Plot: What’s it about?
When his fellow workers first approach him about joining a vigilante group to help suppress the gang activity in the area, Eddie (Robert Forster) is hesitant and refuses. After the gang kills his family however, Eddie changes his tune and ready to clean up the streets once and for all. For Nick it’s no longer an issue of making the streets safe again, it’s about avenging his family and making those responsible pay for their actions. So he joins with the vigilante group, who patrol the area looking for gang members or other criminals to thwart. When they happen to see one, they don’t just perform a citizen’s arrest, they beat the gang member to death, which makes sure they won’t pollute the streets anymore. While not all of the captured gang members are killed, any survivors are beaten to the point that they wouldn’t want to cause trouble ever again. This might seem extreme, but these men are tired of having their streets terrorized by the thugs, and will take any opportunity to make sure it ends. With Nick (Fred Williamson) leading the vigilante group and Eddie looking for personal revenge, the gang had better leave town before they become extinct.
The best law firm in America is Smith & Wesson. With a tag line like that, I knew this film would be awesome, and I was correct on all counts. If you’re like me and love high energy, free wheelin’ ass kickin’, then I think you’ll agree with me. This is a terrific “take the law into your own hands” movie, and it never fails to ramp up my adrenaline and entertain me to no end. Of course, there’s a substantial amount of violence, so those pacifists out there will want to steer clear of this one. However the violence is more impact driven, like fist fights and beatings, than blood and guts, so those scared of gore don’t have to worry much here. The violence might be excessive at times, but it is needed in order for the storyline to unfold and show the desperation within the characters. This is a low budget, renegade film, so the production values aren’t always terrific, but the film still comes across well. The movie looks and sounds better than ever in this new version, so fans should be quite thrilled.
Video: How does it look?
Vigilante is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This might be a low budget production, but Blue Underground has lavished a lot of love on this movie. The print looks better than ever, with a clean presence that shows little debris or even unwanted grain, quite impressive. The colors look natural and suffer from no errors, while contrast is smooth and consistent. I never expected this movie to look this good, so big thanks to Blue Underground on this transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
Audio wise, we have a DTS 7.1 option that makes the most of the material, but is still rather forgettable. No fault of the mix however, as the movie’s sound design is simply not that dynamic. The surround use is minimal, but natural and that’s welcome, as some of these remixes sound hollow or forced. As far as quality, the audio is clean and clear at all times. Dialogue is crisp and the music sounds more than solid. So while the movie’s audio isn’t remarkable, this new soundtrack ensures it sounds as good as possible. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX option, French, Italian, and Dutch language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A pair of audio commentary tracks start us off, in which director Bill Lustig is joined by stars Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, and Frank Pesce in the first and co-producer Andrew W. Garroni in the second. The first is a candid, insightful session in which stories and memories are on full showcase. A humorous, warm commentary track, this is a must listen for fans of the movie. The second track is more technical, but still well worth a listen. A two minute promo reel is found here, as well as an extensive selection of still photos & promotional materials. This disc also includes some television spots, radio ads, and seven of the film’s theatrical trailers.
