Recap
Review
This week is one of the most exciting ones in quite a while. We’ve got a number of recent theatrical hits, plus three long-awaited James Cameron classics hitting 4K Ultra HD for the first time (two of which have never even appeared on Blu-ray!) Plus, there’s some indie and foreign titles to shake things up a bit. Here’s the full breakdown:
Also, check out my Kickstarter for my slasher films-meets-video games graphic novel, The 8-Bit Slasher, at tinyurl.com/8bitslasher!
Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom
The Movie: The first Aquaman movie was a global hit, taking in over $1 Billion at the box office. Yes, that’s Billion with a ‘B.’ And personally, I love the first film. It’s fun and exciting and loaded with over-the-top action and visual effects. So I was pretty excited for Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom. And then… I saw the film. Now, I’m not the person who usually tears movies apart; I’m a pretty easygoing guy for someone who reviews movies; I just want to be entertained. But man, this movie is just not good. I don’t know what went wrong, but everything that worked in the first movie does not work here. The humor is way too forced, the plot is weak, the action scenes feel recycled, the special effects aren’t as good… the whole thing just feels hokey and unimpressive. Even Jason Momoa, who has so far seemed to really enjoy playing Aquaman in his own inimitable style, seems like he’d rather be somewhere else. This is one of the most disappointing films of last year for me.
The 4K Audio/Video: Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD) and it looks and sounds quite good. Colors are at a premium, with the underwater and ob-land scenes equally vibrant. Image detail is incredible, and the print is free of any dirt or debris, as you would expect from a new movie. The surround soundtrack brings the action to life, utilizing the rear speakers well to surround you with water, animal, and weapon sounds. All in all, a terrific A/V presentation.
The Special Features: There are eight making-of featurettes that, all told, come to just under an hour. They’re a fun and informative look at the making of the movie.
The Wrap-Up: Even if Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom wasn’t scheduled to be the last DC movie from the old DC Universe before James Gunn comes in and relaunches the whole thing, I suspect this movie would have sunk the franchise anyway. Its box office returns were a fraction of the first film’s, but honestly, in this case, I feel like there’s no one to blame but the filmmakers and the studio.
Poor Things
The Movie: I don’t even really know what to say about this movie. I’ve never liked and hated a movie so much at the same time before. I went to see this in theaters with a friend of mine and when we came out, he was like, “Well, I know how YOU felt about that movie.” And to be honest, there were many, many things I hated about Poor Things. But… at the same time, there was some kernel of an interesting story in there, too, with some great performances (especially from Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo) that captured my interest. The story is difficult to encapsulate: Emma Stone plays Bella, a kind-of Frankenstein-like person who’s been built by a mad scientist, and as she learns and grows, she sets out on a round-the-world trip with Mark Ruffalo’s lascivious Duncan. But this is far from a narratively cohesive movie; it’s a world tinged with fantasy and a story that defies easy categorization. There is a powerful subtext about women’s rights and their historical treatment mixed in, which I did quite appreciate. But the film’s grotesque imagery, questionable character choices, and stylistic (but in a way I hated) cinematography are all major distractions. I can’t say I liked Poor Things, but I certainly hated it in a way different from many other movies I dislike. So I guess that’s something?
The Special Features: Aside from a couple of short deleted scenes, there is a 21-minute making-of documentary featuring director Yorgos Lanthimos and star Emma Stone, among others.
The Wrap-Up: Emma Stone undoubtedly deserved the Oscar she just won for her role as Bella, and I’m sure people will be driven to see Poor Things as a result. Just be prepared for an oddball, offbeat movie that is filled with unpleasant imagery. But somewhere in there is also something interesting.
Disney’s Wish
The Movie: I’m a pretty big Disney fan, and I find that often, their animated feature films are better than some of the much more critically lauded Pixar films that come out opposite them. That said, despite a trailer that I thought was quite interesting, Wish was a big let down for me. The story follows a young woman named Asha who lives in a small country ruled by the magician/king Magnifico. On every citizen’s 18th birthday, they surrender their fondest wish to Magnifico, who grants one wish to the citizenry once a month. When Asha discovers that Magnifico is not the benevolent ruler he pretends to be, she makes a wish on a star and an actual star comes down to help here free the people’s wishes. It’s an intriguing premise for a movie, and the Star character is quite cute and endearing. But that’s not enough to make a great movie. The problem with Wish is that it just seems like nothing happens. The plot is pretty thin, and there’s really not enough to fill a 90-minute running time, but they do it anyway. Mostly through the use of songs and musical numbers, most of which are pretty bland and forgettable. There was maybe one song which stood out for me. The animation is very stylized, and I liked it a lot, and the voice cast gives it their all, but the plot and script are pretty vanilla.
