6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Steve McQueen's last movie shows the dynamic talent of the late, great actor in one of his most memorable roles: The true story of Ralph "Papa" Thorson, a modern day bounty hunter. Thorson's exploits are detailed as he pursues a number of fugitives who have skipped bail. The chase comes full circle when he becomes the quarry of a vengeful psychopath. McQueen's multi-dimensional performance as Thorson, a man born in the wrong age, is counterpoint to the explosive action in The Hunter.
Starring: Steve McQueen (I), Ben Johnson, Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harrold, LeVar BurtonDrama | 100% |
Biography | 64% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Buzz Kulik's "The Hunter" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson as well as vintage promotional trailers and TV spots for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
You know why I am here, don't you?
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Hunter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from a new 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative. In case you are wondering, this is not the same master that Australian label Via Vision Entertainment worked with to produce this release of The Hunter in 2022.
The entire film looks very healthy, though I did notice a couple of nicks popping up. Also, the visuals have solid density levels, which is why they look good on a large screen. Delineation, clarity, and depth are very pleasing as well. However, if you have the Australian release do not expect a dramatic upgrade in quality because the previous master produces very, very fine visuals as well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. Colors are stable and look healthy. However, I do not think that color balance is as convincing as it could have been. In certain areas, the new master emphasizes turquoise and tones down or replaces select ranges of blues. You can see an example in screencapture #3 where the car on the left looks turquoise. Well, how do we know that turquoise is not the correct color? Because the shift in the blues makes the entire film look cooler and in a couple of areas reveals nuances that are not quite right. (Switching or altering blues with turquoise/cyan is a very common issue on new masters as well). For example, in screencaptures #20 the very light turquoise takes away from the steely appearance of the siren on top of the car. In screencapture #23, the tiny globe at the bottom should have the color blue, not light turquoise. Elsewhere, reds tend to reveal more light brownish hues as well. See the towing truck in screencapture #31. I think that most viewers will be fine with these discrepancies because color balance is not immaculate on the older master either, but slightly better-managed blues could have produced an all-around terrific and definitive presentation of The Hunter. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track is solid. I do not know if this is the exact same track that was used on the previous master of The Hunter, but while I was viewing the film earlier today, I could not spot any meaningful discrepancies to point out in our review. Perhaps there are a few areas where the sound could be slightly better rounded, but I like the current track a lot.
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. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a new 4K master. RECOMMENDED.
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