Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2023

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?

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 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.

The Hunter 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, 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).

The Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Hunter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Hunter from Paramount Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• TV Spots and VHS Trailer - a couple of vintage promotional trailers and TV spots. (2 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for The Hunter.

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. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a new 4K master. RECOMMENDED.