Sheriff Kilpatrick makes sure his town lives by the rule of the law. “We must not allow guns to do our thinking for us,” he decrees. But even a man as determined as Kilpatrick has his limits. When marauding outlaws kill his wife and his son, he invokes a new rule: the rule of the gun.

Richard Harris (A Man Called Horse, Unforgiven) portrays Kilpatrick, a deadly tracker seeking revenge. Kilpatrick is single-minded, unsparing, bullet-hard. Although his badge gives him no jurisdiction in Mexico, he still carries his pursuit across the border. Rod Taylor (Inglourious Basterds) plays Brand, a killer among killers, the murderous gang’s leader. The bad-guy role is a departure for Taylor, and he makes the most of it with gusto. His slaughter of the English language is exceeded only by the human slaughter he leaves in his wake.

The Deadly Trackers bears the explosive imprint of two action-movie specialists: director Barry Shear (Wild in the Streets, Across 110th Street) and screenwriter Lukas Heller (The Dirty Dozen, The Flight of the Phoenix). In their hands it becomes a heart-pounding adventure of justice at any cost. Where the law ends, The Deadly Trackers begins.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive released The Deadly Trackers on Blu-Ray in 2016 with a 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive. This release was from the early days of the label delving into Blu-Ray, but you can still see a high level of quality executed in the final product. There do not appear to be any egregious digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. The original photography seems to be a bit slapdash due to the conflicting visions, and detail can be rendered a bit soft due to this.

Largely, though, the level of detail and clarity is pleasing with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. The opticals can look a bit rough, but things get better outside of these moments. The film features an array of dusty landscapes filled with textural elements that saturate the screen. This also extends to the earthy color palette that stands apart as one of the most impressive elements of the picture. The restoration efforts are welcome with very little in the way of lingering dirt, nicks, or scratches. Black levels are acceptable yet occasionally lean a bit milky, and highlights are in good shape. The label has done what it can for this one to make it look its best.

Audio Quality

Warner Archive has delivered a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono presentation that holds up as admirably as the source will allow. The track juggles any vocal elements with the myriad of environmental noises for prime clarity. Even in gripping moments such as shootouts, it is rare to experience anything in the realm of instability in fidelity. The dialogue comes through clearly when it is supposed to even in more chaotic situations. The score from Fred Steiner accentuates the story well, but you may notice signs of strain in the upper registers. Warner Archive has provided a decent audio presentation that represents the source to the best of its ability. Optional English (SDH), French, Spanish (Castellano), and Spanish (Latino) subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Deadly Trackers is a film with a notoriously troubled production history and even worse critical assessment. It has some obvious issues, but the level of condemnation feels overblown relative to the quality. This tale of revenge is brutal and engaging, even if the editing can get a bit sloppy and the characters are cartoonish. It has an unflinching quality that may make some feel a bit woozy, leaning into the exploitative nature of violence. The performers do fine, but not everyone feels like they are performing in the same film. It’s a bit of a mess, but it is one worth sorting out. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation but practically no special features.

The Deadly Trackers 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: Warner Archive 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.