Kurt Russell is Jeff Taylor, headed toward a new life in California with his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan). When their car dies on a remote highway, a seemingly helpful trucker (J.T. Walsh) offers Amy a ride to the local diner while Jeff waits with the car. Then Jeff discovers his vehicle was deliberately tampered with, and by the time he gets to the next town, his worst fears are about to come true.
For thoughts on Breakdown, please see my previous article here.
Video Quality
Breakdown makes its domestic Blu-Ray debut with a gorgeous 1080p transfer sourced from a director-approved 4K remaster which is a thing of beauty. This presentation is stunning and preserves the filmic look with proper film grain and texture throughout. The level of clarity and detail on this release is very impressive, with only the occasional shot that spikes in the grain field a bit. There are very subtle details in the production design that are visible here for the first time from minute details on outfits to some of the nuances within the setting. There are a lot of strong colors in the film that pop off the screen with an intense vibrancy even if most tones lean towards the brown and beige. Skin tones are natural and lend themselves to showcasing an amazing amount of detail. The black levels are extremely deep and allow for real detail to come through well. Paramount has done an excellent job of restoring this, as all print damage has been cleaned up without messing with the natural look of the film. Those who have been waiting for this one to finally come to Blu-Ray should be thrilled it has been treated so well.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that captures this film perfectly. Music is used very purposefully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with the stellar score filling the room in a nice way. The classic dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some consistent activity with ambient sounds including the roar of engines and the crunching of metal. There is a substantial amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it including some forceful gunshots. This track accomplishes everything it needs to do with immense ease.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Jonathan Mostow and Actor Kurt Russell deliver a lively and very informative commentary track in which they discuss working with Dino De Laurentiis, cutting lines of dialogue that Russell preferred to act, memories of the ensemble performers, thoughts about plot elements, the film’s legacy and much more that proves to be an invaluable listen.
- Isolated Score: An option to watch the film with only the score audible.
- Filmmaker Focus – Director Jonathan Mostow on Breakdown: An 11-minute featurette in which Mostow reflects on the strange origins of the project, the performers in the film, how they pulled off various scenes, the physicality of Kurt Russell, the response from critics and audience members and more.
- Victory Is Hers – Kathleen Quinlan on Breakdown: A four-minute piece in which Quinlan reflects on the casting process, her chemistry with Russell, bumping heads with Dino De Laurentiis, the directing style of Mostow and more.
- A Brilliant Partnership – Martha De Laurentiis on Breakdown: An eight-minute piece in which Martha discusses her work with Dino and various memories of the production of the film.
- Alternate Opening: A twelve-minute piece in which Mostow provides an intro where he discusses how he was forced into writing a scene he felt was superfluous, the audience response during the initial screenings and more. The scene is then played where you get spoon-fed some backstory on the characters.
- Alternate Opening with Commentary from Director Jonathan Mostow: The same scene is provided with extra commentary from Mostow which puts more into context.
- Trailers: There is a two-minute trailer provided for Breakdown. There are also trailers provided for Kiss The Girls and Hard Rain.
Final Thoughts
Breakdown is a crackling thriller that features a standout performance from the great Kurt Russell alongside an ensemble that is equally as impressive. It is a film that does not lose any intensity upon a rewatch. Even if you know where the film is going, it is a pulse-pounding journey to the end. While known and appreciated by many, this is a film that deserves way more praise than it gets for being so nimbly executed. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. This is one of the best Kurt Russell performances from the 90s and should be considered a must-watch for his fans. Recommended
Paramount Presents Breakdown is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
