Barry Forshaw
There was a time when the DVD revolution seemed to be the last word in home cinema physical media – then along came Blu-ray and had viewers wondering why we once thought so highly of its predecessor. The latest technological development, 4K, is not quite (on the surface) as revolutionary – as the picture quality of Blu-ray was already so analytical – but sometimes a disc comes along which can set new standards of technical excellence – as is the case with this eye-popping new version of Charles Russell’s pulse-raising thriller. Arnold Schwarzenegger fans will know what to expect (particularly if– as is likely – they will have caught the film in one of its earlier iterations), and the Austrian Oak delivers a monolithic but effective performance. Apart from Russell’s skill with action sequences (of which the film boasts a cornucopia), there is the added presence of two major Hollywood stars who may be somewhat past their best but still are utterly reliable: James Caan and James Coburn, both of whom supply a sharp level of characterisation. This 30th Anniversary edition includes new bonus content featuring the director, along with star Vanessa Williams reflecting on the making of the film 30 years later.