- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, French Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: R
- Run Time: 91 Mins.
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: MGM
- Blu-ray Release Date: August 14th, 2012
- List Price: $16.99
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Overall
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Death Wish 3 continues the story of Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson). This time around, Paul has sworn to give up all fighting, all violence, all beatings after the events that occurred in the 2nd Death Wish. Now, this wouldn’t be a Death Wish movie if there wasn’t a ton of battles, would it? Arriving in New York City, Paul wants nothing more than to finally relax with an old friend, until he finds him brutally attacked, clinging desperately for his life. Now it’s up to Paul to figure out who did this, why, and, of course, enact revenge the only way he knows how — by punching, shooting, and kicking anything that moves. What results is certainly the MOST over-the-top of the Death Wish films, but the one that also happens to be the most entertaining of the bunch.
Out of the 4 Death Wish films, this third entry happens to be my favorite mainly because the film is so insane, so ludicrous at times that we can’t help but smile, laugh and, simply, shake our heads at what’s occurring on screen. Akin to Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Statham making those over-the-top movies, Bronson can easily be added to that list, especially with this third Wish. This is the kind of movie you just put on, sit back, grab some popcorn and a drink, and shut off your brain for 90 minutes. That, my friends, is all we can ask for in a brainless action affair.
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
This 1:85:1 framed, AVC/MPEG-4 encoded transfer arrives on Blu-ray with decent results. The results presented here by MGM will please fans as I can’t recall the film ever looking THIS good. Now now, before you get your panties in a bunch by commenting that this transfer doesn’t look good, or even great, by any stretch of the imagination, you need to take into account a few things. Short of MGM spending all the money necessary to meticulously frame by frame remaster this, Death Wish 3 won’t ever look great.
Now, with that said, I will admit that out of the 3 Death Wish titles release this week byMGM, the last 2 Wish films definitely look the best out of the bunch. I’m not too sure if the budget was higher and what not, but I was pleased with what was found here. Now, this transfer isn’t a home run in the slightest sense; however, it still good when one considers its age. Most notable, especially when in comparison to the DVD counterpart, is the film’s clarity. Sequences that once lacked detail and definition, now are improved. The film’s palette tends to focus on more of the softer side of the color spectrum, with grays and blues dominating. There’s also a slight layer of film grain, one that accentuates the age of the film in a good manner in my opinion. All in all, this transfer kind of reminds me of the original Terminator, the kind of transfer that isn’t excellent, but is one that is certainly just fine when held up to the light.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Arriving with a DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track, I was glad to see MGM didn’t unnecessarily throw a 5.1 track at this, randomly adding in odd effects. With that said, the film’s sound design, dating 30 years, has always been limited. Gun shots sound tinny, explosions lack punch and an overall impact. Dialogue, I will say, is well reproduced. Low frequencies are are obviously going to be subdued in a 1.o track, and the overall sound here is almost muffled. All in all, this is about as good as this film will ever sound short of MGM reworking the sound mix.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
The included supplements are featured in High Definition:
- Trailer – The film’s trailer is shown.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Death Wish films aren’t great films in the slightest sense. Rather, the movies are quick, brainless action affairs. MGM’s Blu-ray arrives with a V/A presentation that is probably as best as the film will ever look. Purchase-wise, I suppose it depends on how much you enjoy this third affair.
Additional Screen Captures
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Purchase Death Wish 3 on Blu-ray at CD Universe
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[amazon-product]B0089J25RU[/amazon-product]
Purchase Death Wish 3 on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:2.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
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