An upstanding pastor uncovers a dark and twisted underworld as he searches for answers surrounding his daughter’s brutal murder. A high-octane original soundtrack and cameos from some of the biggest names in rock music set the tone as this horror-thriller reveals a game of revenge played using a new set of rules.
For thoughts on The Retaliators, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Retaliators comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Quiver Distribution in a 1080p presentation that is strong throughout. The cinematography is composed well with a hazy style both in bright daytime scenes and the moody night time sequences. The colors are given a bold, natural saturation which never disappoint when it comes to accuracy and vibrancy. The skin tones look precise all around with impressive facets apparent in close-ups such as the texture of makeup effects.
The white levels remain stable without veering into blooming, and the blacks only appear the slightest bit lacking at points without suffering from many compression artifacts. The natural environments and interiors deliver an incredible amount of detail and dimension from location to location. There are no instances of intrusive digital noise in the presentation outside of a few odd moments against certain backgrounds. Quiver Distribution has delivered a fine presentation for this one.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with a solid DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original English which brings the journey to life well enough. The movie gets more intense as you barrel towards the conclusion, but even the relatively calm moments provide some worthy environmental activity which comes through well. The score and the rock-heavy soundtrack resonates with a pleasing fidelity. The dialogue and sound effects such as impaling are balanced well with competing elements where nothing gets muddy in the mix. The low end of the track adds some appreciable heft to certain scenes. Surround channels are well engaged thanks to the variety of environmental noises. There is not too much to be upset about here. This comes with optional English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
- Cast Interviews: An 11-minute piece in which various cast members discuss the themes of the film, the facets of the characters, the atmosphere on set, preparation for the shoot and more.
- The Retaliators Music Videos: Five music videos totaling 22 minutes are provided here of songs from the film.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Retaliators is a difficult movie to get fired up about in either direction. The film has many elements that work for it including some strong makeup work, decent enough acting and a sturdy construction which delivers fun, intermittent thrills. Yet, there are some foundational issues that keep it from being something you want to rush to recommend. The story has an interesting setup, but it gets really lost in its ambition as the story plays out. The messaging of the movie feels murky at best, but the pacing becomes so brisk that you are almost dared to not notice. The movie should be better than it is, but it provides serviceable entertainment if you are a horror fanatic. Quiver Distribution has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fairly strong A/V presentation and a couple of special features.
The Retaliators is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Quiver Distribution 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
