Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Fox's surprise hit actioner nabs a solid Blu-ray release from Warner Bros...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 4, 2010

The life and times of The Human Target, aka Christopher Chance, are as complex as those of his on-screen Fox counterpart (played with irresistibly invincible charm by Fringe's Mark Valley). Originally created by DC Comics writer Len Wein and artist Carmine Infantino in 1972, Chance was featured in issues of Action Comics, Detective Comics and other notable ongoing series before fading into obscurity. He then resurfaced in 1992 for a short-lived ABC television series starring Australian pop rocker, Rick Springfield. Drawing a blank? Trying to remember the first Human Target? Don't bother. Its TV debut didn't go nearly as well as producers Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo had hoped, and the show was canceled after a mere seven episodes. Chance later popped up in a four-issue 1999 Peter Milligan/Edvin Biukoviæ miniseries (courtesy of Vertigo, a DC imprint), a graphic novel sequel in 2003 and an excellent ongoing series that lasted well into 2005. But then Chance went off the grid -- quite literally -- until 2010, when showrunner Jonathan E. Steinberg resurrected the little-known do-gooder and struck a twelve-episode deal with Fox. Why the history lesson? Simple. The fact that a fourth-tier character and obscure comic like Human Target still exists in any form, particularly as a successful television series, is nothing short of a miracle. More miraculous? That the show is as clever, addictive and entertaining as it is.

I'm your huckleberry...

Okay, so Steinberg's Human Target is only loosely based on Wein and Infantino's well-intentioned bodyguard, and owes even less debt to Milligan and his Vertigo reimagining. Even so, the essential elements that have kept Chance alive in the hearts and minds of DC fanboys are, in one form or another, intact. The biggest change is that Chance, still a security specialist and bodyguard for hire, no longer impersonates his clients, integrating himself into their personal lives instead. His methods are unorthodox but effective; his motivations vague, his past even more so; and his partners, former police officer Winston (Chi McBride) and fellow rogue Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley), are the closest thing he has to family and friends. Together, the trio tackle a variety of missions, each of which task Chance with protecting a vulnerable client from a dangerous foe, be it a hitman on a speeding bullet train, a killer on a doomed airliner, arms dealers at a Russian embassy, thieves bound for a Montreal monastery, a deadly bounty hunter, dirty cops or former acquaintances of the assassin persuasion. Guest stars abound, of course -- Battlestar alums Tricia Helfer, Grace Park and Alessandro Juliani, Dexter's Courtney Ford, Lost's William Mapother, CSI: NY's Emmanuelle Vaugier, Dollhouse's Amy Acker, Supernatural's Mitch Pileggi and other standout one-hit wonders -- and playing Name That Familiar Face! is sometimes half the fun.

Sharp as the series' scripts are, it's Human Target's cast that makes the series such a delight. Valley injects just enough arrogance and careless swagger into his performance to transform Chance into a viable threat, but not so much that it renders him unlikable. His playful quips and cocky self-assuredness could have easily overwhelmed the action, intrigue or both, and the show could have quickly devolved into another aimless guns-n-splosions schlock fest primed for network television. But the veteran TV actor strikes that oh-so-necessary, all-too-tricky balance between coy invulnerability and mortal leading man required to elevate Target above its style-over-substance genre brethren. But like Chance, Valley isn't sent into the field alone. McBride and Haley are the mortar to the series star's bricks, filling in the cracks no lone wolf could fill. McBride is saddled with a more practical role than his castmates, but handles it in stride, lending gravitas where others might lend self-righteousness, and offering dramatic weight where others might offer contrived exasperation. To his great credit, Winston's relationship with Chance is both personal and professional, and McBride blurs the line between the two so intuitively that it's difficult to tell where and when Winston is functioning from one or the other. Haley earns a chewier role, one that plays to his Watchmen strengths, and nearly swipes the show from Valley's back pocket. His Guerrero is as shady as he is loyal, and Haley chomps down on every scene with a predatory stare and gritted teeth that makes his character as fascinating an enigma as he is irreplaceable an ally.

Together, the three are indispensable, and the series' showrunners and writers take full advantage of their dream-team chemistry. Not that it's as simple as it sounds. With short production schedules and limited budgets, many an upstart television show stumbles out of the gate. It often takes a full season or two before a series' storylines and dialogue begin to mesh with its actors' personalities. But with each passing episode of Human Target, the scripts align with the performances, making the comedy funnier, the drama more meaningful, the action more engaging and the characters more infectious. It's amazing how immediately it all comes together too. From the very first minutes of the very first episode, Chance is a question that demands an answer. Soon thereafter, Winston emerges as an asset that demands more screentime and Guerrero is presented as a razor-wire that demands unspooling. I'm not used to feeling so at home with a series and its tone, at least not this quickly, and only the greats of recent years -- The Wire, Lost, Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad, The West Wing, Arrested Development, The Shield and others of their ilk -- have hooked me from the outset. And for a show that drifts so dangerously over the top and sometimes toils in outright unbelievable action sequences, that's no small feat.

