Wrong Side Of Town (2010/Lionsgate Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B-     Extras: D     Film: D

 

 

David DeFalco’s Wrong Side Of Town (2010) offers us the wrong side of action stories with a clichéd wreck of a revenge tale as Dave Batista plays a former U.S. Marine who has to save his kidnapped daughter.  Tired as tired can get, we get stereotypical gangsters, tough guys, ethnic characters and people who never talk like this in real life to no avail.  I did not know who Batista was, then found out he was a professional wrestler which begs the question, since they always play Marines, does this mean other branches of the military do not have big guys in them?

 

Rob Van Dam, Ja Rule and Omarion also show up for wider audience appeal among the mostly unknowns here and the audience this is narrowly aimed at, but nothing can save this mess from being good and Batista is just not that good in the lead, though the directing is so bad overall, I cannot be certain how much of this is on him.  Maybe the kidnappers grabbed the script by accident, but that would have made a better idea for this film.  Let’s hope that is not the sequel.

 

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is soft throughout and not very impressive, while the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is harsh, shrill and limited throughout in its soundfield and clarity.  The combination is disappointing, even for the genre.  Extras include a trailer gallery and five making-of featurettes.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo