WEAPONiZED Blu-ray Review
Score: 51
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Messner's appeal is overshadowed by the film's confusing plot, yet 'Weaponized' offers strong A/V presentation despite limited extra features.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 74
Weaponized's 1080p 2.35:1 transfer on Blu-ray impresses with clean, detailed HD visuals, vibrant colors, and deep black levels, though the CGI elements noticeably fall short in quality.
Audio: 74
Weaponized's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track delivers clear dialogue and an immersive atmosphere, particularly in battle scenes and ambient sound effects, though much of the film's quieter, dialogue-driven segments stay center-focused. The audio mix provides solid imaging and handling of highs and lows without volume adjustments.
Extra: 32
The deleted scenes (1080p; 2:34) offer minimal additional context and do not enhance film coherence, while the trailer (1080p; 2:14) provides a standard promotional glimpse.
Movie: 51
Weaponized fails to weave its intriguing concepts into a coherent film, resulting in a confusing narrative with mismanaged plot points and ethical missteps; despite decent ideas and a notable cast, the movie's handling of real-world issues and genre confusion hampers its potential.
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Video: 74
The Blu-ray presentation of "WEAPONiZED", offered by Cinedigm, features an AVC encoded 1080p transfer with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This digital transfer delivers a clean, detailed HD image, particularly evident in close-ups that reveal intricate facial features and costuming details. The color grading enhances the sci-fi ambiance with prevalent blue tones and stable flesh tones, effectively capturing the film's production design. Bright and lively colors maintain a strong primary presence while deep, inky black levels contribute to the image’s depth, avoiding any issues with blown out contrast or black crush.
Despite its strengths, the transfer does have some limitations, notably highlighted by the CGI elements. These effects, including an underwhelming opening news shot depicting the Pentagon in flames, suffer from a lack of realism which is further accentuated by the high detail levels of the Blu-ray transfer. However, aside from these occasional lapses in visual integrity, the presentation remains stable without noticeable compression problems or image instability. Overall, this Blu-ray offers a high-quality viewing experience, particularly impressive for a direct-to-video release.
Audio: 74
The audio presentation of "WEAPONiZED" on Blu-ray is powered by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that effectively establishes an immersive soundscape. The mix showcases its strength during action-packed sequences that bookend the film, providing an engaging auditory experience with dynamic spatial effects and impactful sound elements that enhance the tension and atmosphere. In the film's quieter, more procedural middle sections, the surround activity is less pronounced but remains subtly effective in creating a near-future ambiance. Sound effects are meticulously placed to augment the film's setting, ensuring an enveloping experience that captures the audience's attention.
Dialogue clarity is a standout feature throughout "WEAPONiZED." Cleanly reproduced, the dialogue stays predominantly in the center and stereo channels, enabling viewers to follow conversations without strain. This precision in dialogue rendering ensures that even the most nuanced exchanges are audible, contributing to a seamless narrative flow. Additionally, the audio maintains an excellent balance across channels, with consistent levels that encompass highs and lows effectively, thus avoiding any need for manual volume adjustments. The sound mix also demonstrates solid imaging, providing clear directional cues that enrich the overall sonic landscape of the film.
Overall, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track of "WEAPONiZED" is a well-crafted audio mix that enhances both the action-packed and introspective elements of the film. It balances immersive sound effects with crisp dialogue delivery, ensuring a cohesive and engaging auditory experience for viewers.
Extra: 32
The Blu-ray extras for "WEAPONiZED" offer a brief but insightful glimpse into additional content. The Deleted Scenes section, lasting just over two minutes, provides five scenes. However, these additions do little to flesh out the narrative, offering minimal enhancement or coherence to the plot. The Trailer segment also extends for a similar duration, allowing viewers to revisit the preview, but without offering any added value beyond marketing the film initially.
Extras included in this disc:
- Deleted Scenes: Five brief additional scenes that don't contribute significantly to narrative clarity.
- Trailer: The original promotional trailer for the film.
Movie: 51
'Weaponized' ambitiously attempts to merge elements from 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'Freaky Friday,' resulting in an often discordant film experience. Under the direction of Timothy Woodward Jr., the film stars Tom Sizemore, Johnny Messner, and Mickey Rourke. The narrative kicks off with Kyle Norris (Sizemore) losing his son in a Pentagon terrorist attack. Following this, Norris collaborates with scientist Clarence Peterson (Rourke) to develop a controllable killing machine, leading to a devastating mass shooting when the program spirals out of control. As Detective Walker (Messner) investigates, he uncovers a convoluted web of conspiracies that fail to clearly correlate, further exacerbated by weak plot cohesion and frequent narrative inconsistencies. Critical events pass nearly unnoticed, such as the assassination of a Senator, reflecting the film's overall flawed story execution.
