DRIVE (1997) - Andy's 4K UHD Review

[AndyDursin]

4/10

On September 13th, 88 Films and MVD bring 4K UHD owners one of the more obscure titles to grace the format: DRIVE (118 mins., 1997). No, not the arty thriller with Ryan Gosling from a few years ago, but a direct-to-video action affair from the late '90s that's managed, apparently, to generate a small cult following primarily due to its martial arts fight sequences.

The plot is standardish stuff involving a Hong Kong agent (Mark Dacascos) who's been implanted with a device that would've made Tony Stark proud: bio-engineered tech that gives him super abilities. He's been sent to L.A. to sell it to the highest bidder, but finds himself pursued by a collection of bad guys and aided by a down-on-his-luck barfly (Kadeem Hardison) and, eventually, a motel manager (Brittany Murphy, in a weird spot between “Clueless” and larger stardom).

I hadn't seen “Drive” previously and, frankly, I'm not sure how many new fans the movie is going to fetch, even with 88 Films' spiffy UHD presentation. This “Director's Cut” runs 20 minutes longer than its producer-abbreviated released version (it also has David Williams' superior scoring), but just a few minutes of the repetitive “Drive” might be all most viewers need to see: director Steve Wang and writer Scott Phillips put Dacascos and Hardison through standard-issue “buddy movie” cliches (minus a modicum of wit), then get them into tight situations leading to endless fight scenes. Rinse, repeat about a dozen times until the end credits roll. True, the martial arts choreography is strong, yet even the staging of these scenes is flat and uninvolving, as is most of this painfully overlong – if cheerful – affair that frankly could've been trimmed under 90 minutes without any harm to the overall product.

For “Drive” aficionados, though, 88 Films' UHD does include a Dolby Vision HDR (2.35) transfer along with Dolby Atmos audio, though I frankly preferred the 5.1 DTS MA track, which sounds wider and more natural. Extras include a transfer of the shorter released version (Dolby Vision with Dolby Digital sound) featuring an alternate, pounding techno score, along with commentary by Wang, Dacascos, Hardison and fight choreographer Koichi Sakamoto; new interviews; an archival documentary; six deleted scenes; the trailer, and reversible artwork.