- Blitz Bluray
I have no idea why all the rioting in London is taking place. I think it’s because they feel their movies don’t get enough promotion abroad. Alright, obviously lack of movie promotion has nothing to do with the riots, but if it did I think they’d have a good point. Blitz, is now added to my rapidly growing list of UK films that I feel a majority of Americans have missed out on. Harry Brown, Perrier’s Bounty and Attack the Block are just a few other recent examples of UK movies that I believe should have been promoted more than they were in the United States. Thanks to Millennium Entertainment I was able to check out Blitz before it comes out on Bluray and DVD August 23rd.
Based on the trailer you’d think that Jason Statham reprises his American type cast role as Tom Brant. By American type cast role I mean that in American made movies Statham’s character typically kicks ass and asks questions later. There’s never much substance behind him other than he is an action star, similar to Jet Li in American made movies. When you compare their characters in movies made in their home countries they seem to entail another level of complexity. Think of the difference between his characters in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels versus any of the Transporter movies. Blitz thankfully has Statham in his UK character role.
The movie centers around Brant (Statham) and Porter Nash (Paddy Considine) and their search for a cop serial killer nicknamed The Blitz (Aidan Gillen). The movie has just the right pace and doesn’t really have any slow points. The three main characters have great performances, especially Gillen. He really embodies someone that seems to have had a tough life and just snaps taking all his pent up anger out on the police due to his many run ins with the law.
The mix between dramatic irony and uncertainty elevate this movie beyond the typical hunt for a killer drama. The audience is informed of the killers identity relatively early in the movie, however the police remain unaware. It’s really once the police are made aware of the killer’s identity that things become really interesting. I consider myself relatively good at foreseeing plot twists well before they happen, but with Blitz I just wasn’t sure how things would end up. Not wanting to take the chance of spoiling anything I’ll just say that I was pleasantly surprised and more than pleased with the outcome.
For as much as I felt the movie was above average I think that its more worth renting or if you happen to be traveling to the UK anytime soon catch it in theaters there. Its one of those movies that once you see it and know what happens, watching it a second time (which I did) it loses that special pizzazz. Of course movies like Inception, The Dark Knight, and The Matrix lose some appeal the second time around; however, they are movies in which you find new things that you didn’t see the first time you watched them. Even with a movie like Mr. Brooks that wasn’t a huge blockbuster with an incredible budget, I found each time I watched it I found something new. Blitz is pretty straight forward in that regard, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just something you must consider before purchasing it on Bluray or DVD.
The extra features aren’t anything out of the ordinary. There are some interviews with the cast, outtakes, and fight scene choreography but nothing really worth diving into any deeper.
If your not making any trips to the UK and can’t wait for it to become available for rental you can pick up a copy of Blitz on Bluray for $29.99 or on DVD (including a free digital copy) for $28.99. Additionally there is a $14.99 Standard Definition download and $19.99 High Definition download. All options are available August 23rd.
Rating: Non stop vintage Statham action (7.5/10)
Recent Comments