The Special Features: The main-extra is an hour-long documentary on the making of the film that is, frankly, more interesting than the film itself. There’s also a sing-along feature, a deleted song, about 20 minutes worth of deleted scenes, a great featurette on the Disney animation legacy, a featurette on all the hidden Disney references in the film, and a short collection of outtakes.
The Wrap-Up: Kids will probably enjoy Wish a decent amount, especially the Star character who is cute and squishy in the way that young kids love. But on the whole, I found this effort from the Mouse House to be largely underwhelming.
Aliens (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: Fox makes a lot of cinephile’s dreams come true this week with the 4K Ultra HD release of not one, not two, but three James Cameron movies that have yet to see a release in the premium format. In fact, two of the titles (see The Abyss and True Lies below) have never even been available on Blu-ray in the U.S. before — which is a huge oversight — so I couldn’t be more excited for these new releases! First up is Aliens, which comes in at #13 on my personal Top 20 Movies of All Time list. Ridley Scott’s Alien is a sci-fi/horror masterpiece, but for me, it’s Cameron’s Aliens that is the crown jewel of the franchise. Turning a claustrophobic creature feature into a war movie on an alien planet, Cameron ups the ante on the first film, introducing an unforgettable squad of soldiers, corporate shill Carter Burke, young survivor Newt, and of course bringing back the ultimate sci-fi bad-ass, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. Aliens is a pulse-pounding action masterpiece that features all of Cameron’s signature moves: great dialogue, non-stop action, memorable characters, and that certain ineffable something that makes him one of the greatest filmmakers of the last 50 years. Now, Aliens has been available on Blu-ray before, but this does mark the film’s debut on 4K Ultra HD, and it’s a very welcome addition.
The 4K Audio/Video: With a lot of catalog films, the 4K upgrade is fairly minimal, usually due to the age of the film being a factor. But we all know that Cameron is notorious for demanding the best in audiovisual quality (part of why it’s taken so long for these films to come out in the various formats) and so Aliens is like a film transformed. I’ve seen this movie on every format available from VHS to Blu-ray, and there’s no doubt it’s on a whole new level now. Detail is impeccable (almost too much so!) and colors are more vibrant than ever before, despite the predominance of blues, blacks, and grays in the color palette. Shadow delineation is terrific, allowing us to see the action in the many darker scenes than ever before. The surround soundtrack is incredibly directional, at times likely to make you jump out of your seat during the tenser scenes. There’s also a booming low end that will shake the room on occasion. It’s an outstanding audiovisual presentation overall.
The Special Features: I’m very happy to report that Aliens on 4K transfers over almost every single extra feature from the excellent Blu-ray release that was part of the Alien Quadrilogy box set. First off, you have your choice of the theatrical cut or the Director’s Cut; in my opinion, the Director’s Cut is the far superior version of the film. Then there’s a brand-new half-hour featurette called The Inspiration & Design of Aliens, which is pretty awesome. There’s also a 2003 commentary track with James Cameron and a who’s who of cast and crew. Now it gets really beefy. There’s a three-hour documentary made up of 11 chapters that details the making of every aspect of the movie you can imagine. On top of that, there’s another hour-long making-of comprised of 25 short mini-featurettes. There’s also a ton of stills images and miscellaneous little features. It’s one of the most jam-packed discs I’ve seen in a long time.
The Wrap-Up: Aliens is, simply put, a masterpiece. It remains one of my all-time favorite movies and chances are good it’s one of yours, too. Between the upgraded A/V presentation, the hours and hours of bonus features, and the quality of the film itself, this one is absolutely a must-have.
The Abyss (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: The Abyss is one of James Cameron’s few box office flops – perhaps his only one. Which has always struck me as odd because it’s hands down one of my favorites of his movies, and that’s a pretty stacked filmography to begin with. Before I go any further though, I have to point out that there are two cuts of this movie (both available on this release): the theatrical cut and the Director’s Cut, which has about a half hour extra footage in it. I 100% endorse ONLY the Director’s Cut of The Abyss. It is a completely different movie, and the theatrical cut loses so much of what makes the film amazing. It’s no wonder the movie failed to find an audience when what audiences were seeing was basically a truncated version of a science fiction masterpiece. The film follows the crew of a deep-water mining operation who are sent a squad of soldiers when sensors detect something unusual in the deep abyss next to the platform. The government is worried that the Russians are the threat, but what’s really happening is something… else. I don’t want to give away too much because I know there’s a lot of people out there who have never seen this movie, but I can’t recommend it highly enough. Even with the long running time, it’s a stunning and riveting movie with ideas and scenes you’ve never seen anything like before. But again, only watch the Director’s Cut, or I won’t be held responsible if you find yourself disappointed.
