Michael Douglas returned as a billionaire villain to only select movie theaters in March, but viewers who missed his work in the psychological thriller can appreciate Beyond the Reach (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Rated R, $24.99) now in Blu-ray and on-demand.
Based on the 1972 novel “Deathwatch,” the film features a deadly cat-and-mouse game as it plays out over the Mohave Desert. A poacher named Madec accidentally kills a man and attempts to silence a hunting guide named Ben by pushing him into a sun-baked trek.
Mr. Douglas is a blast to watch as Madec, an egotistical businessman with a sociopath streak who loves to hunt.
Star billing also belongs to our bad guy’s vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz G63 6x6, a luxury SUV worth roughly $500,000, has 544 horsepower and 560 pounds-foot of torque, and it looks like something out of a “Transformers” movie.
Within the story, I can forgive the unnecessary plot line about hunting guide and his college gal pal but found the ending of film, actually (minor spoiler alert), the second ending of the film, an idiotic denouement to what was a pretty captivating movie.
A fantastic digital transfer presents the work of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter who offers some gorgeous desert landscapes but equally impressive is watching the degradation of Ben’s body at the hand of the punishing sun.
This is the type of transfer you want to watch in an ultra-high definition television and an upscale Blu-ray player to absorb the stunning panoramas.
Blu-ray owners still get a nice selection of extras, surprisingly, for a film that did not do well at the box office nor was embraced by critics.
Tops is an optional commentary track with director Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, producer Robert Mitas and Mr. Douglas. It’s a lively, light discussion for the most part, highlighting production, casting, minutia with the cinematography and challenges with shooting in the desert.
Suffice to report, it’s always great to hear a legendary actor talk about a role, but Mr. Douglas goes AWOL about 2/3rd of the way through the commentary.
Also, viewers get a near 10-minute long Mercedes Benz commercial for the G63 and some of its ridiculous features.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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