The Beast (a.k.a. The Beast of War) is a powerful and emotionally charged portrait of a young soldier caught in a battlefield between his conscience and his country. Afghanistan, 1981, and the Soviet Union is locked in a futile and bloody battle with the mujahideen guerrillas. Separated from their patrol, the crew of a Russian tank engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the local insurgents led by Taj (Steven Bauer, Scarface). The tyrannical tank commander Daskal (George Dzundza, Basic Instinct) wreaks havoc on a peaceful Afghani village, pushing the moral boundaries of the tank driver Koverchenko (Jason Patric, Rush) to the limits. Sensing mutiny, the psychotic Daskal abandons the disenchanted tanker to die in the desert at the hand of rebels, only to find he’s sealed his own fate. Directed by Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), The Beast explodes with spectacular action sequences, and is a dynamic portrayal of fighting men who are able to find common bonds amid death and destruction.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/NtnntbeGwqs?si=mvOse5rSJeY3hrca&t=3772]

Video Quality

The Beast (1988) comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. This transfer is derived from an older master that was supplied by Sony and is making its domestic debut after being released overseas. Unfortunately, this master is not the most pleasing as it exhibits some notable bits of age-related anomalies such as unstable depth and density fluctuation. This is a film that could use an overhaul from Sony. There are fleeting bits of print damage that pop up, but nothing so substantial that you would label it a disaster.

The picture exhibits softness in establishing shots of the expansive desert, which can most likely be attributed to the source material. Interior shots of the tank that could be packed with little details are not well defined thanks to the murkiness and lack of delineation. Skin tones are fair, if not a touch warm, with some amount of detail discernible in closeup. The colors have a nice saturation and do not present with any unnatural hues. Black levels could be stronger, but there is little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a monumental issue here. Kino Classics has done what they can with the master they have been given, but Sony needs to return to the drawing board in the future.

Audio Quality

Kino Classics brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that is a somewhat better experience than the video side of things. Dialogue holds up pretty well, coming through clearly without being overwhelmed by the music or sound effects. This movie has a resonant score that sounds great within the mix. You do not hear any weakness when it comes to fidelity. The environmental effects such as the roar of the tank or the firing of bullets are given priority here with great presence within the speakers. The sounds of the action sequences and other exaggerated sounds bring some welcome weight to the mix. Kino Classics has delivered a favorable track here. There are optional English subtitles provided.

Special Features

Trailers: The disc provides the minute-and-a-half VHS Trailer for The Beast. There are also trailers provided for Rush, Missing In Action, Bat 21, Tristan + Isolde, and After Dark, My Sweet.

Final Thoughts

The Beast (1988) is a pretty effective tank warfare movie that conjures the claustrophobia and paranoia of the men inside the death machine. George Dzundza is effectively unhinged as the leader who pushes his men further into danger with each misguided decision. The movie never quite dips into big action-movie cliches, choosing instead to keep things grounded in character and motivation. Those looking for something cheesy may find this to be a bit too slow, but those who appreciate slowly building dread should feast upon this one. Kino Classics has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a passable A/V presentation and nothing much in the way of special features. If you like movies involving tanks, this is a great one to have in your back pocket.

The Beast (1988) 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.