Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Hired to Kill Blu-ray Movie Review

Project: Hitman, or Mission: Improbable.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 27, 2016

Even lovers of (relatively) short lived cult television series may have a hard time recalling Cover Up, a show that ran for a season in 1984-85, and if they do remember it, it’s probably for a tragedy that visited the set rather than for any inherent aspect of the actual premise of the series. That tragedy was the shocking death of handsome young co-star Jon-Erik Hexum, who in a questionable display of judgment played around with what he thought was a toy gun one day and managed to severely injure himself to the point that he was declared brain dead and soon taken off of life support. The show limped along in the aftermath of that horrifying development but was shuffled off the broadcast coil after only one year. The setup of Cover Up dealt with a famous fashion photographer (played by erstwhile famous fashion model Jennifer O’Neill) who discovers that her late husband was a secret CIA operative. In the sort of preposterous machination that only a screenwriter could formulate, O’Neill’s character is offered her late husband’s job, with the understanding that she’ll continue to masquerade as a fashion photographer and that she’ll be accompanied by an impossibly good looking CIA agent (initially played by Hexum, later by Antony Hamilton) who would similarly pretend to be a model. In a way, Cover Up simply shifted I Spy’s tennis setting to the world of haute couture, but it was an ill fitting idea that never really panned out into anything overly exciting. The same might be said for the at least somewhat similar Hired to Kill, a film that kind of plays on the same general concept as Cover Up, albeit with genders reversed. In this version, it’s a male operative (more of a mercenary than an actual bona fide agent) who is paired up with a gaggle of women fighters, with the guy pretending to be a famous fashion designer (who also photographs) and the girls as his bevy of gorgeous (but deadly) models. Hired to Kill is a pretty lame exercise in action adventure filmmaking, and like some other Arrow releases (Blood Bath), the real interest for at least some fans will be not so much in the film itself but in some of the background of the production as detailed in an appealing supplementary package.

Hired to Kill begins amusingly enough, with apparently wasted (as in hung over) Frank Ryan (Brian Thompson) trying to sleep it off and relying on a nearby pistol to “silence” his ringing telephone. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few moments of whimsy in what becomes an increasingly turgid enterprise. Ryan is summoned to the office of Thomas (George Kennedy), a guy who seems to have some kind of history with Ryan which the film neglects to overly detail. Thomas is not CIA, though his actual employer is, again, not overly detailed. Whoever or whatever that entity is, though, needs to foment a revolution in the fictional country of Cypra (did Cypriots protest at the time of the film’s release?). To that end, Thomas simply informs Ryan that he’ll be assuming the identity of one Cecil Thornton, a fictional fashion designer Thomas’ organization has spent scads of money “creating”, replete with actual fashions. Ryan isn’t pleased, especially when Thomas agrees with Ryan’s dismissive opinion that fashion designers (or at least this one) must be gay.

While B-movie schlockmeister (and I say that with the utmost respect) Nico Mastorakis (The Zero Boys) calls Hired to Kill a kind of gynocentric take on The Magnificent Seven, perhaps a slightly larger aggregation, namely The Dirty Dozen, might be a more appropriate cinematic referent, for after Ryan is initially teamed with a previous partner (and nemesis) named Sheila (Barbara Lee Alexander), they then “recruit” (most of) the rest of the supposed models from prison. After a quick but apparently successful training regimen, the team heads off to Cypra, which despite its roiling political atmosphere apparently wants nothing more than a visit from a famous fashion designer and his harem of models.

Well, it would be a harem, if “Thornton” weren’t “gay”, a plot point that is folded into things in a manner that some contemporary young ‘uns may find shockingly politically incorrect. In Cypra, the team’s “mission” is to free rebel leader Rallis (José Ferrer), something that is hoped will set up the overthrow of current dictator Michael Bartos (Oliver Reed, looking weirdly like Kelsey Grammer throughout this film). The term “mission” may not be entirely far fetched, for in many ways this film plays like a slightly outré version of an old Mission: Impossible episode, with a nasty dictator in a fetid tropical locale being fooled by a renegade band of American interlopers. All that’s missing are the latex masks.

In the probably self serving but still entertaining interview with Mastorakis included on this Blu-ray as a supplement, the would be auteur lobs a passing joke at his former son-in-law Brian Thompson, but saves most of his invective for Oliver Reed, whose late career shenanigans were already legend and who did little to subvert preconceptions about him on this shoot. Conversely, though, Mastorakis goes out of his way to praise Jose Ferrer, an actor of unabashed gravitas whose two days on the shoot probably provided Mastorakis with a veritable oasis of propriety. Hired to Kill never really amounts to much, but it does at least provide the unique sight of Thompson planting a big, fat wet one on Oliver Reed’s heavily mustachioed lips.

Hired to Kill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hired to Kill is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Once again as with Arrow's release of Mastorakis' The Zero Boys, a 4K scan off a 35mm interpositive provide the source for this transfer. This is by and large a great looking release, one that benefits from the sun drenched climes of the location shoot in Corfu, Greece. In fact, things are so sun drenched at times that brightness may seem to be a trifle too pumped, but contrast generally keeps things within acceptable norms. The palette is not overly suffused, and may tip ever so slightly toward the pink end of things, but looks healthy. Detail levels are very good to excellent, with fine detail popping quite well in some of the many close-ups (see screenshot 3). Damage is virtually negligible, and there are no issues with image instability. Grain resolves naturally and is unencumbered by any compression anomalies.

Hired to Kill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hired to Kill features a robust sounding LPCM 2.0 mix (the advertised DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix actually turns out to be a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, at least going by what two players/receivers I used said). The stereo track provides plenty of oomph in the low end, giving some resonance to the action elements. Dialogue and score come through cleanly and clearly and with excellent prioritization. There is no age related damage of any kind to report.

Hired to Kill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Hired to Direct (1080p; 27:26) features the always entertaining Nico Mastorakis in fine form. Fans of Oliver Reed may want to skip this one.


• Undercover Mercenary (1080p; 17:33) is a 2016 interview with star Brian Thompson, who was Mastorakis' son-in-law when the movie was shot.


• Theatrical Trailer (480p; 2:50)


• Stills Gallery (1080p; 7:18)


• Audio Commentary features Michael Felsher hosting the film's editor Barry Zetlin.

Additionally the film's original screenplay is accessible via BD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and as is usual with Arrow releases, the handsome booklet comes with an interesting essay.

Hired to Kill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hired to Kill seems to want to make some kind of statement about gender roles, but it doesn't seem to know whether that statement is male chauvinist or feminist, leading to a kind of philosophical disconnect that makes some of the proceedings a little hard to swallow. The film does better in its brainless action element, and some of the fashion sidebars are amusing in their own dated way. While the film is no great shakes, Arrow has assembled a nice supplementary package, and technical merits are strong for those considering a purchase.