SABOTAGE (1996)
Collector Edition Blu-ray
Label: MVD Rewind Collection
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 99 Minutes 12 Seconds
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD WIdescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Tibor Takacs
Cast: Mark Dacascos, Carrie-Anne Moss, Tony Todd, Graham Greene, John Neville
In the Tibor Takacs (The Gate II) directed direct-to-video 90's actioner gem Sabotage (1996) opens with Colonel Michael Bishop's (Mark Dacascos, Drive) last mission, a rescue operation in Bosnia to free r Serbian officers that have been captured by the mujahideen, but it goes tits-up after being sabotaged by rogue agent, an assassin named Jason Sherwood (Tony Todd, Candyman), a former member of Bishop’s combat unit. He shoots Bishop, who survives, but his reputation is tarnished. Three years later we catch up to Bishop in Baltimore, Maryland, he is now longer working black ops for uncle sam, now a hired bodyguard for a wealthy arms dealer named Jeffrey Trent (Richard Coulter). They arrive in Baltimore in a private jet, but after setting and getting off the jet Trent is taken out with a single shot that kills another bodyguard, the shots is fired from two miles away on top of a hotel by a highly trained a sniper with a high-end sniper set-up. The FBI arrives to investigate and Bishop is suspect numero uno, on the case is single-mom Special Agent Louise Castle (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix) who tells Bishop most successful assassination attempts involve an inside man. While under suspicion Bishops investigates the assassination and ends up paying a visit to a former mentor, Professor Follenfant (John Neville, A Study in Terror), who tells him that his recently assassinated employer was an arms dealer and the case has connections to the the events in Serbia three years earlier, with and gunning for Bishop, whose former commanding officer, Nicholas Tollander (Graham Greene, Clearcut) re-emerging as a shadowy spook for the CIA who is attempting to influence the investigation into Bishop.
For a 90's direct-to-video actioner I thought this was a very well-made thriller with plenty of action, Todd and Dacascos characters are solid, especially Todd as the hitman who clearly loves his job, cracking glib deadpan one-liners a bunch. Greene is also fun as the CIA spook clearly up to no good, and I liked the multi-faceted twists that kept me intrigued. The gunplay is also quite a bit of fun, a scene of Moss's character getting shotgunned through a coffee shop window was certainly a highlight, as is a Bishop booby-trapping his hotel and taking on some hitmen who arrive to take him out. Considering Dacascos' martial arts skilled I was a bit surprised how little hand and foot action there was, but it's still pretty action packed, and pretty slick for a DTV.
Audio/Video: Sabotage (1996) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from MVD Rewind Collection in 1080p HD framed in widescreen 1.78:1 widescreen. The HD image looks quite nice, there's pleasing level of film grain, textures and fine detail look solid, colors look accurate and well-saturated and black levels please. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles, the track is clean and well-balanced, free of hiss or distortion, the driving score from Guy Zerafa (Replicant) sounds good in the mix but was not all that memorable truth be told.
Extras include a 32-min Interview with actor Mark Dacascos and another new 13-min Interview with Actor Tony Todd, plus a 10-min Mark Dacascos Trailer Reel. Dacascos talks about getting offered the role while shooting The Island of Dr. Moreau, replacing another actor at the last minute and how that lead toa hurried schedule, as well as where he was in his career at that time, and his memories of working with
Takacs, Carrie-Anne Moss, John Neville, Tony Todd, and Graham Greene. Todd talks about his early career and work ethic, how he chose roles, and quite a bit more.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a Double Sleeve of Artwork, and the first-pressing includes a Limited Edition Slipcover, and inside there's a Collectible Fold-Out Mini-Poster.
Special Features:
- Main feature presented in 1080p HD in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio
-NEW! Interview with actor Mark Dacascos (HD, 32:11)
- NEW! Interview with Actor Tony Todd (HD, 13:24)
- Mark Dacascos Trailer Reel: Drive (1:38), Double Dragon (1:51), Angel Town (2:06), Boogie Boy (2:22), Instinct To Kill (1:11)
- Double-sided artwork
- Collectible Mini-Poster
Buy it!
-NEW! Interview with actor Mark Dacascos (HD, 32:11)
- NEW! Interview with Actor Tony Todd (HD, 13:24)
- Mark Dacascos Trailer Reel: Drive (1:38), Double Dragon (1:51), Angel Town (2:06), Boogie Boy (2:22), Instinct To Kill (1:11)
- Double-sided artwork
- Collectible Mini-Poster
Buy it!
