Manhunt: Unabomber is the latest real-life dramatization that has taken the country by storm and it’s a well cast and finely acted one at that with both Sam Worthington and Paul Bettany, along with veteran Chris Noth, turning in good performances.
Manhunt: Unabomber
(2017)
Genre(s): Drama, Crime, Suspense/Thriller
Lionsgate | NR – 340 min. – $19.99 | December 26, 2017
Date Published: 12/18/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MINI-SERIES — 4.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Manhunt: Unabomber tells the story of the hunt for the deadliest serial bomber in history. FBI Agent Jim Fitzgerald (SAM WORTHINGTON) – who pioneered the use of forensic linguistics to identify and capture Ted Kaczynski (PAUL BETTANY), the man who came to be known as the “Unabomber” – faced an uphill battle against Kaczynski and the bureaucracy of the UNABOM task force headed by Agent Don Ackerman (CHRIS NOTH).
Quick Hit Review: This was a well done mini-series drama, the type that seems to becoming more frequent thanks to the “Serial” podcast which has led way to Law & Order: True Crime chronicling the Menendez Brothers trial and even Investigation Discovery (the parent company produced Manhunt) has been getting in on the action, most recently with The Dating Game Killer TV movie. With Manhunt: Unabomber what really worked beyond the telling of the murders committed by the man, but delves into the lives of each Fitzgerald and Kaczynski, the latter getting an episode to himself, looking at his isolated lifestyle and showing some of his childhood. Both Sam Worthington, whose career thus far has been anything but impressive, was quite good and Paul Bettany transforms fairly well, though I did notice a tinge of his native accent trying to break through. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Unfortunately the included featurettes — Criminal Profiling (1:34; HD), Deciphering the Manifesto (2:32; HD) and Who is the Unabomber (1:44; HD) — are brief and probably originally released online. A Trailer (2:00; HD) is also available. |
VIDEO – 4.0/5, AUDIO – 3.75/5
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| This television mini-series is presented in its original 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer (MPEG-4 AVC codec) which, although I didn’t watch it when it aired on Discovery, probably more or less matches with how it looked on TV. Colors are decent and detail is relatively sharp. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is basic but effective with clear dialogue coming from the center channel with some modest depth with the score. |
OVERALL – 3.75/5 |
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Overall, Manhunt: Unabomber is the latest real-life dramatization that has taken the country by storm and it’s a well cast and finely acted one at that with both Sam Worthington and Paul Bettany, along with veteran Chris Noth, turning in good performances. The Blu-ray release through Lionsgate offers respectable video/audio transfers though the features were thin. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.