Bounty Killer

Good god, man. 'Bounty Killer' is one of the most insane, over-the-top action movies I've seen in a long time. I know the writers and director have been plotting this movie out for a while, and it seems that they just threw everything into one movie seeing as this might be their only shot to break into Hollywood mainstream. There is so much going on that it's difficult to know where to start. This was first a comic book, then a short film, now we have a 93 minute bloodbath full of crazy characters, a post apocalyptic world, Gypsies, and Gary Busey. Really, what more can you possibly want?

The box art says "The Road Warrior meets Kill Bill." I disagree with that and would say this is more the 1995 version of Judge Dredd with Mr. and Mrs. Smith added in for a love story. Sure there is a scene or so that is taken from 'The Road Warrior', but not much else. This is popcorn action schlock at its most cracked out. It's a hell of a lot of fun, even though the movie never makes a lick of sense, and is comprised of tons of ridiculous one-liners that will make you laugh out loud, some intense action sequences, and tons of blood. Needless to say the names of the characters and locations in the film seem to have been concocted by someone's 11 year old kid with a fascination with taking over the world.

The backdrop is set in the year 2042, where Earth is now a wasteland of sorts, due to big corporations that have basically destroyed Earth, but somehow the newspapers and magazines are still functioning. From this new somewhat desolate world, nine people have risen up to take charge and make these corporate CEOs and henchman, who are known now as Yellowties, answer for their crimes. Well not really answer, but brutally kill them by any means necessary. So the nine people created the Bounty Killer program.

Bounty Killers act as judge, jury, and executioner. Well, just executioner, by way of big guns, fast cars, and explosions. And these Bounty Killers are the big celebrities in today's world, as fans and paparazzi are there to get autographs and pictures of the famous killers. Two of the most famous killers are a guy named Drifter, and a woman named Mary Death, who are in a relationship. Their killing styles are very different. You could say one is a little but country and one is a little bit rock n' roll, but the two share a mutual connection for their love of killing and respect as we see in an opening sequence on top of a roof, where the blood and body count is high.

How do Drifter and Mary Death get their money, you ask? By taking their victims to a Chop Shop and Bounty Supply store run by a guy named Daft Willy, who pays them, tags the dead targets, and assigns them their new missions, which are handed down from the elite nine. But hold on to your butts, as Sam Jackson once said, because the next target is Drifter. If you were wondering if there is a Rob Schneider comic relief character in this movie, don't worry, there is. He goes by the name of Jack and is Drifter's biggest fan and becomes his gun handler of sorts and the punchline of most of the jokes. But who is behind this debacle. Why none other than the 'Terminator 3' villain herself Kristanna Loken and her right hand man Van Sterling (Gary Busey).

As Mary Death is trying to kill Drifter and his new sidekick Jack now, she goes back to her training facility called the Thirsty Beaver which is run by a fun Beverly D'Angelo to regroup and figure things out. Meanwhile, Jack and Drifter are kidnapped by face-painted Gypsies in the forest and also meet a guy named Jimbo who loves Pabst Blue Ribbon. You can probably see exactly where the story is going from the get-go. It's not that difficult to follow, but the story is all over the place with flashbacks to the past and an abundance of twists and turns.

Luckily director Henry Saine keeps the momentum of the film rolling fast and never lets up, even in the flashbacks. It's almost non-stop action, blood, and comedy. Not to mention some nudity thrown in for good measure. 'Bounty Killer' is a ridiculous movie in every way, shape, and form. But man, it's a lot of fun, and I'm excited to show this movie to friends and family. This is a keeper.

'Bounty Killer' comes with a great 1080p HD transfer presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Although this movie was filmed on a small budget, this video presentation is top notch. The detail is very sharp, with well defined closeups of all the actors, props, and costumes. We can see every scar, wound, and facial hair very well here. Even the wide shots are detail heavy and bright, which is unusual for a post apocalyptic movie, where the brightness levels are down.

The colors pop off screen when there are more than the yellows, browns, and oranges that tend to stick through most of the film. But the gory reds and the white and black face-paint on the gypsies look stunning and stand out, making this color palette presentation well balanced. The black levels are deep and inky with the skin tones running natural. Besides some minor motion blur where the heavier digital effects are, this a great video presentation, free of any issues.

I expected a balls-to-the-wall audio mix here. With its lossless DTS-HD 5.1 audio track doing a good job for the most part, it just lacks in the overall epic scale that this movie tries to be. I mean, 'Bounty Killer' is unrelenting with its action, gore, gunshots, and fight scenes. However, it seem that the audio was dialed back for some reason. Not quite sure why. The dialogue is always clear and easy to understand, even with some of the more ridiculous accents. It's also free of any pops, cracks, or hissing.

The surrounds get a good workout with all the bullets flying by, people screaming, explosions, and cars racing to attack their next victims. That being said, the audio track is never full immersive or loud as it should be for this type of film. And the directionality is decent, but never outstanding. The score and original music always adds to the suspense and action, while never drowning out the dialogue or effects. It's a decent sound mix, but could have been much more.

• Behind the Scenes (HD, 16 mins) - This is a fun, yet standard behind the scenes featurette that has cast and crew interviews and some on set footage as they all discuss the making of the movie. One thing I laughed out loud at was how the director and writer came up with the story.
  
• Trailers (HD, 8 mins) - Trailer for the film as well as a few other trailers for other movies.
  

'Bounty Killer' is an absurd, yet highly entertaining action thrill ride with zany characters and tons of action and blood. Needless to say, I can't wait to watch it again with friends and laugh at all the ludicrous stunts and dialogue throughout. The video presentation is top notch with the audio mix a step below that. The extras are small, but this is a fun-as-hell movie that you should add to your collection. Recommended.