4K-UHD/Movie Review: Fast X

 

Fast X is the tenth, and at least as of this writing, the second-to-last installment in the Fast & Furious franchise of movies. It honestly still amazes me that a film about an undercover cop taking down a gang of robbers/street racers turned into a movie franchise that is so far removed from the premise of the original film, but here we are. The movie was released in 2023 and was directed by Louis Leterrier, who took over for Justin Lin, who was still given a writing and producing credit. Nearly every actor from the franchise appeared in the film (with a few exceptions), including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Charlize Theron, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren, and Jason Statham. The newcomers for this movie include Rita Moreno, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Brie Larson, Leo Abelo Perry, and Jason Momoa. Paul Walker was also included via the use of archival footage. His daughter Meadow was also given a small role in the film. Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson (or Rock "The Dwayne" Johnson; if you know, you know) also reprise their roles. The latter, of course, being a major surprise, given the falling out The Rock and Vin Diesel had after The Fate of the Furious. 

As many of the films in the series do, this one ties back to prior events. Specifically, it ties back to the events of Fast Five. The opening sequence uses footage from the bridge chase in Fast Five and shows events from the point of view of this film's main antagonist, Dante Reyes (played by Momoa), the son of Fast Five's big bad, Hernan Reyes. He hatches a plot to get revenge against Dom and the team, first to frame them, and then to start taking everyone out. The best sequence is toward the beginning of the film involving a chase through the streets of Rome. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. It is pretty much at or near reference-quality, and if you have a big screen and a multi-channel Dolby Atmos sound system, you will not be disappointed. All the bonus features are included on the UHD disc. There is around an hour and twenty minutes, give-or-take, of bonus content, including a gag reel, a making-of featurette, scene breakdowns, and a couple of music videos. There is also a director's commentary track on the film in which Leterrier (who is definitely a fan of the franchise) breaks down the movie and its production. 

If you have seen the prior movies, this one is pretty much par for the course. You know what you are getting with the films at this point. A lot of action, much of it completely unrealistic and over-the-top, and okay (at best) writing and acting. Some stunts are so over-the-top that the only way to pull them off was to use CGI animation (which still looks like animation even if it gets better all the time). The theme of family, which has prevailed throughout the series, is really the only serious part of the movies. Everything else is done pretty tongue-in-cheek. It mixes action and comedy (mostly from Gibson, Ludacris, and Cena) with some drama. Momoa seemed to have a blast playing the bad guy in this movie, and if you watch the bonus content and listen to the commentary, you find out that he did almost all of his own stunts, including the motorcycle stunt driving. He was definitely the highlight of this installment. The movie ends on a major cliffhanger, and the final scene and mid-credits tag set up the involvement of more characters in what is planned to be the final movie in the series. Ultimately, if you have stuck with the franchise this far, this is worth checking out. If you have not liked the other movies, especially as the plots became more outrageous, this will probably not do much for you.

DVD/Movie Review: Fantasies

 

Fantasies is a 1981 film written and directed by John Derek. It starred Bo Derek (credited under the name Kathleen Collins when it was filmed) and Peter Hooten. The supporting cast includes Anna Alexiadis, Phaedon Georgitsis, Nikios Pashalidis, and Kostas Baladimas. The movie was actually Bo Derek's debut. It was filmed in Greece in 1973 and was titled Once Upon a Love, but was not widely released until 1981 after the movie 10, and an appearance in Playboy magazine made Bo a well-known star. She was about 17 years old when the movie was filmed and began a romantic relationship with John Derek (who was 30 years older than her) and eventually, in one of the most cringe-worthy Hollywood relationships, married him a few years later.

The DVD is a bare-bones release. The only extras are short filmography listings for John Derek, Bo Derek, and Peter Hooten. Otherwise, you just get the movie itself, and it does not play with captions. The film is absolutely awful. The writing and acting are horrible, and to the extent there is a plot, it plods along. In it, Bo and Hooten play Anastacia and Damir. Although Damir and Anastacia are not siblings, they grew up together in the same household after his parents died. He wants to revitalize the island where they live and make it into a tourist attraction, and she dreams of owning a fancy bathtub. The two start to have feelings for each other, despite considering themselves to be like brother and sister. They basically fight with each other through the entire movie while they are trying to figure out if they are in love. The movie does earn an R-rating as Bo Derek is nude a few times (although there are no sex scenes). Of course, the nudity would never be filmed today since she was 17 years old when the movie was made. Ultimately, the only thing this movie has going for it is that it was Bo Derek's first movie. While she was never considered a great actress, she was a big star during the 1980s, mostly because of her looks and willingness to take her clothes off in every movie. If you are looking for award-winning acting and writing, this does not have it. If you want to check it out for the sake of curiosity and accept it for what it is, it's worth watching but probably not one that you would return to much.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Enter the Ninja

 

Enter the Ninja is the 1981 action film starring Franco Nero, Sho Kosugi, Susan George, Christopher George, Alex Courtney, and Constantine Gregory that arguably launched the resurgence of martial-arts movies in the 1980s, specifically the Ninja genre. It was the first of what is called the "Ninja Trilogy," consisting of this film, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. This film has no ties to the other two films, aside from featuring real-life ninjitsu practitioner Sho Kosugi (although he plays different characters in each film). In this film, Nero plays an American who goes to Japan to study ninjitsu. Kosugi plays Hasegawa, a ninja whose family lineage traces back to the ancient samurai, and does not believe an American should be allowed to be trained as a ninja. The film opens with a massive fight scene, which we eventually find out is Cole's final test to become a ninja. Once he graduates, Cole goes to Manila to visit his old war buddy, Frank Landers, who owns a plantation and is being pressured to sell his land by a wealthy CEO named Charles Venarious (played by Christopher George). When Cole dispatches his goons with ease, Venarious hires a ninja (Hasegawa) to take Cole out. 

