The Foreigner - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Foreigner

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Jackie Chan was one of the paragon of Hong Kong (and American) cinema for several decades. I grew up watching his film like an eager school child, begging my dad to drive down to Blockbuster to rent the latest VHS or DVD film of his so that I could absorb every bone crunching kick and punch to my hearts content. Then came 2005 (ish) when Chan retreated from most American cinemas and relegated himself to making mediocre action movies in his native China in an effort (supposedly) to keep his very loyal stunt team employed. As the 60+ year old actor aged, his legendary status as a gumby like punching bag of stunts came to end. Father time has caught up with aching joints and slowed reflexes, and most of his latest films had become complete flops (Kung Fu Yoga and Skiptrace were beyond painful). However, I heard a lot of positive buzz about The Foreigner from friends and contacts that I trusted, and they were all raving about how this was the most different role that Chan has ever played. So naturally I decided I would be a glutton for punishment and check it out, only to come out EXTREMELY impressed with what we have in front of us.

Taken from the 1992 novel “The Chinaman” by Stephen Leather, this is a 1990s film shot in modern times to the core. Take us back to a time when the IRA was a credible threat to great Britain, and we’re introduced to Quan Ngoc Minh (Chan) and his daughter Fan (Katie Leung), both living in London at the time. Thanks to an untimely bomb from a group calling themselves the Real IRA, Fan is killed in front of Quan’s eyes, and the grieving father is left with nothing but his anger. Quan’s efforts to find out who the bombers are ends in nothing but dead ends from the British police forces, and the desperate man is left to his own devices. Watching on TV he sees that the Head minister of Ireland, a man named Liam Hennessey (Brosnan), was once an IRA member of old turned politician. Thinking that there might be a connection between Liam’s old IRA contacts and these new killers, Quan sets out to find answers.

Using a bit of a dual story line here, we also see things from the Brits and Liam’s point of view as well. Hennessey is not as disconnected from the new thugs as he portrays on the TV. Instead the leadership of the IRA are basically running the Irish government in these times of “peace”, but none of them seem to know who these new bombers are. While he’s getting pestered by Quan, Liam is simultaneously trying to find out the names and locations of these killers before they jeopardize everything that has been gained between Ireland and England in recent years. To make matters worse, Quan is not just some harmless old man. He’s an ex special forces commando who has lost the only family he has left, and the answers he wants, he’s going to get. By whatever means necessary.

The original marketing for The Foreigner made it seem very much like a traditional revenge thriller, with Jackie Chan as the lead character. The fact of the matter is, Chan is basically the SECOND leading man in the film, with Brosnan taking on the lion’s share of the work. That’s not to disparage Chan’s performance here. Quite the opposite in face. While he may not be in it as the MAIN star, Chan undertakes a darker and more serious role than I have ever seen him do before. We’ve always seen him as the hero, undertaking great deeds to protect himself here. Instead, Quan is a man bereft of what made him whole, and his savagery and dark brutality used in tracking down his daughter’s killer is jaw dropping. The aging action star still has some great stunts to pull off, and the action does make it seem like he’s still a hand to hand combat god, but it’s much more toned down, and relies on skill rather than greased lightening hands and feet.

Brosnan has also been on the outs lately, making direct to DVD schlock, much like Chan and other aging stars of his generation, but he really pushes himself here. I saw a glimpse of the old Pierce Brosnan (with his thick Norther Irish accent that seems so different than his mixture of English and west coast Irish accent that he naturally has), and he is the highlight of the film with the political machinations and backstabbing that goes on. This brings up the one complaint I do have against the movie. I really loved The Foreigner, but it had a crisis of identity that took me out of the film sometimes. It seems like Martin Campbell couldn’t figure out if he wanted to make the film a straight up revenge thriller, or a political thriller, as it kept bouncing back and forth from each extreme with some rough parts in the middle act. Still, the movie exceeded my expectations by far, and I really appreciated the feel of a 1990s film in a modern day product, as it brought me back to my childhood action films in a new way (which does make sense, as the novel was written in 1992, when much of this political stuff was actually relevant).




Rating:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexual material




Video:

Shot using a variety of Arri Alexa cameras and finished with a 2K DI, The Foreigner makes a spectacular appearance on Blu-ray disc. The 2.39:1 framed film looks maginficent for the most part. The digital photography gives it a very glossy and shiny appearance, with a light blue/gray color grading that isn’t wildly aggressive (except in some darker environments). Facial details show everything from the creases and wrinkles on the aging actor’s faces, to the cuts and bruises they accumulate over the course of the hour and fifty four minute film. Blacks are deep and inky, with good shadow detail, but the ever annoying banding issue comes into play every once in a while, especially in low light. Outdoor shots are nearly impeccable, with razor sharp clarity and a level of detail that can be astounding (although there’s some mild softness inside of London). A great transfer by Universal to be sure.






Audio:

Universal’s lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is a great performer, using an encompassing sound stage to circle the listener in a cocoon of sonic delight. Surrounds are wildly active with all sorts of activity, from the thriller inspired score, up to the hubbub and chaos of London in the middle of a terrorist attack. LFE is deep and throbbing, pulsating throughout the score, and adding weight and energy to the action sequences. Dialog is crisp and well defined in the center channel, with the only caveat being that some of the Irish accents WERE a bit hard to make out for someone who lives in the Southwest USA. Otherwise, this is a great audio experience, and well worth the price of admission for this alone.





Extras:

• The Making of The Foreigner
• Interviews
• Trailers

Final Score: ​

Despite being a little formulaic at times, The Foreigner was an exceptionally entertaining film that thrived off of two great performances from two veteran leading men. Seeing Chan in this type of role was a breath of fresh air, and I was really happy to see Pierce Brosnan actually trying once more, with Campbell using the weary and beleaguered features of the actors into the best parts of the movie. A fact which made the film succeed when it really should have failed due to the out dated political strife that may not resonate with the younger audience as easily. Universal’s Blu-ray is excellently spec’d with great audio and video, but a your typical lackluster array of minimalist extras. Definitely a very fun watch.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Katie Leung, Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Rufus Jones
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Written by: David Marconi (Screenplay), Stephen Leather (Novel)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: R
Runtime: 114 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: January 9th, 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Great Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I am a fan of Jackie Chan so will watch it.