1992 [Blu-Ray]

Director: Ariel Vromen

Cast: Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood, Ray Liotta

Release Date: November 5, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 7/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

From executive producer Snoop Dogg, 1992 is a tense crime-thriller that follows Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) as he desperately tries to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son (Christopher A’mmanuel) amidst the turbulent 1992 L.A. uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide.

‘1992’ accompanies a previously incarcerated father named Mercer who is trying his best to build a life and relationship with his teenage son after his release and working by day at a local metal factory. As riots begin to break out throughout Los Angeles after the verdict is revealed for the Rodney King trial, Mercer decides to bring his son with him to spend the night at the factory where he works in order to avoid the chaos plaguing the area they live. But what he couldn’t have fathomed was that a group of criminals including another father and son would take advantage of the chaos to pull a daring heist at the factory where he works and that he and his son will be caught up in the middle of it whether they like it or not.

Directed by Ariel Vromen (The Iceman, Criminal) from a screenplay written by Sascha Penn (Creed II) and Ariel Vromen and a story by Sascha Penn, Vromen does a solid job at the helm of ‘1992’ guiding along the tension and excitement with heart and style. The film’s cast includes Tyrese Gibson (Fast Five), Clé Bennett (Lucky Day), Dylan Arnold (Oppenheimer), Christopher A’mmanuel (TV’s Black Lightning), Michael Beasley (Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Ori Pfeffer (The Bricklayer), Tosin Morohunfola (TV’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves), Oleg Taktarov (The Man From Toronto), with Scott Eastwood (Wrath of Man), and Ray Liotta (Cocaine Bear), with the majority offering capable and fitting performances for the most part in each of their respective roles.

‘1992’ is an entertaining and intriguing tale that uses an unforgettable event in somewhat recent history in a relatively clever manner in order to craft a film that’s both a reminder and reflection of that sorrowful day as well as a perfect situation in order to craft a heist thriller that might not work nearly as well in any other scenario. Additionally it allows time to focus on both of the situations playing out as well as a pair of fathers and sons from drastically different worlds whose lives end up crashing together in unexpected and explosive fashion.

Part a tale of redemption and one man’s determination to stay on the right path and develop the relationship with his teenage son that he was unable to do while incarcerated, and exploring what he would be willing to do to avoid any questionable situations, as well just how far he might go if forced to take drastic action in order to keep his son safe. On the other side of the spectrum is far different family that’s more concerned with getting a job done right and not nearly as worried with protecting their own due to already troubled relationships built and forged over the years.

‘1992’ is filled with plenty of tension, heart and excitement and it does a mostly solid job of building the story around the real event and not completely ignoring the impact it had on so many who were unfairly treated, perhaps even worse than usual as chaos and violence ran rampant.  Director Ariel Vromen does a capable job guiding the tale along and making it work for the most part and his work behind the camera is only boosted by a notable cast that includes Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood and the always stellar Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. If you tend to enjoy a solid heist thriller with some real life focus to back it up or are a fan of any of the key cast, then ‘1992’ is definitely worth giving a chance and is recommended.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘1992’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation with the film’s original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks great as a whole and provides a clean and richly detailed presentation throughout that holds up nicely from start to finish without falling victim to any unexpected issues or faults. Detail looks solid on character specifics, the chaotic city streets and the various interiors on display throughout, while black levels are clean, deep and absent of any noticeable problems. Overall, this is a very nice high definition presentation that should satisfy fans and first time viewers alike.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack offers a fitting complement to the onscreen tension and delivers a clean, crisp and fairly aggressive audio presentation throughout. It frequently utilizes all seven available channels in order to send action, vehicle and riot effects, along with some other tidbits throughout the various speakers quite regularly, while still ensuring that any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously with one another remain clean and fully audible at all times. Overall, this is a solid Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that holds up without any trouble at every turn and shouldn’t disappoint.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘1992’ features a number of entertaining extras including an ‘Audio Commentary with Director/Co-writer Ariel Vromen & T’Shaun Barrett’, in addition to a few ‘Deleted Scenes’ from the film (running approximately 3 minutes in length altogether). We are also treated to a couple Behind the Scenes Featurettes including ‘A South Central Story’ (running approximately 12 minutes) and ‘Two Families, Two Worlds: Making 1992’ (approximately 25 minutes). The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (2 minutes) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Film Rating: 7/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

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‘1992’ is Now Available to Own on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack & Digital from Lionsgate

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You can purchase ‘1992’ on Blu-ray at Amazon HERE!

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