Philadelphia P.D. Officer Buster McHenry (Kiefer Sutherland) likes to work alone, and doesn’t always play by the rules. He’s working a mysterious undercover case that even his Lieutenant (Bill Smitrovich) doesn’t know the details of. He suspects that mobster Bobby Marino (Robert Knepper) has been working with a dirty cop, and becomes a member of Marino’s team for a jewelry heist to learn more information about the crooked officer. However, the heist quickly goes awry, and things turn more deadly than McHenry anticipated. While passing through an art museum during their awkward getaway, Marino also steals a sacred lance from a Lakota Indian exhibit. This lance had been passed down through the generations of the Lakota, and is believed to be the source of the tribe’s power and the life of its people. Lakota member Hank Storm (Lou Diamond Phillips) had brought the lance to the museum and witnessed the theft. Now he will stop at nothing until he brings it back to his people. Lucky for him, Marino and his men see no further need for Buster, and try to get rid of him at the first opportunity. Buster and Hank soon become reluctant partners and renegades, as they find themselves on the run from the police and hunted down by Marino’s men. No matter how much Buster tries to ditch his new partner to go it alone, Hank always seems to track him down. It’s going to take both of their skills, abilities and unconventional methods to track down Marino and get what each of them is looking for.
Renegades was released in 1989, but I had never seen it until now—I was too young for its R-rating at the time. Though the violence seems a bit tame for an R-rating based on today’s standards. I quite enjoyed the film. It was fun to see such young versions of Sutherland, Phillips and Knepper. Sutherland and Philips have this great chemistry and both get a chance to kick ass. The film is an action-packed rollercoaster ride, with a heist, car chases, shootouts and even a leap between moving trains. One of the car chase scenes is particularly exciting, putting the viewer in the driver’s seat POV as the vehicle barrels through the busy streets (and sidewalks) of Philadelphia, through fleeing crowds of pedestrians and smashing street stands that get in its way. The plot of the film remains interesting throughout, taking various turns and keeping the viewer guessing as to who Marino is working with. At the same time, there is this nice relationship that forms between Buster and Hank, who actually have some similarities in their backgrounds. While I wouldn’t classify the film as a comedy, it does have some humorous moments as Buster and Hank are a bit of an odd couple forced to work together. And there’s also Jami Gertz as Marino’s hair dresser girlfriend who reluctantly joins the duo.
Mill Creek’s release is the first time Renegades has been released on Blu-ray, and the presentation is quite solid. The picture has some dark flecks of during the opening sequence but after that I didn’t really notice it. It’s also a bit grainy during the opening, but settles to a more pleasant level for the rest of the film. The picture was generally clean with a nice level of detail. The stereo audio track provides clear dialogue throughout, and never felt lacking. Like many of this month’s other Retro VHS releases, this disc is barebones, just offering a basic menu with Play and Subtitle On/Off selections and the film’s trailer.
The Blu-ray disc comes packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase, with a Retro VHS slipcover that makes the release look like a classic VHS rental tape. The details on these slipcovers are really fun, and the design even extends to the spine as well, allowing these discs to displayed like a collection of VHS tapes on your shelf.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:45:28)
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Subtitles: English SDH
Extras:
- Trailer (1:31)
presented in Full Frame format.
Final Thoughts:
Renegades is an entertaining, action-packed buddy-cop type of film. While some of the dialogue may not be deemed PC today, it still holds up quite well 30 years later. Sutherland and Phillips make a fun mismatched duo whose characters find their groove working together as they hunt for the wonderfully villainous Robert Knepper. Mill Creek’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, but is lacking on the bonus material. That said, fans of the film should still be pleased with the presentation, especially given the release’s affordable pricing. Definitely worth a look for any fans of the cast or of these kinds of 80s action films.
