Hijacked Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Hijacked Blu-ray Movie Review

A go-nowhere movie features good A/V quality.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 30, 2012

Hijacked is exactly the sort of movie that would have benefited from being scrapped at the developmental stage. Even for a direct to video venture the movie is awful, not so awful as to be completely unwatchable, but it's certainly borderline. Imagine a flick in the style of Air Force One or Executive Decision with almost no action, an unnecessarily convoluted plot, poorly-developed characters, terrible acting, unconvincing sets, lame visual effects, and bland direction, and one might have an idea of what a bad movie this is. It's so bad that it stars a UFC fighter rather than professional wrestler. Apparently folks like John Cena, Ted DiBiase, Edge, and Triple H were smart enough to stay away from this clunker. Structurally, the movie is bested by Asylum junk titles. Dramatically, well, there is no drama, and the action is so brief and boring the gunshots barely register. Expectations are already low going in, and the movie manages to kill off any last shred of potential by the end of the first act.

Randy Couture cannot explain the failure that is 'Hijacked.'

"The Tribe" is a terror group escalating violence in Gaza. Their influence and attacks are also spreading through Europe at an alarming rate. They are also working in the drug business in Western Europe, and they're about target a very large corporate fish. Bruce Lieb (Craig Fairbrass) is a business magnate who has just acquired Polar Energy. Scandal surrounds an unfazed Lieb who is set to depart for an overseas trip aboard his luxurious private jet, one he purportedly won in a card game with Emir of Qatar, a jet that's the equivalent of a mansion on wheels and wings. Paul Ross (Randy Couture) is a CIA operative who believes The Tribe is primed to target Lieb. He's also trying to save a fading relationship with his girlfriend, who works with Lieb. Ross urges the flight be grounded, but it takes off anyway. Ross remains aboard to ensure the flight's safety, and it doesn't take long for his hunch to become fact. The plane is overtaken by terrorists. There's a bomb on board, set to go off when the terrorists accomplish their mission. Now, Ross will have to use his skill set to save the plane and the people on it before a sinister plan is completed.

There's certainly not much to the plot. Viewers will likely give up early, uninterested in the details and content, at first, to wait for the action. And wait and wait some more. Unfortunately, what little action there is comes rarely and ends quickly. The picture mixes up its priorities, refusing to settle for "dumb action," eschewing lots of gunfire and explosions in favor of building up a story that nobody watching is going to care about and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense anyway, even after a dull, anticlimactic ending where it's all pieced together in a string of hazy flashbacks (and first introduced with the "fake news segments" crutch). The opening act takes far too long to set everything in motion and the payoff is practically nil in acts two and three. Hijacked is a classic "go through the motions" sort of movie, struggling to find intelligence in a genre that requires none and in which none is expected. Smarts are a bonus to be sure, but at the expense of action or, worse, at the expense of cohesion? That's a fatal flaw, one Hijacked demonstrates from the get-go.

Sadly, there are additional problems beyond the plot and lack of action to drag Hijacked down into the depths of bad movie-dom. Hijacked isn't a big studio Action blockbuster and viewers (and reviewers) cannot treat it as such, but flimsy sets and CGI bullet holes really detract from the experience. Brandon Nutt's direction does nothing to up the energy level or dramatic intensity, leaving the film completely in the hands of a bloated and dull script and a cast that never falls into part. Randy Couture struggles to breathe life into the film's lead character. The former UFC fighter has absolutely nothing to work with; it's a solid defense for a largely miserable performance, but he brings zero charisma and no screen presence to the part, something the WWE actors seem to do quite well, even when mired in otherwise lower-rung movies. The film does cast a few name actors in other parts, but again Hijacked does nothing with the talent other than aim the camera at it.

Hijacked Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hijacked may be an awful movie, but that hasn't stopped Anchor Bay from delivering a handsome 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Aside from fairly consistent background banding -- particularly thick over the opening credits -- and flesh tones that sometimes push towards a shade of red, the image appears quite nice. Detail is solid-to-exemplary throughout. The HD video source photography captures some very nice textures throughout the movie, including creases in plush leather seats, lines in pricey tuxedos, and complex skin textures. The downside is that some of the shoddy set decorations look extra-cheap, but the transfer certainly brings out everything there is to see. Colors are well-balanced aside from those reddish flesh tones. The nice appointments around the plane look sharp, and even black attire appears deep and true. Shadow detail isn't perfect, but is at least acceptable. This isn't a mind-blowing image, but it's representative of what a good Blu-ray sourced from HD video photography should look like.

Hijacked Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hijacked's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack largely impresses, though it's certainly not perfect. The opening party sequence offers smooth Jazz notes that float through the front speakers and into the listening area. There's little surround support, and the general din of the party remains a product of the front speakers, too. Score plays with the same sort of posture, emanating from the front and with a solid low end accompaniment. Gunfire is fairly impressive. The biggest shootout occurs early in the film; there's a lot of noise and a fair sense of clarity to the various pops and cracks and booms. The surrounds pick up steam here and carry a good bit of the information and help to transport the listening audience into the middle of the havoc. There's not much ambient support on board the plane, and the rumble of takeoff never seems quite as deep and rattling as one might expect. Dialogue is clear and firm, flowing easily and without trouble from the center channel. This is a good track for a low-budget Action flick. It's not demo material, but it suits the movie well.

Hijacked Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Hijacked contains no supplements. The main menu offers only options for "Play" and "Scene Selections." A DVD copy of the film comes in the box.

Hijacked Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Its hard to be disappointed with Hijacked considering how low expectations are going in. But the film even fails to offer the direct-to-video Action movie basics. There's precious little action, an overworked script, boring direction, a sluggish pace, and awful acting. The movie never takes off, so to speak, and the set-up for a sequel (that will likely never come) is the final cringe-worthy element in a movie that's full of them. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Hijacked does offer solid video and audio. No extras are included. Skip it.