6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
The story throws Elvis impersonators, Indians, modern cowboys, a 6-foot-tall blond assassin, a frat boy, a corrupt sheriff and a prostitute into a chase for a priceless American Indian artifact stolen during a poker game at an Indian casino.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Christian Slater, Helena Mattsson, Powers Boothe, Dane CookThriller | 100% |
Crime | 97% |
Comedy | 96% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 0.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
It had to be a favor for a friend's nephew. Or a bet gone horribly, horribly wrong. A botched three-picture deal. Maybe his family was being held at gunpoint. What else could explain Oscar-nominated star of stage and screen Gary Oldman's rock-bottom gig in Guns, Girls and Gambling, a shoddily shot direct-to-video misfire so unbelievably bad it's destined to live out its days in the dank depths of a Walmart bargain bin? Taking cues from Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez -- and bumbling and botching every single one of 'em -- writer/director Michael Winnick delivers an unoriginal, ungainly bit of pulp fiction as poorly conceived and wholly uninspired as it is disastrously slapped together. How it even came to be, much less how it found its way onto Blu-ray, remains a mystery its barebones supplemental package chooses to avoid. How it made it out of the editing bay, much less out of the studio, a crime someone might just pay for with their career. Only time and Worst Films of the Decade lists will tell.
Don't ask me. I'm as confused as you are.
For those fools among us who rush in -- Gary Oldman's on the cover, it can't be that bad! -- Universal's sun-baked 1080p/VC-1 video transfer will come as a much-needed relief; a sip of water in the desert that makes 90-minutes of hell a bit more bearable. Though no amount of encoding prowess can take away the sting of labored cinematography, the presentation is bolstered by sizzling colors, striking primaries and deep blacks. Contrast is a touch hot by nature, with at-times slightly oversaturated skintones, but it's vivid and consistent, so no real complaints here. Detail delivers too, with crisp edges, nicely resolved textures and revealing closeups. Scrutiny uncovers some negligible artifacting, ringing and crush, but nothing too severe or troublesome. Imperfect and unremarkable as it can be, the video presentation is by far the high point of the disc.
Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track does its job and does it well. It just doesn't have much to work with. Guns, Girls and Gambling is riddled with rather flat sound design, louder than it is powerful, shriller than it is precise. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and competently prioritized, and gunfire, tomahawk thunks and quick-draw cannons sound the part, front-locked as they tend to be. LFE output is decent, although it lacks finesse, and the rear speakers are active, albeit fairly inconsequential, particularly when so many scenes involve one long conversation after another. Directionality is passable but underutilized, dynamics are strong but a bit dodgy, and the soundfield never quite engages the listener as pointedly as it should. All things considered, it's solid at best, serviceable at worst.
Did you really expect special features on a disc that doesn't even sport a main menu?
With a title like Guns, Girls and Gambling, you'd expect... shot in the dark here... guns, girls and gambling. The guns, though, are straight out of a videogame. The girls are irksome and overshadowed by the boys. And the only real gambling to be had comes when you decide to slide your credit card through the Redbox reader. Even with Gary Oldman playing an artifact-swiping Elvis impersonator with a machine gun, this one is bad. Not so bad it's good bad. So bad it's just awful bad. Yes, Universal softens the blow with a commendable video transfer and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but I'd still avoid this one at all costs. Even a rental involves too much risk for too little a reward.
Unrated Special Edition
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