6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross, Laurence FishburneAction | 100% |
Thriller | 86% |
Crime | 39% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The career of writer/director Walter Hill has been an interesting one. Following the cult success of The Warriors, he went on to direct a variety of films during the 80’s and 90’s. For many fans, the pinnacle of his success was 48 hours, which introduced viewers to an unlikely duo of crime fighters. Red Heat was released six years later, but marked Hill’s triumphant return to a subgenre that continued to grow in popularity. Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career was rapidly picking up steam with audiences across the globe, thanks to his recent roles in Predator and The Running Man. Tapped to play the part of a Russian Captain in Red Heat, Arnold transitioned from making hard-nosed action films, to productions that incorporated a healthy dose of comedy (in the following two years, he starred in Twins and Kindergarten Cop). Red Heat might not be the ultimate buddy-cop film, but it remains a solid entry in the growing genre, and deserves at least some recognition for the talent involved in the production.
"I'm here to balance your budget!"
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 19Mbps), Red Heat offers an impressive upgrade with the transition to high-definition, but still suffers from several deficiencies that leave it firmly entrenched in the "average" category. Fine object detail is far superior to prior home video releases, but still lacks consistency from scene to scene. Those of you familiar with the prior special edition DVD release will remember the same varying level of haziness, and this transfer was likely generated from the same remastered version. However, unlike the grainy background of the prior release, this Blu-ray disc is nearly devoid of film grain, causing some concern regarding the use of DNR. Add in an overall lack of facial texturing (even in extreme close-ups), and it becomes apparent we're witnessing a degree of tampering on the part of the video engineers. It's not extreme enough to ruin the experience, but purists might find themselves a bit disappointed. Similar to the occasional lack of clarity, I was slightly discouraged by the color scheme of the film, which tends to generate yellowed skin tones throughout interior shots. Oddly enough, the effect is most prevalent during close-ups of James Belushi, as if he's plagued by a skin condition of some sort. I know I'm already sounding overly harsh toward the transfer, but it's worth mentioning one other problem, in the form of marginal black level depth, and contrast that struggles to reveal shadow details during the darker sequences of the film.
Despite the complaints I've listed regarding the new Blu-ray edition of Red Heat, this is still a worthy upgrade over prior home video releases, and deserves a spot on the shelf of any Schwarzenegger fan.
Sound effects have undergone a dramatic make-over in the past two decades, leaving most productions of the 1980's sounding pale and lifeless in comparison. Given these limitations, I wasn't terribly surprised to find the lossless upgrade on this release a bit underwhelming. From the opening fight sequence in the bathhouse, it's clear the action effects won't generate a realistic tone. Punches to the face are afforded the same generic crack every time, and strikes to the body give off a muffled tone that sounds strangely familiar time and time again. Dialogue remains firmly planted in the center channel through 90% of the runtime, and when it rarely escapes to other areas of the surround field, it sounds forced. A perfect example of this effect can be heard during an early scene in the police precinct, when Lt. Stobbs (FIshburne) says something off-camera from the left side. The sound of his voice from the left speaker is so jarring and out of place next to the dialogue from the center channel, that it honestly feels forced. Clarity in the mix is perfectly fine (and represents the largest upgrade in the transition to a lossless track), but I felt the volume balance was slightly off at times. Some of the action-heavy scenes are drowned out by the musical score, pushing the effects into the background (when they should be in the foreground).
In the end, this is a decent reproduction of a dated audio mix, with shortcomings stemming from the source material Lionsgate had to work with.
Note: Russian dialogue pops up frequently throughout Red Heat, so subtitles are prevalent through a large portion of the film. In an early scene with Drago speaking with his superior officer at the funeral of his partner, the following line reads incorrectly as "Hell pay far his crimes against the people." I'm not sure how that slipped by the quality control department at Lionsgate, but it makes for a good laugh at an otherwise somber point in the film.
East Meets West (480P, Dolby Digital 2.0, 9:40 min): This extra contains interviews with executive producers Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna, as they discuss the meteoric rise of Carolco film studio (Rambo, Total Recall, Terminator, Red Heat, and Basic Instinct), and how they arrived at the decision to produce Walter Hill's buddy action/comedy. The two men also touch on several aspects of Red Heat, from Hill's directing style, to the casting of Belushi as Schwarzenegger's counterpart.
A Stuntman for All Seasons (480P, Dolby Digital 2.0, 12:27 min): A well-known stunt coordinator throughout Hollywood, Bennie Dobbins died of a heart attack during the filming of Red Heat (the film is dedicated to his memory). This supplement includes interviews with multiple stuntmen who worked with Dobbins during their career, as they reflect back on his involvement in Red Heat, and the influence he had on the Hollywood stuntman industry.
I'm Not a Russian, But I Play One on TV (480P, Dolby Digital 2.0, 5:14 min): Actor Ed O'Ross is interviewed regarding his role as Viktor, and how he convincingly transformed himself from an American actor into a Russian drug lord.
Original Making-of TV Special (480P, Dolby Digital 2.0, 15:58 min): Hosted by Schwarzenegger and Belushi, this vintage featurette is more of a marketing ploy than anything. In between clips from the film, we're given an overview of the plot, and a look at each character's motivations.
Rounding out the extras, we have a collection of standard definition television spots (four total), and a standard definition theatrical trailer for Red Heat.
After all these years, Red Heat remains a marginal entry in the buddy-cop genre, eclipsed by superior films of the past and present. I've seen the film multiple times as I grow older, and I still enjoy it for what it is. If this is your first introduction to the film, I'd recommend you consider a rental prior to a purchase, since nostalgia typically plays a role in the positive assessments given by long-time fans. For those of you who love this film, and are well aware of what's in store, the reasonable retail price of this release coupled with a clear upgrade in the video department make this a must-have addition to your growing library of vintage action titles.
1989
2007
2014
1989
Collector's Edition
1986
2013
1989
The Dirty Harry Collection
1976
Extreme Cut
2009
Extended Cut
2013
2012
Combo Pack
2012
Tokarev
2014
Unrated
2015
Unrated Cut
2012
1992
1998
2008
2009
2015