- Aspect Ratio: 2:40:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Region: A (B? C?)
- Rating: R
- Run Time: 85 Mins.
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: May 29th, 2012
- List Price: $24.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Having been recently released from prison, mob boss Bellavance (Ray Wise) was smart enough to put aside some money while inside the pen. Much to his shock, he soon discovers that $500,000 of his money is now missing. After figuring out who may have taken this large sum of coin, his sends four of his hit men to the home of the Rutledge’s. Upon arriving there, the goons figure this will be an easy extraction. Little did they know that Owen (Ryan Hartwig), an emotionally disturbed young boy with a known history of violent behavior, will stop at nothing in defense of his family with a series of lethal booby traps. Will Owen defend his home or will the bad guys win? Kind of an adult version of Home Alone, The Aggression Scale is a well-made thriller with effective acting and pacing.
To be honest, I would have never watched this had I not received the title in for review. It’s not necessarily the concept that wouldn’t have interested me because, after all, who doesn’t like bad guys getting beaten at their own game? It’s more that with the amount of films released, unfortunately Scale would’ve flown under the radar for me. Granted, the basic concept isn’t exactly new, however, the overall quality of the film makes this better than an initial glance might deem it. The acting, particularly that of Ryan Hartwig as Owen, helps carry the film. When the actors scream, or run, we feel a real sense of danger, of fear in their eyes, in their body language. I had mentioned above that this is similar to Home Alone in that the kid out thinks the villains. But, that’s about the only quality shared between the films. The chills are genuine, and the violence, oh boy, the violence is quite gruesome at times. Definitely give this one a glance if you’re a fan of well-made, chilling, effective thrillers.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The film’s 2:40:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded, transfer is quite strong. The film’s color palette features a wide-ranged palette with strong darks and equally impressive brights. Green, lush blades of grass, deep, dark blacks and baby sky blues are some of the examples found here. Detail is also great whether facial close-ups that showcase fine, accurate flesh tones or intricate textures on the character’s clothing. Exterior or interior shots show that DP Jeff Dolen has a keen eye knowing exactly what type of image he was aiming for. The film’s print is in excellent condition with no real anomalies like noise, scratches, or grain. All in all, this is a truly fine effort from a typically consistent studio.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The film arrives with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, which is equally as solid as the aforementioned video. Dialogue is well reproduced throughout via the center channel. There’s no issue of drop out. Discrete effects, like that of gun shots or breathing, kind of ring the room bouncing from left rear to right rear. This creates solid atmosphere putting up right in the mix of the action. Truly, this is a fine mix with only one slight, slight issue. LFE, while good, felt a bit out of place at times. Bass wasn’t as deep or immersive as one might expect from a film of this nature. Minus that, Anchor Bay has put together a mix that compliments the film well.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
The provided supplements are shown in SD:
- The Making of The Aggression Scale – This runs 14:49 and consists of behind-the-scenes glances into the filming via cast interviews, footage and on the set visits.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Simply put, The Agression Scale is a well-made thriller with real thrills and fine acting. Anchor Bay has supported the film with a high quality Blu-ray release featuring excellent video and audio. This one comes Highly Recommended for those looking for a really solid thriller.
Additional Screen Captures
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
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