Drive Angry 3D Blu-ray Disc Review

The 3D Blu-ray edition of Drive Angry literally blasts its way into your living room with tires screeching and guns blazing. Although the plot is not all that original, and the execution of the film has similarities and references to films like Bullit, Gone in Sixty Seconds (1974), Vanishing Point (1971)and Death Proof, it certainly justifies the extensive use of "comin'-at-ya'" 3D effects that are actually well staged. Although there is some minor intermittent ghosting (most noticeable on dark scenes), the 3D holds up well. The 3D has a lot natural depth and does not suffer from "paper doll" effects (when badly executed 3D can result in objects that look like paper cutouts). In addition, the soundtrack complements the over-the-top action very well. For more on the story and action in the movie (presented in 2D), check out the Drive Angry YouTube Channel.

The Story

After an untimely death that lands Milton (Nicolas Cage) in hell, the devious religious cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke), kills Milton's daughter and kidnaps his granddaughter for the purpose of a satanical human sacrifice.

Seeing this all unfold from hell, Milton breaks into Satan's office, steals a prized weapon (as revealed later in the film), jumps into a '64 Buick Rivera and breaches the gates of hell to exact his revenge back in the world of the living. Of course, in order to accomplish his mission, Milton needs an accomplice, who of course is beautiful blond roadhouse waitress Piper (Amber Heard), who is down on her luck, but just happens to drive a '69 Dodge Charger with the license plate "DRV AGRY".

However, hot on his heels is Satan's "Accountant" (Willian Fichtner) who needs to return Milton to hell at all costs, and of course, it doesn't take long for the local police to find Milton's trail of revenge. What follows is a rollercoaster ride of violent action, dismemberment, nudity, sex (sometimes all mixed into the same scene), salty language sprinkled throughout, some subtle comedy, a lot of gunplay, and great muscle cars (which are actually the real stars of the film). Sound over the top? It is, but Drive Angry is a lot of fun (if you aren't squeamish), especially in 3D.

The Blu-ray Disc presentation

In viewing Drive Angry in both 3D and 2D I found the video transfer to be excellent with exceptional detail and color (although there were some instances of overly bright whites). I did not notice any over-processed post production image enhancement (although the CGI used in the beginning and end of the film wasn't that great). The skin textures, fabric, and the chrome and body work on the cars were very detailed in both 2D and 3D. In addition, the Midwest and Southern locations looked great and provided the perfect rural backdrop to the action.

3D

The 3D version, overall, looked good. The film was shot with 3D cameras and not done as a 2D-to-3D conversion. As mentioned in the "Bottom Line" section of this review, Drive Angry lends itself well to the use of comin'-at-ya' 3D effects. Although some of these effects were done well, in some instances it was overly exaggerated. Unlike Avatar, which employed more subtle 3D effects designed to draw the viewer into the movie, the comin'-at-ya' effects used in Drive Angry sometimes result in more of "push you back" effect. On the other hand, although there is some minor intermittent ghosting (more noticeable on dark scenes), the 3D textures and edges hold up well. The 3D has a lot natural depth and does not suffer from "paper doll" effects.

Audio

As far as sound quality goes, the surround sound mix of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 channel soundtrack was excellent throughout the film. I found the dialog, music, and sound effects tracks to be realistic and well-balanced, with well-localized surround effects. However, there were some instances during intense action that the sound was a little overbearing, but the issue didn't linger beyond the specific action involved. Your audio system will get a deserved workout with this one.

Bonus Features

Unfortunately, I did find the Bonus Features provided in this Blu-ray Release, were a little lacking. There were only two, very brief, deleted scenes, an audio commentary, and the BD-Live function only lead you to the Summit Entertainment website for upcoming Blu-ray and Film trailers - There were no BD-Live exclusives for Drive Angry.

On the other hand, one bonus feature I did like was "Drive Angry Access" which featured running picture-in-picture video commentaries and cast interviews, along with an onscreen pop-in scoreboard that tallies up Milton's body count.

Final Take

Summing it all up, Drive Angry is an intense action movie done in the "Grindhouse" style that will appeal to fans of genre, but it is deservedly rated "R" - definitely not a family film. However, as a Blu-ray Disc, even though the plot and script are thin, Drive Angry makes for a great visual experience, in either 2D or 3D. The daylight-filmed 3D action scenes are a great way to show off your 3D system to your adult friends and neighbors. On the other hand, if 3D is not your "cup of tea" the 2D version has a great visual look, and both versions include the same soundtrack mix.

Components Used In This Review

Home Theater Receiver: Onkyo HT-RC360 (on review loan)

3D Blu-ray Disc Players: OPPO BDP-93 and Panasonic DMP-BDT110 (on review loan).

3D TV: Panasonic TC-P50GT30 Plasma TV (on review loan).

3D Glasses: Panasonic TY-EW3D2MU and XpanD X103 Universal Glasses.

Loudspeaker/Subwoofer System (5.1 channels): EMP Tek E5Ci center channel speaker, four E5Bi compact bookshelf speakers for left and right main and surrounds, and an ES10i subwoofer.

Audio/Video connections: 16 Gauge Speaker Wire used. High Speed HDMI Cables provided by Atlona.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.