The 4k release is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc (which just contains the film) and a standard Blu-Ray, which contains the film and the bonus content. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is excellent, and it is an upgrade over prior releases. The bonus content includes a commentary track by film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, and trailers for several other films, including Koshugi's other movies. 

The movie itself is very cheesy and not particularly well-written or acted. It very much has the feel of a low-budget action film with some cheesy comedy sprinkled in here and there. The commentary track is quite interesting as Leeder and Venema give a pretty good breakdown of the film's interesting production history, including the fact that martial artist (and the guy who broke up Elvis and Priscilla), Mike Stone, was originally supposed to play the role of Cole. However, when the producers found out that Franco Nero was in the Philippines, they offered him the role despite the fact that he had no martial arts experience (which absolutely shows when he is doing action scenes), and Stone was relegated to being his stunt double and the fight coordinator. Having Stone in the role would have at least made Cole look the part, as Nero was hilariously bad during the fight scenes and could not even do a proper front kick, much less do anything that came close to looking like a trained ninja. You can also tell the movie did not have anyone paying attention to continuity, because in the opening sequence alone Cole would have a bow and arrow in one scene, then have two swords, then have one sword and a dagger, then would magically have the bow and arrows again, only to have them disappear after shooting an arrow and starting to run without actually dropping the bow. And all the ninjas that it looks like Cole is killing during his test are magically okay despite being run through with a sword or having throwing stars stuck in their forehead.  

Of course, nothing in the movie is all that realistic, and it presents a very over-the-top and exaggerated representation of ninjutsu (which is a real style of martial arts). But it is not really a movie that you watch because you are looking for it to make sense, have great acting, or for the continuity. For many people who were kids in the 80s and into martial arts, this will absolutely be a blast from the past (even if you notice the flaws you did not notice then). Ultimately, if you can accept it for what it is, it is entertaining, even if it is in a Mystery Science Theater 3000  "so bad it's good" way and worth checking out in 4k. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Fall Guy

 

The Fall Guy is the 2024 movie adaptation of the 1980s TV series. It was written by Drew Pearce and directed by David Leitch. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu, and there are cameos by Jason Momoa and the stars of the TV series, Lee Majors and Heather Thomas. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the stunt double of the world's most famous action star, Tom Ryder (played by Taylor-Johnson), and is dating camera operator Jody Moreno (played by Blunt). After he is injured performing a stunt, Colt shuts out everyone and works as a valet at a restaurant. He is convinced to return to stunt work to work on a major production directed by Jody and starring Ryder, arranged by the film's producer, Gail Meyer (played by Waddingham). He is led to believe that Jody asked for him, but when he arrives on set, he finds out there is a lot more to the story, as Jody has no idea he was hired, and Ryder has disappeared. 

The 4k set is a three-disc set, containing two UHD discs and a standard Blu-Ray.  One of the UHD discs (and the standard Blu-Ray) contains the theatrical version of the film and the bonus content. The second UHD disc contains the extended version of the movie (which adds about 20 minutes to the runtime). The only extra on that disc is a commentary track by the director and one of the producers. The A/V quality of the UHD discs is excellent, especially if you have a large screen and a Dolby Atmos surround system.  The bonus content includes commentary tracks on both versions of the film. It is actually the same commentary track on both versions of the movie, just with the discussions during the scenes added to the extended edition removed for the theatrical version's track. The commentary tracks provide a lot of good information on the movie's production, how some of the stunts were done, etc. The other bonus features (which total about an hour) include a gag reel, alternate takes, and several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that vary in length from a few minutes to about 20 minutes. 

The movie is very good. It is a great blend of comedy and action, and it seems like everyone had fun making it. It is a movie about a movie as well as an ode to all the people who work behind-the-scenes on films. In fact, the "important" people are made to look the worst in the movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is awesome playing an awful character, who was basically written as a stereotypical Hollywood brat/prick, and Waddingham was great as the producer who enabled him. Gosling again proves that he can do comedy, especially deadpan comedy, and Blunt continued to show her range, incorporating action, drama, and comedy into her performance. It can definitely be a little cheesy and goofy (by design), and almost everything about the movie is over-the-top, but it works. Ultimately, if you are a fan of action-comedies, this is absolutely worth checking out.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Desperately Seeking Susan

 

Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 comedy starring Madonna, Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, and Mark Blum in the lead roles, and John Turturro, Laurie Metcalf, Robert Joy, Will Patton, and Steven Wright in supporting roles. Giancarlo Esposito also had a very minor speaking role. It was directed by Susan Seidelman and was filmed in New York and New Jersey. In it, Arquette plays an unfulfilled upper-middle-class housewife named Roberta who reads the personal ads and becomes fascinated by communications between Susan (played by Madonna) and her boyfriend, Jim (played by Joy) that often begin with the line Desperately Seeking Susan. When one of the ads proposes they meet in Battery Park, Roberta goes to spy on the meeting and becomes fascinated by Susan's freewheeling lifestyle. Roberta ends up getting hit on the head, losing her memory, and believes herself to be Susan, and finds herself in danger when she is mistaken for Susan.

