Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Mean Guns Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 6, 2024

Mean Guns' premise almost sounds like a gonzo "reality" television game show combining elements of two offerings with the very word game (or a cognate) in their titles, Squid Game and The Hunger Games, with an underlying "fight to the death" conceit that in this particular case takes place within the high tech confines of a maximum security prison that hasn't had its "grand opening" yet. Director Albert Pyun is on hand here for both an on screen introduction as well as a commentary track, and if he understandably doesn't want to draw comparisons to any other (arguably much better known) films out there, he can't avoid a certain snark when discussing things like hiring "marquee" names like Ice-T and Christopher Lambert and working with their evidently uncertain schedules, while also trying to provide enough "call times" on daily sheets to satisfy investors who otherwise might wonder why, for example, Lambert, hardly a guaranteed box office superstar, was being paid several million dollars for only a few days work (and Ice-T evidently clocked in even less than that). This is all to say that with an at least somewhat derivative premise and a lo-fi shoot, it's probably not that surprising that Mean Guns never really manages to provide much more than scenes of carnage as a bunch of unwitting prisoners duke it out for a supposed multimillion dollar prize hidden somewhere in the gleaming facility.

While there's some early lip service given to the underlying plot mechanics courtesy of the character of Moon (Ice-T), the actual logic of why the "competition" is taking place may not withstand any real scrutiny. Suffice it to say, though, that Moon "summons" (willingly or, more likely, unwillingly) a bunch of culprits to the prison with the promise of a huge payday if they make it to the end alive (though there are certain other "ground rules", random though they are, doled out along the way). What ensues is a shoot-a-thon mixed with any number of other viciously violent interchanges which often involve ostensible focal character Lou (Christopher Lambert). The problem (if it actually is a problem, given that it distracts from another wooden performance by Lambert) is that the film is literally stuffed full of supporting combatants, all of whom need their little moment in the fluorescent lighting to either prove their mettle or get their backsides handed to them. The result is a lot of sound and fury, signifying exactly what Shakespeare told us all it would.

Mean Guns Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mean Guns is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of the MVD Rewind Collection, an imprint of MVD Visual, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. MVD doesn't provide any technical information on the back cover of this release, though kind of interestingly Albert Pyun in his introduction thanks Oliver Krekel and DigiDreams, so I'm wondering if this master may have been licensed (or perhaps this is just an older introduction ported over to this release). This is a pretty variant looking presentation one way or the other, one that I'm not sure is especially "helped" by what I assume are some of the "stylizations" Pyun seems quite proud of in his commentary. Take a gander at screenshots 8 and 9 and look how weirdly anamorphically squeezed parts of the frame can be, which I'm assuming was intentional. A lot of this transfer looks fairly processed, and the lens choices and wavering contrast don't really provide stabilizing influences. The palette has also been tweaked noticeably throughout, again I assume by design, but with fine detail in particular ebbing and flowing noticeably as a result. Grain can have a slightly mottled appearance, especially against brighter backgrounds. My score is 3.25.

Mean Guns Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mean Guns lives up to its title with a frequently explosive LPCM 2.0 track that offers some considerable force in its onslaught of battle sound effects once the main conflict is established. A fun score by Anthony Riparelli is well rendered, and some source tunes (including kind of weirdly some mambo numbers) all sound nicely full bodied. Dialogue (such as it is) is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Mean Guns Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Gary Schmoeller (HD; 28:59) features the film's producer.


• Interview with Paul Rosenblum (HD; 23:41) features the film's executive producer.


• Interview with Anthony Riparelli (HD; 18:31) features the film's composer.


• Introduction by Albert Pyun (HD; 00:39) is accessible as a standalone supplement under the Bonus Menu, but also under the Play Menu, where it's authored to move on directly to the main feature.


• Audio Commentary from Director Albert Pyun is accessible under the Audio Menu.


• Trailers includes Mean Guns (SD; 1:28) as well as trailers for other releases MVD Visual.

Additionally the keepcase features a reversible sleeve and houses a folded mini poster. Packaging features a slipcover.

Mean Guns Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Albert Pyun may frankly be damning himself with faint praise when he states repeatedly that Mean Guns is one of his best films, but even with an expectations bar lowered appropriately, this film often makes little sense, and exists mostly to string together a series of violent showdowns involving guns and hand to hand combat. Technical merits vary from improvable (video) to fine (audio), and the supplements are quite enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.