Blu-ray Review: Forsaken

Donald and Kiefer Sutherland finally share the screen as father and son in Forsaken, a Western directed by Kiefer's longtime 24 collaborator Jon Cassar. Think of it as Unforgiven-lite. Come to think of it, better make that ultra-lite. John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland) is a Civil War vet who has sworn off guns. He was once a quick-draw hothead, but now he's determined to leave his violent ways in the past. John Henry visits his father, Reverend William Clayton (Donald Sutherland), breaking years of bitter estrangement. John Henry is devastated to learn that his mother has passed.

As John Henry revolves to repair his deeply damaged relationship with his father, trouble brews in their town. James McCurdy (Brian Cox) aims to take over the town's land and force its residents away. McCurdy's chief henchmen are dispatched to handle the dirty work (i.e. mow down anyone who stands in McCurdy's way), including Gentleman Dave (Michael Wincott) and Frank Tillman (Aaron Poole). John Henry is seen as a potential obstacle, due to his violent reputation.

Forsaken plays out pretty much like you might expect. John Henry, of course, is forced to step up and defend the town. Demi Moore is on board in a minor role as John Henry's unrequited love interest (she married another man while he was away). Reverend William and John Henry fight about a variety of issues. The whole thing feels tossed off. Perfunctory. Formulaic. The formula wouldn't be such a deficit if it wasn't such a generic production.

Entertainment One's Blu-ray is certainly acceptable on the technical front, with a sturdy high definition transfer and lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround mix. There's a little 'making of' featurette thrown in for good measure, but that's the disc's sole extra.

Forsaken is available on Blu-ray and DVD on March 29, 2016.