This is a single-disc release. It has a decent, but not great, A/V transfer. For the audio-nerds out there, the audio tracks are 2.0 digital tracks, which may not easily play on a 5.1 or 7.1 surround system without messing with the audio settings on your blu-ray player. The bonus content includes the film's trailer and alternate/extended ending. There is also a commentary track on the film by the director and the two main producers. The most interesting part of the commentary was hearing about the decision to cast Madonna, how her mega-stardom really hit as the movie was filming, and how they had to hire more security toward the end of filming because she was getting mobbed every time she was in public. When she was originally cast, she was still mostly popular in the NY dance club scene where she would perform. However, she released the Like a Virgin album while the movie was filming, and that, along with the release of this film really moved her from a star that had a couple of songs with radio play and videos on MTV into the superstar she became. One funny item from the commentary was one of the producers saying Madonna wanted to get into acting because she did not think she would be able to do the kind of performances she did in the clubs when she was 40, but she would be able to act. Of course, she was playing stadium shows well into her 50s and has only been in a handful of movies after making this one. 

The movie is a good comedy, but it is a bit dated. It very much has the feel of a 1980s romantic comedy, but it had a good enough script that it is enjoyable even years later. It is rated PG-13, but it could have easily earned an R-rating. Rosanna Arquette is topless in a couple of scenes, but in shadow and obscured so you do not see much; Madonna is in a see-through bra in a couple of scenes, and there is a lot of swearing and smoking. It is also interesting to see Laurie Metcalf, John Turturro, and Giancarlo Esposito early in their careers. Madonna was okay, despite never having acted before. But she was almost playing a fictionalized version of herself, so she did not have to do a lot. Arquette did most of the heavy acting work, even though she became overshadowed by Madonna's growing popularity. Ultimately, while it is not the best comedy of the 1980s, it is still worth checking out.

DVD/Movie Review: Fair Game

 

Fair Game is an extremely cheesy 1995 action-romance film starring Cindy Crawford and William Baldwin. The supporting cast includes Salma Hayek and several recognizable character actors, including Christopher McDonald, Jenette Goldstein, Miguel Sandoval, Steven Berkoff, Marc MaCaulay, and Dan Hedaya (in an uncredited role). In it, Crawford plays a civil attorney in Miami named Kate McQuean who threatens to have a ship sized to pay for alimony. Unknown to her, the ship is actually owned by a criminal who is in league with ex-KGB members who then target and attempt to kill Kate. Baldwin plays Max Kirkpatrick, a Miami detective assigned to a case in which Kate was hit by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting, and interrupts the attempt on her life when he goes to her house to follow up on that case. From there, the movie becomes a cat-and-mouse chase in which Kate and Max have to try to avoid the Russians.

The DVD is very bare bones. The movie plays as soon as the disc loads. There are no bonus features on the disc. It does not even have a menu screen, but the movie does play with English captions whether you want them on or not.

The movie was not particularly well-written or acted. It was a low-budget action film that served as a vehicle to help Crawford parlay her extremely successful modeling career into an acting career. She was not a horrible actress, but she was not really given great material to work with. This was also one of Hayek's first roles in a Hollywood film, but her part was very small; she was in just a couple of scenes. You pretty much know what the film is going into it; an action film with two good-looking leads, that plays on the fact that Crawford was one of the biggest (if not the biggest) supermodels in the world at the time. It is hard to expect much when one of the leads is very pretty but with no acting experience, and the other is one of the "other" Baldwins, not named Alec. As I said above, it is very cheesy, and almost nothing in it is realistic or makes a lot of sense. It is basically a movie in which you turn your brain off and just go with it. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content and brief nudity (Crawford is topless a couple of times and you see "notalec" Baldwin's ass), so it earns an R-rating. Ultimately, it is absolutely not a must-see film, but if you want to watch an action movie, you can accept it for what it is, and do not expect it to be something it's not, it is worth checking out. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Excalibur

 

Excalibur is a 1981 film telling a variation of the legend of King Arthur, co-written, co-produced, and directed by John Boorman. It stars Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson (in his first film role), Patrick Stewart (in one of his early film roles), Cherie Lunghi, Robert Addie, and Nicholas Clay. The supporting cast includes, Gabriel Byrne, Boorman's children, Katrine and Charles, and Clive Swift. Over the years, there have been many variations of the Arthurian legend. This is definitely one of the darker ones. Merlin (played by Williamson) was not the noble, wise wizard that he is in other variations, and this version of Arthur (played by Terry) grew up as a commoner only to discover who he was when he pulled Excalibur from the stone. It is very violent and there is some sexual content and nudity in the film. 

The blu-ray release is very substandard. It did not receive a good HD transfer at all, and as a result, the A/V quality is quite bad. The video quality is barely better than a DVD, and the audio is out of sync at times. Also, the menu pages are very hard to navigate and barely respond when you push buttons on the remote. I initially thought the batteries in my remote were dying, but I confirmed they were fine, and the issue was with the disc itself. As a result, depending on what blu-ray player you have, it may be hard to turn on captions or change the audio setting. The only bonus feature is a director's commentary by Boorman. It is also hard to access, given the issue with the menu pages, but once you do, Boorman provides a lot of good information about the film and behind-the-scenes information. 

