13 Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men
For more about 13 and the 13 Blu-ray release, see the 13 Blu-ray Review
Maybe the only thing more risky than a movie remake is someone putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger. Director Géla Babluani does both
(well, one literally, and the other he forces his actors into performing) in 13, but in this rare instance, neither proves all that harmful (no
actors were really shot in the head during the production of this film). See, not only is 13 a pretty thrilling little movie, it's also a
remake of a movie that Babluani already made -- 2005's 13 Tzameti -- so it's probably better called a "reworking" than a "remake" or even a
"re-imagining." It looks like Babluani is getting off pretty easy after all, so one can only hope he didn't get into a game of chicken on the freeway on
his drive home from the set. The kinda-sort risk taking director does pull off an impressive feat with 13, all kidding aside. It's a thrilling little
spectacle that focuses on human greed, true fear, and the lengths some people will go to for a more secure financial future. Part original (despite the
whole "reworked" angle) and part
stale, the movie's tension and primary plot far outweigh the rather bland side
story of personal greed getting in the way of basic human decency, a side story that's more than worthy but that takes a back seat to 13's
terrifying and bloody main event.
Vince watches 'The Deer Hunter' on a monitor off-camera.
Vince (Sam Riley) is an electrician who just wants to put in a hard day's work and take home an honest day's pay. But his life -- and bank
account -- are turned upside down when his father lands in the hospital and requires more operations than the family can afford, even after they've
sold off a
house they've worked 18 years to pay off. A desperate Vince takes advantage of a bit of "good luck" -- which may be a curse disguised as a blessing
-- when the man he's been working for dies. Vince had once overheard his employer discussing a get-rich-quick scheme, and after doing some
stealthy digging, he
collects the critical information from the man's desk. Vince soon finds himself part of an underground competition that will do more than raise the
hairs on the back of his neck -- it'll blow them clean off. Vince, contestant number 13, finds himself part of a deadly game of multiplayer Russian
Roulette where the only skill involves standing one's ground and pulling a trigger without losing one's lunch or, literally, losing one's mind.
There's perhaps nothing more valuable than a human life, except, perhaps, a life is laid down in the name of some greater good that each man must
weigh against the specter of the ultimate sacrifice. That's more or less at the heart of 13, a movie where contestants must choose an
almost
certain death or the potential of an enormous payday. It's also the story of one young man who chooses the unknown, the mere proposition of
instant
wealth, blindly, rushing into a potentially dangerous venture where everything, up to an including his very soul and life, might be at stake. It's a
very
good premise, and one that's almost perfectly fulfilled. It's chilling and thrilling, heart-racing and nerve-racking, a movie that throws straight and
predictable 100 mile-per-hour heat at the audience, at least until it tosses a big fat curve at the end. Granted the side story of rich men cavalierly
throwing their money
into
a pot and their souls into oblivion isn't very satisfying because said characters go relatively undeveloped or, at best, underdeveloped, but 13
easily surpasses this otherwise debilitating obstacle thanks to a genuine sense of tension and almost uncontrollable sense of fear that emanates
from the
film's
most critical scenes. It's not the next great cult movie, and it's not much of a game-changer, but 13 is polished, thrilling, and suspenseful
entertainment.
What makes 13 work as well as it does is the film's rather strong and sympathetic lead character. It's not always easy to like Vince -- he
basically commits fraud, but at least he does so in the name of what he believes to be a greater good, making him rather stupid, but not necessarily
evil
and certainly not heartless, quite unlike the people with whom he will quickly become associated -- but it's very easy to forgive his past
transgressions when sweat pours from his brow while there's a .357 magnum pointed at his head. Sam Riley is very good in the lead role. He
shines when the life-and-death pressure is on the character, and that he can emote such a genuine visual sense of fear truly sells the part. It's not
only the sweat and a look in his eye that sells it; it's the quaking that truly seems to emanate from his very essence, which yields nearly
uncontrollable physical convulsions. Indeed, all of the actors to some extent do a very good job in conveying the sheer terror of the situation they're
in, but Riley captures the uncertainty, anxiety, and outright terror of the thing expertly. The rest of the cast is strong, but as noted above, the
characters played by the likes of Jason Statham and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson go painfully undeveloped, though their performances are just good
enough so
that they don't appear to be in the movie just to pad their bank accounts and resumés.
13 spins onto Blu-ray with another strong 1080p Blu-ray transfer from Anchor Bay. Warm flesh tones and general colors are the norm, but
they nevertheless look quite good. The palette is usually vibrant, particularly in early scenes outside the underground roulette area. Black levels are
generally solid, though multiple black suits seem to melt into one another and into darker backgrounds. Fine detail is strong throughout. Facial textures
are adequately complex, clothing textures appear intricate, and there's never a surface that appears anything less than naturally textured with a lifelike
precision. A few shots do go completely and unexpectedly murky and soupy, but such are vast exceptions to the rule. A coating of film grain yields a
handsome film-like texture, and clarity, aside from those handful of sloppy shots, is superb. Despite an instance or two of jagged edging, the image
appears free of any distracting artifacts. Overall, this is a satisfying and enjoyable 1080p transfer from Anchor Bay.
13 shoots out a fair Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The picture opens with heavy, rattly, almost unkempt bass, but the low end tightens
up nicely as the film moves on. Music is nicely presented; it enjoys an adequate sense of spacing, a steadiness throughout the range, and a fair bit of
surround support. The track also yields several quality directional effects, and not only basic elements like footsteps traversing the stage. Spinning
revolver cylinders and the distinct click of cocking hammers sound authentic and frightening, particularly in the dead silence of the movie as
they're often the only sounds heard leading up to the inevitable. The gunshots themselves aren't exactly the most potent sounding things ever to grace
Blu-ray (and oddly enough, the movie makes no mention of how deaf these folks would be with several .357s going off in an enclosed space,
and there's only one scene where the sound is muddled through a "ringing" in a character's ear), but they're adequately loud and powerful. Minor
ambiance occasionally creeps in, though it's sometimes lost under music and effects. Dialogue, as expected, is center-based and crisp. All in all, this is a
solid, but in no way spectacular, Blu-ray soundtrack.
13 is a pretty darn good little movie. It manages to elicit an incredible amount of tension even if much of it is both predictable and
repetitive. It does offer a satisfying twist ending, though some of the character's tactics defy logic (trusting the USPS with a precious package? Ha ha,
that's a good one). Still, Director Géla Babluani does a very good job getting the most out of the material, and he should, considering it's basically his
second time making the movie. It probably doesn't have much immediate replay value, but it's good enough to add to the old Blu-ray collection. Anchor
Bay's disc is featureless, which is a real shame, but the video and audio presentations are up to par. Recommended if and when it goes on a good sale.
Starz/Anchor Bay have revealed that they will release on Blu-ray Georgian director Géla Babluani's 13 (2010), starring Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Alexander Skarsgård, Ray Winstone, and Ben Gazzara. 13 is a remake of director Babluani's shocking thriller 13 Tzameti ...
All countries
