Drive (1997)

Summary

A couple years ago, MVD Rewind Collection announced that they would be releasing the 1997 Steve Wang directed film Drive. This release gathered a lot of excitement from fans of the film and fans of the label. Drive gained a legion of fans back in the Nineties when it was played repeatedly on HBO, expanding its reach far past the video store. Drive blends science fiction and buddy film elements with Hong Kong style martial arts action. The film stars actors Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison. Mark Dacascos is arguably best known for his roles in John Wick 3 or Double Dragon, but he was also the Chairman on Iron Chef America. As excited and pleased as I was with the prior MVD Rewind release (which was excellent,) I was even more excited when I saw that MVD would be working with UK based label 88 Films to create a definitive 4K UHD release of the picture. As soon as my copy arrived, I was ready to see what the film looked and sounded like on the UHD format.

Toby Wong (Mark Dacascos) arrives in San Francisco after stowing away on a cargo ship from Hong Kong. Toby has a special prototype chip inside him that makes him a nearly perfect weapon. He has come from Hong Kong with the hopes of removing the chip and selling it to a technology firm in the states for millions of dollars. This will not be easy because he is being pursued by Cowboy-hat wearing, revolver toting Vic Madison (John Pyper-Ferguson) who is under instructions from Mr. Lau (James Shigeta) to retrieve his merchandise. As Toby tries to make his way to Los Angeles, he encounters Malik Brody (Kadeem Hardison) in a bar. When Vic and his crew of goons shoot up the bar, Toby soundly defeats all of them with his amazing martial arts skills and lightning quick movements. As the cops arrive, Toby grabs Malik and they flee in Malik’s red sports car. Toby basically holds Malik hostage with the request to be taken to Los Angeles, but Malik soon realizes that Toby is not such a bad guy. As they evade their pursuers through a series of frenetically choreographed martial arts fights, Toby and Malik form a bond. Malik wants to win over his ex-wife, and Toby wants to pave a future for his wife from China. Toby is willing to pay Malik handsomely if he succeeds in his mission. Along the way to Los Angeles they encounter and pick up an enthusiastic and boy-crazy blonde (Brittany Murphy.) The finale revolves around a fight with a second prototype in a restaurant shaped like a spaceship. It’s that type of movie, and all the better for it.

Director Steve Wang is probably as well known for his special effects works on films like Predator and The Monster Squad as he is known for directing the films The Guyver and Guyver: Dark Hero. Working with cinematographer Michael G. Wojciechowski and talented stunt coordinator Koichi Sakamoto, the filmmaker and his crew shot for the moon, creating memorable martial arts setpieces that flowed from one to the next for the course of the film. None of this would be as enjoyable if Mark Dacascos was not incredibly adept at martial arts and gymnastics. His unbelievable skills reminded me frequently of some of the incredible stunt choreography performed by Jackie Chan in his prime. This makes more sense after watching the special features where Dacascos explains that Jackie Chan was one of his heroes and biggest influences. Dacascos is very fast in this film, and director Steve Wang knew exactly how to capture his quick fluid movements in the fight scenes. Steve Wang’s goal was to make a film in the United States that would be similar to the stylish and quick paced action films being made in Asia. To this end he succeeded in a way that even John Woo had difficulty recreating in the States. 

The script of the film by Scott Philips is pretty ridiculous, but it is ridiculous in a likable way. Mixing together the buddy genre with science fiction, lots of fight sequences, and a road movie makes for an enjoyable mix. The actors in the film are all fun to watch onscreen. While Mark Dacascos is absolutely the center piece of the film and is really incredible in the movie, he is surrounded by an enjoyable ensemble. Kadeem Hardison is best known for playing Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, and he is a likable comedic foil in the film. I recently watched Kadeem in another low-budget gem called Def by Temptation which made me like him even better than before. Brittany Murphy chews the scenery in a bizarre role that sticks out from other parts she landed in her short career. John Pyper-Ferguson plays the memorable Western clad villain Vic Madison with an appropriate amount of humor and levity. I also enjoyed seeing character actors Tracey Walter and James Shigeta in their roles.

