Terminal Blu Ray Review (RLJE Films)

Terminal is a 2018 noir thriller film written & directed by Vaughn Stein (Assistant director for World War Z, The Fifth Estate, Elementary, & In the Heart of the Sea). This is Mike Myers first major motion picture since 2010! In the dark heart of a sprawling & anonymous city various characters cross paths. Two assassins that barely get along are waiting for a particular job. The seasoned veteran Vincent (played by: Dexter Fletcher from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Kick-Ass, Doom, & Gothic) & the egotistical rookie Alfred (played by: Max Irons from Dorian Gray, Red Riding Hood, The Host, & The White Queen) bicker as they try to complete their mission from the mysterious Mr. Franklyn. Bill (played by: Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Star Trek franchise, & Mission Impossible franchise) is a teacher down on his luck & dealing with his recent bad news of a fatal illness. Clinton (played by: Mike Myers from Wayne’s World 1/2, Austin Powers Trilogy, 54, & Inglourious Basterds) is a strange janitor that works at the train station & seems to know way too much. Annie (played by: Margot Robbie from Suicide Squad, I, Tonya, The Wolf of Wall Street, & Focus) is a waitress with a secret & she’s not what you would expect as you dig deeper into her world. They all have the misfortune of running into each other at the wrong times. Who can be trusted? No one’s true intentions are revealed until it’s too late. A criminal mastermind is hell-bent on revenge & sets up a chain of events that will change their lives forever!!!!

Terminal heavily focuses on it’s story & character development. It’s more about the people in this dark world than anything else. I can see why it’s hit or miss with most viewers because if you are one of those types that want non stop action & thrills this film is definitely not for you. I personally appreciate features like this because it digs deeper than your typical Hollywood popcorn production. You really get brought into their lives & get to experience everything through their eyes as they are going through it. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bore fest or anything like that because it does have it’s violent moments & when they do happen it’s worth the wait for this slow burn. Something like Terminal actually makes you think & go with every twist they throw at you. There’s more than a few in this especially the end which really took me by surprise. That usually doesn’t happen, I am pretty good at figuring out stuff before it goes down but this was a breathe of fresh air. It’s well written, directed, & acted so it’s quality all around.  Margot Robbie coming off her Oscar nominated performance from I, Tonya delivered one of her best roles. Mike Myers & Simon Pegg prove once again they can do more than comedy. I love when both of them get characters like this to display their true skills as actors. The atmosphere is almost like another character in this rather than just being a background. The bright colors really stand out during some of the scenes. It’s a pleasure to experience & visually stunning.  I think more people were expecting a mindless action fest with this film & didn’t expect it to be more story/character driven. This kinda flew under the radar & I haven’t seen too many talk about it at all. Hopefully, this review helps out & gets it the attention it deserves because it’s a nice little gem that provokes more than just watching it.

Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from RLJE Films! This 1080p (1:78:1) transfer looks gorgeous! The stylish cinematography from Christopher Ross (The Cottage, Black Sea, & Trust) really shines on this! The bright colors/lights pop out on the screen & it just adds so much more to the environment of this dark story piece. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track very clean & elevates the feature at the right moments. It also includes English SDH & Spanish subtitles. Both the picture & the sound on this are very impressive. It’s a great experience & the film stands out from others with it’s attention grabbing shots. It’s one of those flicks you really enjoy the vision that was displayed with it’s own style.

Let’s discuss the special features from RLJE Films from this disc! “The Cast of Terminal” is a little over 6 minutes.It features interviews with director Vaughn Stein, actors Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Margot Robbie, Dexter Fletcher, & Max Irons. They chat about the project. They talk about the story & all the characters involved. Margot Robbie mentions this is the first time she’s produced a film. “Building the World of Terminal” is a little over 6 minutes. It features most of the same people as the other feature plus various crew members. They bring up the style of the film & the unique characters. They go over the locations. The director mentions his intentions for the feature & the goals he had in mind while making it.  “From Concept to Creation” is 2 minutes & it compares the original storyboards to the actual film. 18 second “Photo Gallery” is included on here. It comes with a slipcover also. This was definitely way better than expected & I highly recommend it! It’s available everywhere this Tuesday!!!!