review: REVOLVER

Sony  //  Buy from Amazon.com Just out of prison, Jake Green (Statham) is a hotshot gambler, but he's rarely allowed to play in any casino because he always wins. When Jake is invited to a private game with Macha (Liotta), a crime boss and local casino owner, he is expected to lose. But Jake isn't afraid of Macha, and not only beats him in a quick game of chance, but takes every possible opportunity to insult the man. Jake leaves the game, and Macha puts out the order for a hit on Jake, who ends up working for and being protected by a pair of loan sharks, Avi and Zack, who are out to take Macha down. While more people probably know Guy Ritchie today as Madonna's arm candy, he's actually a director who burst onto the scene out of nowhere with the bad-ass and endlessly entertaining "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." Sort of a British Tarantino, Ritchie followed that up with "Snatch," a film that may not have been as raw as his first, but took his unique style to a new level. Forgetting that he did a stinker called "Swept Away" with this wife (that, thankfully, no one has seen), we now have his next film... "Revolver"... Admittedly, this film had the deck stacked against it in my mind - firstly, his first 2 films are classics, and 2 of my faves. Secondly, "Revolver" was made in 2005, yet is only coming out on DVD (in North America, at least) in early 2008 - uh oh, that can't be a good sign. Turns out, it's not, but it's an accurate sign of what to expect from this one. I just can't help but think that Ritchie was trying way too hard to make ammends for & recapture his "coolness" after "Swept Away" because on the surface, "Revolver" has many of the same elements/plot devices/witty dialogue/great characters that his other films had. However, it just doesn't come together, instead seeming like only semi-congealed pan of jello - not solid enough to enjoy, but not liquid enough to drink. If that makes any sense. There is some entertainment here, and Jason Statham - as always - kicks ass... but I found myself bored, and even sympathetic, to Ritchie... neither of which is overly positive when watching & reviewing a film... Video The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is crisp & clean from start to finish - while there are some scenes with hyper-stylized neon lighting, the actual picture quality never suffers, nor does any artifacting creep in to make ugly. Audio A first-rate Dolby 5.1 surround mix is rich, dynamic and well-balanced. Extras audio commentary w/ director making-of featurette music featurette alternate opening & ending sequences deleted scenes photo gallery Closing Thoughts Lots of promise that ultimately doesn't deliver + decent extras = worth a rental, but a poor step-child to either "Lock, Stock" or "Snatch"