4k-UHD/Movie Review: Disclosure Day

 

Disclosure Day is the 2026 science-fiction thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay written by David Koepp. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, and Colin Firth in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Elizabeth Marvel, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes.

The plot follows a television meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (played by Blunt), and a cybersecurity analyst, Daniel Kelner (played by O'Connor), who unexpectedly find themselves thrown together on a high-stakes mission that neither fully understands. All while being chased by a shadowy organization and helped by an underground resistance group. The movie starts with little setup, starting off with a standoff between O'Connor and Firth's characters. We learn that Kelner has stolen evidence of an extraterrestrial cover-up and plans to disclose the definitive existence of alien life to the entire world. Firth plays a government contractor named Hugo, who is trying to prevent the secret from being released. Margaret begins exhibiting weird behavior and feels a pull to find and help Kelner, all to the dismay of everyone around her, including her boyfriend, Jackson (played by Russell). 

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. It also comes with a digital code that can be redeemed on Movies Anywhere. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding, and the digital effects are so good that it is genuinely hard to tell what was done with practical effects and what was done digitally. The bonus content is completely included on the UHD disc itself. It features a making-of featurette that runs just under an hour, as well as a short feature focusing on the long-term working relationship between Spielberg and his legendary composer, John Williams. Both features are good and are well worth a look for people who like watching the bonus content on physical releases.

The movie is good, with a nice blend of action, drama, and suspense. It was very well acted, with Blunt and Firth being the clear standouts of the production, although all of the actors did a very good job in their respective roles. The writing was good overall but got a bit cheesy and silly in parts, especially toward the end of the film during the climax. It seems like this is what Spielberg likely would have done with Close Encounters of the Third Kind if the special-effects technology had been good enough back in the late 1970s. While it is not a direct sequel to Close Encounters, it feels like a modern update of that story. Ultimately, it is a very entertaining sci-fi thriller that is absolutely worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Fifth Element

 

The Fifth Element is the 1997 science-fiction action film written and directed by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Luke Perry, Brion James, Tom Lister Jr., and Lee Evans.

The story opens in Egypt in 1914, but the bulk of the movie is set 300 years later, in 2214. The plot follows a futuristic New York City cab driver and former special forces major, Korben Dallas (played by Willis), who accidentally becomes responsible for the fate of the world when a mysterious woman named Leeloo (played by Jovovich) falls into his flying taxi. Leeloo turns out to be the physical embodiment of the supreme being, known as the fifth element, who is destined to combine with four elemental stones to defeat a great cosmic evil that threatens to destroy the universe every 5,000 years. Dallas must protect Leeloo from the evil corporate tyrant Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (played by Oldman) and a band of mercenary aliens, leading to a massive showdown at a luxury resort in space.

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. This release is a collectible Steelbook edition, though a standard 4K non-Steelbook edition is also available. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. I would not say the transfer is as high-quality as some older films have received, but it still looks and sounds quite good, especially if you have a large screen and a decent sound system. The only extra feature included on the UHD disc itself is a short introduction and interview with director Luc Besson discussing the film. The rest of the extras are on the standard Blu-Ray disc and carry over from the original physical media release. There is a ton of behind-the-scenes and making-of material included, which provides a lot of interesting information about the production. One of the most interesting facts revealed is that the movie would not be picked up by a studio until after the massive success of Besson's prior movie, Léon: The Professional. The standard blu-ray also lets you play the movie with a "fact track" that uses captions to insert facts about the actors, the production, particular scenes, etc., throughout the film. 

The movie itself remains a great blend of sci-fi action, humor, drama, and romance. Bruce Willis filmed this movie at the peak of his fame, and he did a great job in the leading role as the sarcastic, down-on-his-luck, but capable hero. This was actually the fifth film in the careers of both Chris Tucker and Milla Jovovich, and both of them were great in their respective roles. Tucker steals nearly every single scene he is in as the very flamboyant radio host Ruby Rhod, a character he modeled as a combination of Michael Jackson and Prince. The film was made just before digital effects took off in Hollywood, so it relies on a unique mix of practical model effects and early digital effects that give it a distinct visual charm. The film is rated PG-13, but it definitely skirts the line with some heavy sexual innuendo and brief nudity. Ultimately, it is a great film that was underrated when it was first released and is worth watching. If you are someone who collects physical media, this release is well worth adding to your collection.

Book Review: Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Crystal Crown

 

The Crystal Crown is a young-adult novel set at the end of the High Republic era of the Star Wars universe, written by Tessa Graton. It is centered on the characters Yord and Jecki (played by Charlie Barnett and Dafne Keen in the live-action Acolyte series) when they were both padawans. It is the second (as of this writing) prequel novel to the Actolyte series (which was canceled after the usual bitching and whining by the Star Wars "fanbase"), set an unspecified amount of time before the events in the TV series. In it, Jecki and Yord accompany their masters to a planet called Siline, whose inhabitants emphasize honor and duels to clean up a political mess caused by another Jedi who refused to duel during negotiations to bring the planet into the Republic. Jecki and Yord do not particularly like each other, but are forced to work together when they are enlisted to participate in a coming-of-age series of competitions that draw easy comparisons to the Hunger Games series. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 440 pages. It reads fairly quickly and has a good mix of action and non-action material. The only other character from the series who appears in the book is Master Sol, although Osha and Vernestra are also mentioned in passing. It does not really hint at the Sith threat (which, at that point, was still unknown) and is very much a self-contained story. Ultimately, the story is okay but not great. It is not one of the novels that I would call a must-read, but if you liked the series and want more stories from that time frame, it is worth checking out. However, you are not missing anything critical if you do not read it. Hopefully, down the line, they will continue the story that the show would have told if it had not been canceled, as that would be much more interesting and critical to the overall universe of stories than this one.

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: 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. 

Book Review: Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker

 

Wayseeker, published in 2025, is a novel by Justina Ireland set approximately 160 years before the Battle of Yavin between the end of Phase 3 of the High Republic (after the Nihil were defeated) and the short-lived but underrated series The Acolyte. The novel is centered around the characters Vernestra Rwoh and Indara (the Jedi played by Carrie-Anne Moss in the series). In it, Vernestra is an older Jedi master and Wayseeker (a Jedi who operates independently of the Jedi Council) who has been exploring the Outer Rim. She is called back to Coruscant for a mission that a Republic Senator has personally requested her to participate in. After Vernestra ignores the order to return, the council sends Indara, who is a young Jedi knight who has been working in the archives after a traumatic experience during a mission, to track Vernestra down and bring her back to Coruscant. Vernestra and Indara then set out to uncover ties between the Senator and a gang smuggling weapons that have not been seen in the Republic for years, while trying to overcome their personality clashes. 

The hardcover version of the book is 284 pages long. It reads fairly quickly, especially if you have read the novels set during the High Republic. Ireland does a good job explaining Vernestra's personality shift from when she was a young Jedi during the Nihil conflict and when she appeared in The Acolyte. She mostly appeared in the young-adult and junior novels set during the High Republic, but was one of the most intriguing characters, and almost the polar opposite of how she was portrayed in the TV series. While the book does not entirely fill in that gap of time, it does help explain why she was so different as she got older. Ultimately, while it is not one of my must-reads in the new canon, it is a good novel worth checking out.   

Book Review: Star Wars: Master of Evil

 

Master of Evil, by Adam Christopher and published in 2025, is, as of this writing, the newest Star Wars canon novel. The events in the book are set shortly after the events of Revenge of the Sith, when Vader is the little-known mysterious enforcer and right-hand of Emperor Palpatine. Despite what you may think from the title and the cover, Darth Vader is not the main character of the book. The main character is actually a member of the Royal Guard (the red-robed masked characters who guard the Emperor) named Halland Goth. When Vader seeks to track down a force-wielding shaman, who reportedly has the power to raise the dead, Goth is tasked by the Emperor to watch Vader and report back on his actions. Of course, Vader is trying to figure out how to bring Padme back to life, but Goth also has a personal interest in Vader's mission, as he is dying from a terminal illness and believes that Vader holds the key to his survival. 

The hardcover version of the book is just under 370 pages. It reads quickly, and if you are a fast reader, you can finish it in a few days (or less, depending on how much time you have to devote to reading). While Vader has a significant presence in the book, very little of it is written from his viewpoint. He is still treated like the mysterious Imperial background character, known more by reputation and rumor than by direct interaction. It would have been nice if the book had been written so we could learn more about what Vader was thinking and feeling. That said, the story does have some tie-ins to the Clone Wars, provides some more information about the Sith master-apprentice dynamic (which to me is a bit contradictory with what has come before, or at least would have made Darth Plagueis nearly impossible to kill), and does give some indication of what Vader was feeling after being encased in the suit (just not enough). Ultimately, it is a good book with a good story; it just wasn't as good as it could have been with some tweaks. I would not call it one of the must-read canon novels, but if you pick and choose which books to read, it is worth reading, but probably not worth reading multiple times.