Info
- Director: Deran Sarafian
- Starring: Charlie Sheen, Nastassja Kinski, James Gandolfini
- Year: 1994
- Runtime: 102 Minutes
- Company: Mill Creek
- Format: Blu-ray
- Discs: 1 - 25GB
- Video: 2.40:1 - 1080p - AVC
- Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
- Region: A
- Released: 5/15/2012
Film
The '90s saw a slew (by slew I mean Point Break, Speed and the Keanu-less sequel Speed 2: Cruise Control) of blockbusters films centered around an adrenaline pumping scenario involving either cars, boats and dozens of other death defying acts with heart throbbing hunks & a pretty gal at the center of it all. Action classics like Point Break had surfing/skydiving, Speed had a 50 MPH bus and Terminal Velocity borrows skydiving & trades Keanu for Charlie Sheen! What follows is an admittedly surprising, fun film that is no must-see-classic but definitely late afternoon entertainment fodder.
Ditch Brodie (Charlie Sheen) is a washout Oympian turned hot-headed skydiving instructor who's rebel tendencies earn him points with the ladies but little else. When a gorgeous-seemingly inconspicuous woman (Nastassja Kinski) strolls in looking to skydive for the first time, it seems like another day on the job until a split second twist sees Ditch entangled in a nefarious cat & mouse game with the Russian mafia.
You'll be able to guess all the plot points before they happen in Terminal Velocity and hey, that's a-ok. This isn't some Shyamalan groan inducing twist, you're hitting play to watch Charlie Sheen crack wise and kick some ass while doing it. Terminal Velocity delivers just that. Sheen expectedly is great here and delivers quite a bit of charm. Nastassja Kinski is a total babe and kicks the majority of asses. Plus, villainous turns from Christopher McDonald (with a hilarious blonde hairdo) & James Gandolfini are a blast to watch and it's clear they're reveling in it.
The action scenes are so-so and tend to be bogged down by some no longer state of the art blue screen but the finale is pretty great and warrants your time. If you're looking for a quick fix in the action department that includes explosions, stunts and pre-Adonis DNA Charlie Sheen, look no further but temper your expectations. Terminal Velocity is a serviceable romp that earns it's place amongst the little league of actioners.
Blu-ray
- Video
As part of their deal with Disney/Buena Vista, Mill Creek brings Terminal Velocity to Blu-ray for the first time with a 2.40:1 framed, 1080p transfer that is above average for a budget catalog title. The film's warm/dusty color scheme is consistent throughout with natural looking flesh tones. Colors & detail are nicely balanced but the transfer is soft looking at times. However banding does rear it's head now and again but it's hardly distracting. Considering the extremely low price of this disc, adding this to your collection is a no-brainer.
- Audio
The English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track packs quite a punch and handles the films' various action sound effects with ease. Airplane roaring, gun shots, skydiving, explosions, etc all blast through the surround channels. Dialogue is clear as well. Surround Sound equipped viewers will find much to love here.
Bonus Features
- Theatrical Trailer
Purchase