The movie is okay, but not great. It is actually better to watch it while listening to Boorman's commentary track, because you get a better idea of what he was going for. Without that context, it just seems like the movie never really figures out how it wants to tell the story and does not present a cohesive one. There are time jumps in the movie that make it hard to follow at times. But they had to be used because Boorman wanted to tell the entire story of Arthur's life in a two-hour-and-twenty-minute film. The dialogue was not particularly well written, so despite featuring many great actors, they did not have much good material to work with. It is interesting to see Liam Neeson in his first film, Patrick Stewart early in his film career, and Helen Mirren relatively early in hers. However, there are many other versions of the story that are much better than this one out there. Ultimately, you are not missing much if you skip this, but if you are a big fan of any of the actors or are really into the story of King Arthur, then it is worth checking out.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Everything Everywhere All At Once

 

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a 2022 film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It stars Michelle Yeo, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis. The supporting cast includes James Hong and Jenny Slate. It is a very strange film that wraps a family drama into a sci-fi multiverse, comedy (both absurdist and raunchy), and an old Hong Kong Kung Fu action movie. Almost nothing about the movie makes sense, yet by the end, you kind of get it. Honestly, I could describe every scene from the film in detail, and I still could not spoil it for anyone watching the movie for the first time. In it, Yeoh's character, Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant living in California who runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymond (played by Quan). She has a contentious relationship with her daughter, Joy (played by Hsu), and is being audited by a hard-nosed auditor, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. That is where all normalcy in the movie stops. Evelyn discovers a multiverse and that people can use technology to jump into versions of themselves in other universes, accessing the knowledge and abilities of their other selves. Evelyn also discovers that the multiverse is being threatened by a being named Jobu, who can experience all the different universes at once and manipulate matter (and people) at will, and that she is the only one who can stop Jobu.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The content is identical on each disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. It looks and sounds excellent, especially on a large screen with an Atmos surround sound setup. The bonus content includes a making-of documentary that runs about 40 minutes, some behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, outtakes, the theatrical trailer, and previews for other films released by A24 Studios. There is also a commentary track on the film by the two directors. It also comes with a digital code. 

The movie is good, but it is definitely odd. Once the film gets started, characters jump from universe to universe, and it can be hard to follow the first time you see it. You absolutely have to suspend your disbelief, just go with it, and enjoy the wackiness. There is a fight scene where the primary weapon is a fanny pack, another where a Pomeranian is used as a weapon, and a fight scene with sex toys. There are multiple pairs of googly eyes, a black hole in the shape of a bagel, a raccoon as a play on the rat in the movie Ratatouille, and hot dog fingers. The movie also has not-so-subtle nods to The Matrix, Kill Bill, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is a very unique and chaotic movie. It is extremely well-acted, and you can tell that all of the actors were having a lot of fun in their roles and just going with the absurdity. It definitely earns an R-rating as there is a lot of violence, some sexual humor (but no nudity), and a lot of swearing. Ultimately, I cannot say that everyone will enjoy the movie, but if you do not mind offbeat, multi-genre films, this is worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Everly

 

Everly is a 2014 genre-mixing film that combines action, drama, horror, and suspense.  It was directed by Joe Lynch and adapted from a story that Lynch wrote with the screenwriter, Yale Hannon. It stars Salma Hayek, Akie Kotabe, Laura Cepeda, Jennifer Blanc, Hiroyuki Wanatabe, Togo Igawa, Gabriella Wright, Masashi Fujimoto, and Aisha Ayamah. In it, Hayek's character, Everly, who has been forced into working as a prostitute for a Yakuza overlord named Taiko (played by Wanatabe), is attacked in the high-end apartment where she is kept prisoner in a building owned by Taiko, when Taiko discovers that she has been working with the police to take him down. Everly manages to kill her attackers with a gun she had hidden, and resolves to try to get to her mother and daughter to get them the money she has stolen from Taiko so they can disappear. She discovers she is trapped in the building as more people come to try to collect a bounty on her head.

The blu-ray is a single-disc release. The movie looks and sounds good in HD, but since it was a low-budget film, it did not get an extremely high-quality transfer. The bonus content includes two commentary tracks. The first is a feature commentary by Lynch, producer Brett Hedblom, and editor Evan Schiff. The second is a technical commentary featuring Lynch and the cinematographer, Steve Gainer. Also included is a music video for the version of Silent Night by Raya Yarborough and Bear McCreary featured in the film. 

The first thing to note is that the film is extremely violent (in a very over-the-top way), with a lot of blood and guts. So if that is not your thing, you should absolutely skip it. There is also a lot of swearing and very brief nudity.  There are easy comparisons to films like Kill Bill and Die Hard, but it is not nearly as good as either of those movies. Hayek does a good job in the role. She is the only person in the movie with any real name recognition, and she absolutely carries it. If you listen to the commentary, you will discover that Kate Hudson originally signed on to play Everly but eventually had to drop out and was replaced by Hayek. It would have been interesting to see what she would have done with the role, as her performance would probably have been quite different from Hayek's. 

Ultimately, it is not a film that will appeal to everyone. The movie is a bit unique in that it is an action film set almost exclusively in a single location, Everly's apartment. Nothing in the film is remotely realistic, so you definitely have to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. If you can do that, it is worth watching, but it is not a must-see.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Eurotrip

 

Eurotrip is a 2004 teen comedy written by Jeff Schaffer (who also directed), Alec Berg, and David Mandel, starring Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Boehrs, and Travis Webster. The supporting cast includes Vinnie Jones and Nial Iskhakov. The film also features cameo appearances by Lucy Lawless, Fred Armisen, Kristen Kreuk, Jeffrey Tambor, Diedrich Bader, and Matt Damon. All of the actors making cameos were great, but Lawless and Damon's cameos were particularly notable. 

The basic story is that a guy named Scott (played by Mechlowicz) gets dumped at his high school graduation by his girlfriend (played by Kreuk), and finds out she has been cheating on him constantly. He confides in his German pen pal, Mike (Mieke; played by Boehrs), whom he believes to be a guy. When Mieke suggests that she come visit him, Scott writes an angry email and gets blocked, only to hilariously find out Mieke is a hot girl. He is then convinced by his friend, Cooper (played by Pitts), to go to Berlin to find Mieke. In Europe, they meet up with their friends, twins Jenny and Jamie (played by Trachtenberg and Webster). While there, typical teen comedy hijinks ensue.

