It is not very often that I look at a Blu-ray case and can exclaim “this is crap” even before putting the movie into my Blu-ray player. However, when I see the film is “by a producer of Righteous Kill”, and features 50 Cent as both an actor and an Executive Producer, I am skeptical. Then, I notice it is from the wildly inconsistent Lionsgate (home of classics such as Wrong Side of Town).
Be assured, loyal readers, that I have done you a service this day. Due to my review, I hope that none of you will ever need to subject yourself to this painful exercise in cinema. While some films are unintentionally funny due to their badness, some are simply unwatchable. Caught in the Crossfire is clearly in the latter category.
Film ![]()
Think of your favourite cop show (like NYPD Blue or The Shield). Now replace the good actors with bad ones, replace good cinematography with excessive moving camera and close up shots, take the script and write it at a Grade 1 level, and now you’re getting close to this film. Also, remove the linearity of the plot, tell it through a series of disjointed flashbacks, and grind the pacing to such a point that you hope, no, beg for the film to end.
Best I can figure is there are two cops who investigate a crime where another cop is killed, then they lurch madly (without rhyme or reason) from vignette to vignette to find the truth. Not only is the plot full of holes, and logic broken at multiple points in the film, it is never really compelling or exciting. The level of the crime itself (a few bags of cocaine) makes one wonder what the point is at all (and not in a deep “commentary on society” way).
Of course, after the excrutiating trek to the end of the movie, there is a reveal (surprise!) of who the real bad guy is, and (of course) the hero saves the day and gets their revenge.
It is difficult to describe the number of levels on which this film fails. It fails as a drama (poor acting), it fails as an action film (not enough blow up), and it fails as a cop movie (sadly unable to elicit empathy or outrage on behalf of the good cops).
As a good cop, Chris Klein (Briggs) looks motivated for the right reasons, but his obvious training in the “Keanu Reeves” school of acting does him in. Surliness, frowning, monotone yelling, and speaking through gritted teeth does not a character make.
As the other main cop, Adam Rodriguez (Shepherd) is a much better actor, and does more with the poor script. However, this is still a Grade B acting performance in a Grade C movie.
The rest of the characters are ancilliary; really just moving and talking props.
After watching this film, the only questions I have left are “Was this film made simply as a tax shelter proposition”, or “Was this film the winner of a Grade 3 story contest”?
Video ![]()
Shot on video, this film has an extremely clean print with plenty of detail and sharpness. Light scenes are good, and overall picture quality is good, though the dark scenes certainly lacked definition and depth. The color is washed from the film (obviously deliberately) with the intent of giving this a gritty, sepia-like quality. Overall, this effect is done very well.
I have a serious beef with the cinematography (lurches between unremarkable and nauseating), but both types of shots were done with a crisp transfer.
Audio ![]()
The audio for this film was done reasonably well, though was nothing outstanding. Dynamic range could have been better (gunshots sound like firecrackers), and often times, the dialog in the centre channel became muddy or low. The LFE channel was used sparingly, though the surrounds were used in a judicious manner. Actually, a better audio presentation than I would have expected from a movie of this quality.
Special Features ![]()
Outtakes and trailers. That’s it. Another F for eFFort.
Final Thoughts
One of the most interesting parts of this disc was when I put it in. Up popped some Lionsgate trailers, two of which made my stomach turn (Open House, and one where a girl takes a power drill to a guy’s leg). Best part, I couldn’t access the Blu-ray menu from these and was forced to watch or skip them.
I say this is interesting, as by the time I was done watching Caught in the Crossfire, I thought that both of these movies looked like they would have been a better investment of my ninety minutes. Ouch.
