Plot: What’s it about?
Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) is one of the world’s most skilled assassins, a man with no identity genetically engineered to thrive in his dangerous profession. Agent 47 has been able to neutralize targets no one else could, high profile marks in tense locations, no target escaped 47’s sights. His reputation has become infamous, but 47 himself is like a ghost, with a hidden past and no visible connections. Even the authorities have been unable to track down 47, as Interpol agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott) has spent over three years on his trail with no results. But 47 has been pushed into the spotlight now, as he is framed for the murder of the Russian president and assigned to take down the lone witness. In the course of his mission, 47 learns that the Russian president is alive and soon, a large scale conspiracy begins to unfold…
The Hitman video game franchise is brutal, but with a sharp, dark sense of humor. A potential movie held much promise, but as happens so often, the promise wouldn’t be realized. The filmmakers here seemed to want to shove as much plot in as possible, even at the cost of entertainment and rational thought. A simple story about 47 with some brief flashbacks would have worked wonders, probably even led to sequels, but this is too complex and incoherent. I don’t mind busy storylines, but so many loose ends are tossed out and so few are handled with any kind of skill, its hard to even care. Hitman does deliver in terms of violence however, as the action is blood soaked and brutal, just like in the video games. So when the action kicks in, Hitman is fun, but there’s nothing else to like here. I do think fans of the games will appreciate the violence however, so if you’re a genre fan, give Hitman a rental. This DVD release is inferior to the Blu-ray version in terms of audio & video, but if you haven’t gone high definition yet, this Unrated Special Edition is what you’ll want.
Video: How does it look?
Hitman is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This looks just as a new release should, which means a clean and crisp visual presentation. The image shows solid detail, not up to high definition standards of course, but above average for a DVD, so the visuals have good depth. I found colors to be well replicated and appropriate for the film’s visual design, while contrast is spot on and offers no cause for concern. In terms of noise or compression woes, I didn’t notice many issues at all. In the end, this is a great transfer that should please fans.
Audio: How does it sound?
Fox has provided both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, so both camps should be satisfied. I sampled both options, but found the DTS track was superior and recommend it the soundtrack of choice. I wasn’t thrilled however, as the track doesn’t pack as much punch as I had hoped, given the subject matter involved. When the guns blaze, the surrounds pick up and have some kick, but still not the visceral kind of experience I wanted. The music is also well presented, but aside from the tunes and the gunshots, there isn’t much life here. The dialogue does sound good however, so no lines are buried. This release also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The first disc houses three featurettes, none of which warrant a look. These are promotional fluff and offer no real insight to speak of. The first disc also includes some deleted scenes, an outtakes reel, and the film’s theatrical trailer. The second disc is dedicated to a digital copy of the film. So you can transfer the movie to your computer, phone, iPod, or whatever you prefer.
