Blu-ray Review: ERASER: REBORN

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Jun 07, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

“Congratulations, you’ve just been erased”

U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard (Dominic Sherwood, Shadowhunters) is an expert at his job, thanks to his mentor Paul Whitlock (McKinley Belcher III, Marriage Story). Mace “erases” high-profile witnesses who turn state’s evidence, in order to keep them alive while they wait to testify at trial. In order to protect his witness’ future, Mason erases their past, stages their death, and eliminates their digital footprint. His latest witness is Rina Kimura (Jacky Lai, V-Wars), the wife of a Los Angeles crime boss who is the head of an organization called The Syndicate. Mason believes that Rina’s case has gone smoothly, however, before making her exit, Rina stole her husband’s Cold Wallet, the only encrypted key that can access her husband’s vast cryptocurrency fortune. Somehow the Syndicate has learned of Rina’s actions, and that she is still alive and hiding out in Cape Town, and they have sent a team of assassins to hunt her down. Now it’s up to Mason to protect Rina and keep her alive, but he doesn’t know who he can trust, or who leaked the information to The Syndicate. As he and Rina go on the run, they must stay one step ahead of those trying to erase them, permanently.

Eraser: Reborn is a reimagining of the classic 1996 film Eraser, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams & James Caan. While this direct-to-video reboot certainly doesn’t have the budget or star-power of the original, it does manage to re-capture the same concept and spirit. Technology has changed over the past 2 decades, so an eraser’s job is a bit more complicated now since we all leave a massive digital footprint with our use of the internet and social media. The film addresses this to a degree, offering a glimpse into a new technology that helps disguise the witness should they take any selfies—though if you are hiding from the mob, your first inclination should be to no tweet a photo of yourself! In this regard, the story is a little on the weak side, and the twists and turns are a tad predictable. That said, I enjoyed the cast and their performances overall, especially the levity added by Sugar Jax (Eddie Ramos, Animal Kingdom), a local gangster Mace had previously erased, and has now recruited to help him protect Rina. There is good chemistry between the actors, even though there isn’t a while lot to the story, or much character development, especially with the bad guys, who are a bit one dimensional.

Even though this is a direct-to-video film, the production value is still quite good. The Cape Town setting provides some interesting and different locales, and the stunts and action sequences are well-choreographed and believable. There are some pretty exciting fight scenes in the film. As Mason and Rina flee from those who want them dead, Mason proves himself to be a one-man assault team, able to take out a half-dozen attackers at once, utilizing whatever is on hand, whether that be a gun, his fists, or anything else he can find.

Warner Bros. has released the film on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. I was sent the Blu-ray release for review. The video presentation is very good, with a clean, clear picture in both darker and daytime scenes. The picture also has a satisfying color palette and solid level of detail throughout. Dialogue is clear, and the audio track provides a somewhat immersive viewing experience, especially as the bullets fly across the screen, or explosions rock the room. The only bonus material included on the disc is a single 9-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and crew. The Blu-ray disc is placed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase (with eco cut-outs) and cardboard slipcover, and includes a sheet with redemption instructions for an HD Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy. The bonus featurette is also included with the digital copy.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:42:23)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Dutch, Spanish

Digital (Redeem by 6/30/2023):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere Compatible)

Extras:

The Warrior and the Witness: The Making of Eraser: Reborn (9:12)
In this behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, the cast/crew discuss how the world/technology has changed since the original Eraser film was made, the research they did into WITSEC and the U.S. Marshall services, filming in Cape Town, South Africa, working with director John Pogue, the guerilla filmmaking process and need to adapt quickly due to the limited budget, performing the stunts, what they loved about the shoot, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes and actor training footage, and interviews with producer Hunt Lowry, writer Michael Weiss, director John Pogue, and stars Jacky Lai (“Rina Kimura”), Dominic Sherwood (“Mason Pollard”), Eddie Ramos (“Sugar Jax”) & McKinley Belcher III (“Paul Whitlock”).

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Worth a Look

It is tough to compare Eraser: Reborn with its 1996 counterpart as the level of star power is off the charts in the original. This film definitely feels more like a direct-to-video movie rather than a big theatrical blockbuster. However, the acting, production value and action sequences are still pretty solid, it’s just the story and character development that are a bit lacking. Warner Bros.’ Blu-ray release features a solid presentation, but is a bit slim on bonus material, including just a single behind-the-scenes featurette (though that is more than most direct-to-video movies get these days). The film may be worth a look for fans of the cast or of the original movie, but keep expectations tempered as Dominic Sherwood is certainly not Arnold Schwarzenegger.