The Film
The Tournament has all of the makings for a trainwreck. A problem-plagued production, a direct-to-video release, and a first-time director are all a massive recipe for disaster. However, I found myself enjoying The Tournament, bloody stumps and all.
"The Tournament" is an event that's held every seven years, pitting one hitman against another, in a battle to the bloody death. Each player uses an iPhone-type tracking device to find other contestants. Then, the mayhem ensues. The last man standing will collect a cool $10 million. Returning champion Joshua Harlow (Ving Rhames) comes out of retirement and into the contest, to seek revenge on the contestant that killed his wife. Another top contender, Lai Lai Zhen (Kelly Hu), happens upon unwilling participant, Father Joseph Macavoy (Robert Carlyle), and takes it upon herself to get him through the game, with his collar intact.
This direct-to-DVD film picks up a few cues from 1987's The Running Man, but with (slightly) better acting and more tummy-turning action. Rhames, Hu and Carlyle all do a decent job to keep a storyline going, but The Tournament plays best when it's not caring about its main characters. Just indulge and enjoy.
The Picture
Most of The Tournament is a dark, melee of action. Almost every scene is a barrage of bullets and flying body parts. The subject matter doesn't exactly lend itself to pretty colors and bright imagery. That said, this 1.78:1 transfer has some nice, realistic color. There's a good amount of grain and some of the detail is a mixed bag. The scene in the strip club is particularly hard to follow, because, well... it has the strip club lighting and all. However, I'm guessing that what we're seeing here is fairly close to the image that the filmmakers intended, and is limited ultimately by the budget and the quality of the production itself.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio track does a good job of delivering dialogue, even amidst all of the film's insane action. Most scenes have tons of chatter, bullets or explosions -- and sometimes all three. The track is good, but doesn't shake the walls like it should. Still, there's a good amount of bass that push a few scenes into some pretty impressive territory, especially given the budget and all. It's certainly not the best sounding action I've ever heard, but this track does give the soundfield a decent kick in the teeth.
The Extras
There are absolutely no extras on this disc. Zero. Zilch. Not even a stinkin' trailer.
Final Thoughts
If you like your shoot-em-ups with holes the size of Swiss cheese and a decent roster of stars, you'd probably appreciate the 2006 film, Smokin' Aces. However, The Tournament is a decent, insanely violent way to spend an afternoon as well. Just don't expect much in the way of acting, storyline or extras on this release. The transfer, however, makes it slightly easier to decipher the mayhem.
Product Details
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