Plot: What’s it about?
Col. Rhodes (Gene Hackman) has served his country and been a decorated soldier, but for over ten years, his pleas for help have been ignored. His son was taken prisoner in the Vietnam conflict and remains missing in action, while the government does nothing to try to bring him back to freedom. Since he is left with no real options, he seeks to stage a private mission to rescue the prisoners, which means he needs two things, soldiers and cash. He finds the funding in the form of a Texas oil tycoon, MacGregor (Robert Stack) and soon finds a team of soldiers, most of whom were friends with his son. The team then undergoes an intense training session in a mock prison compound, to prepare for the assault. Soon however, this group of soldiers will mount an attack on the prison that holds the prisoners, looking to do what no one else would, by showing courage, honor, and of course, Uncommon Valor.
This film has a cool premise and a terrific ensemble cast, but in the end, it lacks the punch and visuals to attain the higher levels of success. I suppose the blame should be laid on director Ted Kotcheff, who lacks the skills needed to tie this all together and believe me, that lack of ability shows and then some. But Uncommon Valor is still a solid movie, it just doesn’t have the sharp style I would have liked, which is a let down. Gene Hackman leads a very well chosen cast, with such names as Fred Ward, Tim Thomerson, Robert Stack, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Patrick Swayze serving as supporting members. I’d say the performances are the real driving force of this movie, though the writing is also very strong at times, to be sure. This movie is recommended, but since Paramount has done little to justify the steep price, I think a rental should suffice.
As I mentioned above, this film has a terrific cast and at the peak of the roll is Gene Hackman, who is rock solid as usual. I think Hackman is always a safe choice and in this case, he even has a varied and talented supporting ensemble to back him up. In this film, Hackman has some solid material to work with and he runs with it, including some great moments of emotion. I wouldn’t call this his finest performance or even one of his better efforts, but fans of his work should be quite pleased, to say the least.
Video: How does it look?
Kino brings this classic war film to the 4K format and it’s a great-looking presentation overall. I’m often (OK, mostly always) amazed at how good a film that’s decades old can look stunning thanks to a new transfer. Then again, that’s the point, right? The overall look and feel are a bit muted, but that’s the way the film was meant to be seen. Flesh tones are warm and natural, detail has been improved and gone is the grain that plagued earlier releases. In short, this is a well-deserved upgrade for a classic war drama.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a DTS HD Master Audio mix as well as a standard stereo mix, but don’t expect to be in the middle of the action, as this option isn’t that immersive. I did hear frequent surround use and such, but it never drew me inside the flick, just enhanced the experience a shade. Some of the later scenes could use a real boost to be sure, but even as is, the elements seem in decent enough form. The music comes through very well, while dialogue is clean and sharp enough, no volume errors to be hassled with.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The previous DVD contained zero supplements. That’s been fixed here as we’ve got two new audio commentaries as well as a couple of new featurettes and a trailer.
- Audio Commentary – The first of two new tracks brings us critic Steve Mitchell and writer/producer Cyrus Voris. Obviously the latter has a more intimate knowledge of the production and its history, but Mitchell knows his stuff. The two banter well. It’s a good track.
- Audio Commentary – The second track is a bit more bland and, well, empty of a lot of information as we’ve got a lone critic in Doug Winter. He’s a fan of the film, to be sure, but I found this one dull and lagging. I stopped listening about one-third of the way through. It’s there if you want it, though.
- Being Blaster – Actor Reb Brown who played “Blaster” in the film, shares his thoughts on his character as well as the cast and film overall.
- Reluctant Warrior – Essentially the same as the above feature, though about 20 minutes longer. This one features actor Harold Sylvester who played “Johnson” in the movie.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
In the realm of war movies, Uncommon Valor stacks right up there with the best of them. It’s got a great cast with a then relatively unknown Patrick Swayze as well as Fred Ward and Gene Hackman leading the way. Kino’s new disc gives us a brilliant new transfer and a bevy of new supplements. Fans will be in heaven.
