Plot: What’s it about?
Her name is unknown, but this lethal assassin is called Beautiful Weapon, because of her seductive methods of execution. She is infamous for getting close to her targets, using her charms to seduce them, then ending their lives. At least she gives some pleasure before the pain, though I doubt her victims would be that appreciative. Her cycle of sex with strangers, followed by cold blooded murder isn’t one many women could handle, but she shoulders the burden and pushes on, toward the next target. But she feels the burden, one which weighs on her a lot and drives her to seek ways to escape from her own life. Her first choice is booze, which offers a quick and cheap path to a respite from her lifestyle, if only for a little while. Her alcoholism has her mentor worried, as she is not as reliable as she once was. She still guns down her targets, but it is obvious she isn’t the same killing machine she once was. She hates herself for what she has become, not to mention her hatred for her job and the impact it forces on her. All of this has caused her to be seen as a risk to her bosses, a status which calls for her termination. Her years of service have no meaning now, as she has moved from the hunter to the hunted. But will she be taken down with ease, or is there more fight left within this Beautiful Weapon?
I have seen several of the “Beautiful” films released by Central Park, all of which have been solid pictures. The series isn’t for everyone of course, but if you’re into dark, unusual movies, then you wouldn’t be let down. This time around, I’ve highlighted Beautiful Weapon and once again, I was more than entertained. When a movie kicks off with a great opening sequence, it can be tough to maintain the same level of action. In this case, the film starts with a brutal scene that catches your attention and then never lets up. So the movie rolls along at a brisk pace and rarely slows down to let you catch your breath. Not all the scenes are driven by action or sex, but the storyline is always in motion, so no wasted time is to be found. This ensures the film never becomes dull, since the plot is always evolving, even in minor sequences. I do want to make it clear, Beautiful Weapon is not so much an action movie, instead it is a dark, tragic drama. You’ll find elements of action and there is ample sex on showcase, but this can be a sad movie. The characters are complex and well drafted, while the performances are strong across the board. I expected a fun, wild movie from this release, but instead I found a powerful, potent picture. So while not the usual “Beautiful” installment, Beautiful Weapon is excellent and worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Beautiful Weapon is presented in full frame, as intended. The image here isn’t that great, but the visuals still come through in acceptable fashion. The print has some grain, marks, and nicks, but nothing too serious. I noticed some digital haze at times also, which is perhaps due to some kind of encoding hiccups. Even so, the visuals still look reasonable and while this is a dark movie, I didn’t notice any loss of detail. The contrast isn’t as deep and stark as I would like, which results in light blacks, but at least detail is solid. This film doesn’t need much in the way of vivid colors, so the muted hues seem at home. So while the image is watchable, it has numerous flaws and in truth, should have looked better than this.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is presented in solid, but not too memorable fashion, via a pair of soundtrack options. You can listen to the original Japanese language track or an English dub, of which I recommend the original soundtrack, without question. The elements are in fine form and never seem forced, while volume remains stable and never varies much. The music is clean and as rich as stereo allows, while the sound effects have good presence, all things considered. I found the dialogue to be great also, with a clean overall sound and no mishaps to cover here. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a trivia game, some still photos, and the film’s trailer.
