5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.0 | |
Overall | 1.0 |
A veteran looks to raise money for his son's healthcare by teaming up with another vet to track down criminals.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo, Johnathon Schaech, Tyler Jon Olson, Wass StevensAction | 100% |
Thriller | 42% |
Crime | 18% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.0 |
It's pretty much gotten to the point where if Lionsgate releases a Blu-ray with what looks like a (more than?) slightly air brushed photo of Bruce Willis on the cover, certain predictions about the property can probably be made with some assurance. Willis is frequently featured in a supporting role in many of these efforts (at least several of which come with those infamous acronyms of either DTV or VOD attached), in what one might assume is a strategy to maximize pay for minimum time on any given set, and he’s frequently cast as either a bad cop (First Kill) or a good cop, as in this film currently under review. That predictability is just one of many issues confronting Reprisal, a film which is so rote that its paint by numbers approach is actually touted as a virtue in one of several (kind of amazingly snarky at times) interviews included on this Blu-ray disc as a supplement. There’s absolutely nothing in Reprisal that most movie fans, especially “action thriller” aficionados, will not have seen before, and arguably in better over all contexts. In this Lionsgate Blu-ray release featuring a “smooth” looking Willis on the cover, Frank Grillo portrays a family man named Jacob who, along with his wife Christina (Olivia Culpo), has been experiencing some severe financial difficulties due at least in part to the debilitating diabetes suffered by their daughter Sophia (Natalia Sophie Baker). When there’s a horrifying and violent robbery at the bank where Frank works, he’s implicated in the theft, at least from the vantage point of both those investigating the crime as well as the bank itself, leading to a suspension of both employment and income. Luckily for Jacob, his next door neighbor James (Bruce Willis) has a history in law enforcement, and the two band together to figure out who the robber is and how to bring him to justice.
Reprisal is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The closing credits state this was captured with Arri Alexas, and I'm assuming the DI was finished at 2K, but as can clearly be seen in the screenshots accompanying this review, the imagery has been pretty aggressively tweaked, I guess with what's supposed to be digital grain or some (un?)suitable replacement, which gives this entire presentation a rather odd and downright fuzzy look quite a bit of the time. Take a gander at the bottom of Culpo's chin in screenshot 3 for an example of how supposed edges of objects (living or otherwise) can almost look like they have a case of the "jaggies". I'm going to be charitable and assume this was an intentional stylistic decision, but instead of giving this film a supposed "gritty" ambience, it just makes it look almost out of focus at times. See screenshots 17 through 19 for more examples of how weirdly hazy things often are. A prevalence of various grading strategies, including the every popular "thriller blue", also tends to work against fine detail levels at times.
Reprisal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track fares at least a little better than the video presentation, with some decent surround activity in one of many needless car and/or motorcycle chases that pop up interstitially, arguably to wake everybody up. There is some good engagement of the side and rear channels in these moments and also in sequences like the extended bank robbery, but then things can retreat back to the front and center channels for "ordinary" spoken moments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and I noticed no problems with regard to any damage or distortion. Optional English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available.
As I've freely disclosed in several previous reviews, I am unabashed "word geek" with an interest in language and etymology, and in that regard, while "reprisal" and "reprise" spring from different cognates, I have to say Reprise would have been just as good a name for this enterprise, since it covers so much material other films already have. Video is frankly strange looking on this release, though I'm assuming that that is at least in part a deliberate stylistic choice (for better or worse), but audio has some oomph from time to time, and the cast and crew interviews may be worth the price of admission for those who love show business subtext.
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