Man
Down
(2016/Lionsgate Blu-ray)
Picture:
B Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: B+
U.S.
Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LeBoeuf) recently returned from Afghanistan, but
he only returns fight another war... a war within his mind. Desperate to return to his family, his
wife and son he can only rely best friend/war buddy Devin, but when he returns
to the states, he finds it not as he remembered ...but some sort of biological
apocalypse has occurred his only clue is the mysterious person named 'Charlie'
who holds vital information to his family in Dito MontielŐs Man Down (2016).
Gabriel
is an Afghanistan war veteran with a loving wife and son, but a soldier always
fights two wars, one on the frontline and one at home. Gabriel has flash
backs of his past, memories of spending time with his family and his boot camp
days with his best friend Devin, those were his best days and memories of his
life. Unknown to even himself, he
brought back the war with him. BUT
what Gabriel does NOT realize is Devin is dead, that Devin had already
died in the war and the post apocalypse America 'he' sees is also only within
his mind. While his body survived the war, his mind did not.
This
film was story through the eyes of a soldier with PTSD. That soldiers who return from war with
PTSD are unable to leave the war in their mind. Often they are broken and end up unable
to neither accept reality nor return to any kind of social norm. They live in the mind, trapped by the
trauma of the past they are unable to separate reality from fantasy and unable
to recognize friend, foe, or even family and due to their military training
they often react violently hurting others or themselves.
The
1080p 2.39 X 1 digital High Definition image is consistent and fine for the
format, but nothing to write home about all the time due to how it is
styled-down, while the lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mix has highlights
here and there, but is soundfield and sound mix inconsistent reflecting some of
its low budget. Extras include
commentary and trailers.
- Ricky Chiang
