6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
When a young Melbourne police officer, Constable Shane Cooper, relocates to the small high-country town of Red Hill with his pregnant wife, he does so in the hope of starting a new family. But when news of a prison break in Melbourne sends the local law enforcement officers into a panic, Shane's first day on duty quickly goes from bad to worse. Enter Jimmy Conway, a convicted murderer serving life behind bars, he returns to the isolated outpost seeking revenge. Now caught in the middle of what quickly becomes a horrifying blood bath, Shane will be forced to take the law into his own hands if he is to survive..
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tommy Lewis (II), Claire van der Boom, Christopher Davis (IX)Western | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Be careful, cowboy.
Watch out for Australia. The past few years have seen the island-nation release some of the best in Crime and Western, beginning with the
magnificent The Proposition and, just this past year, the Oscar-nominated Animal Kingdom, both pictures proving the country's film industry is not
only alive and well, but capable of producing some great movies that best most of what comes out of Hollywood anymore. Another recent release that
combines both Crime and Western elements is the wonderful under-the-radar Red Hill, a combination modern-day
Western/Thriller/Drama/Action movie that's tough as nails but playful and relaxed under the rough-and-tumble façade. A movie that hearkens back to
the old style Westerns with a few modern twists, a fantastic ending, and a polished veneer, Director Patrick Hughes's picture is a beacon of filmmaking
that proves the worth of meshing a few new ideas in with a tried-and-true genre. Plenty of action, well-developed characters, solid acting, and even an
ending that might bring a few tears audiences's eyes, Red Hill is a highly watchable and re-watchable little gem that should be at the top of
every Action/Western fan's must-see list.
Showdown.
Red Hill sports a fairly gritty but nevertheless handsome 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Through the film's grainy façade lies not only a solid film-like texture but exemplary detailing and color reproduction. Whether well-defined trees or close-ups of a horse's mane, whether cloth textures or the wear-and-tear evident on an old leather jacket, Sony's 1080p transfer is film-accurate and full of strong detailing throughout. Depth of field is generally strong, and clarity is consistently excellent. Colors are natural and well-balanced, with a slight warm tint only visible on rare occasions. Black levels usually appear a bit too dark and damaging to foreground details as evidenced during several nighttime exteriors, but flesh tones appear natural in shading. The print also contains the odd white speckle and human faces occasionally have a slightly pasty appearance. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the image is quite good, cinematic for sure and demanding a large screen to allow all of the fantastic locales and excellent textures to really stand out. This is another solid Blu-ray transfer from Sony.
Red Hill's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is the perfect compliment to a tough but amicable genre picture. Surrounds are used to full effect throughout; the film opens with wind gusting through the listening area, bringing with it grains of sand and debris that seem to smash straight into the listening area. Birds scatter and screech around the soundstage, distant thunder realistically and ominously booms, a truck muscles its way across the soundstage, and the stage is set for a full-featured soundtrack that's as rough-and-tumble strong as it is elegant and clear. Music enjoys pinpoint clarity and spacing across the front; whether down home guitar strums or heavier rock tunes, every note is handled smoothly and with much precision. Imaging is fantastic, too; whether gunfire that erupts from a specific part of the soundstage or the slight background chatter of a police radio that's heard off to the side of the soundstage in chapter three, the track proves capable of placing its audio sources anywhere and everywhere with great accuracy. Shotguns blasts are accompanied by a fair amount of power, and bullets zipping out of the barrel of high-powered scoped rifles are a pleasure to behold. Dialogue is smooth and accurate as it flows from the center speaker. Red Hill delivers another winner of a soundtrack from Sony.
Red Hill features only BD-Live connectivity and previews for additional Sony titles. No film-specific extras are included.
Red Hill is a fantastic little movie that has it all. Though its basics may scream out "cliché!," Director Patrick Hughes's picture is actually a fairly original and invigorating experience. Well paced, well played, packed with several great characters, set in a lifelike locale, sporting great action, built around a surprising amount of emotion, and featuring a superb twist ending, Red Hill needs to shoot straight to the top of Western/Action fans's must-see list. It's too bad the movie is absent even a whiff of special features; Sony's Blu-ray release is otherwise excellent per the studio's norm, and despite the lack of extras, Red Hill comes heartily recommended.
1952
2016
Reissue
2010-2015
1971
2005
1966
1972
2016
2014
Limited Edition to 3000
1958
Paramount Presents #18
1959
Fox Studio Classics
1939
1962
1957
2022
Warner Archive Collection
1955
1968
1959
1950
1973