Half Past Dead 2 (DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Film: C+

 

 

You don’t have to see Steven Segal in the first Half Past Dead (2002) to enjoy the surprisingly funny and amusing Half Past Dead 2 (2007) that eventually pairs former wrestler Bill Goldberg and rapper Kurupt as two convicts who have to join forces to save the women in their lives when they are trapped inside their hardcore facility during a sudden lockdown.

 

Instead of reveling in the violence and hopelessness of the situation, the story (co-written by former actor-turned-producer Andrew Stevens) is funnier and acknowledges all the “frontin’” going on as well as not wallowing in any violence that does happen, this is an “R” rated release.

 

Though no masterwork of cinema, it is at least a coherent and surprisingly consistent film and director Art Camacho deserves some credit for being able to follow a narrative all the way through; something most directors seem to have a problem with these days for some reason.  Tony Plana even shows up as a prison warden, but the mostly unknown cast fares well enough to keep Half Past Dead 2 more watchable than the more honest critics will expect it to be.

 

The 1.78 X 1 image was shot in Super 16mm by cinematographer Ken Blakely and comes up with a surprisingly watchable film, despite some limits likely from the Digital Internegative.  The picture is pretty consistent throughout, more so because it does not originate in HD all the way, allowing for a more gritty prison look without overdoing it.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has a surprisingly healthy set of surrounds and both add up to an ambitious B-sequel.  The only extra is previews for some other Sony releases.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo