Dolph Lundgren returns in 2019’s The Tracker. In 2008, Aiden Hakansson’s (Lundgren) wife (Anna Falchi) and daughter (Elisanna Mirabella) got kidnapped while on vacation in Italy.

Though Aiden attempted to rescue his family, this went awry and his wife and daughter got killed. The murderers escaped capture, and this continues to gnaw at Aiden all these years later.

The wounds reopen when Aiden hears from Detective Laterza, an Italian cop who claims to possess new evidence about the crime. However, he dies under suspicious circumstances before Aiden can meet with him.

All of this leads Aiden further into the intrigue. Aiden investigates and tries to sort out the dirty truth.

Funny how one film role can change a long-held opinion. For years and years, I viewed Lundgren as a largely talentless lunk whose career revolved around wooden performances as one-dimensional action characters.

And then I saw 2018’s Creed II. Lundgren reprised his most famous role as Ivan Drago and brought a shocking level of emotion and depth to the role.

In the brief period since I saw Creed II, I’ve found myself much more open to the notion that Lundgren can actually act. Could he follow up this breakout performance with another strong turn in Tracker?

Unfortunately, no. Perhaps Lundgren rose to the occasion in Creed II - or he lowers himself for direct-to-video fare like Tracker - but the positives I saw in 2018 don’t appear in this 2019 effort.

I can’t blame Lundgren for the movie’s flaws, as they go far deeper than his lethargic performance. Director Giorgio Serafini chooses to stage Tracker at a slow, deliberate pace that makes it a chore to watch.

In this case, “slow and deliberate” really means “sluggish and plodding”. I suspect Serafini figured the pace would add intrigue and drama, but instead, the project never catches the viewer’s attention.

We’re stuck with a slew of ill-defined characters and bland circumstances. These come with the potential for drama but Serafini portrays them in a such a lifeless manner that no thrills emerge.

Tracker opts for moody music and photography in an attempt to conceal the flaws in its foundation. These efforts don’t work, as they can’t overcome the basic monotony at the film’s core.

Despite the potential to become a solid revenge tale in the Taken mold, The Tracker fails to ignite. Slow and boring, the movie flops.

The Tracker appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer looked mostly good.

Sharpness was fine. A little softness occurred in some wide shots, but those didn’t become a concern, so overall definition seemed solid.

I noticed no jagged edges or moiré effects, and the presentation lacked apparent edge haloes or other artifacts. I also saw no print flaws, as the movie always seemed clean.

In terms of palette, Tracker tended toward a light feel of teal and amber. Within design choices, the hues seemed positive.

In addition, blacks were dark and tight, while low-light shots were decent. Some could be a bit dense, but they weren’t bad. This was a largely pleasing presentation.

As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it added breadth to the experience. The movie didn’t deliver a consistently rock-em-sock-em soundscape, but it managed to open up well.

A few louder sequences – usually connected to action beats – made more dynamic use of the spectrum, but those didn’t pop up with great frequency. Instead, the emphasis on general environment remained, and that was fine, as I felt the soundfield fit the material.

Audio quality always pleased. Speech remained natural and concise, with no edginess or other flaws.

Music sounded full and dynamic, while effects came across as accurate and clear. All of this suited the film and earned a solid “B”.

The disc opens with ads for Escape Plan: The Extractors, We Die Young and General Commander. We also get the trailer for Tracker. No other extras appear here.

A paycheck movie if ever I saw one, I hope Dolph Lundgren made some decent money for The Tracker. I’d hate to think he wasted his time on such an awful film without adequate financial compensation. The Blu-ray comes with generally good picture and audio but it lacks supplements. I find little worthwhile in this dull stab at a revenge thriller.