Check out our review of the action thriller starring Liam Neeson as mobster hit man Jimmy Conlon who has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris), who wants Mike to pay for the death of his son.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
89
Details:
Studio and Year: Warner - 2015
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 114 minutes
Genre: Action/Thriller
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Bruce McGill, Nick Nolte, Common, Genesis Rodriguez
Directed by: Jaume Collett-Serra
Music by: Tom Holkenborg
Written by: Brad Ingelsby
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 16, 2015
"No sin goes unpunished"
My Take:
Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon (Neeson), once known as The Gravedigger, has seen better days. Longtime best friend of mob boss Shawn Maguire (Harris), Jimmy, now 55, is haunted by the sins of his past—as well as a dogged police detective (D’Onofrio) who’s been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. Lately, it seems Jimmy’s only solace can be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.
But when Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike (Kinnaman), becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. With Mike on the run, Jimmy’s only penance for his past mistakes may be to keep his son from the same fate Jimmy is certain he’ll face himself…at the wrong end of a gun. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy just has one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
I have to admit that my reaction to seeing the trailer for Run all night was to roll my eyes and wonder aloud, really? Another Liam Neeson action thriller? So I went into viewing the film with admittedly low expectations. The good news is that Run all night wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The bad news is that it’s not a particularly suspenseful or thoroughly engaging film especially for seasoned genre fans. The setup is brief but solidifies the characters played by Neeson and Harris which is primarily the foundation of the driving elements behind the story.
The scenario surrounding what kicks off the conflict isn’t well conceived and is then followed by several implausible plot points that impact credibility within the context of the storyline. Truth be told it’s nothing overtly silly however I found myself thinking, that doesn’t make sense or why not just do this or that? The concept of two guys wanted by every cop in NY City as well as a band of paid thugs AND a hired assassin managing to elude capture by going to the homes of relatives etc. is rather silly. If that wasn’t bad enough, there is a sequence that takes place in a housing project apartment building that is even worse. Ah, but I digress…
What I enjoyed about Run all night was watching Liam Neeson. I liked his character, a flawed, burned out shell of a man, left with nothing but regrets. I also thought that the character fit very well into the narrative’s subtext with respect to his motivations/actions and later, the outcome. I like Joel Kinnaman and thought he was credible opposite Neeson. Ed Harris’ role was limited but he shone as always. Vincent D’Onofrio was probably miscast as the detective pursuing Jimmy. He would probably have been better served as a bad guy of some sort. My man Bruce McGill might have had one or two lines which was disappointing too but that wasn’t an issue.
The action is a mix of chase sequences, gunplay and hand to hand confrontations which are standard fare and what you might expect. The cinematography and production design are a notch above and add an enriching element. Run all night[i/] doesn’t reach the bar set by the better films in its class but it makes for a mildly entertaining action thriller that gives star Liam Neeson yet another opportunity to prove he still has the chops to keep us watching.
Parental Guide:
Strong violence, language including sexual references, and some drug use.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency effects:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
- Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA
- DSU Rating * (non-rated element):
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black Level/Shadow Detail:
- Color Reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Run all night comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 28 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.7 Mbps.
This is a dark film both in tone and visual design and this video presentation capably conveys that. The use of muted secondary colors gives the film a stark visual aesthetic that coincides with the subject matter. When brighter elements such as shades of red, or blue are present, they have a vivid and pleasing quality. More often than not fleshtones lean toward lighter/pale looking complexions however I noticed livelier tonality during several sequences that utilized warmer accent lighting and deeper color emphasis. Detail in dark areas and low lighting is good which provides discernible visibility within backgrounds. Blacks are respectable but not definitively rich in contrast. High definition resolution is satisfying as close ups are well delineated and long range visuals are reasonably sharp. While not among the best high definition offerings on Blu-ray I found little to complain about with the overall quality of this video presentation.
The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix does a nice job rendering the film’s soundtrack. Dialogue has excellent intonation and clarity which allows even subtle changes in vocal pitch to be appreciable. This is a well-balanced audio presentation that quite often engages the entire system. Dynamic range is excellent and the soundstage has an open expression that allows its elements to extend well into the room. Discrete rear channel activity isn’t extensive however the action based elements provide an enriching level of immersion which is generated by a seamless sound field, empowering by near field sound effects and robust dynamics that energize the room. The LFE channel is frequently active and reproduces the film’s extended lower bass frequencies with enriching impact that has excellent tactility.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Shoot All Night - Go behind the scenes with Director Jaume Collet-Serra and his team create a white-knuckle ride through New York’s underbelly – 10 minute featurette
- (HD) Action All Night - The film’s cast and crew discuss that special something that has made Neeson a staple of grit and vulnerability on the screen – 6 minute featurette
- (HD) Deleted Scenes – 16 minutes
- Bonus DVD
- Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:
Run all night is a mildly entertaining action thriller that, despite a middling script, proves that star Liam Neeson still has the chops to be fun to be engaging to watch. It comes to Blu-ray from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment featuring solid overall high definition audio/video quality mated with a sparse supplemental offering that is worth checking out. Run all night is worth a look and deserves a spot in your Blu-ray rental queue.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package