Having watched both the Director’s Cut and the Theatrical Cut, I like both versions of the movie for different reasons. The Director’s Cut soundtrack has a lot more traditional action movie soundtrack, whereas the Theatrical Cut uses bouncing techno songs that are as goofy as they are enjoyable. The Director’s Cut has better exposition and is certainly a better film, but the Theatrical Cut is trimmed down to amplify the action. While I definitely understand why Steven Wang was upset with what had been done to his film by the producers, I am glad that both cuts are available on this release. This version also has fixed an aspect ratio issue for the Theatrical Cut from the prior release. Depending on my mood, I could easily watch either version, although the Director’s Cut will probably appeal to me more just because it looks so good in UHD.

Fans of direct-to-video action will be hard pressed to find a more competently made and enjoyable film of this type. Drive is by no means a serious film, but it is all the better for it. 

Video

MVD Rewind and 88 Films have done an excellent job of presenting Drive in 4K UHD from a new 4K scan of the director’s cut of the film. This is more than likely the same 4K scan used for the prior MVD release, but the HDR really makes an impact. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. As in the prior release, the transfer looks great. The source was obviously in great shape and the 4K scan has really brought all the best elements to the forefront. Clarity is excellent and the filmgrain remains well resolved throughout the course of the film. That said, the UHD does make some of the grain stick out a little but more than on the prior release, but given the uptick in quality of both fine detail and scale of color, this is a very minor issue. There is a lot to enjoy visually in the film and the fight scenes have never looked better than they do here. The Theatrical Cut of the film was supplied from an older master as an extra on the disc, and the aspect ratio has been corrected from the prior release. While the theatrical cut does not look nearly as good as the Director’s Cut, but it is still great to have both on the same disc.

Audio

88 Films and MVD Rewind have upped their game from the prior DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix featured on last year’s Blu-ray. The new track is a Dolby Atmos track that sounds absolutely fantastic. For the Director’s Cut, a Dolby Digital 2.0 track has been provided. The new Atmos track brings out the very best from the original sound design. This is a big leap forward from the already enjoyable DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. Immersion is much better and the action scenes are enhanced from the added channels. The original soundtrack to the film sounds nice, and the foley effects in the film are pretty well done considering the budgetary constraints of the film. The Theatrical Cut of the film has been presented only with a Dolby 2.0 mix.

Supplements:

• Original Theatrical Cut – Presented in 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.
• Deleted Scenes
• “The Force Behind the Storm” Documentary – this is an excellent archival featurette on the making of the film. Featuring comprehensive interviews with Mark Dacascos, Steve Wang, Koichi Sakamoto, Kadeem Hardison, and more; this is an informative and well made piece that goes into good depth on the production history of the film and the differences between the two versions of the film.
• Cast Interviews – include Mark Dacascos, Steve Wang, Wyatt Reed, Koichi Sakamoto, and Kadeem Hardison.
• Commentary – Steve Wang, Koichi Sakamoto, Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison
• Highway to Nowhere – this is the sole new supplement and it features Jason Tobin who is best known for his role in the Fast and Furious series. This is an enjoyable piece that does not have a ton to do with the film itself aside from his being an extra in the picture.
• Trailers

Overall Scores

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

I am so happy that MVD Rewind and 88 Films paired up to bring Drive to the 4K UHD format. Drive is one of the most enjoyable and most competently made direct-to-video movies from the Nineties. The film’s script is ridiculous, but the action set-pieces and fight choreography are as good as I have seen from that time. Director Steven Wang set out to make a martial arts picture in the states that felt like the Hong Kong action films he enjoyed. He succeeded brilliantly due to an absolutely astounding display of martial arts and gymnastics ability from actor Mark Dacascos. Once you add in the buddy comedy elements provided from Kadeem Hardison, an out-there performance by Brittany Murphy, and some science fiction trappings, there is a lot to enjoy about this extremely Nineties action film. The 4K UHD release has a very strong presentation of a 4K scan of the Director’s Cut with HDR, and an older scan of the Theatrical Cut as a supplement. The sole new feature for this release is an interview with Jason Tobin who was an extra in the film before finding his star turn in the Fast and Furious franchise. I highly recommend checking out Drive in this definitive edition and also would say that it is certainly worth updating to the 4K UHD if you are a fan of the Director’s Cut.