The Gunman is based on the novel “The Prone Gunman” written by Jean-Patrick Manchette, and stars Sean Penn as Jim Terrier, an ex-Special Forces soldier-turn-aid worker who finds himself on the run and the target of men trying to kill him.
The film opens in 2006 when Terrier is working as part of a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is there to build an airfield and provide security for an NGO (Non Governmental Organization) that is providing aid to the people of Congo during a turbulent civial war over the country’s precious mineral wealth. He and aid doctor Annie (Jasmine Trinca) have fallen in love, but she is unaware that Terrier has also taken on a side project with a private military group. The men are working on behalf of a rich corporation with vested interest in the local mining operations and politics. Their mission is to kill the Minister of Mining, and whomever takes the kill shot must immediately disappear from the country. Terrier’s superior, Felix (Javier Bardem), gives him the job—he has always been jealous of Jim’s relationship with Annie, and this would get him out of the picture.
The film picks up 8 years later with Terrier back in Congo, working for a new NGO—this time with no secondary motives. However, his past soon comes back to haunt him as he discovers that someone has hired the local militia to kill him. So, with the help of old friend Stanley (Ray Winstone), Terrier sets out to find the rest of those involved in the assassination mission, figure out who has put a price on his head, and why. What ensues is a deadly game of cat and mouse as Terrier tries to figure out who he can trust, and how he can keep those he loves out of harm’s way.
At 55, Sean Penn proves that age is just a number, and that he can still be a great action hero—he gives an excellent physical performance with some pretty spectacular and realistic action sequences. At the same time, he also delivers on the emotional side of his character, making you feel for and care about this Terrier’s well-being and motives. Throughout the films twists and turns we also get some other great performances by Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone and Idris Elba.
Overall, I found the film to be a slightly too long—15-20 minutes could probably have been cut from the first half of the film to speed up the pace and get to the action-packed thriller the film becomes in the second half. However, the second half more than makes up for the first. It had me on the edge of my seat with tense moments and wild explosive action.
The Blu-ray looks great—the picturesque settings are beautifully captured and reproduced on screen, and both dark and light scenes are detailed and clear, even during the fast-moving action sequences. The accompanying audio track is equally impressive. While I don’t have any Dolby Atmos speakers, the soundtrack still sounded excellent. Most of the dialog comes from the center speakers, but once the action kicks in, all of the speakers are utilized to bring the viewer into the excitement and be surrounded by explosions.
Unfortunately, there are absolutely no bonus features included on this Blu-ray—unless you consider 4 minutes of trailers for other films to be an “extra”. However, the combo pack does include both iTunes and Ultraviolet digital copies of the film.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:55:39)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- 480p / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- iTunes Digital HD Copy
- UltraViolet Digital HD Copy redeemable via Universal, Flixster or Vudu
DVD:
Digital Copy (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):
Extras:
- Previews (4:17)
Play All or select from trailers for Rosewater, Nightcrawler, Sabotage, Homefront, End of Watch, Hit & Run, The Grey and Killer Elite.
Final Thoughts:
While the film starts off a bit slow, it really picks up by the halfway point, and became a tense, action-packed thriller that holds your attention and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sean Penn delivers an excellent physical and emotional performance, and is joined by an equally-talented supporting cast. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great, but the discs contain no supplemental material. The film itself comes recommended, but without any added bonus features, new viewers may wish to either rent it first or wait for a sale, but fans of the film will enjoy the solid presentation.