The blu-ray is a single-disc release containing the unrated version of the film. It does not include the theatrical version. The A/V quality is good, but it did not get what I would describe as a reference-quality HD transfer. But for an early-2000s comedy, it looks and sounds perfectly fine. There are several extras, including deleted scenes, a hilarious bit about who would get the directing credit since Schaffer, Berg, and Mendel could not share directing credit, a featurette on the nude beach scene, and outtakes. There are two different commentary tracks on the film, each featuring Schaffer, Berg, and Mendel. In the first, they provide a pretty typical director commentary talking about the casting process, the shooting locations, etc. In the second, they basically drink through the entire film, drinking whenever anyone swears, there is nudity, or there is underage drinking shown (and take shots when someone screams). 

The movie is a pretty typical early-2000s raunchy teen comedy. There is a lot of nudity and sex, several drug references, and swearing. There are definitely parts that some people will find offensive, so it is definitely not family-friendly or for those who are easily offended. Ultimately, I would say this is a middle-of-the-road early 2000s comedy. It was not the best of the comedies released at the time, but it was not the worst. It is a movie better known for its cameo appearances than its main storyline, but the main story was still enjoyable. If you are a fan of raunchy comedy, this is worth watching.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - 40th Anniversary Edition

 

E.T. is the iconic 1982 film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg about an alien who becomes stranded on Earth and befriends a young boy and his family. It stars Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace, and Peter Coyote in the main roles. The supporting cast includes C. Thomas Howell, K.C Martel, Sean Frye, and future original Baywatch babe, Erika Eleniak. In the film, an alien becomes stranded on Earth after his ship leaves without him. He hides in the shed of a family who live near where he was stranded and is discovered by a young boy named Elliot (played by Thomas), who befriends E.T. and helps him attempt to contact his species so he can get back home. 

The 40th Anniversary 4k set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. Both contain the same content. The original theatrical edition of the film, and several hours of bonus features. Note that this release does not include the 2002 re-release with the additional footage and the CGI enhancements, which is the only thing that knocks it down a star for me. The bonus content includes two new featurettes made for this release, original making-of and behind-the-scenes footage filmed during production, and content created for the film's 20th Anniversary. The bonus content also includes the trailer and promotional content, as well as multiple picture galleries featuring photos taken during the film's production and promotional stills. The A/V quality is very good, and the movie looks and sounds great in UHD. Neither the audio nor the video transfers are quite reference-quality, but if you have a large screen and/or a multi-channel surround-sound system, you will probably not be disappointed.

This is an extremely good, but not great, release. Of course, the movie is wonderful and holds up well even (as of this writing) 44 years after it was made. Some of the cultural references in the movie are dated; however, the overall story holds up very well. It does have a little swearing and includes things that probably would not be included (like the teenagers smoking at the beginning of the movie) if it were made today, but overall it is very family-friendly, mixing drama, humor, and action. And, of course, John Williams' score is outstanding. The bonus content is excellent. The highlight of the archival material is a young Drew Barrymore (who was six when the film was shot) hamming it up on set and being interviewed at the movie's premiere. If this release had included both versions of the film, it would absolutely be a five-star set. Hopefully, when Universal releases a 45th- and/or 50th-anniversary edition, they will include both versions of the film. That is the only thing that would get me to double-dip for a new edition. Ultimately, it is a wonderful film that takes you on an emotional roller coaster, going from suspenseful to funny to dramatic to sad to uplifting. It is well-written, very well-acted, and absolutely worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Erin Brockovich

 

Erin Brockovich is a 2000 fictionalized biographical film about the legal assistant who helped build the toxic-tort case against Pacific Gas and Electric for groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, and Marg Helgenberger in the main roles, and includes Cherry Jones, T.J. Thyne, and Tracey Walter in supporting roles. Brockovich and the attorney she worked for, Ed Masry, also have cameo appearances in the film.

In it, Roberts plays Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother who is injured in a car accident. She is referred to attorney Ed Masry (played by Finney), who assures her that he expects to win her case at trial. After a loss at trial, Erin shows up at his law firm and talks him into giving her a job. She begins working on a real estate case in which the owners of a power plant are offering to purchase a family's house in Hinkley, California. Brockovich discovers that the city's water is contaminated with toxic Chromium being used at the plant.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. Both discs contain the same content. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. I would not call either the audio or video transfer reference-quality, but for a film that is dialogue-heavy and does not use computer-generated effects, it looks and sounds great, especially on a large screen with a good sound system. All bonus content is included on the UHD disc and carries over from the original Blu-Ray release. That includes deleted scenes that can be played with or without Soderbergh's commentary, a short interview with the real Erin Brockovich, a making-of featurette featuring interviews with cast members, as well as Brockovich and Ed Masry, the theatrical trailer, and two featurettes centered on the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios.

The film is well-written and very well-acted. It is arguably Roberts' best movie and role, and she absolutely deserved the Academy Award for best actress. It mixed humor and drama very effectively and balanced showing Erin Brockovich's complicated personal life with her devotion to the people she was trying to help. There is a lot of swearing, including a lot of sexual humor, but no nudity. The film is a fictionalized docu-drama. The film mostly stayed true to actual events, but some things were changed or added to the story for dramatic effect. Ultimately, it is a great film that is absolutely worth watching and adding to a physical media collection. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Emily the Criminal

 

Emily the Criminal is a 2022 crime drama written and directed by John Patton Ford. It stars Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi. The supporting cast includes Megalyn Echikunwoke, Jonathan Avigdori, Bernardo Badillo, and Gina Gershon. In it, Plaza plays a woman named Emily who works as an independent contractor delivering food for a catering company, while barely making ends meet. Her coworker connects her with a "dummy shopper" service that runs a fraudulent credit card ring, promising $200 for an hour of work. After making a purchase without getting busted, she is offered the chance to return the next day to make a riskier purchase and earn $2000. She ends up getting sucked in deeper with the group, while falling for one of the leaders (played by Rossi), and soon finds herself in over her head.

