5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A seasoned assassin plays both sides in a Russian gang war and becomes the target of an unknown enemy.
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Billy Murray, Leo Gregory, Louis MandylorAction | 100% |
Thriller | 86% |
Crime | 51% |
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
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
If you pay me enough, I'll probably kill anything that breathes.
If you pay them enough, they'll probably star in anything. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Dolph Lundgren have fallen from grace these past few years,
plummeting from the heights of Oscar wins and muscular big movie lead action roles, respectively, and into the straight-to-video bargain bin. They're
the new Steven Seagal, former big names reduced to taking any work they can find, no matter the quality of script or likelihood of wide success
(though in Dolph's defense he's beginning to ride a new wave of mainstream success with The Expendables 2). In
One in the Chamber (so named for an unfired round in the barrel of a gun), Gooding sulks and Lundgren hams it up. The difference in
approach is obvious, though certainly the actions are driven more by plot than personal attitude. Gooding's character is one of those "reluctant
villains" who wants to escape his world and settle down (there's even a mystery love interest) while Lundgren plays the villain who loves his work and
finds his thrills in the violence he so expertly dishes out. Of course they come to blows, and there's the messy backdrop of the Eastern European
mafia to confuse matters more than is necessary. The movie works as a serviceable time-killer. It's a pretty straightforward direct-to-video Action
flick, one easily judged by the cover and just
good enough to warrant a watch on a really slow day. Plus, it has Lundgren at his very best. Really.
.50 caliber Good-ing-ness.
One in the Chamber makes its Blu-ray debut with a high quality 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Anchor Bay's video presentation impresses from start to finish with bright, even colors and consistent, eye-catching details. Though there's minor blocking and some light shimmering on a few skyscrapers at film's open and, later, on a gray striped shirt, the transfer proves proficient and a pleasure to behold throughout. Details are exceptional across the board. Close-ups reveal an amazing amount of facial information, right down to the finest pore and line. Clothes are equally well displayed, and the transfer captures natural and manmade environmental details with remarkable precision, such as chipped paint and scuffed wooden surfaces. Colors are bold and bright but true-to-life. There's nothing garish, and the transfer handles bright red furniture and The Wolf's loud casual shirts with effortless precision. There's a hint of unnatural warmth at times, but flesh tones are mostly true and blacks honest. The HD video source yields a hint of glossiness and flatness, but not to any sort of distracting level. Though the audio's a disappointment (see below), this video transfer rocks.
One in the Chamber features a disappointing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This one doesn't excel beyond a midlevel lossy presentation. It's toned down and front-heavy, not at all immersive and certainly lacking in body and verve. The deliberately scratchy opening title music plays with fair front end spacing and good clarity, but not much raw volume. It's almost to the point that it seems timid and reserved, a trait that sadly carries on over to the action scenes. Gunfire is downright puny and sounds as if it's disinterested in reality, or at least effort. Even shots from Ray's .50 caliber rifle just sort of plop into the soundstage with no real power. The gunfights are ripe for more, but muddled, tame, and even sometimes hard-to-hear shots rule the day. The same goes for explosions; where's the strength? Fortunately, the track does allow a hint of city ambience to float into the backs, and dialogue plays smoothly and without much trouble in terms of clarity and volume. Otherwise, this one's a big old disappointment.
Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of One in the Chamber contains only one extra, 'One in the Chamber:' Behind the Scenes (1080p, 9:45), a feature that offers Gooding, Jr. and Lundgren discussing the plot and the story's themes. It also contains a good amount of raw behind-the-scenes, on-set footage. A DVD copy of the film is also included on disc two.
One in the Chamber isn't a terrible movie in the grand scheme of things, and it's saved from oblivion by a deviously wonderful performance by Dolph Lundgren in what is arguably the best work of his lengthy career. He alone is reason to catch the movie. The rest of it's rather bland, including a stiff performance of an equally stiff character by Oscar winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. The plot is dull, somewhat overly complex, and the action's unremarkable, but do check out One in the Chamber for Dolph's great work. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of One in the Chamber features good video, disappointing audio, and only one supplement. Rent it.
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