Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Hard Rain Blu-ray Movie Review

Lionsgate delivers a no-frills Blu-ray release of a solid Action movie.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 13, 2010

I came for the money.

"Good movies" need not necessarily be art-house fare, summer blockbusters, animated epics, soulful Dramas, or other sorts of films recognized for something-or-another that sets them apart from the crowd. 1998's Hard Rain -- a little Action film starring Christian Slater (He Was a Quiet Man), Morgan Freeman (Deep Impact), Randy Quaid (Days of Thunder), and Minnie Driver (The Phantom of the Opera) -- is a picture that sets its sights rather low, aiming not for awards and accolades but instead a basic fun factor that might leave the film existing in obscurity but nevertheless entertains its target audience for the duration of its runtime and leaves viewers satisfied with the return in investment. Is that a "good movie," then, one that works as-intended and within its own little realm, even if it has nothing to offer beyond a basic, no-frills, nuts-and-bolts, good-old-fashioned entertainment value? The answer is a resounding "yes," and while Hard Rain isn't a classic of its genre or even a notable picture, it succeeds in accomplishing its rudimentary task with little additional filler, a philosophy plenty of other movies should adopt instead of trying to be more than is necessary to deliver the one thing movies like this are bred for: sheer entertainment.

Who's the quiet man now?

A small Indiana town is flooding and its residents are evacuating. The banks are cleaning out their safes and leaving millions in cash in the capable hands of two armored car officers, Tom (Slater) and his uncle Charlie (Ed Asner). When their vehicle becomes stuck in several feet of water, a call for help to the National Guard is intercepted by a quartet of thugs led by Jim (Freeman), but his planned robbery of the truck is botched when one of his men with an itchy trigger finger opens fire, killing Charlie and leaving Tom to fend for himself and escape with the cash. Hiding it in a nearby cemetery, Tom desperately attempts to flee from Jim's group and eventually finds himself befriended by a local named Karen (Driver) while a trio of law enforcement officials, including the Sheriff (Quaid), brave the waters in an effort to validate Tom's story. With millions in cash, the fate of a town, and plenty of maneuverability in the covering tracks all on the table, loyalties will be challenged and souls corrupted over the course of a night where anything is possible and everyone's a target, all in the name of easy money.

Hard Rain is a film that defines the no-frills Action picture. While it hints at budding relationships, develops a slight backstory to cement the plot, offers a few twists and turns in the final act, and throws in some good-hearted comic relief that's not really necessary but works well nevertheless, there's never any question that Hard Rain is nothing but a simple and fairly mindless Action movie that gets most everything right, and its few miscues don't prove very detrimental to the experience. A couple of the characters are necessary clichés and exist for the sole purpose of taking a bullet at some point during the movie, but the handful of leads prove nicely developed -- but only to the absolutely necessary minimum -- and skillfully acted, allowing Hard Rain's simple yet effective action pieces to work all the better. Indeed, there's nothing really special about the movie's point-and-shoot gun battles and routine chase scenes, but what is special about the movie is the surprising lack of posturing and tacked-on nonsense to derail the picture's feel. The atmosphere and the resultant urgency play a large part in making sure the movie can't stray very far from the essentials, and even a few scenes that sidetrack the movie -- particularly the comic relief -- feel right at home even if they're mostly superfluous to the overall experience.

