Explosive special effects and high-caliber weapons make for the ultimate manhunt in this hard-hitting action adventure starring Ice-T, Rutger Hauer, Charles S. Dutton, Gary Busey, and F. Murray Abraham.

Ice-T is Mason, a homeless man recruited by a band of wealthy hunters to lead an expedition into the Pacific Northwest. But on the first day of the hunt, he discovers a lethal surprise … he’s the prey.

It’s gut-wrenching action from start to finish as the game begins and the hunters learn a deadly lesson: never underestimate a man who’s got nothing to lose.

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Video Quality

Surviving The Game debuts on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer derived from a new 4K scan of the Interpositive. Shout! Studios has rescued this one from the land of standard definition with a transfer that looks exceptional. Print damage has been nearly completely eliminated with any blemishes fleeting at worst. The transfer maintains the natural film grain of the source without any traces of digital manipulation to obliterate the details. The grain is organic rather than noisy or clumpy, allowing for pure texture to the image.

Clarity and detail are plentiful with some of the stomach-churning practical effects quite visceral in closeup. The traditional elements such as the urban landscape and the sprawling wilderness render more clearly. Skin tones appear to be natural and consistent across the ensemble. Colors are pleasantly saturated with earthy hues providing nuance to the palette. Black levels are mostly deep and hold up well with crush not serving as a significant issue. Shout! Studios has made fans of this one quite happy.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in its original English audio which represents the soundscape well. This presentation appears to be in pretty solid shape. One of the more intensive elements of this soundscape is the environmental effects while Mason is trying to trek through nature. The score from Stewart Copeland springs to life with ideal fidelity while avoiding age-related wear and tear at the highest amplitudes. The intensity of the soundscape is enough to lock you into the thrill of the narrative and have you gripping your seat. Every element has a distinct flavor that never devolves into a sonic mess. Dialogue comes through clearly without any indications of crackling or sibilance. Shout! Studios has taken care of this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Ernest Dickerson provides a welcome commentary track moderated by Michael Felsher in which he shares his history, what drew him to this project, how he was initially in talks to direct Blade and Seven, his memories of working with the performers, and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Surviving The Game is not the most thrilling adaptation of “The Most Dangerous Game”, but director Ernest R. Dickerson brings enough style to the proceedings to keep things engaging as ‘90s exploitation cinema. The main stumbling point of this feature is having Ice T in the lead role, as you could use someone with a bit more range and screen presence to draw you in. The performers bringing the hunters to life are all fairly talented, even if they are written to be a touch too insane from the beginning. If you want a mindless action-thriller, it does the trick, but it does not nail the social satire as well as it could with a little more care. Shout! Studios has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a couple of cool special features. If you have been waiting to upgrade this one up HD, this disc is a good one. Recommended

Surviving The Game 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: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.