DVD Corner

The Rover Blu-ray Review

The backdrop of “The Rover” is more interesting than anything in the film.

Set in Australia, “The Rover” takes place 10 years after a major economic collapse in which people are depressed, hungry, and struggling to survive in a seemingly lawless violent time period. The main story of this film revolves around a man named Eric who is trying to track down his car that was stolen by a group of thugs led by Henry. In the midst of his search, Eric manages to run into Henry’s feebleminded brother (Rey) who was left for dead after a crime. Together, Eric and Rey road trip to find Henry and the gang, but what will they do when they find him?

Despite some heavy character moments involving Eric’s deranged past and some revealing moments involving Rey, “The Rover” is largely a minimalist film that is as sparse as the plot. Rather than digging into the intriguing bleak post-apocalyptic esque time period that these characters inhabit, writer/director David Michod’s (best known for “Animal Kingdom”) story is a strangely meandering piece that delves into the dark side of humanity. While the tone of the story is certainly fitting for the setting and atmosphere, there’s sadly very little going on storywise as Eric primarily wanders around Australia asking about his car and the people who stole it. Had the plot been more eventful, “The Rover” would have been a lot more watchable. As is, it’s merely a frustrating viewing experience with some solid acting.

On the subject of the cast, both Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson make an impression here. Anyone who has followed Guy Pearce’s career knows that he is always a consistent and versatile actor and that’s certainly the case here. As for Pattinson, the young actor is carving out a respectable career for himself in the post “Twilight” era. Between his work with David Cronenberg and now “The Rover,” there’s no question that he is a talented actor who should be taken seriously.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1 1080p. How does it look? The cinematography by Natasha Braier is far and away the highlight here and it looks perfect on Blu-ray.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD. How does it sound? The moments of sharp violence, the weird music choices, and the generally quiet dialogue are captured well with this DTS track.

Extras:
* Lionsgate trailers.
* “Something Elemental: Making The Rover”- A lengthy 44 minute making of featurette that contains cast and crew interviews (including many thoughts and stories from writer/director David Michod), set footage, discussions about how the project came about, film clips, etc.

October 2, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, The Rover Blu-ray Review