Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Juggernaut Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 22, 2023

Richard Lester's "Juggernaut" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subttiles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The target

As the final credits of Juggernaut appeared on my screen, I began to wonder whether the producers of North Sea Hijack a.k.a. ffolkes had seen it. These films tackle similar material and have distinct British personalities but are very different, and I think I can guess correctly why. In Juggernaut, the main event, which is a terrorist situation on a luxury liner, is overshadowed by authentic pragmatism that becomes its story. As a result, all characters that are drawn into the crisis are required to look and sound as authentic as possible. In North Sea Hijack, the main event is again a terrorist situation but on two giant oil rigs, and the focus of attention is strictly on the action that takes place on them. The action is not devoid of pragmatism but its main function is to entertain. This means that the characters that are drawn into the crisis are not required to look and sound as authentic as possible.

There is something else that makes Juggernaut a vastly superior film. Once news breaks that the luxury liner carries multiple bombs that will be detonated unless its owners pay £500,000 to the terrorist that has installed them, the paranoia in the air becomes impossible to ignore. It is very heavy and thick, the kind that inevitably forces people to begin reevaluating the nature of their existence, and Juggernaut rightfully turns it into its atmosphere. What emerges from it is an even more prominent, maddening fear that then quickly destroys the morale of even the best professionals who are supposedly trained to make the right decisions in such dire situations. There are a few decent actors who keep their masks on a little longer than the rest, but eventually, they surrender to the fear as well.

An outstanding Richard Harris leads a team of bomb experts who are quickly transported from England to a remote location somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic where the luxury liner is. The weather conditions are horrific, and one of Harris’ men drowns in the freezing water. Later, another one (also an outstanding David Hemmings) perishes while working closely with Harris to figure out how the bombs can be deactivated. Meanwhile, in London, several powerful men (Ian Holm, Anthony Hopkins, Julian Glover) begin intense negotiations that very quickly reveal that they are not on the same page as to how far they could go to save the luxury liner.

Richard Lester directs Juggernaut with the clear vision that it can be an action film without obsessing with the flashiness that action usually brings in. This is what allows for pragmatism to overtake the action and become the story. It is an unusual approach to say the least because there is a lot happening in Juggernaut that qualifies to be described as action.

The detailed technical lingo feels very dated, but is nevertheless quite fascinating because it provides a real sense of the dangerous work Harris and his men do. While they are experts in their field, they are clearly guessing as they move forward, which means that they are routinely risking their lives. After I was done viewing Juggernaut, I spent quite a bit of time pondering what it must have been like to do this kind of work daily in years past. I also wondered how the same work is done now. I know that there are sophisticated robots that can do some of the same work, but what about the rest? Brave men are still needed to evaluate a crisis situation like the one in Juggernaut, make the right decisions, and then execute with precision. But no one is perfect, which means that errors will happen and lives will be risked.

Gerry Fisher’s lensing provides Juggernaut with a most appropriate borderline documentary appearance. For example, during some of the outdoor action on the luxury liner, very heavy mist and water often hit Fisher’s camera and affect the clarity and sharpness of the visuals.

Juggernaut Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Juggernaut arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

Juggernaut made its high-definition debut nearly a decade ago with this release, which was also produced by Kino Lorber. This reissue is sourced from the same old master, but the technical presentation of the film is different.

The new presentation of the film benefits from proper gamma levels and an optimized encode. I have the previous release in my library and was able to run several comparisons. If you have a bigger screen, the reissue definitely offers some small but meaningful improvements. For example, outdoor and darker indoor footage looks noticeably tighter now, though density levels in the darkest areas are still a bit shaky. Depth is very good, even in areas where the original cinematography introduces some fluctuations. Color balance is very convincing as well. Yes, there is room for some improvements that can strengthen saturation levels, but the overall balance and temperature of the visuals are solid. I noticed small image instabilities in some areas, but they are present on the previous presentation of the film as well. Some minor nicks and blemishes remain, but there are no large cuts, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, despite the age of the master, I think that Juggernaut has a very attractive organic appearance. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Juggernaut Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. There are some minor fluctuations, usually during the outdoor action footage, but I assume that they are part of the original sound design because Juggernaut has some pseudo-documentary qualities. The music is effective but does not produce any memorable contrasts. Is there any room for improvement? I think so, but any such improvements will be cosmetic.

Juggernaut Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Juggernaut. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• TV Spot - a vintage TV spot for Juggernaut. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

Juggernaut Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Juggernaut is one of those very rare action films that cannot be spoiled. It is because the overwhelming paranoia and fear that permeate it quickly become bigger and more important than the action and its story. It has made me think a lot about the work men like Richard Harris and his colleagues do for a living. I know that someone must do it, but it is essentially a slightly more sophisticated and far more unforgiving variation of the classic Russian Roulette. Kino Lorber's reissue of Juggernaut is sourced from the same older master that was used for the original release of the film in 2014, but the technical presentation is better. It also has an exclusive new audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.