Blood
Father (2016/Lionsgate Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B Extras: C Film: C+
Mel
Gibson steps back into a starring role with the edgy action/thriller
Blood Father. Directed by Jean-François Richet, the film has
a unique gritty look and quite a few impressive action sequences -
namely one where two stars are turned upside down in a mobile home
trailer that is slammed into by a truck. The film also has a nice
pace to it narratively and isn't much like the Taken
franchise, which I was assuming by looking at the cover.
Gibson
plays John Link - an ex-con/ex-alcoholic who is simply trying to get
his life together. He can't help thinking about his long-lost
missing daughter Lydia (played by the gorgeous Erin Moriarty) - to
whom he constantly wonders about whilst staring at her missing
posters. The problem is that Lydia has got herself into a bit of a
mess with some bad guys and accidentally killed her ex-boyfriend
during a tense heist. Having nobody else to contact, she hits up
John Link - who takes her back with welcome arms and sees a lot of
his former self in his daughter. Protecting her and trying to right
her wrongs, Link faces off against the assassins hot on their trail.
The
on-screen father/daughter chemistry between Gibson and Moriarty is
spot on and there’s also a decent bit part for William H. Macy in
the mix. Set primarily in California, the film has a yellow color
tone to compliment the desert and is presented in 1080p high
definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film has
excellent warm colors and high contrast throughout, giving it a very
dark and modern look that I think is excellent.
As
for the sound mix, there is little to complain about with a DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix that is loud and in charge
throughout. The explosions and gunshots hit heavy and the dialogue
is evenly mixed throughout. Digital Copy is also included.
Special
Features include the Lost Souls: On the Road with Blood Father
featurette.
It's
good to see Mel Gibson back in form here in a film that was loads
better than I expected it to be. I would suggest it to action film
fans for sure.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
