The Film
What starts out as a return to the glory days of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch ends up as a movie so confusing and convoluted that it might make you wish you had watched Swept Away instead. While packed with the same type of over-the-top gangsters and petty criminals the film's psychological twists and turns are just distracting and turn offs. And for a heist film the payday for the audience never really materializes - in fact, you might have the feeling that you the viewer have just been robbed of two hours!
The Picture
You don't watch a Guy Ritchie film for its stunning vistas, and while Revolver has a few nifty cinematic moments (including a couple of animated sequences) the picture is decent enough but this is hardly a reference quality title. The 2.35:1 presentation is free of any notable visual flaws, and the picture is crisp and clear, but the Blu-ray is barely a step up from what you'd see on an HD movie channel.
The Sound
There are a few subtle audio cues in the movie that the Blu-ray brings out, but it is the shootouts that really can shake the walls thanks to the 24-bit Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Other than that, the surround sound is hardly immersive, and for a movie that centers on these psychological twists you'd really expect more from the audio. The audio does a decent job, but again this isn't a disc you'd want to use to show off the capabilities of either Blu-ray or your entertainment system.
The Extras
The extras on this disc, which are essentially the same as those on the DVD version, aren't likely to provide you much insight into the film's symbolism or help you figure out what you just saw. The commentary tracks, which are dominated by Ritchie and editor James Herbert, shed some new light on the story, but long periods lack any comments -- almost making you wonder why they bothered. Likewise, the making of is just more of the same self-serving stuff you'd expect, while the Concept extra clearly is just a rebuttal to negative reviews. Along with a featurette on the music, some deleted scenes and outtakes, this collection of extras ends up being only slightly above par for the course; filler for a package that tries to make it seem like it has more than it really offers.
Final Thoughts
Guy Ritchie is a talented director, and his gangster films can pile on the characters and interweave tales in a way like no one else, yet when he ventures off what he knows best the result is a pure mess. The twists and turns don't work, while other sequences -- such as the aforementioned animated moments -- seem "borrowed" from other films. So at the end you might feel like you were the victim of the biggest heist of all.
Where to Buy:
Product Details
- Actors: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore, Andre Benjamin, Terence Maynard
- Directors: Guy Ritchie
- Audio Languages: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, (English/French) Dolby Surround (English), Stereo (English)
- Subtitles: English SDH, French
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: R
- Studio: Sony Pictures
- Release Date: November 18, 2008
- Run Time: 115 minutes
- List Price: $28.95
- Extras:
- Theatrical version
- Commentary with writer/director Guy Ritchie and editor James Herbert
- Deleted and alternate scenes
- Outtakes
- "The Game: The Making of Revolver" Featurette
- "Revolver: Making the Music" Featurette
- "The Concept: An Interview with Guy Ritchie and James Herbert" Featurette
- Music trailer