The blu-ray release is very bare-bones. There are no bonus features, just the movie itself. The A/V quality is good, but since this is a lower-budget independent film, it did not get the type of transfer that a massive summer blockbuster does. That said, A/V quality is fine for a film that does not rely on CGI effects. 

The movie is good. It is well-acted and mostly well-written, although parts of the movie are a bit predictable. Plaza definitely shows her acting range with this part. Of course, she is most well-known for playing a very dry comedic role on Parks and Recreation, but she absolutely has dramatic acting chops and uses them well in this role. Ultimately, if you are a fan of independent dramas and/or are a fan of Aubrey Plaza, this is absolutely worth checking out. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Avatar: Fire and Ash (Steelbook)

 

Fire and Ash, released in 2025, is the third in what will now be at least five films in James Cameron's epic story of humans versus aliens set on the fictional moon, Pandora. For this installment, Cameron returns both as a co-writer, co-producer, and director. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang all return from the first two films, as do Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, and CCH Pounder (although their roles are much smaller in this film). Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jermine Clement, Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, and Filip Geljo all reprise their roles from the second film. The primary additions to the cast for this movie include Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis, who play leaders of two newly introduced Na'vi clans. 

This film expands the plot of the second movie. In the bonus material, Cameron indicates that he originally envisioned a trilogy of films, but as the story evolved and expanded, they needed to split the second and third movies into two films, so (at least as of now, there will be five films. While the first two films focused on the RDA and the Na'vi, this film introduces a new warring Na'vi tribe, the Mangkwan, who also fight the Omaticaya and Metkayina clans. This movie has more character development and focuses a bit less on the symbiotic nature of the Na'vi with other life on the moon and on the moon itself (although that theme is still present). Much of this movie deals with the fallout from the events that ended the second film, and many of the relationships among the characters are fractured (at least to some extent). 

The steelbook release is a 4-disc set, including a UHD disc and two standard Blu-Ray discs. The UHD disc and the first standard Blu-Ray just contain the movie. The second standard Blu-Ray disc contains all the bonus content. Each disc has its own tab inside the case, so no discs need to be stacked on top of each other. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding (basically reference-quality for both audio and video), as you would expect with these films. The franchise continues to be on the cutting edge of motion-capture animation and computer-generated effects, so the Na'vi look less and less like animated characters, and the live-action and CGI blends pretty seamlessly. It is especially good if you have a large screen and a Dolby Atmos surround system. The bonus content includes a 13-part making-of documentary, which can be played all at once (and runs just under three hours) or individually by chapter. It features interviews with various members of the cast and crew, and walks through all aspects of the movie's production. Then, there is a 20-minute tribute to producer Jon Landau, who passed away in 2024, both theatrical trailers, the music video for the film's theme song, Dream as One, sung by Miley Cyrus, and RDA orientation videos that are supposedly shown to RDA personnel before they are sent to Pandora. The set also comes with a code to redeem a digital copy of the movie. Chances are, if the studio follows the same trend as with the first two films, there will be an expanded edition released later in the year with more bonus content and a longer runtime. So, you will have to decide whether you want to get this now or wait for a subsequent release. 

The movie is entertaining, but it is a bit long, and some of the content feels duplicative of the first two movies. You again get a huge final battle between the RDA and the Na'vi, and another huge fight between Jake and Quaritch (this time both as Na'vi). This one does not end on a cliffhanger, and there is no mid- or end-credits scene setting anything up for the next film. It definitely feels like the middle portion of a larger story, and you definitely need to see the first two films to follow what is going on in this one. You really have to look at these movies in a similar way to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films: not everything will be told until the final movie. Ultimately, if you liked the first two films, you will probably enjoy this one.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow

 

Edge of Tomorrow (sometimes billed as Live, Die, Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow) is a 2014 sci-fi/action film directed by Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton. The supporting cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Charlotte Riley, and Franz Drameh. The movie is partly a war film, almost reimagining World War II as a battle against an alien race, called Mimics, and partly a futuristic action film. Most of the movie's events are set in 2020, which, at the time the movie was made, was six years in the future. 

The premise is that the mimics, which operate as a hive collective, landed on Earth in 2015 and took over most of Europe. The world's nations band together to fight them. Cruise plays a public relations officer, Major William Cage, who is ordered by Gleeson's character, General Brigham, to cover the planned invasion of France from the front line. When Cage tries to blackmail the general, he is arrested, tranquilized, demoted to the rank of Private, and sent to join the invasion infantry under the command of Paxton's character, Master Sergeant Farell. During the battle, Cage kills a mimic while dying in the process as he is covered in the Mimic's blood. Cage then discovers that he can reset and relive the day every time he dies. Blunt plays Sergeant Rita Vrataski, who Cage learns once had the same ability, and the two form a plan to kill the "brain" controlling the mimics.

The 4k release is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray disc. The UHD disc just contains the film itself, and all the bonus content is included on the standard Blu-Ray. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. The movie looks and sounds great in UHD, especially if you have a large screen and a 7.1 Dolby Atmos sound system. The standard Blu-Ray contains a little over an hour's worth of content. The most extensive extra is a making-of documentary that runs about 43 minutes and features interviews with Liman and various cast and crew members. Then, there is an "adrenaline cut" of the beach invasion scene, a making-of featurette on the beach invasion scene, featurettes on the weapons and creatures, and about seven minutes of deleted scenes. There are also some previews that play before the main screen loads. 

