PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Cold Pursuit (Blu-ray) (2019)

Cold Pursuit (Blu-ray) (2019)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 29-May-2019

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Action Deleted Scenes
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Welcome to Kehoe (26:46)
Interviews-Cast-Liam Neeson (8:43)
Interviews-Crew-Hans Petter Moland (8:17)
Theatrical Trailer
Rating Rated MA
Year Of Production 2019
Running Time 118:33
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Hans Petter Moland
Studio
Distributor

Sony Pictures Home Entertain
Starring Liam Neeson
Tom Bateman
Tom Jackson
William Forsyth
Laura Dern
Emmy Rossum
Julia Jones
Case Standard Blu-ray
RPI ? Music George Fenton


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Atmos 7.1
English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0
French Dolby Atmos 7.1
German Dolby Atmos 7.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 1080p
Original Aspect Ratio 2.40:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired
French
English for the Hearing Impaired
German
Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) is an ordinary family man, a snow plough driver in the small ski town of Kehoe in the Rockies who has just received the Citizen of the Year award. But his quiet existence comes to an end when his only son, who works at the small local airport, is found dead from a drug overdose. Nels’ wife Grace (Laura Dern) is devastated and leaves the marriage. Nels is contemplating suicide when he discovers that his son had in fact been murdered by drug dealers based in Denver controlled by Viking (Tom Bateman) who had been using the Kehoe airport to import drugs. Nels thus gains a purpose in life; obtaining information from his brother Brock (William Forsyth), an ex-gangster, Nels starts to kill his way up through the drug gang members to get to Viking. Viking is a violent and ruthless man but has other troubles, fighting with his ex-wife Aya (Julia Jones) for custody of their young son Ryan. When his men start to go missing Viking puts the blame on the rival Native American drug gang led by White Bull (Tom Jackson) who control Kehoe and he decides to send them a message, killing White Bull’s son. White Bull is confused but quickly fights back and a gang war erupts with Kehoe policewoman Kim Dash (Emmy Rossum) trying to work out what is happening. Then Nels kidnaps Ryan to get to Viking and the film heads towards its bloody climax.

     Cold Pursuit is an American remake of the Norwegian thriller In Order of Disappearance (Kraftidoten) (2014), made by the same director as that film (Hans Petter Moland) and using the same cinematographer (Philip Ogaard). When I reviewed In Order of Disappearance on this site some years ago I commented that it was a standard revenge story made very watchable by a good cast including Stellan Skarsgard in the lead role, jet black humour and the spectacular snowy Norwegian landscapes. Looking now at Cold Pursuit I still find the film a pretty standard revenge thriller. The cast is decent; Liam Neeson can do this sort of role in his sleep these days but is always worth watching and Domenick Lombardozzi as Viking’s main man is good although Tom Bateman is nowhere near as menacing as Pal Sverre Haagan as the brutal, vegan, ecology aware gangster in the original film and Laura Dern is pretty much wasted. Cold Pursuit was filmed in the Canadian Rockies and the snow-covered mountains are indeed spectacular but the jet black humour of the original does not really translate that well and in Cold Pursuit feels forced.

     If you have not seen In Order of Disappearance, Cold Pursuit is an acceptable and entertaining thriller with Liam Neeson, good action sequences and stunning mountain scenery.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

     Cold Pursuit is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     Shot digitally using Arri Alexa cameras, widescreen exterior shots of the snowplough clearing the roads throwing snow out on each side, the mountains draped in cloud or snow or Nels’ cabin isolated in the snow are stunning and clear despite many of the scenes being filmed in falling snow or closed in conditions. In close-ups Neeson’s craggy face shows strong detail. Interiors fare less well with a very browny look while interior shadow detail not as pristine as I expected. Exteriors in the town at night have that very digital yellow glossy glow. Colours in the club scene include a very bright red while explosions are a vivid yellow / red. Marks, artefacts and motion blur were absent. Skin tones are natural except under the yellow lights, contrast and brightness is consistent.

     English and French subtitles for the hearing impaired are available plus French and German. White English subs automatically translate a line of Native American dialogue.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice of English, French or German Dolby Atmos (which defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1), English or French descriptive audio (Dolby Digital 2.0).

     I do not have a 7.1 set-up but this film sounds as one would expect in 5.1 during the action sequences with gunshots and impacts on car bodies, glass and people, thumps and falling bodies. The quieter moments are also very good with the whistle of the wind or the clack, clack as the trolley in the morgue is very painstakingly cranked up. The subwoofer is well used to add rumble to the sounds of the snowplough as well as explosions.

     The score by George Fenton was quirky and comes over cleanly in the mix.

     There are no lip synchronisation issues.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Deleted Scenes (5:12)

     Six deleted scenes play in sequence without any breaks or explanations. Nothing essential.

Welcome to Kehoe: Behind the Scenes on Cold Pursuit (26:46)

     Plenty of film clips, some on-set footage and comments from director Hans Petter Moland, producers Michael Shamberg, Ameet Shukla, cast Liam Neeson, Micheal Richardson, Tom Bateman, Julia Jones, Tom Jackson, John Doman, Domenick Lombardozzi, screenwriter Frank Baldwin, cinematographer Philip Ogaard, the production designer and costume designer. Items discussed include the style and look of the film, the story, characters, Liam Neeson, the director, remaking the Norwegian film although a producer is adamant that it is an adaptation, not a remake, the mountain locations, the costumes, the black humour and their “situational comedic” intentions. The working title of the film as shown on the clip boards was “Hard Powder” which of course has a couple of meanings!

Liam Neeson Interview (8:43)

     Neeson answers questions shown on a text screen about how this character is different from others he has played in action films, the fight scenes, working with Laura Dern, his approach to the dark humour, shooting in the cold locations and the director.

Hans Petter Moland Interview (8:17)

     The director answers questions (in English) shown on a text screen about his inspiration for the original Norwegian film, his reaction to be asked to remake it, working with Liam Neeson and some of the other actors.

Theatrical Trailer (2:36)

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

     Except for some language and subtitle options this release of Cold Pursuit is the same as the US Blu-ray.

Summary

     Cold Pursuit is another US remake of a Scandinavian thriller. A standard revenge tale, it is well made by the same director and cinematographer as the original film, Liam Neeson is good and the locations are beautiful to look at. If you don’t mind reading subtitles though check out the original In Order of Disappearance.

     The Blu-ray has decent video and audio. The extras are minor but acceptable.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Ray Nyland (the bio is the thing)
Monday, October 14, 2019
Review Equipment
DVDSony BDP-S580, using HDMI output
DisplayLG 55inch HD LCD. This display device has not been calibrated. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
Audio DecoderNAD T737. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
AmplificationNAD T737
SpeakersStudio Acoustics 5.1

Other Reviews NONE