Ultimate Dolph

Jox wrote:Crazy German chicks watching RED SCORPION for a ladies night haha

The interesting thing about the Blu-Ray/DVD combo which just came out, which I’d been waiting for, is that besides the upgraded a/v on both discs you get some awesome behind the scenes features. How awesome? You get Dolph Lundgren discussing the film from many years removed (his English is impeccable) and he has a level of candor that is amazing. He discusses the film and his career in depth, amongst other things, and what a nightmare the film was to produce. There’s an interesting perspective about a film like this he provides such candor it’s amazing. It’s refreshing in an EPK era to see an actor essentially say “well, this is why this film didn’t succeed” and rattle off a handful of reasons why and point out the differences in working with Stallone (whom he considered a great director in how he glowingly discusses his work) and working with other people who didn’t quite care as much.

In the scheme of things, Red Scorpion is to Dolph Ludgren what Commando is to Schwarzenegger. It’s a staple of ‘80s action cinema that’s good for a fun two hours or so. It’s not a good film, though, but its fun in an odd way.

Slightly recommended.

What seals the deal, though, is Dolph Lundgren. Fresh off of Rocky IV and Masters of the Universe, Dolph took on this role that should have only helped increase his rising star in Hollywood. Despite his good lucks and brawn, you get the sense that there's more to the guy than just the usual meat-headed antics and one-liners. There's seriousness to a few moments in the film, and Lundgren nails it. It makes me wonder what he could have done with some non-action star work.

What makes Red Scorpion even more impressive to me is when you discover how it almost completely fell apart. At one point, the primary funding was cut, leaving cast and crew in Johannesberg for three months with no work. Since the film was shot in South Africa, breaking a boycott tied into the country's practice of apartheid, Warner Bros. pulled out of distributing the film. It's not only amazing that the film was able to be finished, but that a film that seemingly no one wanted anything to do with over twenty years ago now has an incredibly strong home release with all the love that it deserves.

High-Def Transfer

Taking Red Scorpion's age and budget into account, I honestly wasn't expecting much out of the transfer. I can honestly say that I was blown away. Synapse has given this release a 1080p transfer with a MPEG4 AVC encode and it looks phenomenal. Daytime scenes are almost crystal clear with strong bits of detail , especially in hair, clothes and the often rugged terrain. Colors look natural, save for an odd skin tone here or there looking a bit warm, but that could easily be the print itself and honestly adds to the setting of the film. Despite what some others have said, the film does have some grain intact throughout the entire film.

While not quite as mind blowing as the transfer, the audio for Red Scorpion remains quite impressive. With a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, Synapse has made the most out of what the film has to offer. With as impressive as every explosion and shootout looks, the sound that goes with them is just as perfect, filling channels and really immersing the viewer. As stated, the film did have quite a modest budget, so there isn't much movement throughout the surrounds, but dialogue remains crystal clear and focused.

Beyond the Feature

Not content to rest solely on a great visual and audio package, Synapse has pulled out all the stops to give Red Scorpion and incredible supplements package. There's an excellent Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson, as well as two great interviews: 'Assignment: Africa' with producer Jack Abramoff and 'Scorpion Tales' with make-up effects guru Tom Savini. The true highlight of the supplemental package is 'Hath No Fury - Dolph Lundgren and the Path to Red Scorpion.' This 25-minute interview with Dolph tracks his meteoric rise in Hollywood and all the good and bad that comes with it. It is a captivatingly honest interview that any fan will want to see.

With so much going against Red Scorpion, it had no business even being finished, let alone being pretty damn great. The big 80's action and explosions mixed with a keen cinematic eye and Lundgren's performance really make this a cut above most of the standard fare from the era. Combine this solid film with an absolutely gorgeous transfer and sharp sound package, then load it up with a ton of worthwhile special features, and you're left with another wonderful release from Synapse fit for any movie fans collection. Highly recommended!

Cheers:
A solid action flick that's moment of heart feels more genuine than most
Lundgren does some a nice mix of over the top and subtle work for a complete package
Wonderful transfer and a ton of special features

Jeers:
The ending feels a bit sudden

Overall: 8.8
Movie 7.5
Video 9.5
Audio 9.0
Extras 10.0
Replay 8.0

Synapse's Blu-Ray treatment looks fantastic, and also comes with a regular DVD version of the film. The insert by Jeremie Damoiseau is insightful, with tons of facts about pre- and post-production. There are multiple featurettes on the disc, including a great interview with Tom Savini about how he did some of the big special effects for the film. There's also an interview with Jack Abramoff, as well as a special feature on Dolph Lundgren. It's definitely worth it to get this as a Blu-Ray pack, since Synapse did such a good job putting this thing together.

Jox wrote:http://www.themoonisadeadworld.net/2012/08/redscorpion.html

...The insert by Jeremie Damoiseau is insightful, with tons of facts about pre- and post-production. There are multiple featurettes on the disc...

Extras: The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack includes an interview with Abramoff, fresh out of jail. It’s hard to reconcile the amiable guy discussing his fond memories of making the film with the fact that he called his American Indian clients “monkeys” in emails.

There’s a good commentary track by Zito and Nathaniel Thompson of Mondo Digital. The Lundgren interview is certainly worth a look, as is a clip of Savini demonstrating how achieved his ghastly effects. The liner notes by French critic Jérémie Damoiseau are astonishingly candid about the difficulties involved with the production and the political chicanery that accompanied the making of Red Scorpion. Those are real Soviet tanks in the film that the South Africans confiscated from the Reds in Angola. (N/R) Rating: 3

This Blu-ray version of the title contains a wealth of extras, including a wonderful commentary track, footage from behind the scenes, a few intriguing interview featurettes, and trailers/TV spots)

RATING: 7/10

Synapse has assembled a solid HD package nonetheless. Presented in 1.78:1/1080p AVC-encoded widescreen, the transfer overcomes more than a few moments of intense grain with details that pop. It won't melt your eyes, but for an older cult release, this is probably as good as we can expect. The audio is headlined by a front-loaded DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that falls short of the active aural experience a movie like this requires. Extras include commentary with Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson; a nifty Dolph Lundgren featurette that is satisfyingly heavy with Masters of the Universe trivia; interviews with Jack Abramoff and Tom Savini; behind-the-scenes footage; an animated still gallery; some well-done liner notes; and a standard def DVD copy.