(A+) While director Kevin Reynolds and cinematographer Ericson Core purposefully chose a variety of varied looks for this production (the opening is bathed in blue, other scenes feature a warm, sunset yellow and some are nearly oversaturated, etc.), the transfer here from film to DVD is outstanding. When not subject to the above conditions, the picture is rich looking, sharp, and offers gobs of detail. Beyond a few minor instances of compression-related pixelation (that certainly aren't distracting), this is a great looking disc.
AUDIO:
(A) Mixed to give the film the proper, gritty feel, the audio track for this disc sounds good throughout. Whether featuring the appropriate urban high school songs and/or score or a decent array of spatial and other ambient effects, the audio here might not be anything tremendous from a sonic perspective, but it clearly accentuates the proceedings with the necessary aural touches.
EXTRAS:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
Running audio commentary by actors Samuel L. Jackson and Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez , director Kevin Reynolds and screenwriter Scott Yagemann.
Theatrical trailer.
COMMENTS:
Projecting a very bleak view of inner city schools with an even bleaker solution to their numerous problems, "187" certainly isn't a happy film. Nevertheless, it's incredibly powerful, thought provoking, and will stay with you long after you leave the theater.
Filled with impressive performances from many of the cast members and competently helmed by director Kevin Reynolds ("Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"), this was one of the better, yet underrated and barely seen films of 1997. Its gritty and often grim approach, however, is probably what made it rather unsavory to audiences during its theatrical run and may have the same effect on home viewers.
Having been jettisoned by actor Kevin Costner from his big budget effort, "Waterworld," Reynolds moved on to this feature, obviously scaling down the production. The result is effective as the close confines of the cramped, oppressively hot classrooms create the perfect atmosphere for this film. Shot in an impressive, and nearly always moving style, Reynolds uses the camera in a stimulating manner to create various moods, though at times the out of focus and soft perimeter focus shots might have viewers thinking something's wrong with their TV, DVD player and/or disc.
Of course, it's all done to depict the protagonist's descent in and out of madness, and there are few better to play and pull off such a role than Samuel L. Jackson ("Deep Blue Sea," "The Negotiator"). Bearing a striking resemblance to the Michael Douglas character in the similarly underrated and barely seen film, "Falling Down" -- where Douglas's character finally had enough and violently took on anything and everything that got in his way of him seeing his daughter -- this film takes that character and plot one step farther.
Always a charismatically expressive performer, Jackson creates a sympathetic character here with deep, dark levels that aren't explored or even discovered until we're far into the story. This is easily one of Jackson's strongest piece of work, but surprisingly, and unfortunately, he was overlooked at a chance for another Oscar nomination that year (his other was for "Pulp Fiction").
Other performances vary, but Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez ("Light It Up," "The Replacement Killers") delivers a convincing, if certainly not likable performance as the disturbed troublemaker. While you've seen this story many times before -- the new high school teacher makes changes with troubled students in an inner city school -- rarely has it been as powerfully portrayed as it is here. Although many will be put off by the film's bleak outlook and often brutal and ugly violence, it's impressively mounted, features a great performance from Jackson, and certainly won't vanish from your memory anytime soon.
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