6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An FBI deep-woods tracker captures a trained assassin who has made a sport of hunting humans.
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio del Toro, Connie Nielsen, Leslie Stefanson, Ron CanadaThriller | Insignificant |
Martial arts | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
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 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Hunted has an air of familiarity about it. There's something of a First Blood vibe going on: a mentally distressed soldier, who has been groomed to be a killing machine, finds himself pursued by the law through picturesque Northwestern terrain. However, the character is neither as complex as John Rambo, nor is the story overtly engaging. The film is not as well made, either, something of a surprise given that it's directed by the legendary William Friedkin, who gave audiences classics like The French Connection and The Exorcist. Still, it's a competent if not somewhat trite and derivative film that salvages enough from the raw materials to build a passably interesting and somewhat viscerally engaging film.
This is a very shaky looking transfer that appears to be not appreciably superior to what one would expect form an upscaled DVD. It's hopelessly flat with a heavily processed look. There is not much of a filmic appearance to it. Some grain has been left intact but there is the look and feel of processing that has robbed the image of its naturally filmic texture. Only occasionally do some decent facial details appear to be in evidence, and likewise various location elements simply fall flat in appearance, whether woodland details during the killing and pursuit earlier in the film or the dense urban concrete in a chase sequence later in the film. Visually, the whole production just feels off and the Blu-ray certainly does the image no favors. Colors are likewise flat. There is no sense of depth of any kind, no real vitality or tonal solidification at work. The image is terribly depressed with a heavy gray blue temperature that is obvious even amidst the barrage of pallid greens seen throughout the film. Skin tones are pasty, whites are creamy, and black levels waver between bright and flat and crushed. There are precious few upsides here; as noted detail can look solid at times, the print shows no serious wear, and the encode appears OK, but this is not an attractive image in the least. The 2.5/5.0 score generally holds but at times could be said to teeter on excess generosity. 2.25 is probably the best score.
Paramount brings The Hunted to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening wartime action sequence offers the expected symphony of violent wartime sounds, with gunfire blasting from every corner, screams emanating from all around the listening area, explosions bursting out of every speaker, and the subwoofer delivering a series of prodigious thumps and bumps that give frightening depth and terrifying weight to the horrific action. This is the most sonically intense portion of the track. Some action scenes later also offer robust immersion, such as a rushing waterfall heard during the climactic confrontation. This is more front heavy than it is surround intensive, but there is still some decent immersion at play. The track also offers well defined ambient support. Distant booming thunder in the 28-minute mark, for example, plays well in proportion to the setting and sets the mood quite nicely. Musical engagement is pleasantly clear and nicely spaced with some quality surround and subwoofer support elements. Dialogue can be a little less than ideally presented, shallow and competing with background content (listen around the 22:35 mark). However, most of the time, it is clear, well prioritized, and center positioned.
This Blu-ray release of The Hunted includes a good array of legacy bonus content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This
release does not ship with a slipcover.
The Hunted may lack full creative genius, but the visceral physical and emotional content more than make up for any structural shortcomings. The lead performances are solid, even if Jones cannot escape playing variations of other characters while del Toro does his best to build a darker John Rambo. Paramount's Blu-ray is of questionable quality. The video presentation is wanting. The audio is fine, mostly, and the supplements are workable, even if they are all legacy. Recommended.
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