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2 Guns
R2 - United Kingdom - Entertainment One Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (13th December 2013). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Denzel Washington (Safe House) and Mark Wahlberg (Contraband) lead an all-star cast in 2 GUNS, an explosive action film that tracks two operatives from competing bureaus who are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unexpected partnership - neither knows the other is an undercover federal agent.
Video
Entertainment One release the action-comedy 2 Guns onto DVD in the United Kingdom, in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. There are no surprises here for a recent Hollywood blockbuster, with the transfer being a consistent high quality from start to finish. The sun-soaked border environments receive the typical orange tinting for warmth, and they look great. Environments feel vast yet sparse, and the hues never feel too saturated. Blacks do suffer from some mild macro-blocking in more action-led sequences, but are never a cause for concern. Shot on film, the natural grain is fine, and details look almost as good as one could possibly expect from a standard definition disc. There are no obvious signs of damage such as scratches or dirt present. The disc is PAL and the feature runs 104:22.
Audio
Entertainment One provide a single audio track for this release: - English Dolby Digital 5.1 2 Guns is a pretty action-packed popcorn movie, with plenty of shoot-outs, explosions, and aggressive driving. Thankfully, this audio track does the job in making the feature an involving experience. The LFE is well utilised, from low confined rumblings through to large blasts, and surrounds also get a full workout with bullets whizzing past your head and the general noises of the various environments. Directionality and channel separation is very good, and there are no dropouts or scratches. Optional subtitles are available in English.
Extras
The extras package begins with an audio commentary by director Baltasar Kormakur and producer Adam Siegel. It's a surprisingly fast-moving commentary, with Siegel speaking faster than Superman can fly. He does reel out plenty of good information and tidbits, but it does feel that director Kormakur struggles to get a word in at times. We hear about how many of the main scenes are put together, the cast members, and the origins of the movie from a comic - as well as everything else you would usually hear in a commentary track of this ilk. The "Click, Click, Bang, Bang: The Making of 2 Guns" featurette (5:48) has some behind the scenes footage interspersed with interviews with the main cast and crew members. It mainly focuses on the origins of the film, from how it went from a comic to a feature, and how/why Wahlberg and Washington were selected for their parts. The reasoning behind putting Kormakur behind the camera is also discussed. "The Good, the Bad and the Sexy" featurette (7:47) focuses on the various cast members. The first part of the featurette is spent on Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, but it moves on to the equally impressive support which includes Bill Paxton, Paula Patton and James Marsden. Interview segments also include the director and the screenwriter. It's a typical back-slapping affair, but the behind-the-scenes footage included, does make it worthy of a viewing. "Finding the Vibe" featurette (7:01) has various cast and crew members talking about the scope of the environments that were used. The film was shot in various locations around Louisiana and New Mexico (when not in the studio), which obviously helps add to the western feel of the movie. Interestingly, there is a scene where Wahlberg and Washington walk from the bank holding their weapons, and they wanted a shot of a train going past in the background. Because the railway companies will not let you know when freight trains are due past for security reasons, they had a crew member wait 25 miles down the track so they knew when a train was coming in order to get the desired shot. The final featurette is entitled "Living Dangerously" (8:40). This looks at the more action-packed sequences in the movie and how they were filmed. We get some good behind-the-scenes footage, especially of how the car chase was filmed, but I was really intrigued how they shot Edward James Olmos getting thrown around in the back of the truck. The featurette also looks at the weapons used (55 guns... not 2), and the hand to hand combat scenes. Next we have some deleted and extended scenes: - Play All (11:50) - "Bring a Kid to Work Day" (3:07) - "Clown or Frankie" (0:51) - "Where's Your Badge" (1:04) - "Do Me a Favour" (1:31) - "Afraid of Heights" (2:08) - "What Comes Around, Goes Around" (1:36) - "Saddle Up" (0:57) - "Bobby Gets Motel Key" (0:55) There's nothing worth watching here in all honesty. Just some extra dialogue and scenes that slow down the fast pace. There are also some start-up trailers: - "Escape Plan" (1:57) - "Need for Speed" (1:24) - "Riddick" (1:38) - "Metallica: Through the Never" (1:47) - "Mars" (0:30)
Overall
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