Once upon a time Colin Farrell could’ve been the biggest movie star in Hollywood. With a handful of hits nearly 10 years ago, Farrell seemingly was on that cusp that many actors find themselves at. He could’ve been a movie star but he took a curious turn: he decided to take more indie roles than studio parts, becoming much more of an actor in smaller films than the larger roles that would’ve given him a higher profile.
It was the sign that he took being an actor much more seriously than merely using his talents as a vehicle to get rich and famous. And it all started with Tigerland, a small independent film that managed to catapult him into bigger and better parts. One can see why Farrell would take roles in small indies regularly like Ask the Dust, if only because it’s how he became famous in the first place. There’s only so many times you can star in films like Miami Vice before you need to re-establish your acting bona fides on the indie scene.
Private Bozz (Farrell) is a draftee to the Vietnam War who wants nothing to do with it. Eventually sent to Tigerland, a prep course for the hell in Vietnam, his leadership qualities come out and he ends up growing into a man in a place you’d never want to be.
For Farrell this is an absolute star-making turn as he shows acting chops that would sometimes get obscured with the studio pictures he ended up headlining like SWAT, amongst others. Bozz is a complicated man and we get that instantly from Farrell, who has an absolutely raw and powerful performance. It’s to the point where he carries a fairly perfunctory film about a man finding who he is, deep inside, to heights it shouldn’t. Joel Schumacher does a competent job behind the camera, much more than he has done since, but this isn’t a film from a gifted director. It’s a mediocre film elevated to high levels because an actor carries it on his back to much higher quality than it would’ve been normally.
Presented in a Dolby Digital format with a surround sound, the film has been upgraded for Blu-ray from the original DVD but the transfer isn’t significantly better. It’s a step up but not a massive one.
All of the original DVD special features have been ported over including a audio commentary from director Joel Schumacher, a vintage EPK featurette, a casting session with Colin Farrell and Trailer and TV Spots. The disc also sports three new featurettes. Journey to Tigerland is a retrospective interview with Schumacher about the film. The Real Tigerland interviews actual Vietnam vets to discuss the real Tigerland camp and talk about the film’s authenticity. Ode to Tigerland is similar as it is an interview with screenwriter Ross Klavan. He discusses his own time in the Army and how he approached writing this story.
If you were waiting for Blu-ray to pick up Tigerland then you’re not getting much more value than on the original DVD. The handful of new extras, plus improved a/v quality, is nice but doesn’t warrant a purchase.
Twentieth Century Fox presents Tigerland . Directed by Joel Schumacher. Starring Matthew Davis, Colin Farrell, Clifton Collins Jr. Written by Ross Klavan and Michael McGruther. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated R. Released on Blu-ray: May 24, 2011. Available on Amazon.com
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