7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
War veterans visit a lakeside cabin for a week of shooting, drinking, etc. but find the cabin being looked after by a young caretaker named David. When David's status as a war deserter is revealed, all hell breaks loose.
Starring: Rod Steiger, David Huffman, Robin Mattson, Jerry Hardin, Richard HerdThriller | Insignificant |
Drama | 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 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
1980’s “Wolf Lake” hopes to be incendiary work, pitting the World War II generation against the realities of the Vietnam War. It’s a grandpas-gone-mad movie that tends to think it’s more profound than it actually is, denying the reality of its exploitation elements. Director Burt Kennedy (“Suburban Commando”) does a fine job taking the action to the middle of nowhere, and for those who enjoy the ability to view a film performance from space, there’s Rod Steiger in the lead role, working himself up into a frenzy as he portrays a member of the greatest generation ready to gun down an example of America’s failure. “Wolf Lake” is more odd than suspenseful, but it’s certainly something that might appeal to those who value a straightforward summary of hostilities.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is rough around the edges, but details remains in good condition. While not an advanced visual event, "Wolf Lake" remains tight on faces, which retain signs of aging and panic, and locations preserve depth, capturing cabin architecture and nearby forests and marshes. Colors are agreeable, delivering natural skintones and passable costume hues, but major focus is put on outdoorsy views, with greenery intact. Delineation handles major shadow play and limited lighting. Source displays persistent scratches and speckling, with some deep green lines briefly popping into view. Judder is common, with intense wobbling in the first act. And discoloration is periodic.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a spare listening experience, taking in the stillness of the surrounds, highlighting dangerous isolation. Hiss and pops are detected, but not a sustained issue. Dialogue exchanges are adequate, maintaining rising tempers without distortion, supplying needed intelligibility. Scoring cues are fine, but lack any thrilling precision, only adding some mood to the effort. Atmospherics are understood, including the movement of wind and hollow interiors. Sound effects, such as gunshots, tend to fuzz out, missing snap.
Kennedy has problems with pacing, often arranging real time walks to stretch the feature to 90 minutes, and such stasis gets old in a hurry. Absurdities tend to pile up quickly as well, including a moment where Charlie openly fires a rifle at David during target practice, but the caretaker magically remains on duty, determined to remain in the old man's obvious line of sight. There are only so many whoppers one can take before dismissing the picture, and "Wolf Lake" inspires submission, only to redeem itself for a moment or two with gut-rot emotions, especially when Charlie reveals why he's driven to destroy David and everything he represents. "Wolf Lake" needed more depth and less minutes-long shots of characters walking around the cabins, allowing for sharper material to inspire a righteous woodsy frenzy -- a backyard war of age and entitlement.
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