6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
An out-of-the-ordinary killer car terrorizes a group of mechanics trapped in a garage.
Starring: Shannon Beckner, Oded Fehr, Ryan Kennedy (I), Melanie Papalia, Adrien DorvalHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 33% |
Thriller | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
There's something seriously weird about this car.
A "Creature Feature" in the tradition of "Nothing Even Worthy of Being Mentioned in the Same Sentence," 2010's Super Hybrid rolls onto
video with little fanfare and hardly any anticipation amongst even hardcore cinephiles. The picture aims to please gear heads and Horror hounds both
by combining the two into a single feature that showcases a car with a secret and that's on the rampage against a group of auto mechanics. Yes, good
'ole grease
monkey Joe (or Jane, in this case, can't have a Horror movie without a female hero) is the new 21st century breed of Chill movie champion, getting his
hands dirty both under the hood and in the name of truth, justice, and the American way. Super Hybrid isn't quite that generic --
actually, it might have been a bit more fun had it played fast and loose rather than taken itself so seriously -- but whatever originality it has to offer is
wasted under the weight of a bad script, subpar acting, lame special effects, an awfully dark setting, and a terrible pace. Steven Spielberg got more
mileage out of Duel and Stephen King got more fuel economy from Christine in a shot and a page, respectively, than Super
Hybrid earns through its entire runtime.
Better than the Prius!
Super Hybrid is an insanely dark movie. Anchor Bay's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer does all it can with the material, but much of the time there's just not a whole lot to actually see. Blacks are critical to the film, and for the most part they hold up well; there's no excess crush, and they never wash out or go gray. Fine detail ranges from adequate to quite good, at least as evidenced in those few brighter scenes, such as in the moderately well-lit garage office. Facial and clothing textures fare quite well, but the image appears a bit soft and flat on the whole. Colors are sparse but again handled well enough in the brighter scenes, perhaps best evidenced by the purple clothes the secretary wears. This digitally-shot picture sports some light banding and a touch of background noise, but is otherwise in fair shape. This isn't a substandard transfer by any means, nor is it all that great, either.
Super Hybrid rolls onto Blu-ray with a passable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track never enjoys pinpoint clarity, instead often sounding a little mushy and harsh. Music lacks that last little bit of realism, instead coming across as somewhat artificial and flat. Heavy sound effects are slightly muddled and play as if a jumble of sound rather than a distinct element. There's a heavy rumbling low that runs in the background through much of the movie; it's a touch sloppy but handled rather well all things considered. Light atmospherics -- notably dripping water -- add a little flavor to the proceedings and emanate from anywhere and everywhere throughout the listening area. Lastly, dialogue reproduction is sound, center-focused and never really lost to contending music or effects. Much like the video, there's nothing to really love about this track, but there's nothing much to outright dislike about it, either.
Super Hybrid contains only one extra. Under the Hood of 'Super Hybrid' (1080p, 34:15) is an unnecessarily lengthy supplement that covers the entire production process of this "little movie that could," beginning with the idea, pitch, and stigma of the genre and moving on to cover the making of the many special effects, the work of Director Eric Valette, casting, character developments, shooting locales, set design, shooting in digital, working with the cars, creating the complex vehicle stunts, and more.
Super Hybrid was probably never destined to be anything but a mediocre movie in the best of hands. It's just too fundamentally unimaginative to excel, but the picture as-is doesn't even live up to its meager potential. It's hindered by a terrible atmosphere and dull characters who are grossly underdeveloped and not in the least bit sympathetic. Worst of all, there's no motive, no reason for the killings; it's the ultimate in thoughtless entertainment. To be blunt, the movie is simply boring. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Super Hybrid features decent technical specs and one extra. Skip it.
2001
2018
Director's Cut
1986
2013
The Director's Cut
1997
Collector's Edition
2006
2018
2004
Collector's Edition
1992
2007
2000
2017
2012
2009
2013
2011
Спутник
2020
2015
1982
1957