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Misfire
R2 - United Kingdom - Image Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (25th September 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** When action is the only answer. WKBA kickboxing champion and hard-action star Gary Daniels (The Expendables) takes to the screen in a border-crossing, barrier smashing all-action explosion that pits his will to live against the merciless murder machine of a Mexican drug cartel. Hardened DEA agent Cole finds himself sucked into the deadly underworld of Tijuanna in search of his ex-wife, a journalist who may have gone too far in search of a story. She’s been abducted by a charismatic Cartel boss who publicly aspires to public office while privately slaughtering anyone who gets in his way. Now, in a place where two cultures clash and life is cheaper than bullets, Cole is about to discover the cost of shooting to kill when you Misfire. Revenge comes deadly.
Video
Image Entertainment own the rights to this movie in both the UK and USA, but have decided to give the home media debut to British audiences by a few weeks. The transfer is anamorphic, in PAL format, and in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Unfortunately, it's distinctly average. The colour scheme used is intentionally overblown and warm, but skin tones are a little too red at times, and often feel unnatural. There is noticeable edge enhancement throughout the run time - especially around characters and buildings - whilst aliasing can also be prominent (check the benches at 75:05 on the left hand side as an example). There is a bit of banding during lighter long distance shots, especially during the first ten minutes or so, but it does get better as time goes by. Some compression problems are also exhibited at one point, but is barely noticeable. Details differ in quality from scene to scene, and mainly look pretty good. Facial close-ups can show significant detail (Gary Daniels skin blemishes), as can clothing, but with all the shakey cam going on, backgrounds can feel blurry and disorientating. Even with a stable camera, some mid/long distance details can be blocky. There is no damage to the print, and it is as clean as you would expect for such a new feature, but this transfer could certainly be improved upon. It's adequate for the genre, and for films of this ilk though. The movie is uncut and runs 85:13.
Audio
There are two options available: - English Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I opted for the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which, like the transfer, was a rather uninspiring and by-the-book affair. The surrounds are fairly quiet for long periods of time, and used mainly for the score, though the occasional environmental effect does manage to work itself in without much direction. Dialogue is generally clear, though some of the lines do come across slightly mumbled (but not inaudible). Fidelity is so-so, and the depth of the track simply satisfactory. Volume levels are consistent, and there is no obvious damage such as drop outs or scratches. Do note, the stereo track plays by default, so you will need to select the 5.1 either from the menu, or via your remote. No subtitles have been included.
Extras
Start-up Trailers (3:37): - "Penthouse North" (1:24) - "Werewolf Rising" (1:03) - "Varsity Blood" (1:06)
Overall
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