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Dark Mission – M-Square Classics/UCM.ONE (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Spain, 1988
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Jesús Franco, Georges Friedland
Cast: Christopher Lee, Christopher Mitchum, Richard Harrison, Cristina Higueras, Henri Lambert, Alicia Moro, Brigitte Lahaie, Daniel Katz, José Miguel García, Frank Desmet, Trino Trives, Carmen Carrión, Antonio Mayans

Release Date: March 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: FSK 16 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD Stereo German
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray), Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: EUR 19.32

"CIA agent Derek Carpenter (Christopher Mitchum) is sent to Lima by his boss Lt. Sparks (Richard Harrison) to put an end to the activities of former Castro ally and drug dealer Morel (Christopher Lee). Carpenter's local contact is Moira (Brigitte Lahaie), who secretly blames Carpenter for her husband's death and is therefore not gentle with him. But Carpenter has already fallen in love with the lively Linda (Christina Higueras) on the flight to Lima, unaware that she is the daughter of his target Morel. Linda, however, also knows nothing about her father's drug dealing. The moment of truth is approaching." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "released for the first time in an uncut HD version, newly scanned from the original negative".

Dark Mission comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 19.9 GB

Feature: 19.7 GB

Though quality varies throughout, for most of this transfer, things look very good. Outside of some very minor instances of debris, the source is cleaned up. The colors look correct, the image clarity is strong, and the compression is very good. Also, for whatever reason, the opening credits and shots of helicopters attacking in the main action sequence are letterboxed widescreen.

Dark Mission comes of a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 7 GB

Audio: 3.25/5

This release 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 track. This track sounds clean, and the dialog comes through clearly enough to follow. That said, it is lacking range-wise.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (29 images - home video art/stills), and a theatrical trailer (1 minute 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German, no subtitles).

The DVD has the same extras.

Rounding out the extras is a 16-page booklet with an essay titled Dark Mission written by Stephen Thrower (text in German).

Summary:

Directed by Jess Franco, a prolific filmmaker who made more than 200 films and whose career spanned seven decades. Dark Mission comes from his later period, right before he made the move to shooting on video.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jess Franco would direct a trio of workmanlike action films: Dark Mission, Night of the Eagles, and Countdown to Esmeralda Bay. In terms of content, there is not much that is different about these three films, except that Dark Mission has the least amount of action. The other thing that all three films have in common is that they are filled with recognizable faces, many of whom have worked with Jess Franco in the past.

Jess Franco is at his best when left to his own devices. When he directs films as a hired gun, they lack his distinctive style and could have been directed by anyone else. Case in point: Dark Mission is a by-the-numbers film where a CIA agent goes to a South American to dismantle a drug syndicate. Though the premise is ripe with possibilities, the result is an action film with little action and a spy film lacking intrigue.

Two Christophers, Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) and Christopher Mitchum (Murder in a Blue World), headline an impressive cast. Lee portrays a drug kingpin, while Mitchum portrays a CIA agent. Two other recognizable cast members are Richard Harrison (Challenge of the Tiger) in the role of Mitchum’s character's boss, and Brigitte Lahaie (Night of the Hunted) in the role of a widow of a deceased CIA operative who blames Mitchum’s character for her husband's death. That said, they both have limited screen time.

Despite Jess Franco maximizing his limited resources, to say that Dark Mission is a film with shortcomings would not be an understatement. Most of the narrative is about characters making contacts and Christopher Mitchum’s romance with the drug kingpin's daughter. And when things start to liven up a little with the final act, which features Dark Mission’s only action set piece, It is too little, too late, since the narrative moves along at a lethargic pace. Ultimately, Dark Mission is a forgettable action film that even Jess Franco completists will have a hard time enjoying.

Dark Mission gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from M-Square Classics/UCM.ONE.

Note: This release is limited to 500 copies.