(Portions of this review are copied from our Digital HD format review.)

“Walk away, ’cause if you think you’re investigate adultery Mr. Taggart, you don’t know Nicholas Hostetler very well.”
 
Seven years after the wrongful death case against him was thrown out of court, former police detective Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) has become a private investigator. His clients are men and women trying to get evidence of their spouse’s infidelities. New York City mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) is nearing the end of a tight reelection race, and hires Taggart to look into his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) to avoid any last-minute surprised. Cathleen Hostetler is aware she’s being followed, and warns Taggart that her infidelity is not what her husband is really interested in. Taggart soon finds himself mixed up in a world of murder and political corruption, and it all seems to revolve around a lucrative housing project deal brokered by the mayor. While Taggart was originally the one doing the investigating, he soon discovers that others are watching him as he tries to expose the corruption. The film also stars Jeffrey Wright as police commissioner Carl Fairbanks, Barry Pepper as Hostetler’s rival Jack Valliant, and Kyle Chandler as Valliant’s campaign manager.

 
Broken City plays out like a noir detective story (though without the hard-boiled PI narration)—which may be why it didn’t really speak to me as I have never really been drawn to that genre. I thought the film set up an interesting plot, and had a few unexpected plot twists. However, I found the overall pacing of the film to be too slow. The movie picked up by the second half, but never quite became the thriller I had hoped it would be. Mark Wahlberg was one of the highlights of the film. He does a good job giving some emotional depth to Taggart—from the troubled man trying to stay sober, to the loving (then jealous) boyfriend, to the detective determined to uncover corruption. I also really enjoyed the performance by Alona Tal, who plays Katy Bradshaw, Taggart’s intern/assistant. This character was fun and interesting. I would actually really enjoy a lighter film or TV series centered around her work as a PI’s assistant.

On the flip side, I was not pleased with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Russel Crowe—and they are two of the biggest stars in the cast! Zeta-Jones was hardly even in the film, and when she was, many of her lines were so generic and cliche. She is capable of so much more and it was a shame to see her in such a poorly written role. Crowe’s character also felt a bit too cliche and one dimensional. He played this generic corrupt mayor—they could have pretty much swapped in any actor in the role and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

I found the picture to be quite clear, even in darker scenes, and didn’t see the graininess I would have expected from a noir-type thriller. The sound was also really good—the DTS MA soundtrack really accentuates the mood with a tense background score and clear dialogue.

In my DigitalHD review, one complaint I had was the lack of bonus features. Sadly, this Blu-ray Combo Pack doesn’t include very much more. There are a handful of deleted scenes and some additional interviews/behind-the-scenes featurettes. All of this amounts to less than 45 minutes of supplements. It would have been nice to have an audio commentary and gag reel (though there is a trace of the latter in one of the deleted scenes).

As for my recommendation on Broken City, I would say rent it first if you have not seen the film as I can’t really recommend a blind buy at the $20 sales price at the time of this review.

What’s Included:

Film (1:48:56):

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1
• English SDH, Spanish, Italian subtitles

DVD:

• 480p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English DD 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish Surround DD 2.0
• English SDH, Spanish subtitles

Digital Copy: (Redemption Deadline 4/30/2015)

• iTunes Digital Copy (transferred via the DVD)
• Ultraviolet Digital Copy (Vudu or Flixster)

Extras (Only available on the Blu-ray):

• Deleted Scenes (8:35)
  Contains a Play All option, or you can view the following 6 scenes separately: “The LA Premiere”, “Jimmy Luv”, “The Mayor’s Wife”, “Reflecting”, “You Were Right”, “Alternate Ending”. Overall these didn’t add much—a couple are incredibly short, and at the end of another you see Mark Wahlberg break and hear the crew laughing.
• Putting it All Together (34:59)
  Contains a Play All option, or you can view the following featurettes separately
  • Introduction (:54)
    Director Allen Hughes talks about the aspects of Noir films that are present in Broken City.
  • A “Black List” Script (4:44)
    Screenwriter Brian Tucker talks about his inspiration for the script, and the difficulties in getting the film made. Director Allen Hughes and star Mark Wahlberg talk about what drew them to the script.
  • Anatomy of a Thriller (8:13)
    The writer, director, editor and actors Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Russell Crowe, Alona Tal and Mark Wahlberg talk about making the film. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.
  • A Cast Profile (6:59)
    Producer Randall Emmett, director Allen Hughes and cast members Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jeffrey Wright talk about the characters and the casting process.
  • Achieving the Look (5:29)
    The cast and creators talk about giving the film its gritty noir look.
  • Allen Hughes’ Vision (4:46)
    Director Allen Hughes talks about the process he used to shoot the film, and how he tailored his style based on the actors. The cast also discusses what it was like working with the director.
  • It’s Not Politics, It’s Personal (4:07)
    Screenwriter Brian Tucker and director Allen Hughes talk about the politics and corruption in the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (2:19)
• Sneak Peek (5:40)
  Trailers for “The East”, The Blu-ray Experience, “A Good Day To Die Hard”, Live Action 3D Trailer and “The Marine 3”. Can be viewed separately or via a Play All option.

Final Thoughts:

In Broken City, Mark Wahlberg gives a good performance, but Russell Crowe’s and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ talents are certainly under-utilized. The film is a bit slow-paced and never becomes a fully realized thriller.

The movie looks and sounds really good—the picture is crisp, even in darker scenes, which I wouldn’t have expected from a noir film. The bonus features are minimal, consisting only of a few deleted scenes and about 35 minutes of interviews and behind the scenes featurettes.

I would suggest a rental before doing a blind buy of this title. However, fans should be pleased that this Combo Pack offers four different ways to access the film (Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes and Ultraviolet).