Direct Contact
(2008/First Look Blu-ray + DVD-Video)
Picture: B-/C+
Sound: B-/C+ Extras: D Film: C
Dolph Lundgren allows himself to become a spoof of himself
in Danny Learner’s Direct Contact
(2008) about a U.S. Special Ops guy abandoned in a Russian prison when he is
suddenly given a chance to “redeem” himself and is released on a special
mission which (surprise?) is a set-up to get him killed. How many times have we seen this? How stupid are these characters? How stupid do the writers think the audience
is?
To the latter question, very! This has every pre-war porn 1980s action
cliché you can imagine, is Lundgren’s worst work and somebody needs to tell
these people the 1980s and Reagan era are long over and never coming back. The fights are too choreographed, dialogue
awful and film overall beyond formulaic.
And when he has to save “the girl” Ana, yes, they fall for each
other. Condescending, lame and dull, only
some of the action moments and times Lundgren is not trying to be a Rambo type
(especially a problem in the latter part of the film) is when some of it is
watchable. Otherwise, this is one
“contact” you are better off not making.
The 1080p 1.78 X 1 image is noisy and soft throughout
reflecting a bad shoot, likely HD with the amount of unstylized noise. Director of Photography Ross Clarkson,
H.K.S.C., A.C.S., cannot make this look better than any of the 1980s action
B-movies it is imitating and any digital effects are lame. The anamorphically enhanced DVD is even worse
and adds Video Black troubles. The Dolby
Digital 5.1 on the Blu-ray has a limited soundfield and can be compressed and
overly loud in parts, while the DVD version is weaker with a lame soundfield. There are no extras, unless you want o count
previews and we do not.
- Nicholas Sheffo
