the movie's excellent integration of slick action pieces and bloody
special effects gives it a unique and altogether entertaining tone that's quite unlike
anything else out there. The result is a movie that, like Universal Soldier: Regeneration,
is a
much better film than the dreaded "DTV" label saddles it with. Director Russell Mulcahy's (Resident Evil:
Extinction) film is a
must-see for Action aficionados and a veritable classic-in-the-making when considered strictly
against its
DTV brethren.
'Shoot to kill,' know what I mean?
Give 'Em Hell, Malone debuts on Blu-ray with a sloppy 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer that nevertheless seems at least partially reflective of the film's director-intended appearance. The image's opening shootout is particularly noisy with plenty of poorly-realized details, washed-out colors, and blocking invading most every scene. Still, it's obviously meant to be a deliberately gritty and harsh sequence, providing some leeway for a less-than-ideal presentation. Unfortunately, the transfer doesn't get much better through the rest of the picture. The image looks terribly smooth and artificial; faces appear particularly waxy and devoid of life, and the image is consistently flat and visually uninspiring. Color gradation is poor and brighter shades seem to bleed out around the edges, and the picture's whacky contrast doesn't help matters, either. Blacks are overpowering and unnatural, and flesh tones take on a pale, dismal appearance. Considering the film's highly-stylized look and throwback feel, it's difficult to find the line between director intent and natural visual tone and whatever problems may have cropped up during the transfer process. No matter, Give 'em Hell, Malone just isn't very attractive on Blu-ray.
Give 'Em Hell, Malone shoots up sound systems with a prodigious DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film begins with an extensive shootout that's a sonic revelation and, more importantly, plenty of fun as thunderous shots ring out from every corner of the soundstage, clank off hard surfaces, burrow into flesh, and create a veritable symphony of action delight that's the single-strongest segment of the track and worthy of demo purposes. Gunfire remains a paramount aspect of the track through the duration of the film with subsequent shootouts enjoying just as much clarity and oomph as the film's deadly opening segment. The DTS track makes extensive use of surround channels, too, with both discrete effects and atmospherics appearing with regularity. Imaging is excellent as sound precisely follows on-screen movement. Though loud, the track is never obnoxious, nor does it come across as overcooked. The sonic mayhem fits right in with the picture's visual tone and themes, and this extensively aggressive mix seems right at home in Give 'em Hell, Malone. Also delivering trouble-free dialogue reproduction, this small-studio and direct-to-video release sounds just as good as plenty of bigger-budgeted fare.
Give 'Em Hell, Malone contains but a pittance of extra materials. The featured supplements include a trio of 1080p interview pieces with stars Thomas Jane (6:56), Elsa Pataky (6:08), and Doug Hutchinson (6:29). Also available is the Give 'Em Hell, Malone trailer (1080p, 2:36) and additional 1080p trailers for Baby on Board, Night Train, Camille, and Staten Island.
Indeed, it's a pleasure to find two diamonds in the rough in such close proximity to one another in the wasteland that is the direct-to-video marketplace. Give 'Em Hell, Malone and Universal Soldier: Regeneration are both hardcore Action pictures with Malone tossing in a helping of subtle humor that places its excessive violence and noir appeal in context but never drowns out the picture's harder and more demanding elements. Though a film of style first and foremost, Give 'em Hell, Malone also delivers fantastic in-context acting, a witty but involved script, superb direction, exceptional action pieces, and a solid twist ending with a "to be continued" promise at film's conclusion that's, hopefully, realized sooner rather than later. This Blu-ray release from National Entertainment Media boasts an exceptional lossless soundtrack but a paltry 1080p transfer and only a few scattered extras. Still, Action fans can do a whole lot worse than this, and considering the attractive selling price, Give 'em Hell, Malone earns a recommendation.
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