Blackhat 4K UHD Review
“Blackhat” is a low point for Michael Mann.
Written by Morgan David Foehl, 2015’s “Blackhat” begins with a nuclear meltdown in Hong Kong and a stock market malfunction caused by a blackhat hacker. The Chinese and United States Governments join forces to try and find the hacker. The team is led by Captain Chen and his sister Lien, FBI Agent Barrett and Deputy US Marshall Jessup. Knowing they need help, the team recruits an imprisoned hacker (Nicholas Hathaway). The global search for the hacker turns out to be fraught with peril as the team encounters a paramilitary team, death, and harrowing situations. Nicholas also finds himself becoming a fugitive by making law breaking actions in order to capture the culprit.
Director Michael Mann has had a storied career with films like “Thief,” “Heat,” “The Last Of The Mohicans,” but “Blackhat” is definitely not one of his bright spots. Despite its strive for authenticity in depicting cyber crimes, cyber terrorism and hackers, the thriller’s clunky story falls flat. It feels like screenwriter Morgan David Foehl made a checklist of things he wanted to put into the story and forced them into together whether it be a forced romance, random shootouts and fights, goofy and dramatic looks inside a computer (which happens more than once), eye-rolling plot conveniences (Captain Chen being college roomies with Nicholas) and a frankly disgusting finale in which Nicholas lures the hacker into a crowded situation where innocent people are endangered and murdered.
Visually, the film looks a lot like “Collateral” and “Miami Vice” as Mann continues to stick to digital cameras. There’s a plethora of handheld shots and a specific color palette that is reminiscent of those previously mentioned films. Personally speaking, the digital cinematography of Mann’s more recent work just does not hold up especially when compared to his work on film. Sure, it tries to be more grounded and realm, but it lacks that cinematic feel.
Chris Hemsworth is woefully miscast here. He’s not cut out for these type of dramatic roles, his accent is bizarre, and it feels like the studio tried to shoehorn him into this in order to find a proper starring vehicle for the actor. Luckily, the supporting cast fares better with the likes of Viola Davis, Leehom Wang and the always underrated Holt McCallany.
Note: Viewers have the option of playing 3 versions- The US Cut, the International Cut, and the Director’s Cut.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.40:1 2160p (for U.S. and International Versions). How does it look? The digital camera cinematography really shines in 4K.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The track is satisfactory despite the clunky voice dubbing/sound mix.
Extras:
* 2 separate interviews with cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh and production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas.
* Image gallery
* Commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry.
* “The Cyber Threat”- A featurette on hacking and cyber crimes.
* “On Location Around The World” covers location shooting.
* “Creating Reality” revolves around creating realistic characters.
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