 |
| Available at Amazon.com |
Just your typical direct-to-DVD film…
A common ploy for marketing people in the DVD world is to throw out big names that people can associate the movie with. It doesn’t matter how big or small of a role these stars have in the film, the ultimate goal is to attract an audience from the fans of these stars. The first sign that said movie is not that good is when you realize that most of these big stars have just minor supporting roles in the film. Unfortunately Full Count is one such movie.
Full Count is all about five friends, who were as close as brothers. They were known as the “Dream Team”, and they have chalked up years of sports victories and shared experiences. But in the final summer before leaving their hometown and heading off to college, these lifelong friends will grow even closer as they band together to right an enigmatic wrong and redeem the reputation of one of their own; even at the risk of sacrificing their individual futures. Against the backdrop of a fateful softball game, old scores will be settled and boys will learn what it means to be men.
The core group of friends are played by some relatively unknown actors. The only one that you would probably recognize is Jason Ritter, and that’s mainly because of his famous father. The actors have some chemistry together and seem like friends, but really none of these guys are likable. That’s the first major flaw of this film. As for the other star power in Chris Klein and William Baldwin, well they are nothing but supporting characters and aren’t given much screen time. The only actor that should get any credit is Michael Rooker. He plays a great villain here and he almost makes you want to root for “The Dream Team” despite them not being that likable. That’s really saying something there.
The other fatal flaw of this film is the story. It’s quite confusing. Is this a “softball movie” or a “coming-of-age” film? Perhaps it’s a “corrupt cop vs. a small town” film. The audience really doesn’t know where this story is going to go and unfortunately neither does the directors or writers. Of course, the ending is still quite predictable. Whether you make it that far or not is up to you.
Full Count is just your standard direct-to-DVD movie. The acting is not the best and the story has major flaws. Everything you think this movie is going to be going into it will be completely wrong. The main plot and numerous sub-plots don’t really add up to anything either. So let this be a lesson to everyone. When you see big stars being advertised on the front of the DVD cover and notice that they aren’t visible within the first 30 minutes, run as far away as you can.
The video is given in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen color, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs. The video is nothing special at all. This is a low-budget film, of course, and it really shows. Colors are not that bright and it’s really sub-par at best.
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in Spanish as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear, so no major problems. But like the video quality, the audio quality is just as unimpressive.
There are zero extras.
I can’t really recommend a rental for this film. I don’t even know how to describe this film. There are worse films out there, but there is really nothing worth watching with the exception of Michael Rooker’s performance. If you are a hardcore fan of his, then you may want to check this out.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Allumination Filmworks presents Full Count. Written and Directed by Augustin Kennady and Andre Martinez. Starring William Baldwin, Chris Klein, Jason Ritter, Michael Rooker, Chris Bauer, and Michael Beach. Running time: 90 minutes. Rated R. Released on DVD: March 18, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Josh Clinton
