“Barely Lethal” is proof that Samuel L. Jackson either loves working or the guy owes serious money. The feature follow-up to Kyle Newman’s “Fanboys” finds that the director hasn’t learned much since his last outing. Sure, he’s directed some shorts and related tidbits that I’ve enjoyed since that ill-fated Star Wars fan film, but this one feels like a cop out. Basically, it’s a Nikita knock-off, but toned down to a teen friendly romp.
Hailee Steinfeld continues to undersell herself in these roles, but she’s manageable as the assassin that just wants to be a teen. What’s less believable is Jessica Alba playing a villain. Everyone tries to find their new roles in life, while Samuel L. Jackson just wants his premiere assassin back. Everything ends in a nice and orderly fashion for the young teen audience.
The Blu-Ray comes with a Digital HD copy, deleted scenes, featurette and commentary as the special features. The A/V Quality is typical for a seemingly DTV HD release. The 1080p transfer pops where it can. However, the DTS-HD 5.1 master audio tracks exists to over-expand the limited violence. In the end, it’s a rental at best.
Release Date: 8/4/15