DVD It's raining....Hard. The flooding has forced the residents of Huntingburg to flee their homes for higher ground with only the local sheriff and his deputies to watch the town.
Details
With torrential rain causing the worst flooding in decades, the small town of Huntingburg is evacuated as rising water threatens to submerge the entire area. Armoured car driver Tom and his Uncle Charlie are tasked with transporting $3 million in cash out of town before the roads become completely impassable.
Disaster strikes when their vehicle becomes stranded in the rapidly rising floodwater, leaving them vulnerable to a gang of thieves led by the charismatic Jim. After Charlie is wounded during the robbery, Tom manages to escape with the money, hiding it somewhere within the deserted town before fleeing on foot.
With the floodwaters continuing to rise, Tom finds himself pursued not only by Jim and his gang, but also by the local sheriff, who believes Tom has simply disappeared with the cash. Forced into an uneasy alliance with local museum curator Karen, Tom must stay one step ahead of everyone whilst trying to survive the increasingly dangerous conditions.
As the water engulfs the town, streets become rivers and buildings begin to collapse, turning Huntingburg itself into one giant obstacle course where both the flood and the criminals prove equally deadly.
Picture & Sound
Despite spending almost the entire running time in darkness and torrential rain, the transfer holds up remarkably well. Shadow detail remains strong, colours are natural and compression artefacts are kept to an absolute minimum.
One particularly welcome feature is the ability to choose between the original 2.35:1 widescreen presentation and a full-frame version from the menus, making the disc suitable for both widescreen and conventional televisions.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is equally impressive. The constant rainfall provides plenty of subtle ambient effects for the surround channels, whilst explosions, collapsing buildings and speeding jet skis make excellent use of the rear speakers. It's not the most aggressive soundtrack you'll ever hear, but it creates a wonderfully immersive atmosphere throughout.
Menu & Extras
The menus are attractively designed, complete with animated water ripple effects and suitably atmospheric rainfall audio, helping to set the mood before the film even begins. Unfortunately that's where the bonus material ends, as the disc contains no meaningful extras whatsoever. It's also worth noting that the disc is encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4 playback.
Overall
Hard Rain is one of those films that never quite received the attention it deserved. The premise is refreshingly different, making excellent use of its flooded town setting to create a series of inventive action sequences that feel unlike anything else from the late 1990s. The spectacular jet ski chase through the flooded school remains a particular highlight, whilst the electrified water sequence generates plenty of tension.
Christian Slater makes an engaging hero, but it's Morgan Freeman who steals the show. Rather than portraying a stereotypical ruthless criminal, Jim is surprisingly likeable and often appears more honourable than some of the supposed good guys. It's an interesting twist that gives the film a little more depth than many action thrillers of the period.
The production itself deserves enormous credit. Rather than relying heavily on visual effects, the filmmakers actually constructed and flooded large sections of the town, giving the action a scale and realism that's difficult to fake. The result is an action film that still looks impressive years later.
It may not have set the box office alight, but Hard Rain is a hugely entertaining action thriller with an original premise, strong performances and some memorable set pieces. The lack of extras is disappointing, but the excellent presentation makes this an easy recommendation for action fans.
Special features
- None
