Here’s a look at a pair of recent action films now available in the Blu-ray format.
The Marksman (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 108 minutes, $34.98) — Liam Neeson again stars as a well-trained protector, now battling to save a child against all odds, in producer-turned-director Robert Lorenz’ mechanical action thriller.
A grizzled Mr. Neeson plays Jim Hanson, a retired Marine sniper from the Vietnam War, living a simple life on his Arizona ranch while in his spare time patrolling the border for illegal immigrants.
On a routine patrol, he finds an illegal immigrant and her young son across the border and being hunted by members of the vicious, Vasquez cartel.
The mother, mortally wounded, asks Jim through a bloodied note to deliver her son to his Chicago relatives. You can bet that the veteran is not about to give his new worst enemy Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba) and a bunch of Mexican thugs any chance to stop him.
The highly derivative story, mired by the current political climate, once again sheds light on the unsolvable border crisis while allowing viewers to appreciate a selection of PG-13 suppressed violence.
Mr. Neeson does his best with the material and plays it with compassion and a Clint Eastwood grittiness (especially displayed at the loss of a dog, an unnecessary and infuriating scene, by the way) while the panoramic views of the Southwest landscape look great in high definition.
However, I would have preferred a more Rambo approach to dispatching the brutal, moronic villains in a film in dire need of an “R” rated punch and a much better ending.
Best extras: The extremely slim picking is relegated to a single, eight-minute promotional featurette on the making of the film with some obligatory interviews from the director, main cast and crew (but not the star) stressing the importance of the project and brilliance of Mr. Neeson. So what else is new?
The Little Things (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 128 minutes, $35.98) — An impressive cast led by three Academy Award winners — Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto — fuels director John Lee Hancock’s noirish crime thriller that may be forever unfavorably compared to the serial killer genre classic “Seven.”
The story introduces a former Los Angeles’ detective, Joe Deacon (Mr. Washington), now a world-weary sheriff’s deputy from Kern County, California. When he gets asked by a superior to drive to the City of Angels to pick up evidence, his obsession with a former multiple homicide case resurfaces.
Specifically, a string of current, similar murders trigger Joe’s suspicions, and he eventually teams up with the cocky but by-the-book Jim Baxter (Mr. Malek) to solve the case potentially tied to a bizarre acting suspect named Albert Sparma (a devilish Mr. Leto).
The off-putting, bearded crime buff, master manipulator and general creepy human leads the pair down a road of unwanted self-discovery as they must figure out his game and whether Sparma actually committed the crimes.
A simmering plot does not take enough advantage of the repertoire of the three leads but has a clever twist that, unfortunately, leads to an unsatisfying conclusion of a film that had tons of potential.
Best extras: Viewers get a pair of featurettes actually worth a look.
The first compares the roles of Mr. Washington in four of his police dramas — “Ricochet” (1991), “Fallen” (1998), “Training Day” (2001) and “The Little Things.” It’s a great look at a specific part of the actor’s career, packed with clips and explored by critics but, clocking in only at roughly nine minutes, falls far too short to cover any major substance.
Next, viewers get eight minutes with the three stars. In separate interviews, each offers a brief dissection of their characters and motivations. It’s not overtly promotional and has a pinch of insight in the acting process as well as some fun moments, especially when Mr. Malek’s discusses his appreciation of Mr. Washington and his many roles.
