Plot: What’s it about?
As a plane cruises through the skies, a man on board knows that once it lands, his career and life are over. That man is vice-president Pike, who was involved in some underhanded deeds and thanks to some tapes on the plane, there’s plenty of proof. But this wasn’t just some affair with an intern or some missing money, as Pike headed the biggest arms deal of all time, putting guns and weaponry into the hands of the enemies. The men that guard the computer discs that hold the evidence are presidential candidate Stuart Davis and Jack Tyree (Brian Bosworth), an Air Force liaison who can kick serious ass. This is good, as after the plane has flown for a patch, Pike and his men take the plane hostage, with a plan to trash the evidence and return things to normal. But Tyree plans to stop Pike in his tracks, no matter what it takes.
I am unsure why, but Paramount seems to be releasing a lot of direct to video action flicks of late, with Mach 2 being the next one in line. I have no problem with straight to video films, but you have to dig deep to find the good ones, as most are low rent B flicks at best. Such is the case with Mach 2, which tries to be a fun action movie, but comes off as rushed and poorly made, aside from a couple small instances. This picture was made by the UFO studios, who have become known for their quick, low cost productions, which are sometimes fun, but usually downright awful. I knew this beforehand though, so I adjusted my expectations as such, but I still found this movie to be a let down, very little to like here. I had hoped for some decent action sequences and some cool lines, but this one has too few of those elements, a last gasp rental choice at best, if your first choices have been taken.
The man in the middle here is Brian Bosworth, the former professional football player turned low budget action performer. I have liked a couple of Bosworth’s films for the action and humor, but his skills are very limited, as you can imagine. In this case, Bosworth isn’t given much chance to use his good points, as he has minimal one liners and his fight sequences seem slapped together. So had Bosworth been given some decent material, I think he could have made this into a tolerable flick, but in the end, it is just another low rent action disaster. Other films with Bosworth include The Operative, One Man’s Justice, Black Out, and Stone Cold. The cast also includes Clark Reiner (Nothing To Lose), Michael Dorn (Menno’s Mind, Timemaster), David Hedison (License To Kill, The Greatest Story Ever Told), and Shannon Whirry (Omega Doom, Animal Instincts).
Video: How does it look?
Mach 2 is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As a direct to video production, this image doesn’t look as refined as film, but Paramount has done a decent effort for this release. The contrast is a little dark throughout, but not to the extent that detail is lowered, just enough to be detected. The colors are sometimes too stark as a result, but this looks sharp and better than expected, so no hard feelings.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is included, but don’t expect an explosive action driven mix. The scenes with action do allow the surrounds to open up, but even then, the atmosphere is not as immersive as you might expect. I suppose it could be due to the limits of the source material, but I expected a direct to video title to have at least somewhat dynamic sound, if not an active and impressive presentation. The music and dialogue come across fine however, no real problems in the least to discuss. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as Spanish and English subtitles, which are always nice to have.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As usual, Paramount loads the extras on these low rent titles, then leaves their more popular films bare bones. An audio commentary track with the director Edward Raymond and actor Shannon Whirry is included, in which the two discuss the trials and tribulations of quick, cashless filmmaking. I wasn’t too taken by this track, but it was more fun that watching the film itself, if that’s a better way to put it. You can also view some talent files, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
