5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A former bounty hunter who finds himself on the run as part of a revamped Condemned tournament, in which convicts are forced to fight each other to the death as part of a game that's broadcast to the public.
Starring: Randy Orton, Eric Roberts, Steven Michael Quezada, Wes Studi, Bill StinchcombAction | 100% |
Crime | 50% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The Condemned 2 follows in a modestly proud tradition of movies that combine hardcore survival with cutting edge entertainment, movies in which a collection of characters are tasked with killing one another in the ultimate last-man-standing arena. It's also all being broadcast to the world. Such was the plot of fan favorites like The Running Man and more recently The Condemned, an early career Action vehicle for former WWE Superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. This sequel stars another WWE wrestler, Randy Orton, and is directed by Roel Reiné, who previously worked with Orton in 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded and is making a sequel to Hard Target, a movie kinda-sorta in the same vein as The Condemned 2. Unfortunately, The Condemned 2 plays with a disappointing paint-by-numbers feel to it. It's a movie that seems content to rehash ideas and sit on the genre's laurels rather than serve up the sort of fresh meat that's necessary to keep a one-trick-pony genre on its toes and on the tongues of Action fans.
The Viper: Condemned.
The Condemned 2 features a seriously frustrating 1080p transfer that is at times a showcase for the best that digitally sourced movies have to offer, and at times the worst. First, the bad. At times, the movie looks almost sick. Banding, noise, and macroblocking can absolutely overwhelm the screen. Nowhere is this more evident than at the "casino" where people place their bets on the convicts, but even elsewhere all three issue creep up to a high level of severity. At its worst, the image is borderline unwatchable. On the flip side, when the transfer is on, it looks very good. Details are often very complex and enjoyable. Scruffy facial hair, pores, heavy material jackets, and rocky and sandy terrain almost always dazzle. Colors are impressive, particularly as clothes and fireballs stand apart from the earthen terrain. Flesh tones hold up well enough beyond those "casino" shots where they go heavily pasty and unimpressive. Black levels generally maintain a deep, natural depth without crushing out too many details.
The Condemned 2 features an ultra-aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that sacrifices a bit of legitimacy in favor of over-the-top sonic mayhem. Rarely does the track relent. Sounds are spit out from every direction, and often to good effect. Listeners will practically feel the mayhem around them, whether blaring music that protrudes from every speaker or action effects, like explosions and gunshots, that rip through the stage. Pistols shots ring out with a good bit of juice, but it's the .50 caliber rifle that really impresses. Audiences will not only hear the zip and the impact, but feel the heft of the heavy bullet piercing the air all around the listening area. It's practically enough to make one want to duck for cover. Musical clarity is excellent, supported by seamless surround information and plenty of low end push. Explosions likewise pack a healthy wallop and relentlessly punish the stage. Dialogue enjoys good, natural center placement and fine prioritization, even amongst the mayhem. Sometimes, though, it's just a little too overblown, too engineered. Nevertheless, it's mostly enjoyable.
The Condemned 2 contains two film-related extras. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.
The Condemned 2 doesn't have much going for it outside of Randy Orton and Eric Roberts. The stars command the screen more because of natural presence and less any of the off-the-shelf dialogue the script gives them or the recycled action and plot points the movie engages them in. Outside of a couple of good sequences, the movie feels like it plays out in slow motion, particularly during any of the "gambling" scenes in which "the elite" bet on who will live or die, practically a death sentence for what is supposed to be a nonstop action flick. Lionsgate's Blu-ray features very troubled video, dynamic but over-pumped audio, and a couple of brief extras. Rent it.
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