Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Being a bodyguard is a tough business, but Michael Bryce was at one time considered the best, earning him the distinction of being a triple-A executive protection agent. Unfortunately, if you lose a client, your life will take a turn for the worse, which is exactly what happened to Bryce when he wasn’t able to successfully protect a distinguished Japanese client. Two years have gone by, and in order to make a living, he’s resorted to protecting second-class clients—like lawyers. Luckily for him, he gets a request from Interpol to escort an internationally renowned hitman, Darius Kincaid, from Manchester to the Hague in order to testify against a ruthless dictator, who has dispatched a team of assassins to ensure that the witness never arrives.

I generally don’t like these types of violent movies, but I really loved Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool and Samuel L. Jackson in virtually every role, so I had to give this 4K disc a spin. Needless to say, I loved it. The story is much better that I expected, it has the right blend of action and comedy, and the chemistry between the two stars is exceptional. Sure, there’s plenty of violence and foul language, but I couldn’t help myself despite the flaws, especially Salma Hayek’s character.

Many Ultra HD 4K discs are derived from 2K digital intermediates, but that’s not the case here. The film was shot on various Arri Alexa cameras, captured at 3.4K, and finished in 4K with spectacular results. The level of detail is off the charts in both close-ups and long shots. The overhead flybys of the various locations in Europe are breathtaking and make you want to call your travel agent and book a trip. The colors pop off the screen, especially red and green, and black levels are to die for.

Just as impressive is the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which features plenty of gunshots, explosions, and a plethora of discrete effects. This is on full display when Interpol tries to sneak Kincaid out of England and the bad guys stage an ambush. Buckle up and prepare for one hell of a demo scene as Kincaid shows why he’s one of the most lethal hitmen in the world.

The supplements are housed on the 4K discs—thank you, Lionsgate—so there’s no need to pop in the included 1080p Blu-ray to delve into the production. The middling package of bonus features includes outtakes, deleted/extended/alternate scenes, four featurettes, a director’s commentary, and a UV Digital Copy.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Lionsgate, 2017
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio Format: Dolby Atmos / True HD 7.1 core
Length: 118 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman