Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) is nominated by the President (Jeff Bridges) for the Vice Presidency, but information and disinformation about her past surfaces, putting her confirmation in jeopardy from powerful committee chair Senator Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman). Both Joan Allen and Jeff Bridges earned Academy Award nominations for their performances.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/TWWb5imBhfk?si=MoHspKO7A_ZtCGGl&t=4336]

Video Quality

The Contender comes to MOD Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer that is passable and a step up in quality from the ancient DVD, yet we cannot help but plead for better. While there are no specific details available about the transfer, this is pretty clearly derived from a dated master that shows consistent signs of age-related wear and tear. A fresh master would undoubtedly elevate this one to greater heights, but by and large, the transfer looks pretty clear and somewhat detailed with only intermittent downturns in quality.

Colors are one of the admirable aspects of the disc with natural hues permeating the screen. Black levels are a bit lackluster in terms of depth and detail, but we did not experience serious crush or other artifacts. Specks of print damage are omnipresent without being distracting. The transfer retains its naturally filmic appearance with some objective detail in the production design and costumes. If anyone ever goes back to give this one the 4K UHD treatment or even a Blu-Ray remaster, we would welcome it with open arms.

Audio Quality

Giant Interactive brings us this Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that executes everything it needs to do without issue. Dialogue comes through resolutely, emanating clearly without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. The film features sporadic tense sequences such as the beginning accident or when it shifts into thriller mode that uses the subwoofer to good effect. The environmental elements are defined evenly and given precise placement throughout the speakers. All of the sounds of the world mix with the score to bring abundant life to the rear speakers. This is a track that represents this film as intended. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

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

Final Thoughts

The Contender is a somewhat familiar but well-executed presidential thriller that delivers some decent twists and turns that can be spotted by most seasoned viewers before getting to them. The intentions behind the narrative are admirable even if elements seem slightly dated – although many of the topics broached are painfully relevant. The reason to see this one out is the performances which are strong across the board. Joan Allen proves she should be the lead of more movies, and the supporting ensemble is a murderer’s row of heavy hitters. It is not a masterpiece, but it is solid mid-budget adult fare. Giant Interactive has released a Blu-Ray with a passable A/V presentation and barely any special features. Recommended

The Contender can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Giant Interactive 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.