Aside from its setting and atmosphere that deliver a unique flavor to the picture, it's Hard Rain's surprisingly solid -- and arguably even exceptional when taken in the context of a largely-inconsequential-Action-movie -- performances that make it one of the more effective movies of its kind. Morgan Freeman is, no surprise, the best of the bunch, and it's his insistence on giving his part the same thoughtfulness and depth that he would a movie considered more important not only to his career but from a critical and commercial perspective -- such as Deep Impact or Glory -- that makes his turn in Hard Rain such a strong asset to the picture. It's also a sign of an actor that's something of a once-in-a-generation sort, a man dedicated to his craft and not phoning in a performance simply because the movie from the outset seems one that's destined to be more of a resumé padder than a headlining accomplishment. Freeman embraces his character's single-mindedness wonderfully, always playing to that "me and money only" refrain with chilling precision. Christian Slater also turns in a surprisingly solid performance as a lead character that's fairly shallow and utilitarian but nevertheless effective-in-context. His is a rather generic part, but that's fine, because a movie like Hard Rain doesn't really need -- nor does it, much to its credit, attempt to fashion -- characters that are more well-rounded or purposeful than what's needed for the story to work. Slater plays to the film's atmosphere and action, turning in a consistently steady effort that's typical of the actor's ability to mesh some humor in with the action, and it works very well in Hard Rain. Like Slater's, Quaid's and Driver's parts are rather generic but also fill a necessary role in the movie and both actors turn in commendable efforts that keep the film afloat at all times. However, Hard Rain's surprising star is Betty White ("The Golden Girls") in a completely superfluous comic relief part as a loud-mouthed, opinionated, bear-trap laying, and shotgun-toting grandma that's a laugh machine in a movie that doesn't need one, but White nevertheless embraces the part and has plenty of fun with it, as do all of her fellow actors that she interacts with throughout the course of the waterlogged production.

Hard Rain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hard Rain's 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer never has more than a cursory opportunity to sparkle in a bright-and-colorful sort of way; the picture's deliberately dreary, overcast, and dulled imagery doesn't exactly lend itself well to a breathtaking high definition image, but Lionsgate's release nevertheless offers a fairly faithful presentation. Hard Rain is a picture dominated by shades of black and gray, the nighttime setting and deluge of water drowning out any semblance of bright primary colors, but the disc nevertheless delivers a stable if not dulled palette, every hue presented accurately within the limited context. Detail is adequate and the image is consistently sharp with no egregious softening at any one point. Blacks can be slightly overwhelming at times but never appear unnaturally bright. The image is littered with scattered speckles, but not to any seriously detrimental effect. Hard Rain is one of the least visually stimulating films available on Blu-ray, but this transfer is nevertheless a solid presentation of the material.

Hard Rain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hard Rain's DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack isn't phenomenal, but it's aggressive and exciting from start to finish. Surround speakers are used throughout the picture to great effect, particularly in support of the torrential downpour that's a constant companion in practically every scene. Additionally, rolling thunder -- sometimes gently, sometimes more aggressively -- booms and drifts through the entire listening area to surprisingly realistic and enveloping effect. Still, the front three channels carry much of the payload, and while every drop of rain or clap of thunder aren't the most pronounced and realistic effects ever heard, there's still a strong sense of immersion to the track and listeners should find themselves everything but wet by the end. The other major player in Hard Rain's soundtrack is gunfire. Whether the blast of a shotgun or the cracking of a high-powered rifle that with each shot echoes wonderfully about the listening area, the soundtrack delivers a nicely-realized symphony of gunplay with ease. Music plays with suitable clarity and dialogue never misses a beat. Hard Rain proves a well-rounded soundtrack to a movie that demands an honest and immersive sound experience, and while it could stand a bit more realism and oomph, it's plenty satisfactory as-is.

Hard Rain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Hard Rain fails to offer a deluge of supplements; only the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:31) is included.

Hard Rain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hard Rain is a "good" movie in the basic context of the word, the picture not exactly the stuff of cinematic legend but nevertheless managing to deliver the goods within the narrow spectrum in which it exists. A straight Action film with good performances, a fairly novel setting, a couple of decent twists, and just the right dosage of comic relief, Hard Rain doesn't set out to do anything more than deliver 90 quick-paced minutes of mindless fun, and with every passing tick the movie manages to keep viewers entertained on a base level and for the duration of the picture. Lionsgate's Blu-ray release of Hard Rain isn't a stunner, but it's fairly adequate for the film it accompanies. Most important is that the Blu-ray disc delivers a solid technical presentation, but fans will be disappointed with the lack of any substantive extras. Nevertheless and considering the aggressive pricing, good technical presentation, and quality of the movie, Hard Rain comes recommended.