Plot: What’s it about?
Jersey Bellini (Michael Dudikoff) works as a bounty hunter, tracking down fugitives and delivering them into the hands of the law. This is not an easy profession by any means, but it pays the bills and as such, Jersey keeps risking his neck to collect the fees. He has taken on some rough suspects in his time, but he’s always been able to deliver goods, at least up to this point. But when a massive bounty falls in front of him that demands more than he can handle, he is forced to join forces with a rival, fellow bounty hunter. He then forms an unstable partnership with B.B. (Lisa Howard), which might be a risky decision, but if he wants to collect on this fugitive, they’ll need to work together and bring the man down. The two soon discover that this bounty is also wanted by someone else, in the form of the mafia, who want him dead. Now Jersey and B.B. must not only capture the suspect, but also make sure they take down the mafia in the process, which won’t be a simple task in the least…
I’ve seen a lot of low rent action movies, so I knew what I was in for with Bounty Hunters, which wasn’t a lock for a good time. These low budget action flicks can be fun to watch, but if they’re too serious, it tends to lessen the experience. So I wasn’t sure to what to expect from Bounty Hunters, though I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, this is a cheese laden action movie with bad writing and frequent low rent special effects, but it had some terrific moments also. These moments were usually because the flick was so bad…that it was hilarious, but entertainment is entertainment, if you ask me. The stunt sequences are decent enough, although the writing is pretty much cut and pasted from the usual action formulas. Michael Dudikoff and Lisa Howard have some good chemistry and do well enough, especially in terms of cheese heavy back and forth sessions. If you’re an action junkie and you like some humor injected in also, I think Bounty Hunters is well worth a rental, but I don’t think a purchase is justified.
I know he isn’t an action star in the eyes of the masses, but Michael Dudikoff has managed an extended career in these lower profile pictures. I wouldn’t say he deserves more exposure or what not, but Dudikoff does well in most of them, given the circumstances. In Bounty Hunters, he is able to be very animated and that adds humor, which is always welcome in these kind of flicks. I think he plays the character very well, with a humorous edge and most of the time, Dudikoff seems to be having fun, which enhances the whole event also. Of course, the writing is rather basic and Dudikoff isn’t asked to do much, but he still manages to entertain. You can also see Dudikoff in such films as American Ninja, The Silencer, Bachelor Party, Uncommon Valor, and Ringmaster. The cast also includes Lisa Howard (Moonstruck, Tv’s Highlander), Peter LaCroix (Disturbing Behavior, Atomic Train), and Benjamin Ratner (Firestorm, American Dragons).
Video: How does it look?
Bounty Hunters is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a more than solid visual presentation, though it lacks the refinement needed to attain reference level scores. The colors look bright, but not too rich and flesh tones are natural, no real complaints. The contrast is well balanced also, stark shadow depth and of course, no visible detail loss is evident. I also saw no serious flaws with the source material, though it was never as sharp as I would have liked. I think this transfer is more than good enough, so I won’t knock the score much.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is an action movie and as such, a good audio track could enhance the experience by leaps and bounds. I wouldn’t call the included 2.0 surround track dynamic by any means, but it offers a solid atmosphere and never falters much. The surrounds don’t pulse from start to finish, but there’s a good amount of activity and in the end, it has the depth needed to provide adequate coverage. The action scenes are more dominant than others of course, but on the whole, this is a more than solid audio effort. I also never had a problem in terms of dialogue, as vocals were clean and crisp, with no volume errors to report. This disc also includes English subtitles, in you might want to make use of them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus material specific to this title, but it does include trailers for many films, some of which didn’t have the trailers on their own discs. I was pleased to see these bonus trailers, but I am let down nothing else was tacked on for this release.
