BLU-RAY
REVIEW: TRIPLE 9
5/30/2016
OVERVIEW: When a veteran cop and his rookie nephew discover a shocking conspiracy that leads dangerously close to home, they’ll stop at nothing to get to the truth in Triple 9, an action-packed tale of corruption and betrayal coming to Digital HD on May 17, 2016, and Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on May 31, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Propelled by John Hillcoat’s (The Road, The Proposition) ferocious directorial style and a top-notch cast, Triple 9 races through a world where no one can be trusted in a “crime caper like no other” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Triple 9 on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD includes deleted scenes and a peek backstage at the making of the most original cop thriller in years.
SYNOPSIS: A bank robbery is just the tip of the iceberg when two cops in Atlanta begin suspecting that members of their own team are involved. Not knowing whom to trust and how deep the corruption goes, the clock is ticking as they try to uncover the truth — before they become the target for the next deadly job.
REVIEW: Australian director John Hillcoat (Lawless, 2013), brings us this edgy gangster-shoot ’em up, gritty bank-heist thriller that evokes memories of many from the genre such as Denzel Washington’s “Training Day” and Ben Affleck’s “The Town.” It’s actually pretty fierce and stylish, and utterly gripping even though there's a nagging sensation that nothing is happening under the surface. This is possibly due to the heavy dialog that permeates each and every scene, right down to the cops and robbers shootouts.
Thankfully, the casting is so diverse that they add plenty of terrific texture to their characters. Terrell (Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave) leads his crew of thugs (Anthony Mackie [Ant-Man, 2015], Clifton Collins Jr [Transcendence - 2014], Aaron Paul [Breaking Bad] and Norman Reedus [The Walking Dead]) through a well-coordinated series of dangerous robberies. Rounding out the top-notch casting is Kate Winslet (The Divergent Series: Insurgent, 2015) playing the Russian mobster Irina, Casey Affleck (The Finest Hours, 2016) playing Chris the rookie cop and lastly, but certainly not least is the awesome Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay series installments) playing the cynical Detective Jeffery Allen that is always one step away from cracking the case. Oh, and I didn’t even get to mention future Wonder Woman Gal Gadot or former Omar from the television series “The Wire” Michael K. Williams makes some very interesting appearances – yes! So that’s how stacked this cast is! Without question they work their tails off and every performance is solid. Simply put, the casting here is eclectic, dynamic and an eye-catching for any movie-goer’s pallet.
Although the story, from screenwriter Matt Cook, twists and turns considerably as the double-crosses rack up, it never loses the focal point or surprises to come. Furthermore, it firmly places itself in comparison the greats of the heist sub-genre like Michael Mann’s 1995 “Heat,” 1992’s “Reservoir Dogs” and the aforementioned 2010 “The Town,” producing lots of moments to truly treasure. Hence, there may be little here we haven’t seen before like slick reflections of the aforementioned “Heat” pop up everywhere you look, but it’s all carried off with brashness and momentum by a director who genuinely seems to be having a blast. Fans of “The Wire” TV series or Training Day or any good recent flicks with freeway shootouts, black balaclavas, burning trucks and betrayals will find this one worthy of viewing.
The solid direction, storytelling and acting by Hillcoat, Cook and the great cast does not reinvent the crime thriller genre, by any stretch of the imagination, however, they simple do the genre justice here. Four stars out of five might be a little over doing it for me, but I’d certainly say that it’s worth going to the theaters to checkout.
Review
By Movi-Man Stan
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration preserving its
theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the
picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good,
a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement
to the picture. It also includes English,
French
and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.40:1) 16x9
AUDIO:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles -
English SDH, Spanish and French
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
Deleted Scenes
Under the Gun
– The acclaimed cast of Triple 9 offers an in-depth look
at its characters and the pulse-pounding twists and turns
at the heart of the film.
Authentic World–
Director John Hillcoat and the cast of Triple 9 discuss
how their grounded approach to filmmaking helped highlight
the film’s gritty, authentic look and feel.