Pawn [Blu-Ray]
Director: David A. Armstrong
Cast: Michael Chiklis, Common, Sean Faris, Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker
Release Date: Available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo & DVD April 23.
A Review By: Kevin Lovell
Film Rating: 8/10
Disc Rating: 8/10
Plot Summary:
An all-night diner. A cop walks in on a robbery in progress. But what happens next – and what happened just before – will change everything you think you know. The building is now surrounded. There are restless fingers on every trigger. And one very intense hostage situation is about to take some extremely shocking twists.
I wasn’t certain what to expect when I sat down to watch ‘Pawn.’ It is a film I previously knew almost nothing about aside from a few prominent cast members that
caught my attention, such as Michael Chiklis, Common, Ray Liotta, Forrest Whittaker as well as a few other familiar faces. What I got I was a surprisingly smart thriller revolving around a heist at a local diner and all the madness resulting from it, as well as preceding it. We all know the films that jump around in time can be done well and not cause confusion, or can go all over the place and completely lose the viewer in the process. This film is definitely one of the former examples, and it becomes evident throughout that the people behind the film definitely seemed to know what they were doing, which is certainly always a refreshing feeling when delving into this type of film.
One of the things that caught me pleasantly off guard about the film is the surprisingly convincing British accent by Michael Chiklis. I almost wasn’t certain it was him for a moment 
and even briefly considered the possibility it might be some British man with a similar appearance, but it was indeed him, and he does quite a convincing job with the accent, and portraying quite a nasty villain as well. It was also nice to see Ray Liotta back in the type of role that really seems to fit him like a glove, the calm creepy guy who’s intentions you are never quite certain of, though who nevertheless just gives off a calm and composed sense of uneasiness to the viewer throughout his time on screen.
For those of you out there who appreciate a clever thriller that can pull your attention and leaving you guessing throughout until the final chips are finally on the table, I would highly recommend ‘Pawn.’ It is a smart, well written and directed thriller with powerful performances all around. You won’t want to miss this one.
VIDEO:
The Blu-Ray release of ‘Pawn’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 2.40:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video is top notch overall. The
video is strikingly detailed, smooth and clean, no colors bleed into others, no motion blur or anything that could possibly detract from the video presentation could be noticed in any way. This release is definitely an extremely well done video transfer that doesn’t lack on anything and can’t possibly leave anything to be desired that isn’t already there.
AUDIO:
The Blu-Ray release features a lossless 5.1 channel Dolby TrueHD soundtrack which is pretty impressive. The audio is always clearly distinguishable in the center channel, while there is quite an abundance of noises, music and activity in the rear channels throughout. The action sequences really hit, so much that certain sequences with a shotgun blast at close range almost make you feel as if you are within the vicinity of the actual blast. No issues could be found, and as is the case with the video, the audio on the Blu-Ray is quite well done.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
While the Blu-Ray only features a single special feature, it is certainly a worthwhile addition to the disc. The special feature included on the release is ‘Pawn: Behind The Scenes’ which features an extensive look into what went into the creation of the film, the set’s utilized, and a tremendous amount of input by the actors and others involved with the film’s production that really help to give some insight into how much passion it seems was truly involved by everyone in bringing this story to life.
Film Rating: 8/10
Disc Rating: 8/10
‘Pawn’ will be available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo & DVD on Tuesday, April 23 from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
