4.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 1.5 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
A mother, Victoria, is trying to put her dark past as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon forces Victoria to do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage.
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ruby Rose, Patrick Muldoon, Nick Vallelonga, Chris MullinaxAction | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 1.5 |
Those with long memories may remember one of the first pain relievers to combine aspirin with acetaminophen and caffeine was called Vanquish, and though I don’t think that particular brand name is still widely available (at least on this side of the pond), viewers thinking of watching this film with the same name as that long ago analgesic may want to swallow a handful of other products with a similar formulation as a prophylactic measure before indulging in what is really a surprisingly messy production. Evidently even actors of the general stature of Morgan Freeman have bills to pay, since that seems to be the only rational explanation as to why Freeman would want to be part of a story that has him consigned to a wheelchair as a veritable Ironside, although in this version of a handicapped detective, the character he plays, a former policeman named Damon, is not exactly above reproach, despite the hoary trope of a series of laudatory newspaper headlines trumpeting his career playing out under the opening credits. An opening vignette with Damon in a confessional seems to suggest he’s been taking drug running money for umpteen years (as has perhaps the priest hearing the confession), though as with so much else in Vanquish, there are veritable acres of unexplained material left for the enterprising viewer to figure out.
Vanquish is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. The IMDb kind of weirdly lists Arri cameras but then reference Redcode RAW (including at a source resolution of 8K), so I'm assuming maybe this is a hybrid entry in terms of the technologies utilized to capture its imagery. I will say that the astounding saturation and generally decent if at times just slightly murky dim sequences struck me as more "Red-like" than "Arri-like". As can readily be seen in the screenshots accompanying this review, and as I also mentioned above in the main body of the review, stylistically things are very much in the John Wick mold, with purples and greens predominating, but with regular visits to slightly cooler blue tones. Director Gallo and cinematographer Anastos Michos utilize all sorts of tweaks to the imagery, including near hallucinatory moments, as can be seen in screenshots 6, 18 and 19. Those stylistic quirks combined with an often deeply saturated palette can lead to flirtations with posterizing, with slight blotches of color kind of liquefying in isolated sections of the frame.
Vanquish features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that expectedly springs to pretty vigorous life when Victoria is tooling around on her motorcycle, as well as when the body count begins to accrue due to repeated gunfire. A pulsing score by Aldo Shllaku also ripples out through the surround channels invitingly. Dialogue (such as it is) is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout the presentation. Optional subtitles in several languages are available, and in that regard, this is kind of interestingly one of the few Lionsgate Blu-ray releases I've personally reviewed which includes Brazilian Portuguese subtitles, which makes me wonder if someone connected to this film either has a Brazilian connection or following.
Ruby Rose also played a tough, no nonsense sort in the relatively recently reviewed The Doorman, and if she once again acquits herself at least reasonably well in the action scenes, this is another entry that either doesn't know how to capitalize on whatever acting chops she can bring to a production, or alternatively is so poorly written that Rose simply can't bring any acting chops to the production. Technical merits are solid for those who are considering a purchase.
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