The latest king of direct to video movies, rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, not only stars, but also produced Setup, a would-be action crime drama set in Detroit. The film also stars Ryan Phillippe as his double-crossing partner in crime, and Bruce Willis in a supporting role. Although the presentation is first-rate, the movie itself has more than its share of problems.
Setup
Studio: Lionsgate
US DVD Release Date: September 20, 2011
Original Release Year: 2011
Rated: R (strong violence and language throughout)
Running Time: 85 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English)
Subtitles: English, English (SDH), Spanish
Movie: 2 out of 5
Vincent (Ryan Phillippe, Breach), Sonny (Curtis Jackson, Get Rich or Die Tryin’), and Dave (Brett Granstaff) are old buddies from high school. Vincent’s abusive father (James Remar, 48 Hrs.) is doing time in the State Pen, and Vincent and his gang plan a diamond heist on the streets of Detroit. During the payoff, Vincent kills Dave and leaves Sonny for dead, then takes off with the $5 million in cash all to himself. Sonny escapes to a friend’s tattoo parlor where he gets stitched up, and begins a lengthy search for Vincent. If only the plot to this movie stopped here. It turns out these were mob diamonds belonging to a business acquaintance of city mob boss Mr. Bigg (Bruce Willis, in a very small supporting role, but manages second billing). That’s right, the mob boss’ name is Mr. Bigg. One of Mr. Bigg’s henchmen, Petey (Randy Couture, The Expendables), tracks down Sonny so Mr. Bigg can make him an offer he can’t refuse - steal $2 million from the Russian mob. Sonny manages to get the $2 million, but Petey accidentally shoots himself in the head while the two are buying weed from a drug and guns dealer. So, Sonny disposes of Petey’s body at the local meat packing plant. Oh, there’s more, but the plot just continues to spiral out of control to a rather unsatisfying conclusion in a screenplay written by Mike Gunther (who also directed) and Mike Behrman.
Curtis Jackson is passable as Sonny, but I’m not sure if its the performance or the screenplay, or both. He just kind of meanders through the film with no sense of purpose, like when he holds up a mobster poker game, and exclaims “Tell Vincent an old friend is looking for him.” Obviously, Sonny has never heard of the element of surprise. Ryan Phillippe acts like he’s bored, and is so miscast as Sonny’s high school buddy. Bruce Willis is, perhaps, the only bright spot in this dark film, but even his adlibs can’t improve the film.
Setup is a complete waste of talent and time, and that’s a shame, as I actually had high hopes for this film.
Video: 4 out of 5
The film proper may be a mess, but Lionsgate’s 1080/24p transfer using the AVC codec is stunning, maintaining the film’s intended aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Filmed with the Red One Camera, colors remain consistent, and blacks are deep, although some occasional crushing was evident, but never overly distracting. Detail is very good, and compression artifacts are virtually non-existent.
Audio: 4 out of 5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is equally stunning as the video. The dynamic range is surprisingly wide for a direct-to-video release, with deep bass and solid LFE presence. Dialogue is clear and mostly constrained to the center channel, while the left, right, and surrounds get a good workout during the shootouts. Not quite reference material, but close.
Special Features: 2.5 out of 5
The disc begins with the usual Lionsgate “Checking For Updates” screen (which has been known to plague some Blu-ray players), followed by skippable (but not from the Top Menu button) trailers for Epix (SD), Hostage (HD), House of the Rising Sun (SD), Blood Out (SD), Caught In The Crossfire (SD), and Break.com (SD).
Commentary with Director Mike Gunther and Stunt Coordinator Kyle Woods: Although the two provide some interesting trivia about making the film, such as all the shots of Detroit were stock footage while the rest was filmed in Grand Rapids, there are long periods of dead air, as if they do nothave a whole lot to say about Setup.
Making Setup (9:17, 720p): Your average EPK behind the scenes documentary, featuring cast and crew interviews interspersed with movie clips and on-set footage.
Inside the Gun Locker: The Weapons of Setup (3:37, upscaled 1080i): Propmaster and Armorer Matthew Stratton discusses the various weapons used in the film. Oddly, this feature appears to have been upscaled to 1080i from a 4:3 leterboxed standard definition source.
Interviews with Cast and Crew
- Mike Gunther - Director (12:27, 1080p): Gunther talks about his journey trying to get this film made, his career in stunts and action sequences, and the short shooting schedule. The audio is surprisingly bad.
- Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (8:33, 1080p): Jackson discusses how he got involved in the project, and how he balances his acting, producing, and music careers. Again, the audio is embarrassingly bad.
- Randy Couture (3:36, 1080p): The former UFC Champion discusses his character and shooting in freezing Grand Rapids.
Original Trailer (2:21, SD): The red-band trailer, presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Bookmarks: Bookmarks are not special features, and should be under Scene Selection.
Overall: 2.5 out of 5
Outstanding video and audio presentation and adlibs from Bruce Willis cannot save this direct to video release, which suffers from a bad script, weak performances and direction, and too many plot holes. If you must, rent it first.
