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Blu-Ray : Worth a Look
Ranking:
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Release Date: May 14th, 2019 Movie Release Year: 2019

Cold Pursuit

Overview -

Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland makes his American debut by remaking his black comedy thriller, Cold Pursuit, starring Liam Neeson essentially satirizing his action archetype. This delightfully twisted movie invades Blu-ray with excellent HD video and satisfying Dolby Atmos track, but a lackluster bonus collection. Still, the overall package is Worth a Look for fans with a morbid sense of humor. 

Featuring a wildly entertaining mix of dynamic action and dark humor, Cold Pursuit stars Liam Neeson as Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver whose quiet family life is upended after his son’s murder. Nels begins a vengeful hunt for Viking, the drug lord he holds responsible for the killing, 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.

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Two-Disc Combo Pack, BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc / DVD-9 Dual-Layer Disc, Region A Locked
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
119
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, Spanish
Special Features:
Digital Copy
Release Date:
May 14th, 2019

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

You can read our full thoughts on Cold Pursuit in our review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray HERE.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Summit Entertainment bring Cold Pursuit to Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a flyer for a Digital HD Copy. The Region A locked, BD50 disc is joined by a DVD-9 copy of the movie and housed inside a blue, eco-elite case with a glossy slipcover. After several skippable trailers, viewers are taken to a menu screen with music.

Video Review

Ranking:

Revenge is best served cold on a great-looking, occasionally delicious 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 dish served to home theater screens with an attractive side of spot-on contrast. In a story set in the snowy winter of a small Colorado town, this is important, as it displays crisp, brilliant whites throughout, allowing for excellent visibility into the far distance and individual ice crystals to twinkle brightly under the sun. 

Unfortunately, black levels fluctuate considerably from one scene to the next, most flagrantly during the many, poorly-lit interiors where shadows look murky, lackluster, and largely fall flat with the tendency to engulf the finer details. Also worth noting is the intentionally muted palette, which noticeably leans teal-orange and significantly limits secondary hues throughout. That said, yellows and cyans are well-rendered. Primaries, too, are accurate and nicely saturated with reds, in particular, showing a welcomed, full-bodied pop. 

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, the freshly-minted digital transfer clears the road with excellent definition and clarity for a majority of the runtime. Fine lines along buildings, clothing and the roads are sharply detailed from a distance, and the small object decorating the background of homes are generally distinct. Facial complexions appear natural with revealing, lifelike textures in many scenes, especially during close-ups. However, there are also several instances of softness and poorly-resolved moments as well with a majority of them linked to the aforementioned interior scenes with poor black levels. 

Still, with all things considered, the results are pretty excellent. (HD Video Rating: 78/100)

Audio Review

Ranking:

Cold Pursuit debuts on Blu-ray with the same generally satisfying Dolby Atmos soundtrack as its Ultra HD counterpart. For a more in-depth take on the audio quality, you can read our review of the 4K Ultra HD HERE. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 84/100)

Special Features

Ranking:


  • Welcome to Kehoe (HD, 27 min): Typical EPK-like piece with cast & crew interviews.
  • Interviews (HD): With Liam Neeson (9 min) and director Hans Petter Moland (8 min). 
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 5 min).
  • Trailer (HD).

A popular ski resort town is caught in the middle of a drug war and a trail of dead bodies in Cold Pursuit, a black comedy thriller from Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland, making his Hollywood debut in this remake of his own film In Order of Disappearance. Starring Liam Neeson, essentially playing a caricature of his much-too-familiar action archetype, the American adaptation doesn't always hit its mark, but it nonetheless delivers a delightfully dark and twisted joy ride through the icy, cold mountains of Colorado. Vigilante vengeance takes hold of Blu-ray with an excellent HD video presentation and a generally satisfying Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Although bonus material is pretty lackluster and disappointingly small, the overall package is worth a look for fans with a weirdly morbid sense of humor.