Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

River of Death Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 28, 2015

“River of Death” is a loose adaptation of Alistair McLean’s 1981 novel. While it sips from a literary source, the true inspiration for the 1989 effort seems to be split between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Apocalypse Now.” Director Steve Carver (“Big Bad Mama,” “An Eye for an Eye”) makes a game attempt to give the adventure story a cinematic lift, channeling Spielberg and Coppola to the best of his ability, striving to give Cannon Films an easily marketable picture. “River of Death” isn’t shy about stealing, but it remains weirdly inert. Despite its Amazon River setting, interest in shootouts and threatening, highly decorated natives, and star turn from action hero Michael Dudikoff, the feature doesn’t provide the necessary speed for excitement, struggling to come up with ways to make a bland tale at least passably gripping.

John Hamilton (Michael Dudikoff) is an expert tracker working the Amazon River region. Guiding a doctor and his daughter, Anna (Sarah Maur Thorp), into the deep forest for research purposes, John discovers that something is killing off the native tribes, with grotesque infections spreading through the area. When Anna is taken by shadowy forces, John returns home to regroup, planning to return to the area on a rescue mission to a mysterious lost city of legend and untold riches. However, many people want to join this endeavor, including Spaatz (Donald Pleasance) and his lover, Maria (Cynthia Erland), a couple curious to see the lost city for themselves. Back on hostile terrain, John battles pirates, natives, and his own search party as he marches to Anna, making unusual discoveries of his own as true identities are revealed.

“River of Death” opens in Nazi Germany in 1945, where Dr. Manteuffel (Robert Vaughn) is spreading disease amongst his prisoners, working to reach a scientific discovery that’s not entirely clear. Spaatz is his Third Reich friend, a boisterous fellow planning to flee in the final weeks of the war, using stolen art to fund his retreat into anonymity. However, such plans are shattered when warfare reaches their camp, leading to a crucial betrayal and disappearance that sets up at least part of “River of Death.” The feature jumps forward to 1965 (though everything about the movie screams late 1980s), catching up with John, who’s making a critical discovery of a plague-like outbreak in the area that only infects the natives. John’s not the brightest bulb, but he’s aware that trouble is brewing, with Anna’s kidnapping and his narrow escape motivating a plan to reenter the dangerous Rio Das Morte area and free his love interest from captivity.

There’s a solid B-movie in the basic idea of revenge, but “River of Death” wants to be taken as seriously as possible, eschewing high-flying entertainment to welcome noir-ish style, with John transformed into a cigarette-smoking intimidator in deep with several shadowy men who need his skills to navigate the jungle. Carver adds weirdness, including a meeting at cabaret bar where a singer serenades a skeleton, and there are plenty of grimy supporting players drenched in sweat, all trying to join the quest for the lost city. While the opening of “River of Death” resembles a matinee serial, complete with broad villainy, it soon settles into planning stages and backdoor dealing, while John holds attention with a growly inner-monologue -- a Benjamin Willard impression that Dudikoff pulls off to the best of his ability.

Once the gang is finally unleashed on the Amazon, “River of Death” tries to find a sense of pulpy escapism, with the team taking on roving pirates and testy natives, working down the river and through the jungle as fringe players are picked off one by one. Of course, it’s not enough to face the wrath of the elements and inhabitants, but this unit of schemers and smugglers begins to turn on one another, with John failing to keep control of the situation as more pressing matters come for him. Unfortunately, “River of Death” doesn’t follow through on its Indiana Jones fandom, with the largely humorless picture more concentrated on gunplay and explosions than near-misses and peppered banter. It’s a shame too, as Dudikoff seems ready for the challenge, while old hams like Pleasance and Vaughn (who doesn’t even attempt a German accent) feel restrained by Carver’s rigid direction.

River of Death Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Taking viewers into the heart of the jungle, the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation preserves the low-budget action satisfactorily. Fine detail is boosted by intense close-ups, with sweaty, creased faces a common sight in the picture. Still, textures remain, along with a pleasant read of environmental particulars, with distances available for study and stained costuming offering character. Colors look healthy, delivering consistent greenery for the Amazon adventure, and native body paint jobs add some atypical hues. Red tends to pop with more purpose, viewed in Nazi flags and bloodshed. Skintones look true. Grain is present, without spreading into noise. Delineation is adequate with no signs of solidification. Print displays some speckling and minor scratches, but major damage isn't detected.

River of Death Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix makes a game attempt to pump the picture up with hearty scoring efforts, which sound clean and supportive, delivering passable instrumentation and tonal intent. Dialogue exchanges aren't as secure, finding limitations, possibly inherent, resulting in crispy highs, adding just a touch of distortion to certain scenes of agitation. Sound effects are bold, presenting sharp gunfire and heavy explosions. Atmospherics are alive with the sounds of the jungle, while more mechanical detours, including helicopter rides, carry necessary noise.

River of Death Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Steve Carver and actor Michael Dudikoff.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:04, HD) is included.

River of Death Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"River of Death" isn't a thrill ride, with long stretches of the feature lost to dramatic inertia, while the central threat posed by Dr. Manteuffel isn't entire mapped out to satisfaction, weirdly ignored by the script to make room for punches and small-scale stunt work. And Anna, another supposed end game for the story, is weirdly dismissed with little fanfare, rendering the climax confusing, not satisfying. It's easy to see where Cannon Films wanted to go with "River of Death," beefing up the adventure routine with literary class in MacLean, while South African settings show decent expanse, delivering a little more bang for the buck. However, a consistent display of riveting screen activity is missing from the final product, finding Carver struggling to make a few action set-pieces look like a steady run of trouble for the hero. It's well-intentioned, but "River of Death" doesn't have the budget or the imagination to keep boredom from seeping into the movie, making it a surprisingly tedious sit at times.