Starring: Emma Roberts, Liam Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Nikki Reed, James Ransone, Michael Angarano
Director: Dito Montiel
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: September 3, 2013
Run Time: 94 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
With Dwayne Johnson popping up in practically about every film this year and Liam Hemsworth role with “The Hunger Games” behind him, I am surprised that this film didn’t make it into theaters. But I guess look what just happened to Hemsworth’s “Paranoia” in theaters and he has Indiana Jones co-starring with him. “Empire State” is definitely not what I expected but is pretty cool crime-thriller and it is also based around a true story. Like you would expect from Johnson, the action is here and he kicks some ass (like usual). Not my favorite film of the year but still worth a rent and would recommend this for fans of Dwayne Johnson.
Official Premise: After failing to get into the police academy, Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth), settles for a security guard job with the “Empire State” Armored Truck Company. Chris makes the mistake of mentioning the company’s lax security to his best friend, Eddie (Michael Angarano), and is soon unwittingly drawn into an elaborate scheme to rob the abundant amounts of cash being stored there – resulting in the largest cash heist in U.S. History. As the stakes continue to rise, Chris and Eddie must outwit James Ransone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), the veteran NYPD Detective that is hot on their trail, as well as the local crime bosses that want to know who pulled a job on their turf, or suffer the consequences.
Lions Gate is releasing this film as a Blu-ray + UltraViolet combo pack. The 1080p transfer works with the film’s action. The film has a pretty rocking DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track as well, which keeps the tension high throughout the film. The special features are decent and definitely worth checking out. There is commentary track from the director Dito Montiel. There is are behind-the-scenes interviews with cast/crew. The best extra is “Anatomy of a Heist: Interview with Chris Potamitis – The Mastermind Behind the Robbery”, which is featurette about the actual guy who the film is based on. Lastly, there a few deleted scenes included.
