Director Rob Cohen has been in the film industry for quite a long time and has made some interesting movies, some of which have been huge successes while others have been bombs. Films like Dragonheart, The Skulls, xXx, and Fast and Furious are amongst Cohen's projects. Then again as of recently, he's given us Alex Cross and Boy Next Door. Cohen's latest project is The Hurricane Heist, which mixes the natural disaster genre along with a bank heist film, which I'm trying to remember if that's ever been done before.
The film itself is an absolute mess. The storylines between the characters, along with the chaotic pacing is staggering to watch, however there are some fun moments, along with some decent visual effects throughout. In addition to that, Cohen throws in some hot political and social topics too, including character discussions on owning guns and protecting the environment. It's laughable for sure, but it serves its purpose.
Basically what we have here with The Hurricane Heist is a family who doesn't get along well in the center of a Category 5 hurricane, along with a robbery worth hundreds of millions of dollars. There are scientists, meteorologists, and bank robbers in this movie, who all cross paths. With hostages and money on the line, not to mention one of the meanest and baddest storms the world has ever seen, The Hurricane Heist never really slows down with action sequences. It's just how it's handled is where it fails.
Having the poorly setup backstory with two brothers who never seem to get along is one factor in the film that never truly pans out, along with some fairly absurd action set pieces that are even more laughable than Twister's climactic scene that shows two people hook themselves onto a pipe with a belt in a tornado. None of it makes any lick of sense and the dialogue is petty, but there are some fun moments to be had. I just don't know how well it will hold up on multiple viewings.
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
The Hurricane Heist comes with a 50GB Blu-ray Disc and a DVD copy of the film. There is an insert for the digital download as well. The discs are housed in a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve.
This release comes with a 1080p HD transfer and looks fairly good, all things considered. The color palette of the film is mostly dark and gloomy, due to the hurricane storm that happens in the film, not to mention the dark room of where the money is kept for the heist. Still, these colors are well balanced and look accurate. There just isn't the nuanced shading or intense colors that can be seen easily that is showcased in the HDR10 4K UHD presentation.
There are some decent primary colors here and there, but they don't show up too often in the form of yellows or reds. Black levels are deep and the skin tones are mostly natural. Detail is sharp and vivid and showcases good facial features, practical makeup effects such as scars and wounds, along with wardrobe stitching. The CGI hurricane doesn't completely look soft, but it doesn't exactly have a ton of detail, either. The clouds that form look the most fake, which can be laughable at times. Lastly, there is some video noise to be seen, but it's not entirely distracting.
The Hurricane Heist comes with an impressive Dolby Atmos track that utilizes each horrific storm sound. I was truly satisfied with this audio mix that just delivers on every level. The sound effects of the hurricane are loud, robust, and at some times scary. The thunder brings a giant rumble of bass each time that crashes hard and furiously. The rain drops fall hard from the height speakers that completely immerses you into the eye of the storm.
The wind howls with great directionality at all times, too. In addition to that, there are many other sound effects and ambient noises, such as traffic, engines revving, people screaming or talking, and even gun shots that all sound impressive and pack a forceful punch. Some of the reverb of dialogue and other sound effects in bigger rooms sound excellent and true to their cavernous nature. The music always adds to the suspense, if not silly moments throughout. It's mostly a forgettable score, but it's also quite loud, which can be distracting at times. Dialogue is clear and easy to follow along with and free of any pops, cracks, hiss, and shrills. What a lovely audio presentation.
Audio Commentary - Director Rob Cohen delivers an informative commentary track here, if not a bit dry. He talks about the story, casting the roles, working with a heist and natural disaster storyline, and more. If you're a fan of the film, you'll enjoy this commentary track.
Eye of the Storm (HD, 18 Mins.) - Is a longer than normal promo puff piece with plenty of cast and crew interviews, on-set footage, and behind the scenes information. It's actually quite good and it looks like people had a good time making this.
Hollywood Heist: A Conversation with Rob Cohen (HD, 24 Mins.) - An excellent interview with director Rob Cohen on film, his work, genre movies, filmmaking, and being in the industry for many years.
VFX Reel (HD, 4 Mins.) - An all too short look at some of the CGI effects made for the film.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 2 Mins.) - A couple of scenes that were left on the cutting room floor.
In the end, The Hurricane Heist is one of those movies you'll want to watch with a group of friends and make fun of it, all in the spirit of MST3K. There are some impressive set pieces, but it's all lost in the narrative. The Dolby Atmos mix is top notch, while the 1080p HD presentation looks good enough, but has a few issues. There are some decent bonus features, too. If you're a fan of these over-the-top movies with big action sequences, this might be for you, but only for a Rental.
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