Maximum Risk - Snapshot

Maximum Risk was released in 1996, and I recall hearing about it at the time. Having been on my watch list, I finally got around to watching it today, 18 years after its release. Though the plot on IMDB sounded weak, something to do with a cop taking over his brother’s life and having to deal with the troubles that come with it, the movie was surprisingly interesting. The plot is actually quite intriguing, and the discovery process along the way should hold audience attention sufficiently. The Russian mob, the FBI, and the hot cocktail waitress help build suspense, and keep you trying to figure out stuff. Also, the opening sequences in South France provide for a nice window into the locales. The movie does feel a little dated though, especially the part shot in the United States. Performances were about average, including lead actor Van Damme’s. The fight sequences were good though, and unlike some of his other movies, his character comes across as normal, versus being somewhat super-human and unbelievable; that meshed into the plot particularly well. Natasha Henstridge did a good job, probably being the best act of the lot. The version I sampled was an HD rip from a BlueRay source. Picture was clear and crisp; color was good, though not overly vibrant. Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel DTS track, and it was quite impressive. Ambient sounds were excellent, examples including the market place and the train station. There was some positional audio noticeable as well.

My Recommendation: Watch It (An intriguing Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge suspense flick from the 90’s)

Murder at 1600 - Snapshot

I remember Murder at 1600 being released when I was in high school, but I didn’t get to catch it then. Since its been on my mind to, I finally watched it last night, 16 years after its release. The plot revolves around a homicide at the white house, and stars Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane in the leading roles. Something that I felt was very obvious was the dated feel of the movie. Both the narrative process and the technical elements were clearly not from current day. From a suspense perspective the movie was pretty good, and it did remain intriguing throughout, though it did drag owing to its very slow pace. Performances were good, with both Snipes and Lane doing a solid job of their characters. The plot interestingly did not romantically link the two, which was a pleasant change. There wasn’t even the slightest sexual tension, and it was clearly a working relationship turned partnership, which was portrayed well. If you’re in the mood for a Suspense/Crime genre flick, with a twist of politics, you’ll find Murder at 1600, worth your while. Be warned though that it’s slow, and the picture especially looks dated, even with original DVD content. Stretch it on a modern large screen HD TV, and you’ll miss the crystal clear picture and vibrant colors even more. Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel Dolby Digital AC3 audio stream, which did a good job with dialog and ambiance. Positional sound was limited but noticeable, especially in the gunfight scene in the underground tunnels.

My Recommendation: Watch It (An old school White House crime drama)

The Expendables - Thoughts

I don’t get how I missed The Expendables, but I did, and with the teaser trailer of the third installment becoming available recently, I decided that I would watch the first two movies, in time to check out the third movie when it releases. What makes The Expendables stand out from other action movies is that its Sylvester Stallone’s brainchild; and part of his grand plan was assembling a team of action heroes, to create a larger than life blockbuster experience. In The Expendables, a team of mercenaries are hired to take down a villainous dictator and bring down his regime, responsible for a large scale drug operation.

Though this movie failed to enamor me at the time of its release in 2010, by the time I got around to watching it in early 2014, I was particularly eager to see it. Add to that, this was also the inauguration of my new Bluray powered home theatre. With all those expectations, it’s fair to say that the movie had its work cut out for it. Thankfully, Stallone and his crew of combatants managed to bring home an entertaining action flick. True to old school Rambo style action, use of CGI was limited, and a good deal of the onscreen action was created and performed by the cast, stunt men, and actually blowing stuff up. The plot, though more or less straight forward, is decent, and remains interesting throughout. There are many impressive action sequences, with ‘Ride & Die’ at the 40 minute mark, aboard the plane being one of the most standout. Pace is okay, and the movie never gets boringly slow. As expected there is a damsel in distress in need of saving, a twist within the enemy camp, and some traitors, all of which make for a slightly predictable, yet enjoyable action movie. If you’re in the mood for a good action movie, and would like to see several big names in the industry side by side, The Expendables is totally worth checking out.

If you’ve ever wanted to see Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Terry Crews (former NFL player and actor – Arrested Development), and Mickey Rourke in a movie together, this is your chance. And add to that mix, short appearances from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis! If there ever were a star cast of leading men, this is it. It makes little sense to speak of their performances, with most of the popular action stars playing their usual action personas, and doing-so well. Randy Couture and Steve Austin are perhaps the only two amateurs to movies, and they did a good job too; fitting in well into the group.

The Bluray I was sampling was a Region C disc, purchased in India. The video was good, as expected with a Bluray, definition staying consistently sharp, even in the dark scenes. Blacks were rich, and the entire presentation was impressive. Note that the visual quality really shows on a big screen TV, and also that the difference isn’t as stark as moving from VCD to DVD. The sound was presented by means of a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, which complemented the actions sequences well. Positional sound was noticeable in some of the scenes. The extras on the disc included a Comicon conference with Stallone and several of the other lead actors. It was quite interesting, with the teams respect for Stallone being quite evident, with several of them speaking of film studies being a distant second to working with Stallone, who practically created and defined the action genre.

My Recommendation: Watch It (The ultimate all-star action cast)