Three the Hard Way Blu Ray Review (Warner Archive Collection)

Three the Hard Way is a 1974 action film directed by Gordon Parks Jr (Super Fly, The Bushtrackers, and Aaron Loves Angela). It was written by Eric Bercovici (Square of Violence, Day of the Evil Gun, Out of Season, Take a Hard Ride, Shogun, McClain’s Law, and Hell in the Pacific) and Jerry Ludwig (Mission: Impossible, MacGyver, Fade In, Assignment: Vienna, and I-Spy). A lethal trio which includes Jimmy Lait (played by: Jim Brown from The Dirty Dozen, Any Given Sunday, The Running Man, Slaughter franchise, and Original Gangstas), Jagger Daniels (played by: Fred Williamson from From Dusk Till Dawn, Black Eye, Hammer, Black Caesar, Vigilante, and The Inglorious Bastards), and Mister Keyes (played by: Jim Kelly from Black Belt Jones, Enter the Dragon, Black Samurai, Take a Hard Ride, and Melinda) is on a dangerous mission to save a girl (played by: Sheila Frazier from Super Fly franchise, The Hitter, The Super Cops, California Suite, and NCIS) while getting their revenge. They’re out to stop a powerful white supremacist organization lead by Monroe Feather (played by: Jay Robinson from Dracula, The Robe, Skeeter, Transylvania Twist, and This is a Hijack) that plans to contaminate the water supplies of Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. with a mysterious substance that is a deadly poison only to the Black community!!!! Three the Hard Way is a 70’s blaxploitation feature that brings together three of it’s biggest stars in the sub-genre. It has a lower budget James Bond vibe to it. The script is full of crazy situations and twists. Jimmy wants revenge for his friend and his girlfriend Wendy has been kidnapped by some psychotic nazis. The iconic James Brown as Jimmy Lait is the leader of this group. He brings in his friends for help against this evil group that will kill anyone in their way. The legendary Fred Williamson as Jagger Daniels is the most dangerous one from this crew. He won’t let these racist scum bags get away with their crimes. The skilled Jim Kelly as Mister Keyes is the respected martial artist that can take you out with his hands and feet with ease. He doesn’t hold back even when it comes to corrupt cops. These three have amazing chemistry and it really drives Three the Hard Way into what it is. The supporting cast includes Sheila Frazier, Jay Robinson, Alex Rocco (The Godfather), Corbin Bernsen (The Dentist franchise), Charles McGregor (Blazing Saddles), Howard Platt (The Rock), Richard Angarola (Black Moon Rising), David Chow (That Man Bolt), Jeannie Bell (TNT Jackson), Marian Collier (Lethal Weapon franchise), Pamela Serpe (Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde), Marie O’Henry (Deliver Us from Evil), Irene Tsu (Steele Justice), Roberta Collins (The Big Doll House), and Junero Jennings (The Mack). Three the Hard Way is all about the action and violence, it has one of the biggest body counts of all time for cinema. All of the villains are awful and they deserve everything that they can get. It’s brutal, it doesn’t shy away from it at all. It has some excellent eye candy and nudity. It has a cool score and atmosphere. It’s definitely way over the top but it works for this. It’s a blast and a very fun experience, it’s something to watch with a group of friends. It’s a time capsule for the 70’s and it still has that retro feel to it. I’m so glad that this blaxploitation production finally got upgraded in HD, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special feature from the Warner Archive Collection! This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. It’s a massive upgrade over all the previous DVD and VHS home video releases. It’s most likely the best that it will ever look, I just don’t see this one going to 4K at all. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is great for being an independent 70’s production. Three the Hard Way never disappoints when it comes to it’s loud explosive action. The soundtrack also shines here. All of the dialogue is crisp, the revenge is elevated, and the music has a huge boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. The only extra on the disc is the “Trailer”. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!