Despite boasting a cast of seasoned actors, 'Weaponized' struggles to coalesce into a coherent narrative. The film juggles multiple genres—thriller, action, war, and police procedural—without managing to decisively commit to any, leaving viewers in a perpetual state of confusion regarding the storyline and character motivations. An element of domestic terrorism centrally drives the plot; however, the film's superficial handling of this serious subject matter undermines its potential impact. Additionally, by incorporating issues like veteran PTSD without adequate exploration or sensitivity, 'Weaponized' risks being perceived as ethically questionable.
The movie suffers from fundamental structural weaknesses, evidenced by its erratic pacing and inconsistent tone. Just when scenes begin to establish some semblance of continuity or intrigue, they abruptly shift, leaving viewers disoriented and disengaged. Despite moments of potential and inclusions of timely themes, 'Weaponized' fails to deliver a convincing, unified cinematic experience. Ultimately, it feels like a patchwork of underdeveloped ideas unable to sustain suspense or narrative clarity.
Total: 51
"Weaponized" offers an intriguing premise surrounding the concept of technology transforming individuals into weapons. While the storyline is compelling and highly relevant in today's tech-centric world, the execution falls short. The plot often lacks clarity, weaving through convoluted scenarios that introduce more confusion than suspense. Despite these narrative shortcomings, Johnny Messner stands out with a commendable performance, injecting some much-needed depth into the proceedings. However, his efforts are somewhat diminished by the surrounding flaws within the script and direction.
From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray release of "Weaponized" by Cinedigm is commendable. The audio-visual presentation is particularly strong, delivering a crisp, immersive viewing experience that enhances the film's tech-heavy aesthetic. The video quality boasts sharpness and detail, while the sound design effectively supports the film's futuristic themes. However, it is worth noting that the Blu-ray package is somewhat lacking in bonus features, which might disappoint those looking for more behind-the-scenes insights or additional content.
In conclusion, while "Weaponized" showcases an intriguing concept and a solid technical presentation, it ultimately struggles to fully realize its potential due to a disjointed narrative and insufficient character development. Johnny Messner's performance stands out amidst the chaos but isn't enough to elevate the film to higher acclaim. Those interested in speculative tech-thrillers may find it deserving of a rental, but it's doubtful that this will be considered a must-own for most collections.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 80
For what is in essence a direct to video release, Weaponized offers a rather nice looking image, albeit one whose CGI elements look a little hokey at times (the opening "news shot" of the Pentagon going...
Audio: 80
While Weaponized's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 has a chance to strut its stuff in bookending sequences that offer elements like battle, the bulk of the film plays more like a procedural, with Walker...
Extras: 20
...
Movie: 30
When a troubled cop (is there any other kind in a film like this?) named Walker (Johnny Messner) starts investigating, he becomes convinced there's some kind of nefarious conspiracy going on, especially...
Total: 30
Messner is an appealing presence here, but he's surrounded by so much other idiocy that it's largely for naught....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Shot digitally, the image features plenty of pleasing detail levels allowing you to appreciate costuming, the film's sometimes impressive production design, as well as facial features, including the inexplicable...
Audio: 80
The sound effects work well to create a nice sense of dimensionality and atmosphere helping some of the confined spaces and close intimate sequences feel like there is real space in the audio mix....
Extras: 0
I was hoping some of this material would offer a little more connective tissue so that some coherency could be found in the film, but it's not with these short scenes....
Movie: 40
I don't know if the movie is trying to punch in some sort of PTSD angle or not, but when a soldier played by the director Timothy Woodward Jr. goes "berserk" and starts shooting up a restaurant to assassinate...
Total: 40
The film is overly confusing, tough to understand in some places, and just never really comes together in a way that works....
Director: Timothy Woodward Jr.
Actors: Johnny Messner, Tom Sizemore, Mickey Rourke
PlotA militaristic scientist named Kyle Norris develops a virus that can transfer consciousness from one body to another, initially aimed at creating the ultimate weapon and ensuring national security. Detectives Mitch Walker and Rebecca Logan investigate a string of murders seemingly connected to the project. As Mitch dives deeper, he uncovers a tangled web of military contracts, covert operations, and the dangerous potential of the mind-transfer technology. The fatal flaw in the system, however, soon becomes apparent: those who undergo the consciousness transfer become unhinged, leading to increased violence and chaos.
Mitch's personal life intertwines with his professional struggles as he grapples with the recent death of his family. He realizes that the project's misuse could lead to catastrophic consequences far beyond isolated incidents. The stakes intensify as he comes to understand that stopping the spread of the technology isn't just about solving the murders but preventing a global crisis. As threats close in, Mitch must navigate through military secrets and rogue operatives to find a way to shut down the program before it spirals out of control. The journey reveals deeper moral questions about humanity, identity, and the costs of technological advancements.
Writers: Sean Ryan
Release Date: 10 Jun 2016
Runtime: 91 min
Rating: Not Rated
Country: United States
Language: English