DVD Review: CONTRABAND

CONTRABAND
DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 110 minutes, audio commentary, deleted scenes, two featurettes
VIDEO: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)
AUDIO: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 DD, Spanish 5.1 DD, English 2.0 DD DVS
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

STUDIO: Universal Pictures/ Relativity Media/ Working Title/ Blueeyes/ Leverage/ Closest to the Hole
RELEASE DATE: 4-24-2012

Former legendary smuggler Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) has been called out of retirement for one last run to save the brother of his wife (Kate Beckinsale) after the brother throws some drugs overboard to avoid customs patrol seizing it on a ship inspection. He puts together a team to smuggle sheets of counterfeit US bills from Panama. Meanwhile the drug kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi) threatens Farraday's family. CONTRABAND takes a look at the word of international smuggling while trying to provide an action thriller which will only be a passable rental.

CONTRABAND is a remake of a film from Iceland. The film is very expertly directed, but the story feels like everyone is just going through the paces to deliver an average action film that is just right to pass the time as a rental on DVD or Blu-ray. It was entertaining enough and yet I will probably forget about it easily enough. Mark Wahlberg is just going through the motions again and he isn't stretching himself with this film. It doesn't really put any of the characters in serious jeopardy. Kate Beckinsale was more awesome in the UNDERWORLD film and her character could have been played by any actress (sorry, Kate). Even Ben Foster (who showed some acting presence in the underrated and horribly under-watched PANDORUM) is going through the motions (and he even has more chemistry with Jason Statham in THE MECHANIC. He comes off as a B movie version of Ryan Gosling in this movie. The best thing is the capable work of director Baltasar Kormakur (who also acted in the film they remade into CONTRABAND).

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The deleted scenes show a couple of scenes that would have been fun to be left in the film, but all 12 deleted scenes were cut for pacing reasons.

UNDER THE RADAR: THE MAKING OF CONTRABAND- a 17 minute making-of featurette that features plenty of behind-the-scenes footage (from filming in New Orleans which also doubled for Panama) while the interviews prove it is a promo fluff piece including how the director thinks they improved the film from the remake (and how he thinks it isn't a remake at all).

REALITY FACTOR: THE STUNTS AND ACTION OF CONTRABAND- a look at the action and stunt work of the film

Also on the disc is the feature audio commentary with Director/ Producer Baltasar Kormakur and Producer Evan Hayes.

FINAL ANALYSIS: CONTRABAND has great action direction, but it is only worth a rental for what will be an average and yet forgettable film.

this DVD review is (c)4-26-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com