6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After his wife is assaulted, her husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score, which brings him more trouble.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, January Jones, Guy Pearce, Harold Perrineau, Jennifer CarpenterAction | 100% |
Thriller | 92% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
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 | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The hungry rabbit jumps.
The truth of the matter is that there's no real good reason to watch Seeking Justice. Director Roger Donaldson's latest is a cookie-cutter
Thriller if there ever was one, the perfect 105-minute definition of the unnecessary, repetitive, cinematic midpoint. The movie is competently put
together and the story isn't an abysmal failure of screenwriting (though it is an abysmal failure of originality), but is the movie in no way
memorable, novel, or all that distinguishable from
other likeminded midlevel ventures that rely on tempo rather than plot to entertain audiences, that seek to reel in viewers with a name on a poster
rather than the promise of anything new. Seeking Justice goes through the motions with the best of them, plodding along through
unsurprising twists that are clear even to the half-paying-attention audience member even as the movie lurches forward through a bland opening few
minutes and well before the story really pulls into high gear. This is moviemaking because a movie can be made and not necessarily because
a movie
should be made. There's just little-to-no value here beyond a good and all-too-brief chase scene and an example of a mediocre movie made
with a sound technical foundation. Obviously, those really aren't reasons to part with any real hard-earned money, and only members of the just
have to see everything crowd or the über-bored will want to even check this one out as a rental.
Wil being Cagey.
Seeking Justice debuts on Blu-ray with a highly proficient 1080p transfer. Anchor Bay's latest Blu-ray impresses in every regard and no matter the style of shot. This is a crisp, almost perfectly-defined image. Viewers will enjoy intimate details evident on skin and clothing textures, even in medium-distance shots. Close-ups are often quite remarkable, and clarity and sharpness remain intact at a distance. There's nary a poorly-defined texture in the whole movie, right down to close-ups of a worn chess set and the flimsy plastic playing surface. Skin tones are even, and black levels are marvelous, with every dark scene amazingly well-defined and yielding not a hint of crush. Colors are nicely balanced even darker scenes. Brighter, naturally-lit scenes produce an even, true-to-life palette no matter the brilliance or blandness of the shade. Very minor shimmering and light banding are evident once or twice, but this is otherwise nothing short of a marvelous Blu-ray picture.
Audiophiles should seek out Seeking Justice for its wonderful Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The audio fares much better than the film it supports. Everything is in finely-tuned working order, from the piercing sound of shattered glass to the heaviest gunshots. The track employs a wide, seamless soundstage that's home to some pitch-perfect music -- from light instrumental rehearsal to adrenaline-charged Thriller score -- that's clear as a bell and as deep and tight as needed. The track plays even the most complex sound effects with ear-shattering precision, whether crashed vehicle metal-on-metal, smashing concrete, a rumbling train as heard in chapter ten, or closed-in gunfire inside a deserted mall as heard near film's end. Natural ambience satisfies no matter the location, whether a scene of rowdy New Orleans street partying that positively envelops the listener in the festivities or the subtle din of a busy restaurant that follows. Dialogue is smooth and balanced, playing evenly through the center channel and never lost under surrounding elements. This is a first-class soundtrack all the way.
Seeking Justice contains two brief extras and a DVD copy of the film on disc two.
Seeking Justice isn't cinema rubbish, unless one considers the poster child for "unoriginal" to be "rubbish." While Director Roger Donaldson's picture certainly isn't going to find much favor with well-versed audiences, it'll serve duty as a passable time waster for the disinterested viewer who only wants background noise and a minimal-slash-predictable plot. Anyone paying full attention is sure to be bored, bored, bored -- there are just no surprises in this one at all -- even if Donaldson maintains a healthy pace and films a few quality chase scenes. Seeking Justice never seeks originality, so only novice filmgoers or those who don't mind a different collection of moving pictures telling the same old story will find any value here. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Seeking Justice features superb video and audio presentations, but the extras are minimal. Cage completists or those who just have to see it for whatever reason will be best served with a rental. Anyone else who expects even a modicum of originality or genuine suspense should skip it and watch the sunrise instead. After all, that's basically the same thing every time, too. It's also prettier and costs nothing.
2011
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1994
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Special Edition
2004
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1996
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2009
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1986