The Hunter Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 11, 2022

Buzz Kulik's "The Hunter" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by film historian Jason Ney; Gene Feldman's documentary "Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge"; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

You know why I am here, don't you?

Even if you did not know that just a year earlier Steve McQueen had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, you will very easily tell that when he made The Hunter with Buzz Kulik he was already very, very ill. His eyes reveal everything. They look tired in that very particular, very concerning way that always reveals the presence of a serious illness.

McQueen is Papa Thorson, a bounty hunter who moves between two drastically different worlds where he routinely looks like an outsider. In the first he tracks down bad guys all across America and then transports them to LA with his vintage Chevrolet. He is a pro that never misses his target, but his awful social and driving skills make him stick out like a sore thumb. In the second he is in a brittle relationship with his girlfriend, Dotty (Kathryn Harrold), who is expecting their first child. They live in the same house but are not a normal couple because he is rarely around. They both know that if nothing changes their relationship cannot survive, though only Dotty has been willing to say it aloud because she has lost the ability to control her frustration.

In both worlds McQueen looks like an old-timer who has been through a lot and needs a long break to recover. In the dangerous one he tries hard to bring back some of that classic macho personality that made him an iconic action star, but each time he engages one of his targets you feel sorry for him because he looks incredibly vulnerable. Does he really have to do what he does to make ends meet? Why does not he trade his dangerous gig for a lazy desk job that would allow him to a lead normal boring life like all the other guys that are past their prime? In the safe world it is even easier to feel sorry for him. He loses a great friend, gets drunk to numb the pain, and then his girlfriend walks out on him. The losses quickly overwhelm him, but the feeling that he is exhausted and struggling to endure his reality does not materialize because he does a terrific job with his character. The camera reveals the real McQueen who has aged prematurely and quite possibly come to terms with the inevitable as well.

The best action footage comes after McQueen goes to Chicago to nab a violent character with a long rap sheet. He chases him through a shady neighborhood and then the two end up on a train where he has to be quick and bold to avoid a massive disaster. If you pay close attention, you will realize that it was some of the hardest work McQueen did before a camera because he had to force his body to perform in ways it was no longer capable of. The action footage looks very good, but instead of being part of an exciting story it very much feels like a giant test.

The mainstream critics were not at all impressed with The Hunter. They found numerous flaws in it and a few even argued that Kulik shot it as an instantly forgettable TV project, which essentially meant that it was so profoundly mismanaged that it could have been a better film only if it was redone from scratch. The Hunter isn’t one of McQueen’s better films, but the truth is different. It does not impress in that particular way that many expected because it lacks the star personality it needed to do so. McQueen is present, but this isn’t the macho star McQueen that could have given The Hunter a proper identity so that it is greeted as a good film. Had McQueen and Kulik made The Hunter a decade earlier, it would have been considered one of their greatest hits.

*This Blu-ray release also includes Gene Feldman’s outstanding documentary Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge (1990), which reveals some quite interesting details from McQueen’s personal life and the evolution of his career. His final work and particularly the types of characters he was attracted to are discussed in great detail.

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Hunter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. This master is actually very nice and with some specific encoding optimizations the technical presentation of The Hunter could have been rather impressive. The film still looked very good on my system, but I could tell that some minor limitations were unnecessarily exaggerated. Delineation and clarity are usually good, though virtually the entire film looks slightly softer than it should. Darker visuals have a bit of black crush, but detail remains nice. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Color balance is very good and the only area that could see some meaningful improvements is saturation. There are no stability issues. All in all, even though the film could look fresher and more vibrant, the current technical presentation is quite pleasing. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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).

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is very good. When the current master was prepared, which must have been during the DVD era, the audio was properly transferred and cleaned up. I think that it could be slightly fuller and better rounded, but I don't think that there is room for substantial improvements. There are no technical issues to address in our review.

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge" - this outstanding documentary, narrated by James Coburn, takes a closer look at the fascinating personal life and illustrious career of Steve McQueen. It features clips from excellent archival interviews with Neile Adams, Karl Malden, Norman Jewison, Chuck Norris, and Hilly Elkins, amongst others. The documentary is so good that I think it should be mandatory viewing for McQueen fans. It was produced by Gene Feldman in 1990. In English, not subtitled. (59 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by film historian Jason Ney.

• Trailers -
  
  1. TV Trailer
  2. Theatrical Trailer
  3. TV Spot

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The bad reviews The Hunter has received over the years are not deserved. It could not have been the excellent film a lot of people expected it to be because it was made at a time when the cancer that was killing Steve McQueen had already irreversibly damaged his ability to perform. McQueen's deterioration becomes so obvious when Bruce Kulik's camera comes close to him and then pauses on his eyes that from time to time it is actually distracting. So, considering how it was made, I think that The Hunter turned out as well as it could have. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an old but good organic master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. Also included on it is Gene Feldman's outstanding documentary Steve McQueen: Man on the Edge. RECOMMENDED.