Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

The Alphabet Killer Blu-ray Movie Review

'The Alphabet Killer' spells a dull time at the movies.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 16, 2009

I'm not going to stop.

Another in an ever-growing line of movies with a decent cast but a poor script, The Alphabet Killer is a forgettable Police Procedural albeit with something of a supernatural twist, but it makes for a wholly unremarkable experience nevertheless. The film seems to pride itself on what seems superficially to be a deep, contemplative mystery with almost otherworldly elements but a plot that nevertheless remains grounded in reality throughout. Here, visions, voices, and hunches based on both speculation and random bouts of psychotic visions and visitations are met with disdain rather than open arms; in that way, The Alphabet Killer seems to want to take the approach opposite many other paranormal Murder-Mystery films by dismissing the very thing that may ultimately lead to the capture or killing of the villain. In that light, The Alphabet Killer is something of a novelty, but it's ultimately destroyed by a terribly predictable plot and story lines that make the police force and everyone around the case seem like the Keystone Kops; once clues are revealed, it seems both incomprehensible and reprehensible that nobody surrounding the case -- in the law or amongst the civilian ranks -- could put together a few obvious coincidences that easily brought the case together.

'A cop on the edge, a killer on the loose...'

Dubbed "The Alphabet Killer" by the media, an individual has taken a liking to kidnapping young girls that share in common the same letter of their first and last initials. On the case are Detectives Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku) and her fiancé Kenneth Shine (Cary Elwes), the former of which becomes witness to random visions and hallucinations, ultimately leading her off the case and into the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Two years later, with the killer still on the loose, Megan is in rehabilitation and her relationship with Kenneth has been reduced to a cursory professional level. Megan re-joins the police force in a lessened capacity, but when the killer strikes again, she teams up with Detective Steven Harper (Tom Malloy), though she's told to keep her distance and work in but a supporting role. Nevertheless, Megan's personal attachment to the case leads her to once again obsess over it; her visions and unstable physical, mental, and emotional state seem constantly at odds with her ability to carry out her work and once again earn the trust of her peers. It's up to Megan, in the face of a police force that considers the case closed, to piece together the clues, find the common threads that tie the victims together, and reveal the identity of the killer before he can strike again.

The Alphabet Killer is so bland and by-the-numbers in every scene that it's hard to dissect because there's so very little here worthy of attention. It's a paper-thin movie with decent production values and solid but unremarkable acting; nobody in the cast plays their part poorly, but no performance jumps out as even the slightest bit better than ordinary, either. Dushku, Elwes, Hutton, Moseley, and Ironside make for a cast sheet that reads impressively, but every actor -- even the ever-dependable Michael Ironside -- is practically invisible here, not because they disappear into their roles but because they do little more than give a base effort in every frame. For this sort of movie, however, that level of performance is both acceptable and expected. Structurally, the film follows the three-act arc to perfection; there's the set-up, the lead character's fall from grace, and her difficult period of redemption where she pieces together clues nobody else can. The film is terribly formulaic and therefore predictable; there's no element of surprise around any corner, and the film's climax is even built around a stale chase scene that could have been plucked from any other number of similarly-themed pictures. It all adds up to a movie that's doomed to invisibility, a picture that's the very definition of everything that's disappointing -- but in no way overtly bad -- about copy-and-paste, by-the-book moviemaking.

The Alphabet Killer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Alphabet Killer debuts on Blu-ray with a slightly-above-average 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The film's most noticeable visual trait comes from its ever-shifting tone; from cold and lifeless to warm and inviting, the image fluctuates from one sequence to the next, but this Starz Blu-ray is up to the challenge, generally reproducing the film's haphazard visual style with ease. Fine detail and object texture in every spectrum impresses; whether large smooth stones along old railroad tracks or a woven scarf, the transfer renders many lifeless objects with ease. Still, the film takes on something of a flat and plastic appearance. Close-ups of characters in particular appear waxy and devoid of the finest of nuances associated with the highest-quality Blu-ray transfers. Black levels are never overtly problematic, but flesh tones fluctuate depending on whatever visual scheme the film employs from sequence to sequence. Additionally, the transfer exhibits the occasional white speckle, and background noise is minimally visible. Certainly not a disappointing transfer by any means, The Alphabet Killer's Blu-ray presentation is simply unremarkable, much like the film itself.

The Alphabet Killer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray release of The Alphabet Killer sports a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack; no lossless or uncompressed options are available. This track has no reservations about placing sounds all over the soundstage; there's plenty of side- and back-channel activity, but the problem is that it lacks depth, a true sense of space, and plays as somewhat undefined and unbalanced. A few effects do impress, particularly those that accompany Megan's visions/hallucinations. The film's musical presentation is fairly underwhelming and not particularly loud, even at reference volume. It often plays more as background filler than a front-and-center supporting element. Occasionally, the track is accompanied by a subtle but welcome jolt from the low end, but gunshots pop out with more of a whimper than a bang; particularly disappointing is the film's anticlimactic and wholly generic chase scene with the obligatory gunfire, but the track does nothing to heighten the scene from a sonic perspective. Dialogue is discernible in every scene but not particularly engaging or seamlessly realistic. All told, The Alphabet Killer offers a rather ho-hum sound design, and the lossy Blu-ray soundtrack is no different.

The Alphabet Killer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Alphabet Killer contains no special features, and this Blu-ray disc lacks a menu.

The Alphabet Killer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the end, The Alphabet Killer just sort of is, a movie that's not at all noteworthy or memorable, a film that puts forth a decent idea and fair amount of effort but little more. It's hindered not necessarily from subpar acting or production values but instead a general plot incompetence that's borderline insulting, and the film's killer is one that viewers even the least bit astute in how these sorts of films pan out can identify the moment the character first appears on-screen. This decent but unremarkable film has, appropriately, been provided a decent but unremarkable Blu-ray release. Sporting solid video quality, a bland lossless soundtrack, no extras, and a bargain price, fans and collection-padders will want to pick this one up, but others are advised to rent if not skip altogether.