The movie is a good action film that, despite being a big-budget release, did not feel cookie-cutter. It was mostly well-written (though some parts of the plot could have been cut) and well-acted. It has a nice blend of action, humor, and even some drama. Regardless of what you may think of Cruise in his personal life, he does a great job in almost all of his roles and dedicates himself to the movies he does. Blunt is a great co-lead, and the supporting cast members all do a good job in their respective roles. While the movie relies heavily on CGI, they used as many practical effects as they could, and the CGI that is there looks seamless. Ultimately, if you are a fan of sci-fi and/or action films, this is absolutely worth checking out and adding to a physical media collection. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: From Dusk Till Dawn

 

From Dusk Till Dawn is a 1996 film that blends the action, crime-drama, and monster genres. It was directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino (who also wrote the screenplay), Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, and Salma Hayek (in her second major film role). The supporting cast includes Cheech Marin (who plays three different roles), John Saxon, Danny Trejo, Fred Williamson, Tom Savini, and Kelly Preston. In it, Clooney and Tarantino play criminal brothers who have recently robbed a bank and taken one of the tellers hostage. They end up taking a family (Keitel, Lewis, and Liu) hostage and force Keitel, who plays a former minister named Jacob Fuller (who has lost his faith after his wife's death), to Mexico in the family's RV. Seth (Clooney's character) assures Jacob that his family will be safe after they meet the brother's contact the following morning at a strip club in Mexico that is open from dusk till dawn. It turns out the strip club is run by vampires who steal from truckers and bikers who frequent the club. 

The blu-ray release is a single-disc release with no bonus content. The A/V transfer is okay, but not outstanding. If you have a large screen and a good sound system, the movie will look and sound very good, even if the HD transfer is not of the highest quality.

The movie falls into the category of good, but not great. It was made just before the big advancement in CGI effects and technology (basically before the first Matrix film and the subsequent Star Wars and Harry Potter films revolutionized movie effects), so some of the effects are extremely fake-looking and cheesy. It is absolutely not family-friendly as it has a lot of violence, swearing, and some nudity. It is well-written and well-acted, and Hayek looks stunning in her bikini scene and takes over the movie at one point despite the limited screen time she gets. While it is not really a comedy, it does have some funny moments, such as Cheech Marin showing up throughout the film in different roles. Ultimately, if you are a fan of action films and shoot-em-up monster movies, you will probably like this one. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a 2023 film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, Daisy Head, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, and Justice Smith. The supporting cast includes Bradley Cooper and Rege-Jean Page. Goldstein and Daley also co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gillo. It is, of course, based on the role-playing game and is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. 

In it, Pine plays a bard named Edgin "Ed" Davis, who was in an order of peacekeepers until his wife was killed by disciples of a wizard that he arrested. He then becomes a thief, teaming up with a barbarian named Helga (played by Rodriguez), a sorcerer named Simon (played by Smith), and a con artist named Fitzwilliam (played by Grant). Ed and Helga are caught during a robbery and are imprisoned for 2 years. After escaping, Ed tries to track down Fitzwilliam and his daughter, Kira, whom Fitzwilliam has been caring for. Daisy Head plays Sofina, a red wizard, working for Fitzwilliam. 

The 4K release is a single-disc release. The UHD disc contains the movie and all the bonus content. The A/V quality is outstanding, and the movie looks and sounds wonderful in UHD, especially on a large screen with a good sound system.  The bonus material includes about an hour of content, including a making-of featurette, featurettes on the heroes and villains, a gag reel, and about ten minutes of deleted scenes. 

I would classify the movie as good (and better than the other live-action D&D movies that have come before), but not great. It has a decent mix of action and humor, and the effects are outstanding. The humor can be a bit much, a bit corny, and a bit cheesy at times, but the writers do stay pretty faithful to the setting. Ultimately, if you are a fan of fantasy films, you will probably find this one enjoyable and worth watching. If, however, you are holding out for something like the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends series, this is definitely not it. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: 13 Going on 30

 

13 Going on 30 is a 2004 romantic comedy directed by Gary Winick and starring Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, and Andy Serkis. The supporting cast includes Christa B. Allen, Alexandra Kyle, Sean Marquette, Kathy Baker, Renee Olstead, Samuel Ball, Phil Reeves, and Marcia DeBonis. It also includes Jim Gaffigan, Kiersten Warren, Brie Larson, and Ashley Benson in very minor bit parts. It starts in 1987 with a girl named Jenna Rink (Allen) turning 13. She is a nerdy kid whose best friend is her next-door neighbor Matt (Marquette), who is also nerdy and has a huge crush on Jenna. She desperately wants to be part of the popular group of girls at her school, nicknamed The Six Chicks, led by the most popular girl, Lucy/"Tom-Tom" (Kyle). Jenna ends up wishing that she were "thirty, flirty, and thriving" and, through the magic of movies, wakes up in 2004 as a 30-year-old (played by Garner) in New York City. The last thing she remembers is being humiliated by the Six Chicks at her birthday party, with no memory of the intervening 17 years. She ends up tracking down Matt (played by Ruffalo) and enlists his help to figure out what happened, discovering that she does not like who she ultimately grew up to be.

The Blu-Ray is a single-disc release. The A/V quality is very good, with an outstanding HD video transfer and very good 5.1 channel audio transfer. The bonus content includes two commentary tracks on the film: a director's commentary by Winick and a producer's commentary by two of the film's producers, Gina Matthews and Susan Arnold. Then there are just under a half hour's worth of deleted scenees, a couple of making-of featurettes, a featurette on 80s fashion, a featurette in which the cast members discuss their awkward teenage years, and two music videos (Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield" and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," both of which are featured in the movie). Finally, there are trailers for three other films, but not the trailer for 13 Going on 30 itself. 

