The words crime, drama, thriller and Sergio Sollima (Violent City, Run Man Run!) quite often seem to go hand in hand. Rightfully so as Sollima is often able to take just about any story, no matter how small or insignificant and fill the screen with an abundance of visual goodness. Famous for his tightly paced and violent crime stories, Revolver is a Sollima entry in the genre that does not disappoint. It also makes me happy to say that Blue Underground's treatment of the title at hand doesn't disappoint either.

Oliver Reed (The Devil's, The Brood) stars as Vito Caprini an overworked and obviously exhausted prison warden who is about to face a deadly decision. When his wife (the incredibly cute Agostina Belli) is kidnapped and the ransom is the immediate release of a prisoner Milo Ruiz (played by Fabio Testi of Four of the Apocalypse) Vito needs to find out who the kidnappers are and why they want Milo free. Vito can't just very well let a prisoner go free so he devises a plan. Unable to cope, Vito arranges for Milo to "escape" (in a particularly thrilling sequence). The two are forced to set aside their differences and work together (sort of, this ain't 48 hours here folks) to get to the bottom of what turns out to be an unexpected and excessive amount of corruption and violent activity that seems to suddenly surround them.

Revolver is a highly entertaining exercise in violent confrontations as well as comforting understanding. Characters are propelled out of their comfort zones and forced into difficult and unusual situations. Performances are key and both Reed and Testi excel at their craft and are able to shine. Testi in particular is phenomenal as Milo the bad guy who may not be such a bad guy after all (or is he?). In the end individual decisions need to be made, for better or for worse. Revolver succeeds on nearly every level to bring forth an ultimately satisfying cinematic experience.

Directed with extreme confidence by Sergio Sollima, Revolver evolves as a tightly paced crime thriller that winds up being just that, quite thrilling. Sollima has proven his directorial expertise time and time again and Revolver is no exception to this rule. Revolver is full of precisely framed images and sweeping dolly shots, both trademarks of many a Sollima film. It's quite an attention getter and all cinematic elements seem to blend flawlessly together.

Presented on DVD in an anamorphic widescreen transfer, simply put Revolver looks exceptional. There are only minimal amounts of print damage and grain is a barely noticeable anomaly except for a slight appearance in a few scenes. Colors are nice and sharp, and although the film never manages to escape the look of a 70's production, it still fares quite well by today's standards. Black levels are nice and solid, and there isn't even a hint of artifacting. Revolver is another all around quality transfer that is sure to please from Blue Underground.

Audio is presented in a clear mono mix that serves the film at hand well. Dialogue is crisp and clear and there is absolutely no distortion. No hiss or background noise is present and the knockout score from maestro Ennio Morricone sounds incredible. While the score provided by Morricone is certainly not one of his best, it definitely manages to hold well against the impressive visuals.

Extras include an entertaining 14-minute featurette complete with interviews with director Sollima and actor Fabio Testi (who I'm not ashamed to say remains a handsome gent to this very day). From their mostly kind words it seems like the actual production of the film is remembered as being quite positive. Both are quick to point out Reed's on set drinking problems and his violent tendencies after he had been drinking (this only made me feel a little uncomfortable) it was a bit odd to say the least. One can only imagine what Reed's response would have been if he were still alive today. Also included are 2 radio spots and two theatrical trailers (US & International) both are in great shape and are highly entertaining. The package is rounded out with a still gallery (including some cool promo pics) and a few brief bios.

Blue Underground strikes again with an impressive presentation of a title that is sure to make fans very happy. If you're unfamiliar with Sollima and his impressive body of work, Revolver is as good a place to start as any. The feature, presentation and extras are all top notch, which easily makes Revolver well worth its purchase price. It's great to see companies like Blue Underground treating vintage cult titles like this with such respect. All I can say is keep 'em coming!