Brace yourself for a hilarious, action-packed adventure! When street-smart NYPD cop (Fred Ward, Tremors) regains consciousness after a bizarre mugging, he has a new face and a new identity! Now he’s Remo Williams, the #1 recruit of a top-secret organization, and he’s toppling evil at every turn – even atop the Statue of Liberty – in this spectacular and funny adventure film. Trained by a quirky Korean martial arts master (Joel Grey, Cabaret) to dodge bullets, brave terrifying heights and thwart attackers with his bare hands, Remo becomes the ultimate criminal exterminator. But when he faces off against a corrupt millionaire and his army of henchmen, the real adventure begins! Directed by action great Guy Hamilton, the director of Funeral in Berlin, Force 10 From Navarone and 4 James Bond classics including Goldfinger and Live and Let Die! The stellar cast includes Wilford Brimley (The Thing), J.A. Preston (Body Heat), George Coe (The Entity) and Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway of TV’s Star Trek: Voyager).
For thoughts on Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins comes to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 and is not advertised as being from a new scan, leading me to believe it is derived from the same master MGM used on the previous Twilight Time release that is out of print. The presentation is a bit inconsistent with soft long shots and weak delineation throughout. The release does not appear to be plagued by digital tinkering, as this transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation, even if it can be a bit loose. As mentioned, the picture occasionally runs slightly on the soft side, most likely due to limitations of the original source material. Colors could be a bit more well saturated compared to what we get, and instances of print damage do occasionally pop up with specks and marks visible. Overall clarity and detail is passable, and skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels could be stronger with crush becoming an issue in some of the darker moments. This presentation from Kino Classics gets the job done, but there is room for improvement if it is ever given a new scan.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that perfectly preserves the artistic intention of the film. The rousing score from Craig Safin sounds great throughout the duration of the film, as it creates an adventurous tone for the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as the stillness of the wind at the Statue of Liberty are rendered well alongside the bustling urban metropolis. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Producer Larry Spiegel and Co-Producer Judy Goldstein provide a pretty decent commentary track in which they discuss the origins of the project, the location shooting of the picture, the directing style of Guy Hamilton, the cast and characters, the release and audience reception to the film and much more that is very enlightening.
- Created, The Destroyer – Writing Remo Williams: A 17-minute piece which details the book series by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy that provided the source material for the feature. There are great discussions about the satiric nature of the series, how it was adapted for the screen, the relationship between teacher and student, and much more. There are some good insights from Devin Murphy, son of Warren Murphy, and film historian/paperback collector Chris Poggiali.
- Unarmed and Dangerous – Producing Remo Williams: A 22-minute featurette which takes a closer look at the evolution of the project, the development of the source material, the involvement of Guy Hamilton, the aesthetic style of the film, the expectations during project, the makeup choices and more.
- Secrets of Sinanju – Training Remo Williams: A nine-minute interview with actor Joel Grey who reflects on how he was approached with an offer to play the character of Chiun, his reservations about taking the role, his experience working with his co-stars and the creative team, the film’s legacy and more.
- Balance of Power – Designing Remo Williams: A 15-minute piece in which production designer Jackson De Govia discusses how he got involved with the project, the ways in which he challenged himself, working with the Statue of Liberty, how they executed variou action sequences and more.
- Assassin’s Tune – Composing Remo Williams: A 14-minute discussion with composer Craig Safan in which he discusses the balance of satisfying expectations while doing something new, the research he put into crafting the Korean themes, and much more.
- Stills and Promotional Gallery: A seven-minute collection of sketches, stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing materials.
- Radio Spot: A 30-second radio spot is provided here.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Remo Williams is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Final Option, Murphy’s Law, Runaway Train and Force 10 From Navarone.
Final Thoughts
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins is a big cheesefest, but it is an enjoyable one if you approach it with the right attitude. Fred Ward delivers a committed performance for a film that is fundamentally silly yet tonally unsure of itself. There is at least one really thrilling sequence worth checking out, and the rest of the film is a bizarre amalgam of moments. The film was not the franchise-starter it aspired to be, but as an ‘80s curio it works well. Kino Classics has brought this one back to Blu-Ray with a serviceable A/V presentation and an impressive number of special features. If you are a fan of ridiculous action films from this period, grab a group of friends and throw this one on. Recommended
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 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: Kino Classics 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.
