Wasteland

Released by: Cinema Epoch
Released on: 10/11/2011
Director: Kantz
Cast: Garret Sato, Derrel Maury, Janelle Velasquez
Year: 2009
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The Movie:
The landscape is a vast wasteland, but ever hopeful Keo (Garret Sato) is trying to survive as a family unit. With his wife and son by his side, a group of hooligans, led by the unoriginally named Caine (Derrel Maury) rape and murder his wife, abduct his son, and leave him for dead with three bullet holes as a “thank you”. Seventeen years pass by and he has searched the barren ground for his son, whom Keo is convinced is alive, and to find the punks that ruined his life so he can deal out death and revenge.

Along the way he picks up a recently orphaned young girl and she tags along with him since she has nothing else pressing, and the two continue the search for the badguys, dealing with mutant cannibals, some creatures under the sand, and a gang of Asian hotties with guns. You can pretty much surmise where it goes from here, although the ending may not be 100 percent expected.

This is by no means a complicated movie. In fact the plot isn't original, obviously, and the acting at times is very telling of the film's low-budget production. That said, the filmmakers do a pretty good job painting a picture of a planet gone deserted. The movie's look is pretty satisfying, really working to capture the filth and grime one might expect from a world such as they portray, and even with budget constraints what's on the screen looks like the movie costs more than it did. Some cleverness with make-up and special effects actually make certain scenes work better than if it was an all out visual assault, which it isn't.

The story moves along at a decent pace, and the inclusion of the female gun squad is a welcomed piece. They don't seem too crucial to the story, but without them the movie would have been a lot less interesting. There're some minor attempts at some dark humor here and there, mostly forgettable, and depending on who delivers the lines determines how well the jokes hit their mark. The main actor, Garret Sato, seems wooden in his performance, which is unfortunate since he carries the movie. This one isn't a waste of time, but repeat viewing probably won't be warranted.








Video/Audio/Extras:
Cinema Epoch brings the movie to DVD with an aspect ratio of 16:9, anamorphic widescreen. The detail is really good here, without any noticeable edge enhancement. The black levels are consistent and non-problematic and the skin tones look correct. A little noise can be seen in a couple of spots, but it doesn't last long. There isn't a whole lot of color in this bleak and dusty movie, but what colors are featured do look quite nice. The blood and the blue sky really stand out against the browns and grays. No problem with artifacts to mention. The audio is a 2.0 channel Dolby Digital track and it sounds great for what it is. The balance seems good and there are no issues to talk about. It does what it needs to effectively and without fanfare.

For extra material, don't expect too much. Actually don't expect anything, because all you'll get is a trailer for the movie, a two-minute still gallery with has a few production still among the screen captures, and a five-minute cover gallery of other discs available from the manufacturer. So really, there're no extras.

The Final Word:
A mediocre movie that has a few things going for it, but mostly it's a pretty forgettable movie. Wasteland looks nice, but the lack of any extras added to the ho-hum results of the feature equals a movie worth little more than a rental or stream.