Say what you want about director, Renny Harlin, but when it comes to action pictures, this guy knows which end of a camera is the business end. Harlin’s latest shoot’em up, 'The Long Kiss Goodnight', has been released on disc by New Line Home Video. This is the second consecutive action film in which Harlin cast his wife, Geena Davis, in the lead. In the last film, 'Cutthroat Island', many considered the choice of a woman to play a pirate leader inappropriate (I didn’t). In 'The Long Kiss Goodnight', the story opens with Davis as a small town school teacher suffering from amnesia. We then see her transformation into a lethal government assassin, a role she pulls off with great style and credibility. Also of note in the cast is the always excellent Samual L. Jackson as a low-rent private investigator hired by Davis to help her uncover her past. Unfortunately for him, he succeeds.
The transfer for this disc edition is, mostly, very good. There is a bit of grain noticable in some indoor and underlit shots, but it is never excessive. Colors are generally accurate with good saturation, although a bit of oversaturation, particularly in the reds, does show up in a few scenes. Image detail is excellent, as is brightness and contrast. The film was shot in Super 35 and this transfer is properly framed at 2.35:1.
The soundtrack for this film is of the "high energy" variety, boasting enough gunplay for two movies and a couple of truly impressive explosions. Dynamic range is wide enough to have many scrambling for the remote while the wide frequency response adds sparkle and clarity to the highs and mids and a nice, tight thump to the bottom end. The disc also contains a Dolby Digital soundtrack that is all that afficionados of that format could expect. The clarity and precision afforded by the digital 5.1 format never ceases to amaze with a soundtrack that contains as much power and energy as 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'. The final action sequence, with its huge, climactic explosion, alone is worth the price of the disc.
The film runs 120 and is spread to three CLV sides. This, no doubt, to accomodate the side and platter breaks which are thoughtfully placed. The disc is also chapter encoded with 29 markers. No trailer or other extras are included. List price is $39.95.
When I went to see 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' in the theatre, I only saw about two thirds, completely missing the final third (long story) so I have been looking forward to the disc release for some time just to find out how it ended. I was not disappointed. If you like a good action picture, I don’t think you will be either. Recommended.
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