Drive Angry 3D (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

( Max score: 100 )

90

Film Synopsis:

In the high-octane, action-adventure Drive Angry, Nicolas Cage stars as Milton, an undead felon who breaks out of hell to avenge his murdered daughter and rescue her kidnapped baby from a band of cult-worshipping savages. Joined by tough-as-nails Piper (Amber Heard), the two set off on a rampage of redemption, all while being pursued by an enigmatic killer (William Fichtner) who has been sent by the Devil to retrieve Milton and deliver him back to hell.

My Take:

My teenage son asked me the other day, what's up with Nicholas Cage? Why is he appearing in all these crappy movies lately? I can't say that all of the films he has appeared in of late have been crappy but I can certainly understand the basis for his question. As a fan I have noticed that he has been quite busy but I have also noticed the downward trend in the quality of the films he has been making. Drive angry falls right in line with my point although it isn't as bad as it might seem on the surface. Utilizing the grindhouse style formula it's an over the top action thriller with a surface level story about a deadbeat Dad, Milton, who is sent to hell for the crimes he committed in life. As part of his sentence he is forced to watch the sufferings of the loved ones he left behind. In this case his daughter, who joins an occult and dies at the hands of its devil worshiping leader who steals her baby for the purpose of sacrificing him to Satan. Fed up and out for revenge he escapes from hell and pursues the occult leader and his minions. Along the way he meets up with Piper, a tenacious, hot rod driving honey who opts to take up his banner of redemption. Hot on the trail of their target they encounter interference from a dark stranger who is actively pursuing them. His quest isn't immediately known but it's obvious his origins aren't earthly or heavenly. For Milton the end of the road holds little hope for salvation. What drives him is the young life that hangs in the balance and his insatiable desire for a reckoning.

This film definitely has the old drive-in triple feature gore fest feel to it. The plot and characters are analogous in that neither offers much depth or substance. Introductions are brief and things jump right into what you expect to see when you watch a film like this. Blood, carnage, gratuitous nudity and bad acting. Going in expecting anything else will only leave you disappointed. The things that make Drive Angry so bad are exactly what make it fun to watch. It provides an entertaining level of escapism that only requires that you sit back and watch. The story features a couple of great muscle cars from bygone eras and the level of action isn't bad. The ending is a little melodramatic and corny but I didn't necessarily find it to be out of place. The theme is perfectly suited for 3D and it takes full advantage of it. There are flying body parts, whizzing bullets, thrown objects, and sprayed blood that are meant to bring viewers closer to the action. The majority of those effects are apropos in that they are carried out within the film's excessive and garish style which sort of adds to its appeal. Nicholas Cage's appeal as an action hero has diminished but I am most decidedly still a fan. Amber Heard easily held her own and I look forward to seeing more from her. I typically enjoy William Fichtner and David Morse and watching them here was no different. Old time 80's character actor Tom Atkins was a nice surprise and he turned in a purposefully cheesy performance which I got a kick out of. So, is Drive angry worth an hour and a half of your time? If you take it for what it is I think so. Grab a bag of popcorn, check your brain at the door, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for strong brutal violence throughout, grisly images, some graphic sexual content, nudity and pervasive language.

Audio: 88

• 
  
• Dynamics:
• 
  
• Low frequency extension:
• 
  
• Surround Sound presentation:
• 
  
• Clarity/Detail:
• 
  
• Dialogue Reproduction:
  

3D Presentation: 92

• 
  
• Depth (Onscreen):
• 
  
• Dimension (Beyond the screen):
• 
  
• Realism:
• 
  
• Clarity/Detail:
• 
  
• Color reproduction:

Drive angry comes to Blu-ray Disc from Summit Entertainment featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.3 Mbps.

This is the first 3D title that I have seen from Summit Entertainment. I have several of their Blu-ray Disc releases in my collection and have found the quality of their offerings to generally be high. This film was shot in high definition 3D and the results are impressive. Detail is well preserved as the image retains its high level of clarity as objects within the frame are delineated and sharp. Depth is excellent as evidenced by the notable separation of objects or people layered in the foreground/background which serves to visually draw you in by creating a more discerning sense of virtual space occupied by things of various sizes and shapes. There are a variety of sequences that provide a gimmicky but fun reach out and touch sense of dimensionality. As I alluded to earlier Drive angry makes definitive use of the 3D platform with a noticeable emphasis on cheesy effects that are designed to elicit audience reaction via objects coming out of the screen etc. While I generally don't find this to be all that appealing I really liked how it was implemented here. It made the experience of the film a bit more fun. Contrast is noticeably boosted and colors are deeply saturated but not unnatural. The blend creates the visually dynamic effect the filmmakers were obviously striving for. Blacks are stable and rich and depth/dimension in darker sequences is quite good. I didn't notice any overtly distracting signs of ghosting/crosstalk. Drive angry is among the better 3D presentations I have seen and makes for a fun film experience.

The same lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack is found on both the 2D and 3D versions. This Lossless DTS-HD MA surround mix accents the video presentation and makes regular use of the entire system to drive the film's elements.. This is a well balanced and active soundtrack that features pulsating bass that reaches far into the room to augment the dynamic impact associated with the films action based elements and music score. The surround channels are actively engaged with a blend of discretely placed sounds and spatial ambience that fills the room. Dynamic range is extended and visceral at times when combined with the high level of sonic detail present in the recording. I never had any trouble discerning subtle vocal inflections or the presence of low level sounds that were contained in the background. The mix facilitates seamless integration of the front and rear channels which creates a stable and well proportioned listening experience that is complimented by rich, room resonating bass that has excellent palpability and tight extension.

2D Video Quality:

Video: 86

• 
  
• Resolution/Clarity:
• 
  
• Black level/Shadow detail:
• 
  
• Color reproduction:
• 
  
• Fleshtones:
• 
  
• Compression:

Drive angry comes to Blu-ray Disc from Summit Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 25 Mbps.

Overall I found this to be a satisfying yet somewhat inconsistent high definition video presentation. Ostensibly detail is abundant as close ups and mid level camera shots offer excellent delineation and crisp definition. Occasionally the perception of detail wavers leaving those same shots lacking fine articulation and clearly defined edges. The color range varies with some scenes having an intentionally muted/cooler palette while others feature vivid, over saturated primaries and rich hues that tend to catch the eye. Fleshtones offer good tonal variety and warm, lifelike complexions. Contrast is elevated which results in crisp whites that are mildly washed out. This doesn't negatively impact black levels as they appear a deep shade with discernible gradational quality. Scenes containing uneven or dim lighting revealed plenty of detail in shadowy backgrounds and darkened areas. While I preferred the 3D presentation this one still makes for a very decent high definition viewing experience.

Bonus Features:

• 
  

  Disc 1:

  
  
• 3D version of Drive angry
• 
  

  Disc 2:

  
  
• 2D version of Drive angry along with the following bonus features:
• 
  
• Audio commentary with Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer
• 
  
• (HD) 2 Deleted scenes with optional filmmaker commentary
• 
  
• (HD) Access Drive Angry - Interactive in film experience where viewers can track Miltons mayhem, see interviews with cast/crew and check out trivia and movie facts.
• 
  
• BD-Live enabled

Final Thoughts:

Drive angry is an over the top action thriller with a grindhouse based exploitation theme that revolves around a surface level plot about redemption. It certainly won't win any awards however if you enjoy mindless action, a little gore, gratuitous violence and flashes of T&A you might just find it has something to offer. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Summit Entertainment in a two disc package that features a terrific high definition 3D presentation, involving lossless surround sound and a decent supplemental set that includes an interactive in-movie feature and filmmaker audio commentary. I wouldn't say that Drive angry qualifies as a blind buy but I would recommend it as rental when you have the gang over for a few beers.