Stunt Squad Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "Stunt Squad" on Blu-ray, encoded with VC-1 and presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, exhibits notable issues typical of RaroVideo releases. The transfer struggles with filtering and source material challenges, leading to the extraction of fine details that result in an overly smooth texture where real, grainy textures should appear. The 1080p HD transfer amplifies colors dynamically, particularly deep blues and reds, which dominate the palette. However, skin tones are only as natural as the transfer allows, often leaning towards a fleshy or slightly orange hue. The grain present does not come across as organic and leans more towards a noisy visual experience.

The image quality appears quite rough overall, softened by the inherent limitations of the source material and remastering process. Closeups sometimes provide finer textures and detail in facial features, but these instances are infrequent. Blacks tend to block up in darker costumes and low-lit scenes, affecting shadow detail. Whites also display faint bloom, which can intrusively brighten lighter areas. The video suffers from intermittent noise, aliasing, and minor debris artifacts, detracting from the viewing experience. The end result is a video presentation with vivid, although sometimes excessively saturated colors, compromised by significant technical flaws and age-related wear.

The Blu-Ray release of "Stunt Squad" offers an Italian 2.0 LPCM mix, and although it is functional for the most part, there are notable inconsistencies that directly impact the viewing experience. The audio presentation emphasizes violence effectively, with snapping guns and crunchy collisions being a pivotal sonic element. However, dialogue is a weak point, appearing distant and soft, leading to frequent volume adjustments. While the emotional intent within scenes is retained, the overall clarity is lacking, partly due to shrill highs during group dynamics and ambient noises.

A comparison between the Italian and English LPCM mixes reveals the Italian version as the more favorable option, despite not being flawless. The inadequacies in dubbing for the English version can be jarring and may even provoke unintended amusement. The score itself sustains the audio mix with a fair degree of presence but remains overshadowed by overly loud sound effects, such as blasts from gunfire and rocky explosions. Unfortunately, this results in an imbalanced audio layer where some users might prefer engaging subtitles to grasp the dialogue clearly. Overall, while the audio mix maintains the energy of the film's action sequences, the need for occasional volume management underscores its technical shortcomings.

The Extras on the "Stunt Squad" Blu-ray offer insightful context and enrich the viewing experience with a blend of historical and analytical content. Filmmaker and genre expert Mike Malloy provides an engaging introduction, candidly addressing the film's promotional discrepancies and exploring the Eurocrime genre's recycling tendencies. His insights are both thought-provoking and enlightening, making a compelling case for the film’s place in cinematic history. The included essay within a six-page booklet further delves into these themes, providing a deeper dive into "Stunt Squad" and its nuances. This combination of visual and textual supplements enhances the overall appreciation of the film.

Extras included in this disc:

• Booklet: Six pages containing an essay by Mike Malloy.
• Introduction: Malloy discusses the film's misleading marketing and the Eurocrime genre.

The 1977 Italian production, "Stunt Squad," directed by Domenico Paolella, offers a tantalizing premise that blends explosive action with sociopolitical commentary. The film's storyline, revolving around a bomb-happy villain, Valli, and the police inspector Grifi who forms a specialized team to combat this menace, sets a stage rife with potential for engaging, thrilling cinema. Early scenes, which meticulously establish Valli's ruthless tactics and the subsequent police response, effectively create a high-stakes atmosphere. Motorcycle chases and training sequences inject bursts of adrenaline, momentarily elevating the film's pulse with visually arresting moments.

However, Paolella's execution is somewhat uneven. Despite the promising setup, "Stunt Squad" is marred by pacing issues and an overreliance on dialogue-heavy scenes that strive for bureaucratic realism but often drag the narrative into a slog. The titular squad is introduced almost an hour into the film, and their appearances, although visually interesting, fall short of delivering sustained action. The climactic showdown between Grifi and Valli is undeniably intense and well-crafted, but it underscores the missed opportunities for more consistently thrilling sequences throughout the movie.

Ultimately, "Stunt Squad" is a film that hints at greatness but remains bogged down by its own ambitions. Paolella's thoughtful inclusion of Italy's political and social climate provides depth but detracts from the kinetic energy one might expect from an action-driven narrative. A modern remake could capitalize on the original's strengths—strong antagonistic setup and potential for high-octane action—while addressing its shortcomings. This film serves as a noteworthy curiosity in Italian cinema and a blueprint with considerable room for enhancement in the hands of a dynamic contemporary filmmaker.

"Stunt Squad" on Blu-ray offers a surprisingly engaging viewing experience that blends explosive action with moments of intense drama. Despite its seemingly straightforward title and box art, the film ventures into more complex themes of mafia control over the socio-political landscape of the 70s. While the narrative explores intriguing angles, it often falls short of fully executing its more ambitious ideas, occasionally meandering in its quest to deliver high-octane entertainment.

The performances are consistently solid, with sharp and occasionally seething portrayals that enhance the film's depth. The climax stands out as particularly impactful, providing a moment of mob-induced brutality that is both thrilling and terrifying. This scene notably captures the voyeuristic complexity that director Domenico Paolella aims for throughout the film. However, the overall execution leaves something to be desired as it struggles to justify its narrative choices fully.

On the technical side, the video and audio quality on this Blu-ray release do not meet high standards, potentially detracting from the viewing experience. The sole extra feature is engaging but does not entirely make up for the lack of superior audiovisual fidelity. While "Stunt Squad" has its merits, especially for fans of 70s action cinema, it may be advisable to rent before purchasing to ensure it meets your expectations.

Performances are sharp and successfully fuming mad on occasion, and the climax turns out to be the only real note of brutality that lingers after the movie is over, exploring a moment of mob mentality that both terrifies and thrills, conjuring the voyeuristic complexity Paolella has been hunting for all along. Stunt Squad certainly isn't dull, but it doesn't reach its potential, getting lost as it searches for a way to justify the rip-roaring entertainment it's trying to deliver.