Plot: What’s it about?
A diamond heist is poised to make life a lot easier for three criminals, as the payoff will be quite large and they’ll be able to live off the spoils for quite a while. The job goes well and the trio make off with a small fortune in precious jewels, but of course, greed soon surfaces. After all, why settle for a third if you can snag the entire haul, right? Vincent (Ryan Phillippe) decides he wants more than this share, so he kills one of his cohorts and leaves the other for dead. But the third criminal survives and Sonny (50 Cent) is determined to exact some revenge for the betrayal. But the situation soon gets even more explosive, when a powerful mob boss (Bruce Willis) gets involved, as well as some other mysterious players. As tensions rise and violence begins to erupt, will Sonny be able to get his payback, or will he simply end up dead?
All you need to know about Set Up is that 50 Cent is billed before Bruce Willis. The heist movie is kind of a lost art these days, but if Set Up is any indication, perhaps it should remain as such. A chain reaction of every last cliche in the book, this film tries so hard to be gritty with a sharp edge, but fails at every turn. Bruce Willis as a maniacal crime kingpin sounds awesome, but the writing ensures he never gains traction. The name of his character is Mr. Biggs, which is evidence enough. As Willis struggles with an awful script, 50 Cent is laughable as he tries to showcase his acting talent. He is, as always, hilariously bad, made even funnier since he was an executive producer and gave himself the top credit. Set Up hits all the usual heist film notes, but does so in recycled, dull as dish water fashion. So unless you simply have to witness every Bruce Willis performance, you can safely leave Set Up alone, it deserves a cold, lonely fate.
Video: How does it look?
Set Up is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen. This transfer looks great, with excellent depth and detail. The film’s cold color scheme is intact, while contrast is spot on and never disappoints. I did notice some slight softness at times, which is probably due to some of the visual design choices. But aside from those scattered instances, this transfer delivers the goods.
Audio: How does it sound?
This DTS HD 5.1 option is loud and powerful. The surrounds are active almost all the time, with gunfire and explosions rocking the speakers. The mix isn’t just loud either, it is well crafted and features some creative presence, so this is the kind of soundtrack to show off your home theater with. The music adds even more life to the experience, while dialogue is (sadly) clear and never lost in the shuffle. This disc also includes English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The director and stunt coordinator provide audio comments, which are decent, but for this movie I doubt anyone wants to know the behind the scenes details. This disc also includes some cast interviews, two promotional featurettes, and the film’s trailer.