The movie is a fun and pretty innocent romantic comedy. It is to millennials what the movie "Big" was to Gen-Xers. The best way I can describe the movie is that it is what you would get if you mixed Big with the other huge 2004 comedy, "Mean Girls." Garner, who was still in her run as a TV action star playing Sidney Bristow on Alias, proved that she has great comedic acting skills. She totally made you buy that she was a clueless and innocent 13-year-old in the body of a smoking hot 30-year-old. Greer (who plays the adult version of Lucy) was great in her role, and Ruffalo was perfect for the part of the adult version of Matt. It is not a raunchy comedy by any means; there are some sex jokes and a couple of swear words thrown in, but it is definitely appropriate for a PG-13 audience, and can be enjoyed by adults (especially those who were in middle school or high school in the late 80s/early 90s). There are several laugh-out-loud moments, and the film features a wonderful 1980s soundtrack. While parts of it are a bit corny, it does hold up well even after 20-plus years. It is absolutely worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Incredible Mr. Limpet

 

The Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 comedy starring Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston, Andrew Duggan, Larry Keating, Paul Frees, and Elizabeth MacRae. Most of the story is set in the 1940s during World War II. Knotts plays a bookkeeper named Henry Limpet, who loves fish and often wishes he were one. He attempts to enlist to fight in the war, but is denied due to poor eyesight. He is the classic wimpy pushover who is browbeaten by his wife, Bessie (played by Cook), and is mercilessly teased by his best friend George (played by Weston). When he falls off the pier at Coney Island, he transforms into a fish, and when he discovers that he has a powerful underwater roar that he calls a "thrum," he begins helping the Navy destroy German U-boats.

The blu-ray release is a single-disc release. The A/V quality is good, but it did not receive the high-quality restoration some older films have. If you have a decent home-theater setup, the movie will look and sound okay, but it will not be as good as those that receive an extensive HD transfer. There is a little over 20 minutes of bonus content, including an introduction to the film by Knotts, a promotional short film about the film's premier in Weeki Wachee, FL, a series of short segments in which Knotts reflects on the various actors who worked on the fim, and the theatrical trailer (which is preceeded by a promotion for the songs from the film which was relased as a single).

The movie is a bit corny and cheesy, but it was one of the first (if not the first) movies to blend live-action with animation. And unlike many of today's comedies, it is absolutely family-friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There is one sex joke at the end that is pretty mild and would probably go over most kids' heads, but there is no swearing or anything that is not appropriate for young kids. It holds up fairly well, even after 60+ years. Ultimately, the movie is a fun, offbeat film that is worth watching. 

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Dogma

 

Dogma is the 1999 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It was the fourth film in what is known as the View Askewinverse, which is the series of comedies written and directed by Smith, which at the time, included the films Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy. It stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, and Chris Rock, as well as Smith and Jason Mewes as the characters Jay and Silent Bob. George Carlin and Alanis Morissette also have what amounts to extended cameos. Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson (who were the leads in Clerks) made cameo appearances, and Janeane Garofalo and Bud Cort have small roles. In the film, Affleck and Damon play fallen angels named Bartleby and Loki, who attempt to exploit a loophole in their banishment to Earth and re-enter Heaven, which, if successful, will wipe out everything in existence. Fiorentino plays Bethany, a counselor at an abortion clinic who is undergoing a crisis of faith and is recruited by the angel Metatron (played by Rickman) to stop them. She is aided by Jay and Silent Bob, as well as Rock's character Rufus, and Hayek's character Serendipity, while Lee's character, the demon Azrael, tries to stop her. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. It is definitely an upgrade over the initial DVD release, and a good, but not outstanding upgrade over the blu-ray (which had been out of print for many years). The UHD disc includes the two original commentary tracks, one with Smith, Affleck, Lee, Mewes, producer Scott Moser, and Vincent Pereira, which focuses on the movie itself, and the second is a technical commentary track with Smith, Moser, and Pereira in which they discuss more of the details about filming and getting the movie made. New features include a short introduction by Smith for the 4k release that plays after the disc loads, a new making-of documentary that runs almost an hour and a half that features updated interviews, a portion of a Q&A session with Smith after a screening of the film, an interview with Smith that runs about 15 minutes, the original trailer and a 25th anniversary trailer, and a few shorter featurettes. 

The standard blu-ray contains the films and both commentary tracks (although the track with Smith and the cast includes video pop-ups that are not in the version on the UHD disc), the intro by Smith, and all the legacy content carried over from the original release. Those include about an hour and a half of deleted and extended scenes, a 40-minute documentary focusing on the very stupid controversy surrounding the film when it was made, some storyboard sequences, more trailers and TV spots, among other things. As with the original release, most references to Miramax and Harvey Weinstein are censored from the extras (with only a couple of exceptions).

The film is good, but it will definitely not appeal to everyone. First and foremost, it is a crude comedy with crude humor (as is the case with most of Smith's movies). It happens to involve religion, unlike what some think, it does not make fun of religion or faith in general. It is a comedy that is set around religious concepts, some controversial and some not. Smith, who was a practicing Catholic for years, wanted to make a comedy that explored the religious dogma he learned growing up. He does poke fun at the Catholic Church, but not the concept of faith in general. Ultimately, if you do not mind crude humor and swearing, it is a good movie that actually teaches some aspects of Christianity and Catholicism, which some people may not otherwise know. If you can accept that, the movie is absolutely worth watching.