Martial Law Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Martial Law Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 30, 2021

1990’s “Martial Law” is meant to be a vehicle for Chad McQueen, showcasing his steely screen presence and martial arts capabilities. What director Steve Cohen actually finds is screen magic with co-star Cynthia Rothrock, who’s meant to support McQueen, but ends up stealing the movie with her lightning-fast fight skills and icy supercop stare. “Martial Law” doesn’t add up to much without Rothrock, finding the screenplay laboring to assemble a story of criminal activity that’s just as compelling as simple scenes of McQueen and Rothrock taking on waves of bad guys.

Sean (Chad McQueen) is a cop dealing with his younger brother, Michael (Andy McCutcheon), who’s working for L.A. crime boss, Dalton (David Carradine). When Michael gets in too deep with the murderous kingpin, Sean and partner Billie (Cynthia Rothrock) are tasked to investigate, discovering just how dangerous Dalton is.

“Martial Law” doesn’t aspire to be anything more than a martial arts movie for western audiences, bringing fists of fury to a story about cops hunting down villains. McQueen doesn’t have the poise of an action star (he’s a little thicker than most screen heroes), but he commits to the limp writing, which finds Sean caught between family loyalty and law enforcement duties. The screenplay tries to get something cooking with Dalton’s underworld dealings, including a fondness for stolen cars, but “Martial Law” doesn’t win viewers over with drama. It earns appreciation through terrific fight choreography, keeping things lively with whipping limbs, finding Rothrock’s skills energizing the picture in a way that makes one wish she was the solo star.

Martial Law Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Martial Law" comes to Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. Results are typical Vinegar Syndrome quality, only running into a few seconds of frame discoloration and speckling. Sharpness is superb, securing facial surfaces and interior decoration, surveying office and club activity. Costuming is fibrous, dealing with thicker business attire and looser casual wear. Colors come through with power, favoring hotter L.A. neon signage and blue skies. Period fashion also brings out brighter primaries. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like.

Martial Law Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix for "Martial Law" reveals the production's limitations when it comes to sound recording, finding dialogue exchanges inherently thin and quieter on occasion. Intelligibility isn't lost. Scoring efforts offer a louder, fuller presence, dealing with synth and hot sax offerings, and doing so with ideal clarity and dramatic support. Sound effects are clearly defined as well, delivering body blows and metallic clashes.

Martial Law Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Declaring Martial Law: The Birth of the Female Action Star" (28:39, HD) includes interviews with director Steven Cohen, star Cynthia Rothrock, and stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt. The three share their origin stories, working hard to get into the Hollywood system, with Cohen a second unit director on "The Goonies." Rothrock details her martial arts training and desire to prove herself in a male-dominated sport, facing overwhelming sexism at every turn. She moved to big screen glory in Hong Kong, exposed to heavy stunt work as she was positioned to be "the new Bruce Lee," eventually making her way back to America for "Martial Law." Rothrock points out the differences between shooting in L.A. vs. Hong Kong, and everyone shares memories of co-star David Carradine, who was often drunk on-set and refused to work with a stunt double. Cohen admits the work favors action over storytelling, explaining his filmmaking mission. Stunt mishaps are remembered, and the true power of a lethal palm strike is debated. A celebration of "Martial Law" and its success closes out the interviews.

• Outtakes (5:12, HD) offer a few lost moments from "Martial Law," presented without sound.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, HD) and a Video Trailer (3:23, SD) are included.

Martial Law Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Carradine Carradines his way through "Martial Law," showing no level of intimidation, and the second half of the feature goes slack, in need of things to do. "Martial Law" isn't consistent, but when it allows the stars to mow down creeps, it's entertaining, giving the urban routine a refreshing burst of action intensity.