Plot: What’s it about?
There were plenty of films from 2013 that I enjoyed, but wouldn’t necessarily want to watch again. That’s not so much of a knock, but the subject matter is very heavy and can be rather tough to stomach on repeat viewing. Some of the films that come to mind are Dallas Buyers Club, Out of The Furnace and the film reviewed here: Oldboy, directed by Spike Lee, many seemed to attack it early on for the very fact that it’s a remake. I haven’t seen the 2003 original film of the same name, but judging this version on its own terms, it’s not nearly as bad as you’ve probably heard. Truthfully, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Again, I can’t compare it to the original since I’ve yet to see it, but I feel it’s a worthy entry in its own right and warrants a viewing. As I mentioned, it’s not something I feel the need to sit through more than once, but it’s a powerful film that stayed with me after it ended. From what I’ve read, it follows the plot of the original film fairly closely. I feel I had something of an advantage going into this film with zero prior knowledge of where things were headed (or where they might head). The trailers made it seem like a simple revenge tale of a man who’s been imprisoned for 20 years and sets out to find the one(s) who locked him away. Much to my surprise, there’s much more going on here than it might initially seem.
Josh Brolin plays Joe Doucett, an advertising exec who drinks heavily and has what seems like a broken relationship with his ex-wife. He’s close to sealing the deal with a client until he hits on his girlfriend and the deal goes sour. He passes out in the street only to awaken in a hotel room. He’s locked there and is basically a prisoner. He’s fed by his captors and has a TV in his room, but little else, including zero clue about why he’s there and who put him there. Joe sees news of the murder of his ex-wife and the he is the prime suspect in her murder (his captors set this up). The film begins in 1993 and eventually we flash forward to 20 years later in present day. This is where Joe begins his quest to get some answers and revenge. He meets up with an old friend Chucky (Michael Imperioli). The two go way back and even attended school together. Chucky helps Joe get up to speed in his search, including giving him basic tips on how to use a computer (after all, the guy’s been locked up for 20 years). This sets up the basic premise for the film, but I feel it best to end the synopsis here. Part of the joy (for me at least) was not having any idea the direction the film would take. Samuel L. Jackson shows up in a supporting role and he may or may not have something to do with why Joe was locked away. There were some scenes in this film that raised some serious WTF moments from me, including a scene where Joe attacks several men using only a hammer. I won’t reveal the final twist, but it definitely made an impression and left me more than a little uneasy.
Your appreciation for Spike Lee as a filmmaker will vary, but it’s hard to deny his craft. More often than not his films leave an impression. I am still surprised by a lot of the negative reviews this film received. Some people just can’t accept that a film should ever be remade. My guess is that Spike Lee appreciates the original film enough that he almost wanted to pay homage to that film. That might not be the case, but that’s the impression that I get. Supposedly he was forced to cut a large number of scenes from the final cut. Both he and Josh Brolin have stated that they prefer the original cut. I have no issues with the final cut of the film as I feel it’s paced perfectly, but I do wonder how Lee’s original cut might’ve worked. I would definitely like to see that version at some point, but I imagine that’s not very likely. I recommend Oldboy despite any reservations you might have. I’m sure some will still prefer the original, but this version at least deserves a chance. If anything, it only makes me want to seek out the original version to see how it plays out as well. It’s not an easy film to watch, but I enjoyed it for keeping me with it.
Video: How’s it look?
Sony’s 2.40:1 AVC HD encoded transfer is certainly representative of what we’d expect from a large studio. The movie, high profile as it was, wasn’t exactly a box office hit, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t look the part. It does. Yellows and earthy tones seem to dominate and a few of the scenes have a naturalistic grainy look to them, but it’s not all bad. In fact I rather liked it. Detail is on par with most other new to Blu-ray releases – the intricate details of the luxurious homes and everything in between. Simply put, there’s not a lot to complain about here and it’s another shining example of what to expect from a new to the format disc.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The movie is about one thing – revenge. And not the good kind. So with that said, the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack does pack a punch at times and at others, offers little in terms of support from the surrounds. Vocals are a bit on the rough side and don’t read “rough” as a bad thing, just more gritty. Something about a “male” movie must say that guys have to lower the octaves of their voices in order to sound tough. LFE are invoked from time to time and overall, it’s a strong mix that certainly delivers the blows. Well done.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There may be a lot of bullet points on the back of the box, but very few of these offer up a lot of substance.
- Extended & Alternate Scenes – Four in all.
- The Making of Oldboy – This is the one with the most (read: any) substance. We get some interviews with the cast and crew, shooting a few key sequences and some behind the scenes footage.
- Talking Heads – We get a montage of clips and scenes from the movie as the film’s producers take us through it in a very quick manner.
- Transformation – We do get a pretty good and interesting look at Brolin’s performance and physical transformation in the movie.
- Workout Video – Not a typo. It’s a montage of some of the fight scenes in the film.
- UltraViolet Copy
