Plot: What’s it about?
Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg) is a professional killer, someone who pulls the trigger and ends lives, but you wouldn’t know that at first glance. Melvin lives an average life most of the time, with a Jewish fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate), black mistress on the side, and a group of friends to hang with, but once he is on the clock, he turns into a lethal machine. But even with his success in both his personal & professional lives, he still has a lot of problems and at times, simply allows people to roll over him. He takes a backseat to his friends, doing them too many favors, turning over jobs to them, and so forth, which had landed him in some hot spots. Pam’s parents don’t know he isn’t Jewish, his mistress is fed up with all the dead bodies, he has a King Kong Lives tape that is two weeks overdue, and to top it all off, his friends have just kidnapped the daughter of a wealthy Asian businessman. But as it turns out, the young girl is the god-daughter of their boss, which means he has his men on the prowl, looking to snuff whoever is responsible. Can Melvin manage to balance his fiancee’s parents, his love life, his job, his finances, evading being suspected as a kidnapper, keeping the young girl under wraps, and returning his late video?
This action packed, humor laced adventure is now part of Columbia’s Superbit line, which means beyond excellent video & audio performance. I’ve seen this movie more than a few times now and while I wasn’t too thrilled with it at first, it has become a part of my regular rotation now, especially when I want some flashy, humorous action. As produced by action master John Woo (Hard Boiled, Face/Off), The Big Hit combines stylish gun battles, quirky characters, smooth visuals, and liberal doses of comic relief. The humor is sometimes dark in tone, but is always effective and helps establish this is a unique, worthwhile picture. I don’t think The Big Hit manages to be an elite level movie, but it remains above average at all times, with minimal weak moments. The cast is terrific, the direction is on the mark, the action comes across in fine form, and the humor seems to nail the material down, so it all works out rather well, I think. This new Superbit edition lacks supplements, but compensates with stunning audio & video, so make your decision based on whether you want the movie, or just some extras.
I had little to no hope that he could pull off this kind of role, but in the end, Mark Wahlberg turns in acceptable overall performance here. No, he wouldn’t be my first choice and I wish I could replace him even now, but the more I watch The Big Hit, the more I come to accept his turn and realize how not bad it was. I don’t think he ever pushes the material to its full potential, but he delivers his lines well and covers the basics, so no harsh comments. I do wish he would have taken a more Asian style approach to the film, since it has a certain Hong Kong texture, but he remains American in style and that limits his performance. Other films with Wahlberg include Boogie Nights, Rock Star, Three Kings, Planet of the Apes, The Perfect Storm, and The Yards. The cast also includes Christina Applegate (Just Visiting, Mars Attacks!), Bokeem Woodbine (Dead Presidents, The Breed), and Lou Diamond Phillips (The First Power, Route 666).
Video: How does it look?
The Big Hit is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. If you have a big screen television and progressive scan player, you’ll be able to see instant improvements here over the previous rendition. The differences follow the usual Superbit lines, enhanced detail, better overall sharpness, richer colors, more natural flesh tones, all of which combines to form one hell of a good looking visual presentation. The improved elements are not extreme per se, but they are evident and can be seen with minimal effort. You might not see a difference with a smaller set, but rest assured, the image here is a step above the prior disc’s visuals.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with all of the Superbit line, this disc sports dual 5.1 surround options in Dolby Digital and DTS, both of which hit reference levels. I knew the audio would be top notch here, but these tracks are off the charts and should thrill fans to no end. This movie has a lot of action driven scenes, so the surrounds have plenty to do, with all the gunshots, explosions, chases, and all sorts of other impact based audio to handle. The mixes never miss a beat however, so the audio elements come through as intended, from the massive explosions to the softest of whispers. So yes, these tracks are able to deliver in terms of power, but subtle audio is also well handled, which is important, since it helps build the film’s atmosphere. I’d have to give an edge to the DTS option, but rest assured that whichever you choose, your sound system will thank you, though your neighbors might not. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
