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Dobermann: limited Edition – Fractured Visions (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1997
Director: Jan Kounen
Writer: Joël Houssin
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Tchéky Karyo, Monica Bellucci, Antoine Basler, Dominique Bettenfeld, Pascal Demolon, Marc Duret, Romain Duris, François Levantal, Jean Lescot

Release Date: April 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.66 (UK)

"Dobermann and his depraved gang of misfits are the most ruthless group of bank robbers Paris has ever seen, but when they successfully execute a daring daylight robbery, they land on the radar of Commissaire Cristini, a brutal and ruthless Policeman who happens to be crazier than the bandits he’s chasing." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Dobermann comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 30.6 GB

No information is provided about the transfer; it looks like it comes from a dated source. Colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is good, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in excellent shape; dialog always comes through; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include teaser #1 (25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), teaser #2 (30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #1 (1 minute 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #2 (1 minute 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), shorts films directed by Jan Kounen: Capitaine X (12 minutes 53 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), Vibroboy (28 minutes 12 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), and Gisèle Kérozène (4 minutes 38 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo), deleted with optional Jan Kounen audio commentary (29 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival making of documentary titled Shoot the Dog! (55 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Zoé Rose Smith titled Of Cult Leaders and Bank Robbers (25 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with visual effects artist Rodolphe Chabrier titled Welcome to Reality Baby (16 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an cinematographer Michel Amathieu titled Shoot the Girl First! (21 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an director Jan Kounen titled Shoot the Dobermann (24 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, a slipcase, and a 44-page booklet with an essay titled Can't Keep a Bad Dog Down written by Vern, an essay titled Dog Eat Dog: In Praise of Jan Kounen's Doberman written by Josh Hurtado, an essay titled Flying the Tartan Flag for Doberman written by Tim Murray.

Vibroboy has a defect, there is no audio after the 23:50 minute mark.

Summary:

A gang of criminals led by a man named Doberman pull off a series of daring hiests while always managing to stay one step ahead of law enforcement.

Dobermann is a highly stylized action film that more than makes up for its lack of substance with its bombastic action set pieces. Right from the get-go, action plays a significant role; in these opening moments, the protagonist and his girlfriend unload an arsenal of weapons on an armored car. Besides the aforementioned opening sequences, a daring bank heist where the protagonist and his crew taunt the police and a lengthy nightclub finale that leads to a final showdown are other notable action set pieces.

The thing that makes Dobermann so enjoyable are its performances, especially Vincent Cassel (Eastern Promises) and Monica Bellucci (Malèna). Vincent Cassel delivers a scene-stealing performance in the role of Dobermann, while Monica Bellucci delivers an equally captivating portrayal of Dobermann’s deaf girlfriend. Tchéky Karyo's (Nikita) deliriously over-the-top portrayal of a police commissioner whose lack of morals and by any means necessary make him no better than the criminal he’s chasing is another performance of note.

The well-constructed narrative is a thriller that rarely gives you a moment to catch your breath. Also, its kinetic energy propels its narrative forward towards a jaw-dropping finale that serves as a perfect coda. Not to be overlooked are eye catching visuals which do a superb job capturing Dobermann’s hyper realistic reality. That said, despite not bringing anything new to the table, Dobermann succeeds where it matters most, it is always an entertaining ride.

Dobermann gets a first-rate release from Fractured Visions that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Note: This release is limited to 3,000.