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Reviewed by Cas Harlow, 15th August 2010.
After well over a decade this solid modern film noir crime thriller finally got its definitive edition, with the Region Free UK Special Edition Blu-ray, that boasts not only the 1997 Theatrical Cut, but also a 2005 reworking by the Director, that attempts to capture his original intentions back before he was removed from the project. The film had re-shots commissioned post-Lethal Weapon 4 adding a completely new final act and changing the tone in order to make Mel Gibsons character more easy for audiences to root for. Honestly, I think the Directors reworking is superior: the menacing lead anti-hero is supposed to be a character who we dont really like all that much. He is supposed to be more a force of nature than a loveable rogue, and the Directors original vision (as replicated, as best he could, with the new cut) is much closer to the tone of the movies source material a novel by author Donald E. Westlake.
The UK release is definitely the best edition to get, coming to Blu-ray with fantastic video presentation, excellent audio treatment (of the Dolby TrueHD variety, topping the US equivalents standard-def DD5.1 offering) and all of the plethora of previously found extras a hefty, comprehensive selection that covers the convoluted production history in great detail as well as a couple of extra interviews. And then, of course, you get both cuts and, as far as I know this is the only Region Free version that sports both versions. Honestly, this is a great little crime thriller and, whether you prefer the 1997 Theatrical Cut or the 2005 Directors Cut, it is great to finally have the option to have both. And with only one new film from Gibson in the last decade, fans will probably love to see such a completely new version of one of his better efforts. Considering the fact that you can probably pick this up at a reasonably low price at the moment, for those who havent already added it to their collection, this edition comes highly recommended.
Read the full review...
After well over a decade this solid modern film noir crime thriller finally got its definitive edition, with the Region Free UK Special Edition Blu-ray, that boasts not only the 1997 Theatrical Cut, but also a 2005 reworking by the Director, that attempts to capture his original intentions back before he was removed from the project. The film had re-shots commissioned post-Lethal Weapon 4 adding a completely new final act and changing the tone in order to make Mel Gibsons character more easy for audiences to root for. Honestly, I think the Directors reworking is superior: the menacing lead anti-hero is supposed to be a character who we dont really like all that much. He is supposed to be more a force of nature than a loveable rogue, and the Directors original vision (as replicated, as best he could, with the new cut) is much closer to the tone of the movies source material a novel by author Donald E. Westlake.
The UK release is definitely the best edition to get, coming to Blu-ray with fantastic video presentation, excellent audio treatment (of the Dolby TrueHD variety, topping the US equivalents standard-def DD5.1 offering) and all of the plethora of previously found extras a hefty, comprehensive selection that covers the convoluted production history in great detail as well as a couple of extra interviews. And then, of course, you get both cuts and, as far as I know this is the only Region Free version that sports both versions. Honestly, this is a great little crime thriller and, whether you prefer the 1997 Theatrical Cut or the 2005 Directors Cut, it is great to finally have the option to have both. And with only one new film from Gibson in the last decade, fans will probably love to see such a completely new version of one of his better efforts. Considering the fact that you can probably pick this up at a reasonably low price at the moment, for those who havent already added it to their collection, this edition comes highly recommended.
Read the full review...