Unfortunately, Human Target's first season is a short one. Don't get me wrong, it covers plenty of ground in just twelve episodes, but it isn't afforded as much room to breathe as other network television shows. Perhaps it's for the best. Target wastes little time and doesn't deliver a single filler episode, accelerating ahead without looking back. (Much like a premium cable series.) And considering that its second season is set to feature thirteen episodes, it's a trend that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. Ah well. Valley, his co-stars and their showrunners seem to have their wits about them in every regard, meaning Human Target's next batch will hopefully be even more engrossing, more action-packed and more entertaining than their first twelve. As it stands, its opening volley is a strong one and the series shows tremendous potential. My advice? Nab The Complete First Season, find out for yourself and tune in to Fox this November for Season Two.

Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Human Target's 1080p/VC-1 encode is a television beaut... most of the time. However, squeezing twelve episodes onto two discs takes a bit of a toll. Brief bursts of artifacting and some fleeting banding distract from an otherwise impeccable presentation, and the series drops down a notch. Thankfully, there isn't much more to complain about. Detail is excellent: fine textures are particularly well resolved, edges are sharp (with only a hint of ringing here and there), delineation is impressive and closeups look fantastic. Softer shots are apparent throughout, but the series' source is the culprit. Not that any such shortcoming matters. Quite the contrary. Human Target is a smartly shot actioner and Warner's encode stays true to Robert McLachlan's photography. Colors range from crisp and cool to warm and rich; black levels aren't always perfect, but far more often than not, are nice and deep; and contrast is strong and satisfying from episode to episode, lending confidence and competence to an already confident and competent presentation. Minor issues notwithstanding, Human Target looks great and should easily please series' diehards and newcomers alike.

Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hm. That's a new one. "Audio Mix Enhanced from Broadcast" is listed as a special feature on the back cover of The Complete First Season. Which is fine, I suppose, because that's exactly what it is: a special feature. But Warner's 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track still isn't a full-fledged lossless audio mix and it isn't the theater-thumping experience Human Target fans are clamoring for. That being said, the studio's standard lossy track is a decidedly decent one, with enough LFE oomph and rear speaker tickle to satisfy casual listeners. Dialogue is clean and clear, and only occasionally overwhelmed by Target's explosive action sequences. Prioritization is spot on, dynamics are fairly strong and pans are admirable. Low-end output is hearty (albeit a tad muddy at-times), the rear speakers are restrained but relatively lively, and directionality, despite some superficial flourish, is involving. The whole of the sonics lack that inexplicable lossless punch though, and the soundfield isn't nearly as agile or nimble as Chance. Enhanced from broadcast? Indeed. Solid? I'd say so. More than a special feature? That's up for debate. Be that as it may, Human Target could sound better.

Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 2-disc Blu-ray release of The Complete First Season isn't bursting with special features, but what it does offer is notable. Better still, both its informative production documentaries and worthwhile deleted scenes are presented in high definition, meaning it was only the amount of supplemental content, not its quality, that left me dissatisfied.

• Pilot Commentary: Executive producers Jonathan E. Steinberg and Peter Johnson and actors Mark Valley and Chi McBride discuss the series and its pilot, digging into the development of the show, its casting, performances, scripting and wry swagger. I wish there were more commentary tracks, but I suppose one solid commentary is better than six or seven mediocre misfires.
• Confidential Informant (HD, 16 minutes): Meet Christopher Chance, Human Target's bullet-dodging enigma. Both cast and crew discuss the series' leading man, his talents, characteristics, personality, drive and unique methods.
• Full Contact Television (HD, 16 minutes): The disc's second EPK covers the show itself and, aside from the music and flashy cuts, does a fine job honing in on the elements that make Human Target work from episode to episode.
• Unaired Scenes (HD, 7 minutes): A selection of surprisingly decent deleted scenes is available for "Embassy Row," "Sanctuary" and "Christopher Chance." They don't bring anything extraordinary to the series table, but they're well worth watching.
• BD-Live Functionality

Human Target: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I didn't expect to enjoy Human Target as much as I did, and I'm eagerly awaiting its second season (scheduled to air in November). And for someone whose TiVo queue is already stuffed to the gills, that's saying a lot. Packed with action, dry humor, intensity and a palpable sense of intrigue, it's well worth any television junkie's time. Warner's 2-disc Blu-ray edition of The Complete First Season isn't too shabby either. Lossless audio and a few additional commentary tracks would have helped justify the set's cost (which is, in my estimation, a tad pricey for twelve episodes), but its video transfer is excellent, its Dolby Digital audio track gets the job done and the supplemental package, slim as it may be, still has some meat to offer hungry Human Target fans.