Heist

In Heist, an attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (De Niro) goes awry and a shootout ensues. Robbers Vaughn (Morgan) and Cox (Bautista) are forced to flee on foot and hijack City Bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Now, in a high-speed chase, Vaughn will not only have to outwit the police who are in hot pursuit, led by Officer Bajos (Carano), but he will have to contend with Pope’s maniacal right-hand man, Dog (Chestnut), in order to make it through the day alive. But we quickly learn that things are not what they seem, and Vaughn has more than one card up his sleeve. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Scott Mann, Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Writer Max S. Adams; a making-of featurette (HD 15:11); six deleted/extended scenes (HD 04:08); cast and crew interviews (HD 36:34); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture was photographed digitally with the Red Epic camera system coupled to Hawk Scope anamorphic lenses. The picture exhibits a cinematic appearance, with a nicely saturated color palette with rich and warm hues. Yet, the hue intensity remains naturally balanced. Contrast is decent, with solid blacks, but shadow delineation is at times wanting during the darker segments. Fleshtone hues are pushed toward red but are nevertheless satisfying. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail apparent throughout, especially during close-ups. This is an intense visual experience in the context that all the imagery is in a real life setting. This is a riveting visual experience that is compelling throughout. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic sounding mainly due to the intense music score with is strong deep bass foundation and emphasis on percussion. The music element occupies the frontal soundstage with aggressive extension to the surrounds. Also, sound effects, such as gunfire and screeching bus and police vehicle chases, are intense and bolstered with directional impact. Atmospherics tend to be focused frontal but at times are positioned or panned to the surrounds. Dialogue is at times blurred and not distinct but generally decent in terms of spatial integration. This is an intense soundtrack that delivers a lot of gunfire exchanges and chase action, with sonics that are dynamic and intense. (Gary Reber)