In the 1990s, Hollywood became more enraptured with Native Americans than audiences had seen in a while. For an example of this, we go to 1992’s Thunderheart.

When someone murders Leo Fast Elk (Allan RJ Joseph) on a reservation, the FBI sends in young agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer) to pair with cynical veteran Frank "Cooch" Coutelle (Sam Shepard). Ray gets the gig entirely because he possesses some Sioux blood.

After an awkward meeting, Levoi and Coutelle partner with Tribal Police officer Walter Crow Horse (Graham Greene). As Ray digs into what becomes a complicated case, he finds himself drawn into his heritage in ways that change him.

As noted, Hollywood enjoyed a minor trend of prominent movies with a focus on Native American culture in this one’s era. 1990’s Oscar winning Dances With Wolves remains the biggest of the bunch, and we also found efforts like 1992’s Last of the Mohicans.

One common factor: each of those movies came from the POV of a white lead character. Sure, Thunderheart complicates matters since it gives Ray a little Native blood, but that offers only a minor twist.

Instead, Thunderheart follows a well-trodden path of the white man who enters an alternate culture and opens his eyes. Not that this seems like a bad theme overall, but as depicted here, we get the same old same old.

Part of the problem comes from the patronizing manner in which it depicts the Native Americans. They’re not people – they’re just symbols, as the undercooked script fails to make them real.

In theory, Ray should post superior development, but he also exists solely as the vehicle for his “awakening”. Nothing about his journey becomes compelling.

Usually a reliable actor, Kilmer just plays Ray as petulant. Sure, he softens a little as the story progresses but not enough to create a viable character.

Greene fares best of the bunch, though he can portray a role like Walter in his sleep, as he got typecast into plenty of similar parts. At least Greene shows some spark and makes the most of the cliché elements.

Too much of Thunderheart feels like editorializing about the poor treatment of Native Americans. Of course, I agree with that perspective, but the film fails to integrate these concepts in a satisfying manner.

Instead, the whole thing feels heavy-handed, and the movie doesn’t compensate with good drama. The murder investigation seems largely secondary and never builds a head of steam.

This leaves us with a thriller that lacks thrills, and Thunderheart also sputters as a character drama. While the filmmakers mean well, the end product seems misguided and limp

Thunderheart appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. This became a pretty positive Dolby Vision presentation.

Overall sharpness worked nicely. Some slightly soft shots popped up at times but these remained modest and the flick usually brought appealing delineation.

The movie lacked moiré effects or jaggies, and it also never suffered from edge haloes. Grain felt light but reasonably natural and the flick didn’t suffer from any print flaws.

Typical for a tale set in the US Southwest, the palette opted for a fairly amber/sandy vibe, with blues for nighttime shots. The disc depicted the colors well and HDR gave the tones a boost.

Blacks felt deep and tight, while low-light shots provided generally solid clarity. HDR added a boost to contrast and whites. Though not quite “A” level, the image satisfied.

In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack added some pizzazz to the proceedings. While the soundscape leaned toward ambience, it kicked to life on occasion.

Music showed good spread across the various channels, and general atmosphere felt convincing. Sporadic action scenes brought matters to a more active and involving level, and these used the channels well.

Audio quality held up well, with speech that seemed distinctive and natural. Music appeared vivid and full.

Effects came across as accurate and without obvious distortion. Nothing about the mix dazzled but it seemed satisfactory.

A few extras flesh out the disc, and we find an audio commentary from screenwriter John Fusco. He provides a running, screen-specific look at the project’s origins and path to the screen, influences, research and historical elements, the depiction of the Native American culture, story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, and connected domains.

Overall, this turns into a solid commentary. The film remains near and dear to Fusco’s heart and he gives us good insights related to its content and creation.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we get archival interviews. Shot in 1992 for the film’s EPK, this compilation spans 11 minutes, 45 seconds and presents remarks from Fusco, technical consultant Sonny Richardson, producer Jane Rosenthal, director Michael Apted, and actors Val Kilmer, Graham Greene, C. Sheila Tousey, and John Trudell.

They tell us about story and characters, the backstory to the movie’s events and situations, and attempts to accurately depict the culture. A few decent notes emerge but most of the clips remain superficial.

Basically a simplistic look at Native American culture, Thunderheart sticks with a trite focus on the white outsider character. The film’s thriller elements flop so this becomes a tedious drama. The 4K UHD boasts very good picture and positive audio along with a few supplements. The filmmakers mean well but the end result just doesn’t work.