Movie:
Silent Trigger, originally released theatrically overseas in 1996, was directed by Russell Mulcahy. The film stars Dolph Lundgren (Shooter/Waxman) and Gina Bellman (Spotter/Clegg).

On their last mission, Waxman refused to kill the target and his spotter, Clegg, was ordered to kill him. But before she could, they were discovered by the enemy and forced to flee. Working together, they managed to escape. Now they are paired again for their current assignment and Waxman is both unsure of Clegg and if he can go through the mission.

I had actually seen Silent Trigger once before on HBO a few years ago, though I had no idea until I started watching the film. As one can deduct from the summary above, the plot in Silent Trigger is both quite thin and quite clichéd. In fact, in both the movie and the credits, the main characters have no names – they were on the DVD case. The action in the film is pretty good, and the sniper rifle Dolph uses is awesome, but the lack of a plot and acting ability in both leads, coupled with the fact that the main bad guy through most of the film is a drugged out security guard, really makes it hard to watch with any continued interest.

Picture:
Silent Trigger was originally filmed in 2.35:1. Unfortunately, this DVD release only contains a pan and scan version (1.33:1). The transfer contains some specks and scratches throughout, though they are rarely distracting. Visible grain and edge enhancement are also present. Colors are generally well-saturated and vibrant, with accurate flesh tones and decent blacks.

Sound:
Silent Trigger is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0. The 5.1 track was a bit disappointing, as most of the action effects are stereo and not true front stage surrounds. The rear channels are devoted almost entirely to ambient noise as well as the score. Dialogue is crisp and clean throughout, with no distortion that I detected. Optional subtitles are also available in English and Spanish.

Extras:
Extras include filmographies for Lundgren, Bellman, and Mulcahy.

Summary:
While I would have preferred to see Silent Trigger in its original aspect ratio, the film is lackluster enough to advise skipping the DVD unless you're a diehard fan of the film, Lundgren, and the pan and scan format.