Blu-ray Review: THE 355

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Feb 21, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

During a cartel drug raid, Colombian DNI agent Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramirez) gets his hands on a dangerous weapon—a one of a kind decryption data key that can be used to get into and manipulate any closed system on the planet. In the wrong hands, the drive could be used to weaponize and take down nuclear facilities, world markets, power grids, transportation networks and more. So CIA operative Mason “Mace” Brown and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan) are sent to France to retrieve the drive, but the exchange doesn’t go quite as planned. Germany’s BND is also interested in the drive, and had sent its own agent, Marie Schmidt (Diane Kruger), to obtain it. As the two women chase each other down, they quickly realize that they are going to need to work together if they’re going to prevent the drive from falling into the wrong hands—those of Elijah Clarke (Jason Flemyng), a ruthless financier for an international terror group. So Mace enlists the help of old friend/former MI6 cyber intelligence agent Khadijah “Dij” Adiyeme (Lupita Nyong’o) to assist in the operation. And rounding out the team is reluctant participant Dr. Graciela Rivera (Penélope Cruz), a phycologist for the DNI who had been sent to analyze their agent and help retrieve the package. But Gracie isn’t really an agent—she doesn’t have any weapons and fight training like the others. And Dij hasn’t worked in the field in years. But these women are going to need to come together to track down the drive before its too late and millions of innocent people end up dead. At the same time, another mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), has also been tracking the device.

The 355 takes viewers on a fun Jason Bourne-meets-Charlie’s Angels action-packed globetrotting thrill ride with an excellent international cast and picturesque locales—Bogota, Paris, Langley, London, Marrakech and Shanghai. The locations and sets look amazing, and successfully transport the viewer to each new country along with the characters. The film flows at a nice pace, moving the story along in a way that feels natural and organic, including several twists and turns, and keeping the action and excitement going. At the core is this group of kick-ass women trying to save the world, but it’s not just about the action. The characters are all fleshed out pretty well, making them feel multi-dimensional, giving a bit of a backstory for each, and showing the audience the loved ones in their life, and their motivations for their career choices. There are some surprising emotional turns for an action film. That said, the fight and stunt sequences are really well done, with all of the women getting a chance to shine, either as individual characters or as the group working together like a well-oiled machine.

Some of the twists and turns of the story are a bit too predictable and telegraphed, and there are some clichéd action film moments—such as the person being chased escaping onto a train and waving as they pass by the person who was chasing them. However, I still found the film quite enjoyable and entertaining, even the second time around. At times it felt more like a really well done, high production value, and well-cast 2-hour pilot for a TV series—but one that I would certainly watch! The film also leaves things open for another spy team-up adventure, and I’d definitely be open for that.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing. The picture looks pristine throughout, with an excellent level of detail, especially in faces and textures. No matter how fast-paced the action, the picture remains clear, and the various foreign locales look beautiful. The film did not receive a 4K disc release, but is available in 4K on digital, but I can’t imagine it looking any better. The audio track is also quite impressive, making constant use of the stereo and surround sound to provide a fully-immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable as bullets go flying across the room, or in crowded scenes like the London docks, Marrakesh markets, the auction, etc. The only problem I had was that sometimes the score was a bit aggressive, slightly drowning out the dialogue coming from the front channels.

The Blu-ray release comes packed in standard HD keepcase with a carboard slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD Movies Anywhere digital copy of the the film. Both the Blu-ray & DVD discs contain the same selection of bonus material—2 deleted scenes, and about 25 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:02:34)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital (code may not be valid after 3/31/2023):

HD Movies Anywhere Digital Copy of the film

Extras:

The same bonus material can be found on both discs. Play All, or select from:

Deleted Scenes (6:20)
Two scenes play back-to-back. The first is an extended scene in which Graciela confronts Luis about handing over the package in his hotel room, while the second is a very short sequence in which Dij uses a voice modulator to keep the CIA search team busy while the women drive away.
Chasing Through Paris (4:58)
The cast and filmmakers talk about filming in France, and particularly the big motorbike chase through the arcades of Paris on the first day of shooting. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Kelly Carmichael, director/co-writer/producer Simon Kinberg, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee, director of photography Tim Maurice-Jones, and stars Jessica Chastain (“Mace/Mason Browne”/Producer), Sebastian Stan (“Nick Flower”), Diane Kruger (“Marie Schmidt”), Édgar Ramirez (“Luis Rojas”) .
Action That Hurts (5:27)
The cast and filmmakers talk about filming the big action sequences, stunts and fight sequences at the Tilbury Docks and Billingsgate fish market in London. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Kelly Carmichael, director/co-writer/producer Simon Kinberg, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee, production designer Simon Elliott, military advisor Richard Smedley, and stars Jessica Chastain, Édgar Ramirez & Diane Kruger.
Reconstructing Marrakesh (5:34)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the design, construction, and realism of the Moroccan set and costumes. Includes a set tour, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Simon Elliott, costume designer Stephanie Collie, producer Kelly Carmichael, director/co-writer/producer Simon Kinberg, 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee, and stars Lupita Nyong’o (Khadijah Adiyeme), Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger.
Chaos at the City of Dreams (3:51)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the characters, their drive, and the big fight/ultimate showdown near the end of the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator Jimmy O’Dee, director/co-writer/producer Simon Kinberg, special effects supervisor Micahel Dawson, special effects assistant supervisor Manex Efrem, and stars Jessica Chastain & Sebastian Stan.
VFX Breakdowns (5:00)
Scenes are shown with the layers of effects slowly added until the final composite look is reached. Play All, or select from:
- Part 1 (2:12)
  The opening raid to obtain the device, the streets of Marrakesh, and a plane in the sky.
- Part 2 (2:45)
  The chase on the dock, chase under the subway, arriving at the auction, the women in the car, a high-rise exterior, climbing a building, and the final fight.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

The 355 is a fun an entertaining female-led action film, with an amazing international cast. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it is definitely a solid entry with a great ensemble that I would be happy to see turned into a franchise. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great and includes a small but entertaining assortment of bonus material. This is an easy recommendation for fans of the film, or anyone looking for a new spy/action movie to check out.

For those who wish to watch the film before making a blind purchase, the movie has also been released on Peacock simultaneously with the disc/digital releases, so subscribers can check it out there for free!