Plot: What’s it about?
Murray Wilson (Dolph Lundgren) has just discovered that his brother, a powerful person in own right has been murdered under some unusual circumstances. The official story out of the police is that his brother was brutally murdered by a prostitute, but Murray doesn’t believe that to be the truth about his brother’s death. Wilson uses to be a boxer and a police officer, so he feels he has the skills needed to mount an investigation of his own to discover the truth. As he delves into the case he stumbles into a world he never knew existed, one loaded with more sex and danger than you can imagine. Just when Wilson thinks he has found the most bizarre happenings he comes across something even more unusual. As he closes in on who he believes is behind his brother’s death a string of similar murders emerges, adding even more danger to his work. Wilson becomes more focused on his goals and after some time begins to lose sight of what he is trying to do, which means he is in danger of falling into the traps of the atmosphere himself…just like brother did.
I was baffled as to what this film would be like but since I like many Dolph Lundgren films, I chose to give this one a look even if it wasn’t his typical type of role. I have to say while the movie is an average thriller at best, I will revisit this movie in the future. It just seems like there’s more to this film than you can find the first time through, but perhaps I am just wanting there to be more. The writing is decent even if it slips up here and there and manages to create a solid atmosphere and chain of events for the movie. This is a rather dark and brooding type of movie, but that’s not to say it only appeals to a darker audience by any means. There is some subject matter that might not be suitable for youngsters, usually of a sexual nature but this never becomes more than hinted at, so it isn’t that bad. This is quite similar in essence to other dark thrillers for sure, but this one has a few elements that make it fresh and worth your time. This is by no means a perfect or even great movie, but I do think it is worth a rental, in any case.
This film was directed by Anthony Hickox, who has helmed several terrific action movies in his career. The included commentary track by Hickox pretty much reveals that he had little control over the film, which is a shame since he has some terrific skills that would suit a movie like this well. Nevertheless, Hickox has directed several solid movies including Storm Catcher, Hellraiser III, Waxwork, and Invasion Of Privacy. The screenplay was written by Gareth Wardell and Kevin Bernhardt and was based on the novel by Frederic Lindsay. The lead in this film is played by Dolph Lundgren, who I feel is an underrated performer who deserves some better chances. Lundgren is excellent when it comes to action roles, but here he shows a solid effort in a non action role which surprised me to be honest. I’d love to see Lundgren get cast in a high budget action blockbuster, but I suppose I can be content with his lower profile turns for now. In the supporting cast, stunt expert Layton Morrison (New Blood, The Big Hit) and the lovely Danielle Brett (Rated X, Urban Legend) turn in acceptable performances.
Video: How does it look?
Jill The Ripper is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This was a low budget movie, so the image is strong but not as sharp as higher budget movies. There is some grain evident on the source print, but this is never distracting or extreme. The colors seem based in a darker, more natural scope but some brightness emerges and flesh tones are normal and consistent. The contrast is sometimes overly dark, but this is only to a minor degree as detail is never obscured.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t an audio driven movie so I didn’t much from the surrounds, but I was pleased with the overall mix. This disc contains a wealth of audio tracks and I chose the Dolby Digital 5.1 for this review. The surrounds have more subtle work than anything, though the soundtrack sometimes kicks them into high gear. The dialogue is the main focus and it sounds crisp at all times, with no volume issues to contend with. This release also includes 2.0 tracks in English, Spanish, and French, which is a nice selection, along with English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains some talent files, a trailer for the film, and a terrific audio commentary by director Anthony Hickox. This is an unusual but entertaining commentary as Hickox spends most of the time talking about he had little to no control over his own film. He talks about how he was placed below the actors, editors, and others and was given very little hand in how the film turned out. This isn’t the typical commentary by any means, and that is what makes it so worthwhile.
