7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Joe Huff is a tough, go-it-alone cop with a flair for infiltrating dangerous biker gangs. The FBI blackmail Joe into an undercover operation to convict some extremely violent bikers, who are angry at the capture of their leader.
Starring: Brian Bosworth, Lance Henriksen, William Forsythe, Sam McMurray, Richard GantCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Identity is critical to a movie like Stone Cold, a hopelessly middle-of-the-pack Action flick that's without a brain cell in its head. Sometimes that identity can come in the shape of a character, a key scene, or a title. Stone Cold, in that regard, is batting 0-for-3. The lead character is a meathead cop, essentially, who infiltrates a biker gang and whose actor, Brian Bosworth, earned a Razzie nomination for his efforts. That might equate to a minor cult status, but it's certainly not something to toss on the top of a resume. Add that the Blu-ray cover makes the movie, and the character, look like something out of a Terminator knockoff rather than a "cop infiltrates biker gang" movie and, so far, identity really doesn't seem much like a priority. How about a key scene? That opening grocery store robbery-gone-bad sure is cool, but it sure looks like a... familiar...way to start a movie. And then there's the title. Poor Stone Cold. Really. It released a good half-a-decade before those words become synonymous with a worldwide icon, and chances are anyone who takes a look at this title will immediately think of professional wrestling, not an entertainingly simple, though fully vapid and cheap, Action flick. Too bad. Really. Stone Cold is kinda fun -- really fun, truth be told -- in a mindless sort of way, a movie that deserves to be remembered as the perfect example of the Action genre grossly oversimplified, but alas, it seems doomed to live on as a footnote to the bigger and better things it seems to recall with every detail, not to mention the bigger and better genre films with which it really cannot compete.
Big explosions.
Stone Cold rides onto Blu-ray with a good, but not particularly noteworthy, 1080p transfer. The image walks the fine line between "film-like" and "processed," generally erring on the good side but showing some artificial flatness and listlessness in places. Still, details are generally fine, with faces not showing too much raw complexity but basic image clarity and finer details, like leathery clothing textures, satisfy. The opening grocery store segment is oftentimes impressive, featuring not only some well-defined foreground details by way of various products lining shelves but also a fairly rich and diverse color palette as well; Coke cans, detergent bottles, and bags of potato chips all stand apart. Big fiery explosions produce some bright, showy oranges. Flesh tones push a little orange, too, but black levels never veer too far off course. A few minor edge halos annoy, as do a few bits of evident aging, but the transfer is otherwise free of grossly destructive artifacts.
Stone Cold's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack limits the film's ability to really dazzle -- the lack of a subwoofer channel is particularly harmful, and the absence of surround channels also does no favors -- but the basic capabilities carry the material well enough. Gunfire and explosions are adequately hefty, nowhere near as piercing, loud, or booming as they might should be, but strong enough. The lack of surrounds also keeps the audience from feeling more involved in the action, but the film's many dialogue-intensive scenes are presented well enough. Throaty, guttural motorcycle mayhem comes together rather well, presenting with enough raw clarity to be identifiable for what it is rather than a glob of sound, but certainly fans will wish for a richer, more lifelike experience with every such scene. Music satisfies, too, but doesn't enjoy much spread or pitch-perfect definition. All that said, it all comes together well enough to carry the movie, and then some.
This Blu-ray release of Stone Cold contains no bonus content. The main menu only offers selections for "Play" and "Chapters." Not fun.
Stone Cold is the perfect movie for guys' night in. Order a pizza, grab some beers, and settle in for a retro-tastic Action flick that epitomizes over-the-top 80s flavor (despite clocking in at the end of the era). It's hammy goodness, a bad movie by every measure but a mysteriously fun movie nonetheless that knows its place and audience and finds the perfect balance between stupidity and excess. Ah, fun stuff. Fun stuff, indeed. Olive Films' featureless Blu-ray delivers solid video and audio. Recommended, just for fun.
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