In December 2023, I reviewed the 1996 Tibor Takacs film Sabotage starring Mark Dacascos. It was released on DVD for the first time and was great to revisit. Upon that viewing, I questioned why it hadn’t been released on Blu-ray and just DVD. Well, I was a little ahead of myself because the MVD Rewind Collection has added the title to their ever-expanding catalog this month. Since I already reviewed the film, I’ll include it below. I will, however, take a closer look at the disc itself and how it compares to the DVD.
Michael Bishop (Mark Dacascos) is former Special Forces, having been honorably discharged after he failed to save some hostages. Four years later, he’s working as a bodyguard for hire, and his client is assassinated. The feds take jurisdiction over the case, leaving him to deal with the ambitious Special Agent Louise Castle (Carrie-Anne Moss). The two stumble upon a conspiracy, much bigger than they expected, never relenting until they win the game.
On paper, Sabotage is nothing more than a by-the-numbers action thriller from the ’90s. That being said, it’s done well with solid performances. Three years before she swallowed the red pill and journeyed into The Matrix, Carrie-Anne Moss cut her teeth in modestly budgeted films. Even in this film, she’s such a class act, and you can see the hunger that would later shoot her to stardom.
Dacascos is one of the most charismatic action stars ever to grace a screen. He has a likability I don’t think any of the others have had. Tony Todd plays one of the main villains, and while we know he can be evil, this is a different type of character and a pleasant surprise.
The movie isn’t without flaws, but it’s a fun thriller with a couple of solid action set pieces that keep the story moving forward. Director Tibor Takacs has a long history in film and television and has consistently delivered entertaining popcorn fare.
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All MVD Rewind releases come with a retro-style slip, reversible artwork, and a mini-poster in the packaging. The film is presented in 1080p HD in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio with an LPCM 2.0 stereo soundtrack. What really stands out here are the extras. There’s a new interview with Mark Dacascos that runs just over thirty minutes and is fun and informative, as well as a Dacascos trailer reel. Tony Todd also contributes a new interview that’s equally informative and runs just over thirteen minutes.
As good as the DVD release was, this release is, without question, the better version. If you don’t care about extras and want to save a couple of bucks, go with the DVD. If you’re hardcore about the film, collecting, or performer fandom, this Blu-ray release is definitely the way to go.
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