Directed by Paco Cabezas, 2014's Rage, written by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller (the guys behind Dario Argento's Giallo), sees Nicholas Cage playing a man named Paul Maguire. Like a lot of people in movies with titles like Rage, Paul has a past, one that he's not all that proud of. See, he was once a very violent criminal, a bad man, the kind who hurt people. That's all behind him now, however, as he's living life on the straight and narrow and trying to be the best dad that he can be for his daughter Caitlin (Aubrey Peebles) and the best husband that he can be to foxy wife Vanessa (Rachel Nichols). Things seem pretty balanced for the guy until late one night he's old by a cop named Peter St. John (Danny Glover) that Caitlin has been kidnapped, snatched from their home where just a short while ago she and two boys where hanging out.

Caitlin's friends talk about the scene and note that it was basically an armed invasion and he almost immediately takes it upon himself to hit the streets and get his daughter back. Sooner rather than later, Caitlin is found dead and Paul decides that this must have ties to his past, likely to some Russian mobsters he was once involved with. From here on out, Paul is driven by one thing and one thing only: bloody revenge. And if he has to maim and torture and kill to get it, he's completely okay with that and his two pals from back in the bad old days, Kane (Max Ryan) and Danny (Michael McGrady), aren't going to argue with him.

Let there be no doubt that Rage feels awfully familiar in a lot of ways. While most are immediately going to think Taken (which is fair), there's just as much of A History Of Violence working its way into this picture as well. While the script, which is riddled with a lot of action movie clichés, never approaches the depth or blistering levels of intensity that Cronenberg's critically loved picture does, the whole ‘sins of the past/you can't teach an old dog new tricks' motif it explored is definitely a big part of what drives this movie. Too big, really, because despite a few twists (and admittedly there's one in particular that not only works quite well but which is a genuinely clever surprise) this one doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the pack.

Having said that, the movie isn't terrible, in fact, it's decent enough if completely disposable entertainment. Cage doesn't bother with the ultra-twitchy over the top style he's used to embarrass himself in a few of his more recent clunkers and instead delivers a more subtle performance than some will likely associate with him. He handles himself well in the action scenes and plays the angry, revenge driven middle aged man well enough. He's got a street thug style here and it fits the character. He doesn't really give us enough in the way of emotional turmoil to really tug at our heart strings or play to our sympathies but that lies at the fault of the writer rather than the actor. While there are a few spots where he freaks out and does the whole ‘Nicholas Cage' thing it isn't really on the level here that some of his more notorious outings deliver. Rachel Nichols is fine in her supporting role and Glover, while underused and really not all that well fleshed out in terms of his character, is also fine.

But again, none of this really makes the movie stand out. Action fans, particularly those of us with a strange affinity for straight to video entries starring actors past their ‘best before' date, will likely enjoy it more than those looking for more serious drama. Rage offers some violence and some tension but fails to provide interesting characters or any lasting impression. Disposable entertainment is still entertainment and it works on that level, just don't expect anything more than that.

Video:

Rage arrives on Blu-ray in 2.35.1 widescreen in a very nice AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer. Shot on high end digital video the image is pretty much pristine and obviously there are no issues with heavy grain or print damage, dirt or debris. Color reproduction is very strong here, bold colors like red look really good without ever being oversaturated. Black levels are also strong, nice and deep and free of any heavy crush. This movie has been tinkered with in post a fair bit so there are obvious color shifts but they're supposed to be there. Detail is typically very strong here, in close ups and long distance/medium shots as well, while texture is also pretty solid. You get the impression that this is how the movie is ‘supposed to look' and the Blu-ray picture quality on this disc leaves little room for complaint.