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Snake Eater 1-3 – NSM Records (Blu-ray)

Release Dates: Canada, 1989 (Snake Eater), Canada, 1990 (Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster), Canada, 1992 (Snake Eater III: His Law)
Director: George Erschbamer (All Three Films)
Cast: Lorenzo Lamas, Josie Bell, Robert Scott, Ronnie Hawkins, Cheryl Jeans, Michele Scarabelli, Larry B. Scott, Harvey Aitken, Minor Mustain, Tracey Cook, Holly Chester, Tracey Hway

Release Date: August 26th, 2022
Approximate running times: 94 Minutes 55 Seconds (Snake Eater), 93 Minutes (Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster), 91 Minutes 35 Seconds (Snake Eater III: His Law)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: FSK 18 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD Stereo German (All Films)
Subtitles: English, German (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: 15.99 Euro (Germany)

"Part 1 A group of insane freaks attack an unsuspecting holiday family. They kill the parents and kidnap young Jennifer, Jack Helly's sister. Jack, known as Soldier, was once a member of the feared "Snake Eaters". They were the best-trained Marine Corps of the US Army. Dangerous as a bloodhound and blind with vengeance, he follows his sister's kidnappers into the endless forests. Part 2 Drugs laced with rat poison cause the death of several young people for whom Jack Kelly, known as "Soldier", felt responsible. Snake Eater, the ultimate killing machine, awakens in him again. He swears bloody revenge. Part 3 With the help of his old friend Cowboy, an ex-rocker, Soldier begins to search for young Vivian, who was kidnapped, abused and raped by an extremely brutal motorcycle gang. The trail leads to the Hells Fury clubhouse." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Snake Eater, Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster, Snake Eater III: His Law)

Snake Eater comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20.5 GB

Feature: 14.9 GB

Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 17.3 GB

Snake Eater III: His Law comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.5 GB

Feature: 16.9 GB

Though no information is provided about these transfer sources, these transfers are easily the best these films have looked on home media. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Stereo English - All Films)

Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a DTS-HD stereo mix in German. For this review, I only listened to the English-language tracks. All audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. And though none of the tracks will blow you away range-wise, they get the job done. Included are removable English and German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for Snake Eater include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer Snake Eater (1 minute 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster (2 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater III: His Law (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a foreword with actor Lorenzo Lamas (57 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles), an archival interview with Lorenzo Lamas (12 minutes 25 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles), and a featurette with Lorenzo Lamas titled Pick Your Poison (12 minutes 25 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles).

Extras for Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer Snake Eater (1 minute 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster (2 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater III: His Law (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a foreword with actor Lorenzo Lamas (19 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles), and a featurette with Lorenzo Lamas titled A Franchise with Fangs; Remembering The Drug Buster (18 minutes 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles).

Extras for Snake Eater III: His Law include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer Snake Eater (1 minute 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster (2 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer Snake Eater III: His Law (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a foreword with actor Lorenzo Lamas (26 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles), and a featurette with Lorenzo Lamas titled Poised To Strike; Uncoiling his Law (21 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English and German subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art.

Summary:

Lorenzo Lamas is a name that most action film aficionados instantly recognize. The action boom of the 1980s has since subsided, and most of the best action films have been relegated to direct-to-video. Lorenzo Lamas, who in the early part of his career achieved fame via the film Grease and later would go on to achieve prime-time stardom in the late-night soap opera Falcon Crest, made his first official foray into the world of action cinema with the film Snake Eater in 1989. Since making Snake Eater, he has gone on to become one of the few remaining action stars who have continued to churn out products on a regular basis, including his hugely successful television series Renegade, which ran for five seasons. That said, these three Snake Eater films are a precursor to what was just to come from Lorenzo Lamas as an actor, and his next project, Renegade, would make him an international star.

Like many trilogies, the first film is the best, and subsequent films in the series try to recapture the magic of the first one. While it is true that the first Snake Eater film is the best of the three, The other two are unique in their own right since they diverge, if ever so slightly, from the first film, but not so much as to lose focus on what makes these films and the Soldier character so much fun. Also, I can’t stress this enough, but these films are best watched in chronological order, especially since the first film gives us all the background we need to know about why Soldier does what he does, while the other two films barely retouch his past.

Snake Eater: A former marine who goes by the nickname Soldier tracks down and kills those who murdered his parents and kidnapped his sister.

The opening sequence, where Soldier goes to great lengths to catch the bad guys in an undercover drug bust, perfectly sets the tone for what follows. George Erschbamer, who made his feature film directorial debut with Snake Eater, would go on to direct its two sequels. His background in action choreography and pyro effects shines throughout. He has a knack for capturing bone-crushing action at its most brutal moments. That said, Snake Eater’s bread and butter are its action set pieces. Also, the bad guys, despite their lack of intellect, are able to catch a marine. They pull a Blofeld, and instead of doing something as simple as putting a bullet in his head, they let him get away too easily.

The main attraction and sole reason for watching Snake Eater is Lorenzo Lamas in the role of Jack Kelly, aka Soldier. Lorenzo Lamas brings his A game as he delivers a performance overflowing with machismo. The premise and dialog in Snake Eater offer plenty of laughs. The acting may be below the standards of a Shakespearean drama, and that is all right since Snake Eater and its two sequels are about having fun. If you don’t take the Snake Eater films that seriously, then you are sure to enjoy every delirious moment of mayhem.

Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster: This time around, Soldier joins forces with a sidekick named Speedboat, who helps him exterminate drug dealers.

This time around, Soldier gets a wisecracking sidekick named Speedboat. Cast in the role of Speedboat is Larry B. Scott, who most movie fans might recognize from the film Revenge of the Nerds, where he played Lamar Latrell. Surprisingly, the addition of a sidekick works better than I would have thought it would. Most of this is due to the solid performance from actor Larry B. Scott. Lorenzo Lamas looks more comfortable this time as he further explores the soldier character. This performance is right in line with his from the first film, and the addition of more comedic elements helps expand the character.

George Erschbamer is solid, especially when it comes to the explosive action set pieces. Unlike its predecessor, Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster spends most of its time inside, and at times it feels a tad too claustrophobic. The action set pieces take things up a notch; the death scenes are more elaborate, and explosions are done on a larger scale. The narrative does have many instances where it feels like a retread of the first Snake Eater film, but still, this minor setback is not enough to ruin the rest of the film, which in the end has a distinctive feel all its own that sets it apart from the other two films in the series.

Snake Eater III: His Law: Soldier exacts his brand of justice against a biker gang that kidnapped and raped a young girl.

Snake Eater III: His Law is the third and final installment to date in the Snake Eater saga. The third film in the series is not as focused as its two predecessors, and by this point, the scenario of a soldier dismissed from the force and taking the law into his own hands has grown repetitive. Director George Erschbamer's direction excels most when it comes to the action set pieces.

Just like Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster, they find another sidekick for Soldier, an ex-biker named Cowboy. Minor Mustain, known for his work as a stuntman, delivers a good performance in the role of Cowboy. Wrestling fans look out for Bam Bam Bigelow, who has a sizable role as one of the bad guys. In his final turn as Soldier, Lorenzo Lamas gives a solid performance, which also happens to be the best part of what is a rather dreadful affair. Snake Eater III: His Law lacks the craziness and inventiveness that made the previous two films in the series so enjoyable.

The Snake Eater trilogy gets a solid release from NSM Records that comes with strong audio/video presentations and informative extras, recommended.