Blu-ray Review: The Negotiator

“He frees hostages for a living. Now he’s taking hostages to survive.”

With advertising taglines like that, it was all too easy to write The Negotiator off before it was ever released. But those who could find their way past the bad advertising campaign found a good drama-thriller with a somewhat original idea. Not great, but definitely good.

Director F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job) brings together a talented cast highlighted by the standoff between Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. Jackson plays Danny Roman, a talented Chicago hostage negotiator whose out-of-the-box tactics are ensuring his career is going swimmingly. Then a fellow cop presents him with information that some officers may be embezzling money. (Surely, not in Chicago’s upstanding force). Roman maintains his innocence throughout, and in an effort to prove it finds himself creating, rather than resolving, a hostage situation.

Roman demands Chris Sabian (Spacey), another famed Chicago negotiator, be brought it to work the case. As Sabian tries to talk Roman out of the situation, he learns of Roman’s claims and the haunting truths behind them. Maybe Roman isn’t losing his mind, and maybe his accusations hold sway. Things heat up when whoever is involved tries to make sure the situation ends before the negotiators learn all the facts.

The setup for the film is painfully clichéd. In the opening scenes, we see a successful exhibition of Roman’s skills. This is followed by a ho-down celebration in a quaint bar. One guy is notably being a downer, though, and gives Roman details on the alleged corruption. In the next scene, Roman is being investigated. He’s disgraced, and ultimately finds himself in that all-too-familiar scene where he’s handing over his gun and badge.

The ending is equally as problematic, with things working out in many ways too perfectly, and yet in many ways the plot points are ridiculously sloppy. But it is the face off between Jackson and Spacey that shines. Both men have an undeniable screen presence. Jackson is an incredibly dynamic actor, always ready to unleash the Jedi power of intensity he possesses. Spacey, on the other hand, is much more methodical, with sly calculation present in every one of his mannerisms. While the story may not be the most inspired, the actors and Gray’s direction make it a film worth at least catching in the afternoon on basic cable.

But worth a purchase on home video? Maybe not. Fans of the film will find the Blu-ray effort to be a significant upgrade of The Negotiator, as long as special features don’t mean much. The video gets a fantastic upgrade, much more so than standard catalog titles are usually accustomed. Much of it likely has to do with Gray’s original darkly shot scenes, but the dark tones are fantastic, the edges crisp and with minor indiscretions it is a great visual upgrade. The audio is equally as solid, with a surround sound mix that doesn’t always use the rear channels, but when it does it fills the room with booming sound. And for the most part that is balanced well with the dialogue. There are a few moments that require turning down the speakers for overwhelming booms, but it is generally well mixed, with the dialogue taking prominence.

Fans shouldn’t expect any more than previous Negotiator releases have offered for special features. Aside from the standard theatrical trailer, there are two short featurettes. One focuses on the film’s Chicago locale and making everything work in the city, while the other offers a real-life story or two from a negotiator. The featurettes offer little insight into the making of the film; there is no commentary; and the extras are still in standard definition. It leaves the hi-def upgrade of The Negotiator visually and audibly impressive, but begging for more to make it worthwhile for home purchase.

Special Features
-The Negotiator Blu-ray disc is presented in 1080p high-definition 16×9 2.4:1 aspect ratio video; Dolby TrueHD English 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, French 5.1, Spanish 5.1 and Italian 5.1 audio; with English SDH, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish Italian, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles

-The special features are presented in 480i standard definition video; stereo audio; with English SDH, French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian subtitles (on select bonus material)

-The 11th Hour: Stories from Real Negotiators Featurette
-On Location Making-Of Featurette
-Theatrical Trailer

About the Writer:
Bill Jones is the editor-in-chief of padsandpanels.com, a site dedicated to the coverage of comics and games.