Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Surviving the Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 23, 2023

Certainly the ways of competing productions is nothing new in Hollywood, with studios periodically doing battle with the same ideas, often racing to reach the screen first to at least claim some freshness before comparisons begin. We’re used to it with animated pictures (“Shark Tale” vs. “Finding Nemo,” “Antz” vs. “A Bug’s Life”), but dueling takes on “The Most Dangerous Game” featuring the physical might of homeless men on the run from a pack of relentless human hunters? 1993 and ’94 were a wild time for this stuff, with Universal first to the market with the wonderfully furious Jean- Claude Van Damme actioner, “Hard Target.” New Line Cinema showed up eight months later with “Surviving the Game,” which traded Van Damme’s muscular hustle and capable goon-smashing presence for Ice T and his less credible offering of self-defense. The two features share the same idea, but they’re truly worlds apart in execution, with “Surviving the Game” dismally directed by Ernest Dickerson (“Juice,” “Demon Knight”), who presents a viciously overacted take on rabid acts of survival, unwilling to control his hammy cast as they try to out-crazy one another, leaving Ice T to carry the little dramatic weight in the endeavor, and that’s…not happening.

Mason (Ice T) is a homeless man with a haunted past, just trying to make it through the days as he hunts for something to eat and a peaceful place to rest. After his dog is killed in a traffic accident, Mason is despondent, with his misery soon overwhelming after the death of his street friend, Hank (Jeff Corey), leaving him alone once again. Ready to commit suicide, Mason is rescued by Walter (Charles S. Dutton), a concerned missionary man who offers the wayward soul a chance to make some real money as a “survival guide” for a hunting party. After meeting and impressing Walter’s partner, Thomas (Rutger Hauer), Mason is provided with some cash, a change of clothes, and a ride into the Oregon wilderness, set up in a cabin as he prepares to deal with whatever work opportunities are available. Joining Thomas and Walter at the site are Doc (Gary Busey), John (John C. McGinley), and Wolfe Sr. (F. Murray Abraham) and Wolfe Jr. (William McNamara), with the men forming a hunting party, spending their first evening sizing Mason up. The next morning, everything changes, with Mason informed he’s the prey for the excited predators, sent out into the wild to try and survive this special hunt, forcing him to scramble for safety as he tries to turn the tables on the armed and amped up men.

There’s potential for interesting atmosphere in “Surviving the Game,” with early scenes focusing on the misery of Mason, a man who can’t catch a break while living on the streets. He’s initially hit by the death of his dog, a trusted companion, and he’s launched into suicidal plans by the loss of Hank. There’s more to Mason’s grim past, which is teased with the reveal of burn marks on his body, and eventually clarified in a crude exposition dump later in the picture. A point of desperation is made in the screenplay by Eric Bernt (“Romeo Must Die,” “Virtuosity”), leaving Mason open to manipulation from Thomas and Walter, who sell the concept of employment to the needy man, and he’s soon off on a plane into the Oregon wilderness, ready to change his life.

Instead of a subtle burn of intimidation, “Surviving the Game” goes big right away, introducing the team of hunters, who are all rich men looking to get their kicks by taking a human life. Doc claims to be a C.I.A. psychiatrist, capable of understanding human nature in his own contorted way. John is a grieving father ready to unleash on the innocent. And the father and son Wolfe are here to bond, with Jr. finally exposed to the hunt, and he’s shocked by what he finds. Performances are absurdly over-the-top, but “Surviving the Game” is filled with actors who love to chew the scenery, and Dickerson is not about to step in and control such unwanted aggression. He turns the feature into a cartoon, with the hunters licking their lips as they get ready to pursue Mason, making the endeavor silly, not suspenseful, missing a shot to transform the chase into a nail-biting ride.

What “Surviving the Game” offers instead is a fairly routine hunting scenario, only Mason is quick to turn the tables on the hunters, learning what the team is actually looking to achieve within a hidden room in their cabin. There’s some time spent on personal histories, with characters awkwardly spilling their guts when they get a moment to rest, and Dickerson makes some use of his surroundings, sending Mason around cliffs, up trees, and down into a river. Pure physicality is where “Surviving the Game” should remain, but the effort has other ideas, giving Mason one-liners when he dispatches the hunters, and these men with guns spend time turning on one another, which is meant to create tension, but primarily plays like padding from a production that doesn’t have enough money to really work with the outdoor elements of the story.

Surviving the Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as a "New 4K scan of the interpositive." There's a decent amount of detail during the viewing experience, examining the tattered appearances of the characters and their hunting outfits. Skin particulars are present, along with makeup additions. Cabin interiors retain decorative additions, but the feature mostly takes place in the outdoors, and the forest hunt remains dimensional, offering an appreciation of the vast locations. Colors retain defined greenery, and costuming carries sharp earth tones. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is decently resolved. Source is in good condition.

Surviving the Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is the default option for "Surviving the Game," with IMDB listing this feature as a Dolby Stereo production. Dialogue exchanges are crisp throughout, with the actors occasionally reaching the limits of the sound equipment with their booming voices and overall volatility. Scoring supports with clear instrumentation, ranging from orchestral offerings to bluesy guitars to light jazz. Sound effects are appreciable, with snappy gunfire and heavier explosions. A 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is also provided, making use of some surround activity, but low-end lacks weight.

Surviving the Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Ernest Dickerson.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, HD) is included.

Surviving the Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no reason to cheer on Mason, as Ice T can't summon a personality, bringing nothing but flat line readings to "Surviving the Game." Dickerson isn't sure what kind of movie he wants to make, electing to support the feature with the sounds of the blues, light jazz, and orchestral movements, which doesn't help the mood of the film. And there's the threat posed by the hunters, who act in such an unhinged manner, it's hard to believe they've kept their sinister business a secret for so long. Perhaps Dickerson was aiming for pure exploitation with "Surviving the Game," but the execution of this picture is so clumsy and spiritless, it never connects, even as brain-dead entertainment.