6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
After being taken hostage by dangerous criminals, a border patrol agent and his teenage daughter must lead the criminals through the treacherous Pacific Northwest mountains.
Starring: Steve Austin (IV), Gary Daniels (I), Eric Roberts, Gil Bellows, Michael Hogan (II)Action | 100% |
Thriller | 84% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
He's like the Davy Crockett of the border patrol or whatever.
Hunt to Kill is a movie that's already been made about 300 times before ("they took his daughter; now they're going to pay!"), sometimes
better, sometimes worse. Former professional wrestling
champ Steve Austin's latest direct-to-video outing isn't going to open any eyes or mark a new era in Action filmmaking, but Hunt to Kill is a
surprisingly decent, albeit recycled, genre picture that's fun to a point but grows old during a monotonous third act, just when the movie should reach
its zenith. Instead, it merely goes through the motions of Austin hunting down the remaining bad guys one by one with the final conflict between
protagonist-antagonist playing as a fairly dull beat-em-up with little in the way of novelty or excitement. Still, Austin gives the movie a larger-than-life
presence to work with; he may not be Schwarzenegger or Stallone, but his imposing figure, quiet demeanor, and country boy looks seems the perfect
fit for this generic but passably entertaining direct to video Action flick.
I'm giving you to the count of 0.03 to accurately guess how this movie ends.
Hunt to Kill features a good-looking 1080p transfer. Though shot on video and appearing rather flat throughout, the image does offer some character through its exceptionally strong detailing and fair coloring. Detail can look extraordinary in places; the border patrol uniforms as seen at the beginning of the film reveal every small texture, while viewers could pause the film and count Steve Austin's facial hairs in appropriately in-tight shots. Various terrains appear sharp and nicely detailed even at a distance, with only a few wilderness shots looking the slightest bit fuzzy. Colors are steady if not slightly drab by default; the entire movie takes place under rainy and/or overcast conditions, so there's little opportunity for even the brightest hues -- particularly the green foliage seen throughout the Montana wilderness exteriors -- to sparkle. The image is generally sharp as a tack and free of excess noise, even in some of the darker corners around the screen. Blacks and flesh tones are consistently solid, too. Some viewers may not like the smooth, glossy, and flat video look the film employs; nevertheless, this is a quality and technically-proficient transfer that does all it can with the material it has to work with. This is easily one of the nicer looking HD video movies-turned-Blu-ray out there.
Hunt to Kill's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack gives off something of a quality but generic flavor, making it the perfect compliment to the movie. It delivers various atmospherics -- primarily in the form of a light-to-moderate drizzle that falls through much of the movie -- well enough; the surrounds are nicely engaged and the final effect proves mostly convincing. There isn't much more in the way of environmental ambience; a few cars pass across the front of the soundstage to good directional-specific effect, but otherwise, the track is mostly devoid of much in the way of noticeable supportive elements. The more pronounced action effects prove the track's best assets; a raging fire and subsequent explosion heard early in the film are delivered with a good precision and a fair bit of bass, while several gunshots scattered around the movie play with a a good deal of power. Dialogue is centered and consistently accurate. Hunt to Kill's soundtrack is proficient but not exemplary; it's a fine compliment to a decent direct to video Action movie, but this isn't going to become a go-to Action reference soundtrack. Listen for the end credits music that recalls Jerry Goldsmith's excellent "It's a Long Road" theme for First Blood.
Hunt to Kill offers a couple of extras, and Steve Austin is nowhere to be found. Things kick off with an audio commentary track featuring Director Keoni Waxman and Actor Michael Eklund. Theirs is a rather superficial commentary that offers some basic insights into the making of the movie, but there's nothing at all groundbreaking or all that interesting here. Anecdotes from the set, basic filmmaking techniques, discussions of shooting locales, and plenty of back-and-forth banter fill most of the airtime. Diehard fans of the film might find value here, but most can skip this track and sleep well at night for it. Behind the Scenes of 'Hunt to Kill' (1080p, 8:07) begins with Actor Gil Bellows talking up his role and performance, followed by Actor Gary Daniels discussing fight choreography and the part he plays. The piece concludes with Bellows attempting to discuss the challenges and rewards of the shoot, flanked by Actors Michael Eklund and Emilie Ullerup. The piece is intercut with random behind-the-scenes footage. Also included is the Hunt to Kill trailer (1080p, 1:37).
For a few cheap thrills and a decent DTV experience, Hunt to Kill is hard to beat. Yes, the film doesn't have a proverbial original bone in its flat HD video body, but Austin brings a commanding, no-nonsense presence to the film that elevates it a few notches above where other generic stars might have allowed it to wallow in its repetitiousness and blatant unoriginality. Action fans have seen this movie countless time before, so there's really not much of a reason to give this one a watch; wrestling fans might want to check it out for Austin alone, but even considering that Hunt to Kill is a fair production with a couple of decent actors, a watchable pace, and fair entertainment value, it's the sort of movie best saved for a lazy evening when there's nothing else to watch. This Anchor Bay Blu-ray release of Hunt to Kill delivers a strong 1080p transfer, a serviceable lossless soundtrack, and a few extras (but where is Steve Austin?), making this a disc best enjoyed as a rental.
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