Maximum Risk

• Cat.no: CDR 96092
• Cert: 18
• Running time: 97 minutes
• Year: 1996
• Pressing: 1998
• Region(s): 2, PAL
• Chapters: 28 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: None
• Widescreen: 2.35:1
• 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: Yes
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : Scene index, Theatrical trailer

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Director:

Ringo Lam

(Burning Paradise, City On Fire, Full Contact, Prison On Fire, Twin Dragons, Wild Search)

Producer:

Screenplay:

Larry Ferguson

Music:

Robert Folk

Cast:

Alain/Mikhail: Jean Claude Van Damme (A.W.O.L., Bloodsport, Cyborg, Death Warrant, Double Impact, Double Team, Hard Target, Nowhere To Run, The Quest, Streetfighter, Sudden Death, Timecop, Universal Soldier)
Alex: Natasha Henstridge (Adrenalin, Species, Species 2, Standoff)
Sebastian: Jean-Hughes Anglade (Killing Zoe, La Reine Margot, Nelly And Mr Arnaud)

M aximum Risk, like Hard Target, is an action-adventure film starring Jean Claude Van Damme which marks the Hollywood debut for a respected Hongkong action director, this time being the turn of Ringo Lam as opposed to John Woo.

Van Damme is Alain, as well as Mikhail. They’re twin brothers, except that Mikhail is dead having attempted to escape from ruthless Russian mobsters and FBI agents, so for the most part Van Damme only has one character to concentrate on, not that they’re particularly different. Amidst all this is Mikhail’s girlfriend, played by Natasha Henstridge, who is short of someone to love and since Alain fits the bill in all respects except by first name, he’ll do for her.

The billing for this film states that Van Damme has to solve his brother’s murder as well as expose an international conspiracy and that it takes him from the south of France to the mean streets of New York City. What that means is a relentless succession of car chases and explosions and…Van Damme pretending to be two people as he did in Double Impact.

The picture quality is almost spot on. Any artifacts will only be noticed by those with their face pressed up to the screen, so won’t be noticed by most viewers. The film is presented in its original widescreen ratio of 2.35:1, is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen televisions – thus allowing for higher resolution – and the average bitrate is a so-so 4.56 Mb/s.

The sound comes in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround flavours. It’s sure to give your speakers a workout since most of it is used for explosions and gunfire.

Extras :

Chapters/Theatrical Trailer : There are 28 chapters spread throughout the 97 mins of the film which is certainly enough. A theatrical trailer is also included.

Languages/Subtitles : There is just one language on the disc, English, but no subtitles can be found. This is a shame since it would provide a translation for what Mr. Van Damme has to say a lot of the time.

Menu : The menu is static but works well with no complaints from me. On playing the disc you see the Columbia TriStar logo before the main menu appears.

Upon selecting the “Start Movie” option, you’ll first see a “Sony Pictures DVD Center” logo, followed by the Dolby Digital helicopter demo, the copyright logo and then the film itself.

Overall, despite Lam’s previous credentials, this Hollywood debut won’t do him too many favours, but if you don’t have any interest in films that have plots, as well as those which feature one explosion after another complete with people getting shot, or dying in particularly nasty and very loud ways, then this is right up your street.

FILM : * PICTURE QUALITY: ****½ SOUND QUALITY: ***** EXTRAS: * ——————————- OVERALL: ***

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1999.