Cold Pursuit is kind of standard action-thriller fair for Liam Neeson and while the script and supporting characters aren’t the strongest, it is an enjoyable enough film.
Cold Pursuit
(2019)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Crime, Drama, Comedy
Lionsgate | R – 119 min. – $42.99 | May 14, 2019
Date Published: 05/19/2019 | Author: The Movieman
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Lionsgate provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Nels Coxman (LIAM NEESON) is a snowplow driver in rural Colorado, whose quiet family life is upended after his son’s murder which was made to look like a drug overdose. Bels begins a vengeful hunt for Viking (TOM BATEMAN), the drug lord he holds responsible, eliminating Viking’s associates one by one. As Nels draws closer to Viking, his actions bring even more unexpected and violent consequences, as he proves that revenge is all in the execution.
Quick Hit Review: No doubt Liam Neeson’s tough guy machismo was greatly aided by the Taken franchise, which was run into the ground with the awful third entry, but he has cashed in with a variety of roles including Non Stop, Run All Night, A Walk Among Tombstones and The Commuter, with mixed results, though more with the script than Neeson himself. His latest, Cold Pursuit is much the same. For his part, Liam Neeson acquits well in the role, and it is nice to see him play a somewhat everyday man without a certain set of skills, as a fair amount of the damage his character does is with a snowplow, and is aided by happenstance as the main villain incurs the wrath of a rival. The supporting cast was fine. Laura Dern only has a small role playing Coxman’s wife, though she has only 10-minutes of screen time before bowing out and we don’t get the courtesy to see her return at the end; Tom Bateman is quite over-the-top as the primary villain, sort of reminding me of Joaquin Phoenix before he became a serious actor; and William Forsyth has a minor but important part playing Neeson’s ex-mobster brother.
Cold Pursuit, based on the 2014 Norwegian film Kraftidioten (In Order of Disappearance available on Blu-ray from Magnolia Home Entertainment) starring Stellan Skarsgård, from the same director, Hans Petter Moland and while it’s not nearly as good as the original, this is still some fine entertainment mainly for Liam Neeson more than anything with the sprinkling of dark humor that did elicit a few chuckles out of me. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Welcome to Kehoe: Behind the Scenes on Cold Pursuit (26:49) is a lengthy, at least by standards for new releases, making-of featurette with interviews with members of the cast and crew. Interviews with Liam Neeson (8:46) and Hans Petter Moland (8:20). Deleted Scenes (5:23) – Five scenes either were trimmed or cut. No commentary but probably due to pacing issues is usually the explanation. Theatrical Trailer (1:09) |
4K VIDEO – 4.75/5, BD VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Cold Pursuit plows onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray presented in its original 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and given 2160p and 1080p high-definition transfers respectively. Both formats look incredible, with the 4K being a clear winner with especially sharp detail and nice colors, courtesy of the HDR, though the whites particularly were bright while never appearing blown out. The Blu-ray also looked solid and although I did notice a difference, you won’t be disappointed with the picture. Dolby Vision is also available, but I don’t own the proper equipment to test. |
AUDIO – 4.75/5 |
| Both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs come with Dolby Atmos tracks which really put the audience in the wintery wilderness of rural Colorado. There is a fair amount of gunplay and action scenes in the movie where the track comes to life with great clarity, as does the dialogue via the center channel with the fronts and rears comprising the ambient noises and George Fenton’s score. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Cold Pursuit is kind of standard action-thriller fair for Liam Neeson and while the script and supporting characters aren’t the strongest, it is an enjoyable enough film, although I recommend the original Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance to watch beforehand. This 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo pack offers up great video and audio transfers and a so-so selection of bonus material. |
The screen captures came from the Blu-ray copy and are here to add visuals to the review and do not represent the 4K video.