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Nick of Time
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
I suppose it probably looked like a good idea on paper, but the final product didn't turn out to be too exciting. A 1995 thriller with a few decent moments of suspense, "Nick of Time" seems to take way more than its 90 minutes, which unfold in "real time".
The plot starts off introducing us to Watson(Johnny Depp), a father on vacation with his young daughter. Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, his daughter is kidnapped; he's handed a gun and told that he has to kill the governor or his daughter will be killed. That's about it for the plot, which is occasionally silly and mostly, pretty uninteresting.
The performances are pretty opposite of each other; Depp is mild-mannered and flat, rarely gaining that much intensity. Walken is over-the-top as usual, going a little too overboard at times to be believable. Roma Maffia as the sidekick of the Walken character is dull and weak in the role. None of the performances really elevate the film beyond the average; nor does the direction, which keeps the film going for 90 minutes in "real dull" time, apparently.
The film offers a few decent moments, but for a thriller like this, there's not nearly enough tension to carry the film. It's an interesting premise, but it doesn't quite work overall.
The DVD
VIDEO: This is one of the first anamorphic transfers that Paramount did when they re-started doing anamorphic transfers about one year ago; although their efforts are fine, it really doesn't liven up a dull-looking movie. Sharpness is consistently very good, and detail is acceptable as well. The picture's color scheme is pretty flat, opting for a dark, subdued look that doesn't make for a very interesting viewing experience. Flesh tones are a little pale looking as well at times, but generally look acceptable.
Paramount's transfer has a few noticable problems, though. A few isolated areas show a few minor marks on the print used, but these instances are not terribly distracting. A tiny bit of grain and some slight pixelation are also visible, along with the occasional touch of shimmering. Other than that, the picture quality is generally pleasing, offering a nicely detailed image that's pretty consistent.
SOUND: "Nick of Time" has an enjoyable audio presentation, but it's not terribly agressive or involving; there is some limited surround use during the action scenes - it's noticable, but not major. The musical score sounds very deep and solid, with an intense presence that helps along the movie. Crowd scenes (and there are a few of those throughout the film) provide a nicely open and enjoyable experience, but a lot of the film remains as a dialogue-driven thriller. Dialogue is natural and easily understood. Nothing remarkable in terms of audio, but it gets the job done.
MENUS:: Pretty unremarkable main menu, simply re-using the cover art.
EXTRAS: Just the trailer.
Final Thoughts: Skip it. Nothing too great about the movie and an average DVD from Paramount.
I suppose it probably looked like a good idea on paper, but the final product didn't turn out to be too exciting. A 1995 thriller with a few decent moments of suspense, "Nick of Time" seems to take way more than its 90 minutes, which unfold in "real time".
The plot starts off introducing us to Watson(Johnny Depp), a father on vacation with his young daughter. Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, his daughter is kidnapped; he's handed a gun and told that he has to kill the governor or his daughter will be killed. That's about it for the plot, which is occasionally silly and mostly, pretty uninteresting.
The performances are pretty opposite of each other; Depp is mild-mannered and flat, rarely gaining that much intensity. Walken is over-the-top as usual, going a little too overboard at times to be believable. Roma Maffia as the sidekick of the Walken character is dull and weak in the role. None of the performances really elevate the film beyond the average; nor does the direction, which keeps the film going for 90 minutes in "real dull" time, apparently.
The film offers a few decent moments, but for a thriller like this, there's not nearly enough tension to carry the film. It's an interesting premise, but it doesn't quite work overall.
The DVD
VIDEO: This is one of the first anamorphic transfers that Paramount did when they re-started doing anamorphic transfers about one year ago; although their efforts are fine, it really doesn't liven up a dull-looking movie. Sharpness is consistently very good, and detail is acceptable as well. The picture's color scheme is pretty flat, opting for a dark, subdued look that doesn't make for a very interesting viewing experience. Flesh tones are a little pale looking as well at times, but generally look acceptable.
Paramount's transfer has a few noticable problems, though. A few isolated areas show a few minor marks on the print used, but these instances are not terribly distracting. A tiny bit of grain and some slight pixelation are also visible, along with the occasional touch of shimmering. Other than that, the picture quality is generally pleasing, offering a nicely detailed image that's pretty consistent.
SOUND: "Nick of Time" has an enjoyable audio presentation, but it's not terribly agressive or involving; there is some limited surround use during the action scenes - it's noticable, but not major. The musical score sounds very deep and solid, with an intense presence that helps along the movie. Crowd scenes (and there are a few of those throughout the film) provide a nicely open and enjoyable experience, but a lot of the film remains as a dialogue-driven thriller. Dialogue is natural and easily understood. Nothing remarkable in terms of audio, but it gets the job done.
MENUS:: Pretty unremarkable main menu, simply re-using the cover art.
EXTRAS: Just the trailer.
Final Thoughts: Skip it. Nothing too great about the movie and an average DVD from Paramount.
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