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Code of Silence - Blu-ray Review

5 beersChi-Town.  Karate.  Chuck Norris.  And a killer soundtrack from David Michael Frank.

Is there anything – and this includes the synthesized score – that Code of Silence doesn’t get right?  It is both character driven and intense, filling each scene with violence and desperation as plain clothes units risk life and limb on the mean streets of Chicago as gangs go toe-to-toe with each other in an epic power struggle. 

Directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), the film opens with Norris, a rock star police Sergeant, Eddie Cusack, posing as a garbage man with a red bandana tied around his neck as a sting operation is about to go down.  His lookout men –Detectives Dorato (Dennis Farina, Crime Story), Brennan (Ron Dean) and Music (Gene Barge) – are all on point.  The suspense is palpable.  There are, in this engaging opening, lots of moving parts and they all work in unison to build an explosive beginning that remains quintessential of the action adventure genre.

Code of Silence is a full course meal of guns, drugs, and high-flying kicks.  And before the sting operation goes tits up thanks to some shady painters who come in to work on a defunct building, there is Mr. Chuck Norris, kicking all sorts of ass.  The month of planning all goes to hell and an innocent boy is killed in a tight apartment hallway by Detective Cragie (Ralph Foody), an alcoholic cop responsible for the training of rookie Nick Kopalas (Joseph Guzaldo).

It’s blood for blood and, in this way, the war between cops and criminals begins all over again.  Only one man will be standing.  This is a Norris-leading vehicle and it is him at his most engaging and expressive.  Norris is Cusack.  The film merges everything Norris cares about and, as a result, it delivers one hell of a knockout punch.  Vulgar, violent, and completely pissed off, Code of Silence is a righteous affair.    

Code of Silence also, thanks to the inclusion of the new Prowler police three-axle robot (introduced by John Mahoney (from Frasier), doesn’t shy away from the changing times.  Even if Norris is the last to warm up to the idea of robots on the streets, the need for the security is there.  And Norris has no use for sleep.  He’s on a 24-hour shift of flying fists of fury and good ol’ USA freedom! 

If you’ve ever been curious about Colombian neckties and how they are done, Code of Silence – now on sparkling blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber Studio Classics – is the movie you’ve been looking for. 

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Code of Silence - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
101 mins
Director
: Andrew Davis
Writer:
Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack
Cast:
Chuck Norris, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen
Genre
: Action | Crime
Tagline:
The toughest cop in the world.... just got tougher.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Don't worry about it. Let it roll! They've got a hard ass for a boss, just like us."
Theatrical Distributor:
Orion Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
May 3, 1985
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
December 5, 2017
Synopsis: A Chicago cop is caught in a middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.

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Code of Silence - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray
- December 5, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Rescuing Code of Silence from the MGM dump, Kino Lorber Studio Classics presents Missing in Action with a crisp HD transfer.  Sporting an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the film is full of color and crisp details.  Fabric in clothing is visible as is the Chicago background, used rather nicely.  Blues are strong and so are blacks, with the shadows maintaining their depth.  The action sequences are vivid and expressed with a new clarity thanks to HD upgrade.  The sound is presented in an adequate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Audio.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Fans of this flick get an engaging audio commentary from director Andrew Davis who talks about the making of the movie.

Special Features:

Included with this release is a series of interviews with screenwriter Michael Butler, actor Ron Dean, actress Molly Hagen, and composer David Michael Frank.  All worthy of inclusion, shining a new light on the movie and its magic.

  • Interview with screenwriter Michael Butler
  • Interview with actor Ron Dean
  • Interview with actress Molly Hagen
  • Interview with composer David Michael Frank
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

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Code of Silence - Blu-ray Review

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