Oscar nominees Terence Stamp (Billy Budd), Lesley Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria), and Peter Fonda (Ulee’s Gold) team up with the director of Out of Sight and Sex, Lies, and Videotape for this critically acclaimed thriller that Newsday called “a lean and mean treat for savvy action lovers.” British ex-con Wilson (Terence Stamp) arrives in Los Angeles to investigate the mystery of his daughter’s “accidental” death. His prime suspect, the wealthy, heavily guarded music promoter Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda), is no easy target. Propelled into an increasingly brutal search for truth, Wilson, with single-mindedness and terrifying precision, moves unstoppably toward revenge.

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbNJ03D7SA]

Video Quality

Lionsgate presents The Limey with a pretty strong 2160p HDR Dolby Vision transfer sourced from a 4K restoration of the film. While this is my first time seeing the feature, the remaster for this release appears to be a very good representation of the film. Any minor specks of damage seem to have been eradicated completely. Detail and clarity is incredible with the natural film grain intact. There are no signs that any grain reduction has been applied, as you get a pretty gritty sheen that mostly resolves well. Admittedly, whenever you see certain expanses of the sky, the grain can become a bit overbearing. Also, any time there are flashbacks to clips of Poor Cow, the quality drops quite a bit due to the condition of the source elements. The texture revealed in the costumes and within the landscapes are much appreciated. Even facial details such as dripping blood or cuts and bruises present with impressive clarity.

The Dolby Vision HDR really pulls its weight, as it makes the California weather radiate with warmth while also weaving in moments that are cooler and more distinctly color graded. No matter the stylistic intention, each setting appears to be in command of its appearance. Skin tones look natural to the intent and the color saturation does not falter. White levels offer great stability without veering into blooming. Black levels maintain a strong amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Soderbergh really brings a dreamy quality to much of the runtime, so the picture can run a bit hazy or soft. Since this seems intentional with the source, we cannot complain, but do not expect this one to be razor sharp. There are also moments such as a memory of a roaring fire that intentionally streaks upwards which appears to be inherent to the source. This film has never been given a domestic Blu-Ray release, let alone a jump to 4K UHD, so most fans will be thrilled to have this in any form of high definition, but newcomers should know there is a softness to the photography which will not make this an A/V showcase.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track which handles the material without issue. The environmental sounds are presented well alongside everything else. The dreamy quality of the narrative expands into the sound design with overlapping elements and disjointed audio cues not being an uncommon experience. The low end response is not substantial in any particular way, but it does provide some decent texture to the proceedings. There also does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear to this one.

The track focuses pretty heavily on the front channels given the importance of dialogue, but overall there is a fairly broad soundscape which captures the precise sound design of the film with perfect fidelity. The track features some pretty constant activity even if it functions more as a mood piece than you might think coming in blind. The score and other music is used perfectly to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles it without issue throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to clip competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Lionsgate has given this film a solid audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a capable manner. There are optional English, Spanish and English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Lionsgate has provided The Limey with a sleek new SteelBook available exclusively at Best Buy that is truly lovely in person. The case comes with a removable clear slipcase with slivers of face that also look like red prison bars. The artwork underneath is a shot of Wilson in black and white with wisps of smoke, and the rear features a burning car. The interior sports a dreamy depiction of Valentine. The on-disc content is as follows:

Audio Commentary #1: Director Steven Soderbergh and Writer Lem Dobbs come together to provide an entertaining, informative and unique commentary track in which they take the audience through the movie, but not before starting off in a fractured manner reminiscent of the film. Once you stabilize, you get to hear how the script was shaped and shopped around for many years, the fractured nature of the narrative and how they had to dial in to a precise amount that worked for the story, the benefits of using multiple cameras to capture spontaneity, the performers in the film and more. What might be most distinct about this track is that Soderbergh and Dobbs have a number of disagreements about how the film should have been shot, and Dobbs is unafraid to express his opinion with passion.

Audio Commentary #2: Steven Soderbergh, Lem Dobbs, and actors Peter Fonda, Terence Stamp, Barry Newman, and Lesley Ann Warren provide a somewhat more traditional commentary track in which each subject is given time to provide insights into the film, yet there are still some artistic flourishes such as outside audio clips woven into the track.

Isolated Score: An option to watch the film only with the score audible as presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.

Final Thoughts

The Limey is a very bold and exciting film from the great Steven Soderbergh. This is very different from your typical revenge films, as it deals more with memory and regret than nonstop action. It is a very poetic take on the genre, and it is one that wows you both with its auteur flair and narrative construction. Terence Stamp delivers one of his most effective performances of his career, and the rest of the ensemble is complementing him capably. Lionsgate has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and a couple of great legacy special features, all in a top notch SteelBook package. If you are a fan of the film, this new release is a no-brainer. Highly Recommended

The Limey will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook on October 11, 2022 exclusively at Best Buy.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment 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.