I really get frustrated when films that are out on bluray in other countries simply fail to receive a UK release. When that’s the case I simply look for a foreign version that will play on UK players and import it. That’s exactly what I’ve had to do with Virtuosity from 1995. It’s a sci-fi action thriller starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. So without further ado here’s the Virtuosity blu-ray review.
- Virtuosity (1995)
- Import Region B/2
- Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Thriller
- Directed by Brett Leonard
- UK Rating N/A
- Discs: 1
Plot
When a virtual reality serial killer designed to help train police officers breaks into the real world there’s only one man that can bring him to justice. That man is former LAPD Lt. Parker Barnes who currently resides in prison following a tragic incident.
Style / Direction
The film was directed by Brett Leonard with the cinematography handled by Gale Tattersall. Overall it’s a high tempo action thriller that’s thoroughly entertaining. The special effects are decent for 1995 and hold up pretty well.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is composed by Christopher Young.
Acting / Characters
There are three main characters and I’ll start with Russell Crowe playing a rather sick AI serial killer. To be fair he plays the rather psychotic character very well. He’s wild and without conscience which really does make compelling viewing.
Denzel Washington on the other hand as Lt. Parker Barnes is man who’s lost everything including a limb and really has a hard time focusing on the job at hand. He’s a moody kind of a fellow but one that can more than handle himself.
Then there’s Kelly Lynch as Dr. Madison Carter, she asks to be assigned to the case believing being a criminal psychologist will help track down the SID 6.7. She plays the role well enough, she also has a daughter that will play an integral part in the climax of the story. Have a look and see if you can recognise who it is? Its Kaley Cuoco best known for playing Penny on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
Oh and let’s not forget to mention William Forsythe playing a rather distasteful character.
Cast
- Denzel Washington as Lt. Parker Barnes
- Russell Crowe as SID 6.7
- Kelly Lynch as Dr. Madison Carter
- Stephen Spinella as Dr. Darrel Lindenmeyer
- William Forsythe as William Cochran
- Louise Fletcher as Commissioner Elizabeth Deane
- William Fichtner as William Wallace
- Costas Mandylor as John Donovan
- Kevin J. O’Connor as Clyde Reilly
- Kaley Cuoco as Karin Carter
- Christopher Murray as Matthew Grimes
- Mari Morrow as Linda Barnes
- Johnny Kim as Lab Tech
- Heidi Schanz as Sheila 3.2
- Traci Lords as Media Zone singer
- Gordon Jennison Noice as Big Red
- Michael Buffer as Emcee
Conclusion: Virtuosity (1995) Film Review
All the time I was watching Virtuosity I kept thinking how much it reminded me of Demolition Man which came out a couple of years earlier. In fact the main difference is in tone, the Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock film is much more of an action comedy whilst this one’s considerably darker and serious. I did however enjoy it and think it’s certainly worth a look. It’s not an outstanding movie but it is an entertaining one.
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Conclusion: Virtuosity Blu-ray Review
It’s an imported version that works on UK Bluray players. The picture quality is excellent but there are no extras. I could certainly put up with the lack of extras but not the lack of a UK release.
Extras
- None
Popcorn Cinema Rating: Virtuosity (1995)
MOVIE RATING: WELL WORTH WATCHING
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase Virtuosity (1995) On Blu-ray
Virtuosity (1995) is available now on blu-ray via import.
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Virtuosity (1995) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster of the film.
Clip not representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes the Virtuosity blu-ray review, don’t forget to check back for more film and television reviews.
Summary: Virtuosity (1995) Blu-ray Review Import
Movie title: Virtuosity (1995)
Duration: 99 mins
Director(s): Brett Leonard
Actor(s): Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella, William Forsythe, Louise Fletcher, William Fichtner, Kaley Cuoco
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
Summary
A much darker version of Demolition Man
Pros
- Denzel Washington
- Russell Crowe
Cons
- No UK Blu-ray Release
