Operation: Endgame
Studio: Anchor Bay
US Release Date: July 27, 2010
Original Release Year: 2010
Rated: R (for strong violence and pervasive language includng sexual references)
Running Time: 82 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 widescreen
Audio: English (PCM 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish
Movie: 1.5 out of 5
The Factory is an underground (literally) spy organization headquartered in Los Angeles, consisting of two teams of assassins, Alpha and Omega. The two teams supposedly were created to balance the organization and prevent global armageddon, and each member is named after a Tarot card. The newest recruit, The Fool (Joe Anderson) is being given a tour of the office on his first day (also President Obama’s inauguration day), but things go horribly wrong when the leader is mysteriously murdered by one of the agents. The office goes into lockdown, pending a fiery explosion to destory all evidence of The Factory, including its agents. This pits the agents against one another, using office equipment (staple remover, shredder, paper cutter, etc.) as their murder weapons. While all of this is going down, two security agents (Michael Hitchcock and Tim Bagley) watch from their office full of surveillance equipment, making comments to one another.
Operation: Endgame wants to be a hip action comedy, but instead becomes a collection of not all too exciting action set pieces. The comedy is derived from the agents insulting one another by being profane and using the foulest language while maintaining an R rating. The only laugh in the film is unintentional, as High Priestess (Maggie Q) has a monologue about accepting this assignment possibly being a bad career move. Rob Corddry’s performance as Chariot often feels too improvised, as if first-time director Fouad Mitaki allowed the cameras to roll as Corddry spouted profanity. Ellen Barkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ving Rhames, and Jeffrey Tambor round out the talented cast, but they’re never given anything interesting or creative to do.
Video: 3 out of 5
One week after a brief theatrical run in Los Angeles, Operation: Endgame arrives on Blu-ray in a 1080p transfer retaining the film’s 2.40:1 aspect ratio using the AVC codec. Overall, the image appears somewhat soft, perhaps due to the film’s low budget. Colors are consistent, with accurate flesh tones and deep blacks. Compression artifacts are virtually non-existent.
Audio: 3 out of 5
Two soundtrack options are available on the disc, both in English. The PCM 5.1 surround track has excellent fidelity, with intelligible dialogue, good bass response, and an enveloping score by Ian Honeyman. With the exception of the score, the surrounds really have nothing much to do, and LFE is adequate during the explosive finale. A lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also provided, encoded at 448 kbps.
Special Features: 1.5 out of 5
There is not much to say about the features on this disc, as they are quite bland and uninteresting, and in standard definition.
Behind The Scenes of Operation: Endgame (10:29): Essentially just a collection of footage taken on the set during production, there really is no story behind the making of this film, no real interviews with cast or crew.
Alternate Opening (2:57): This original opening foreshadows the entire plot to the film, but that’s just my opinion, since there is no commentary to go with this scene.
Alternate Ending (0:28): Almost identical to the existing ending, except the fate of two of the characters.
Overall: 2 out of 5
Operation: Endgame is a painful film, and it’s rather obvious from the cover art that Anchor Bay is trying to capitalize on the popularity of Zach Galifiankis (The Hangover, Up In The Air, and the recent Dinner With Schmucks). Beware that his role is a small (but pivotal) one, and not that well-written (or funny). The audio and video are about what you’d expect for a recent release, but the extras feel like more of an afterthought.
