The Challenge Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Challenge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 13, 2016

John Frankenheimer's "The Challenge" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and a gallery of promotional materials. The release also arrives with a 24-page booklet with writings on the film and reproductions of original promotional materials. In English, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"You were set up to bring in a phony sword. Where is the real one?"

American boxer Rick Murphy (Scott Glenn, The Hunt For Red October, Urban Cowboy) is hired by a handicapped Japanese man to smuggle an ancient sword into his country. Immediately after he lands in Japan, however, Rick is abducted and roughed up by a group of gangsters working for a wealthy industrialist who also wants the sword. Rick learns that years ago the sword belonged to the powerful Yoshida family and divided two brothers. The good brother, Toru (Toshiro Mifune, Rashômon) became a samurai, while the bad brother, Hideo (Atsuo Nakamura, Kill!), made millions with shady partners. For a while the sword disappeared, but the brothers kept searching for it, and after it was discovered in America vowed to bring it home.

Rick escapes from Hideo’s gangsters and meets Toru. After one of his students treats him like a punch bag, he begs Toru to teach him how to fight. Meanwhile, Hideo tries to get rid of his brother once and for all, but the killers he sends to his home never return. Eventually, Toru and Rick are forced to confront Hideo and his gangsters on their turf.

The Challenge does not have the depth of John Frankenheimer’s early films, but it has plenty of style to make up for it. And most viewers will likely want to see it precisely because it features some unusually well choreographed and filmed fights. (Apparently, Frankenheimer consulted Steven Segal and the big fights were choreographed with his technical assistance).

A big chunk of the film is dedicated to Rick’s character transformation after he joins Toru’s students. Initially, Rick is a brash and cocky fighter who incorrectly assumes that his instincts and boxing skills will be good enough to either outsmart or defeat his opponents. For a long period of time, there is a lack of trust between him and Toru as well. Later on, however, he emerges as an intelligent fighter and earns Toru’s respect. This segment where Rick is tested and the transformation occurs is arguably the weakest one because the film begins to drag while trying to highlight the very obvious cultural differences between the two men.

There are two subplots that also work against the film’s credibility. The first one brings closer Rick and Toru’s beautiful daughter, Akiko (Donna Kei Benz, Pray for Death), but there is hardly any chemistry between them. The long lovemaking scene comes as an odd surprise. Then, Rick also warms up to a young boy, but their relationship also isn’t given a chance to evolve.

Despite the various narrative inconsistencies, however, The Challenge remains quite comfortable in its own skin. While watching it, one gets the feeling that its creators never aimed to break any new boundaries with it but wanted to raise the level of intensity which other similarly themed films favor. This is something that The Challenge easily accomplishes, and it is what ultimately makes it quite attractive.

Frankenheimer shot The Challenge with Japanese cinematographer Kozo Okazaki, whose credits also include the samurai classic Goyokin (1969) as well as the crime thrillers The Wolves (1971) and The Yakuza (1974).

The Challenge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Frankenheimer's The Challenge arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media.

The high-definition transfer is somewhat inconsistent, but the basics we typically address in our reviews are rather good. The best news here is that there are no traces of recent problematic degraining and sharpening adjustments. Grain is visible throughout the film, but there are a few sequences where it moves awkwardly. Still, the effect never becomes distracting. Depth is pleasing, but during darker sequences shadow definition could be more convincing. Colors remain stable, but it is easy to see that there should be a wider range of nuances. Contrast levels could have been balanced better as well. Overall image stability is very good. However, a few light scratches and flecks can be seen popping up here and there. All in all, this is a rather pleasing organic presentation of The Challenge, but there is certainly room for some important improvements. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Challenge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and two German LPCM 2.0 tracks (one of which is newly restored) each with small portions of Japanese. During the Japanese exchanges, there are printed white English subtitles (the German subtitles do not appear when the English track is selcted).

The audio does not appear to have been recently remastered, but depth and clarity are surprisingly good. The dynamic intensity is also unusually good, especially during the various action sequences and when Jerry Goldsmith's score becomes prominent. Still, you should not expect to be impressed. The dialog is stable and easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.

The Challenge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Challenge. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Gallery - a collection of original posters, stills, and lobby cards. (5 min).

• Booklet - 24-page booklet with writings on the film and reproductions of original promotional materials. In German.

The Challenge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Frankenheimer's The Challenge visits a familiar territory, but it delivers a solid dose of unusually intense action. While an inferior film, I think that it can be an excellent companion piece to Ridley Scott's Black Rain, which was released a few years after it. The Challenge arrives on Blu-ray via Explosive Media, one of the best small genre labels in Europe, and looks quite good in high-definition. RECOMMENDED.