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Tokarev stars Nicolas Cage as Paul Maguire, a man whose daughter has been kidnapped… Hang on, he’s very careless isn’t he, since the same happened to Mr Cage’s screen-daughter in Stolen. Hence, I was hoping this one was a better attempt at such a film.
And if all this sounds very familiar to US viewers, as well as those from other countries, who saw a film like this called Rage, then it’s the same film but just renamed. Why? Probably because it bypassed the cinema altogether, in most major countries, which isn’t an indicator of a good film.
Where the title, “Tokarev” comes into the proceedings is that it’s the name of the type of gun which comes up in the film but I’ll say no more about that so as to avoid potential spoilers. There’s also elements thrown in which relate to a past, very violent, indiscretion which also cause events to blow up now, but really, it’s basic plot-by-numbers and one of Cage’s most laziest movies. Even a high-speed car chase makes you yearn for just watching a repeat of some of Cage’s better films, like The Rock, for example.
Rachel Nichols gets precious little to do other than play the simpering wife, wondering where her step-daughter is, Danny Glover – like most of those onscreen – is just going through the motions in his old-cop role, while Cage’s Maguire is also an unsympathetic character who just thinks he can go round, executing anyone he likes in the bid to get to the truth. Even Peter Stormare can’t save the movie, playing a wheelchair-bound old friend of Maguire.
The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio and in 1080p high definition and it looks perfectly fine with no issues, thus being exactly what you’d expect from a modern film release.
The sound is in DTS HD 5.1 and the action and gunfire is loud when required, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary, say in terms of split-surround action. There’s a slight use of it for ambience in one scene, but nothing of note.
The extras are as follows, and there’s not much to shout about:
- Deleted Scenes (6:44): Four scenes. Some slight differences, but I think I’d put back in No.3 which is an alternate ending.
- Trailer (2:38): In 2.35:1.
So, with Cage on his off day, and a lack of any decent extras, there’s no reason to make a purchase on this one.
And to add insult to injury, there aren’t even any subtitles! So when Danny Glover and some other characters are mumbling, you really miss them. The number of chapters is a low and perfunctory 12, and the menu features some clips of the film set to a short piece of the theme.
Tokarev is available on September 22nd on Blu-ray and DVD, and click on the packshot for a larger image.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
3 10 7 1 |
| OVERALL | 5 |
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 98 minutes
Studio: Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
Cat.no.: ABB8207
Year: 2014
Released: September 22nd 2014
Chapters: 12
Picture: 1080p High Definition
Sound: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages: English
Subtitles: None
Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Red One Camera)
Disc Format: BD50
Directors: Paco Cabezas
Producers: Michael Mendelsohn and Richard Rionda Del Castro
Screenplay: Jim Agnew and Sean Keller
Music: Laurent Eyquem
Cast :
Paul Maguire: Nicolas Cage
Vanessa Maguire: Rachel Nichols
Kane: Max Ryan
Danny Doherty: Michael McGrady
Francis O’Connell: Peter Stormare
Chernov: Pasha D. Lychnikoff
Anton: Patrice Cols
Young Paul: Weston Cage
Mike: Max Fowler
Caitlin Maguire: Aubrey Peeples
Evan: Jack Falahee
Det. Peter St. John: Danny Glover
Detective Hanson: Ron Goleman
Vory: Michael Papajohn
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.