Blu-ray Review: Hitman Unrated: Digital Copy Special Edition

Release Date: March 11th, 2008
Running Time: 94 minutes

The Film

Videogame film adaptations just seemed to be doomed. It is the rare case that one is both faithful to the source material and a good film in its own right. Hitman: Unrated isn’t an abomination like many videogame films, it just falls into the trap of mediocrity and fails to nail down the tone of the popular franchise. The Blu-ray disc offers a noticeable improvement over the DVD but is only worth it if you are a die-hard fan of the franchise.

The film stars Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47, the world’s best assassin trained in the ways of killing since his youth. To his credit, Olyphant does a good job with the material provided. Agent 47 is sent on a mission to assassinate a Russian politician named Mikhail Belicoff. After completing his mission he is informed that a prostitute named Nika (Olga Kurylenko) may be a witness. He quickly tracks her down and captures her, only to have everything fall apart. Despite literally exploding his target’s head with a bullet, Belicoff appears in press conferences, very much alive. As the mystery kicks in, Agent 47 finds himself hunted not only by Interpol, but the Russian law, as well as numerous other Agents. With Nika in tow, Agent 47 is on a race for survival and the truth.

Whereas the videogame focused on stealth killing, the film is a loud, explosive experience. Agent 47 is a killing machine, whether he is using automatic weaponry, explosives, or a sword. He is so confident in his abilities that he has no problem causing a massive scene and walking away like nothing happened. As good as he is at killing, he is even better at evading capture.

I suppose my problem with Hitman is simply missed potential. The videogame created a very harrowing, silent killer capable of handling any situation with grace. The film is content to be another action outing, featuring plenty of “cool” camerawork and set pieces, but at the end of the day it won’t leave a lasting impression.

The Disc

The video is offered in a 2.35:1, 1080 High Definition transfer. The contrast has been cranked up, creating very luscious primary colors that pop off the screen. The print is clean but minor, constant video noise is a problem. The darker scenes also tend to lose fine detail. This is a very stylized film so some of the “flaws” may be intentional. Either way it is still noticeably better than the standard definition transfer.

The audio is offered in an English 5.1 DTS HD Master Lossless audio track as well as Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound with English/Spanish/French/Chinese/Korean subtitles. This is an incredibly aggressive track, almost too much so. The action scenes have an overkill of heavy bass and more than enough positional audio. It is an assaulting experience that does put you into the moment, but can be wearying. On the flip side, the subtle scenes lack any strong atmospheric effects and are rather flat.

The Extras

A number of EPK featurettes are offered but none of them add up to much of anything.

“In the Crosshairs” runs 25 minutes and is a generic making-of bit consisting mostly of clips and cast/crew interviews.

“Digital Hits” runs 11 minutes and covers adapting the game to the film, which is odd considering the two are very different.

“Instruments of Destruction” runs 14 minutes and looks at the various weaponry used in the film.

“Settling the Score” is 5 minutes and focuses on the music of the film with composer Geoff Zanelli.

Four Deleted Scenes and an Alternate Ending are offered, as well as a Gag Reel and Previews.

The second disc contains a digital copy of the film for portable media players

Final Thoughts

Hitman: Unrated is a generic action film that can offer some decent thrills but will be out of your mind as soon as the credits roll. As always, Blu-ray is the best way to experience the film, but the technical improvements are unlikely to change your opinions on the content itself.