The 4K Audio/Video: Like Aliens above I’ve seen The Abyss on every format available, but in this case, that’s only VHS and DVD. It’s never been released on Blu-ray. So to say it’s an upgrade in 4K is completely unnecessary. The difference between the picture and sound here and what’s on the previous DVD release is as big as the titular abyss itself. I’ve literally never seen the film look this clear, this vibrant, or this detailed. Colors are vivid, image clarity is razor sharp, and contrasts are distinct. The surround soundtrack offers up an expansive soundfield that brings the underwater world to life in your living room, and it’s an immersive experience from start to finish. A really impressive effort all around.
The Special Features: Like Aliens above, this disc is loaded with extra features. I still have my two-disc DVD from the early 2000s simply because it included so many great bonus materials. Now they’re all carried over here. There are two new half-hour(ish) featurettes on this release, one called The Legacy of The Abyss and one called Deep Dive: A Conversation with James Cameron. Then there’s an hour-long making-of documentary, followed by 28 individual image galleries (which also have some video clips mixed in.) And, of course, you get both versions of the film, although you know how I feel about that already.
The Wrap-Up: The Abyss has been one of my favorite movies since it came out in 1989. I literally can’t believe that I finally get to watch it in high definition for the first time in 2024. Add this amazing 4K Ultra HD release to your collection without delay!
True Lies (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: Another James Cameron film that strangely has never gotten a traditional Blu-ray release in the U.S., True Lies is a movie I’m excited to see on 4K Ultra HD, but a little less so than the previous two. True Lies is a strange one for me; I do like the film, but it has always been my least favorite James Cameron film. And that’s odd, because I’m a huge Cameron fan and a huge Arnold Schwarzenegger fan; the two of them combined should have been one of the greatest action movies of all time. Yet for some reason, despite the fact that it was a huge box office hit and that most people absolutely love it, it’s always fallen squarely into the “like it” column for me, and not the “love it” column. Go figure. The film sees Arnie play Harry Tasker, a secret agent whose wife is unsatisfied in their marriage because Harry is too preoccupied with being a spy. When he suspects his wife is having an affair because his cover persona is too dull, Harry decides to spice things up, which ends up with them both embroiled in an international terrorism conspiracy. There are some terrific action sequences and some good humor in the film, and honestly, I’ve never quite been able to pinpoint what it is about the movie that leaves me underwhelmed, but, well, it does. Your mileage my vary.
The 4K Audio/Video: Obviously, True Lies on 4K UHD looks and sounds much better than it does on DVD. And overall, this is a terrific presentation, but it does feel a little… overdone. Some of the remastering appears to be a little too heavy handed and there are scenes where things just come across a little unnatural. On the whole, you get excellent clarity and details and deep color saturation, but occasionally it feels like the film has been scrubbed of imperfections so much that they took a layer of reality off with it. It’s not a bad transfer by any means, it’s just worth noting. The surround soundtrack, however, is outstanding, with every gunshot, explosion, and punch landing do so with power. Every speaker comes alive with activity, dialogue is clean and clear, and the bass channel is pounding. It’s a terrific soundtrack.
The Special Features: This one isn’t quite as loaded as the two above, but it’s still got plenty of material, starting with a 45-minute documentary called Fear is Not an Option: A Look Back at True Lies. Then there’s a collection of still images that also mixes in some video clips as well.
The Wrap-Up: True Lies is a crowd pleaser, and even though it’s not my favorite James Cameron film, I do still enjoy it and I’m happy to have it on a better format than DVD. There’s no doubt this is a welcome addition to any collection.
The Color Purple
The Movie: The original The Color Purple is a moving and intense film of one person’s tragic life and her efforts to rise above the many things that fought to hold her back. The new version of The Color Purple is the same, but this time it adds song and dance numbers to the proceedings. Fantasia Barrino (she who once upon a time won American Idol), Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Colman Domingo headline an all-star cast and the acting (and musical prowess) is on point for the most part. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of musicals in the world, and there’s no denying that between the songs and the overall lighter tone of the movie, this version of Alice Walker’s seminal novel is not as dark or intense as Spielberg’s 1980s-era version. And that’s not a bad thing, necessarily, as the original is a lot to sit through. This new version manager to lighten things up a little, without losing the power of the more difficult events. Fantasia Barrino played lead character Celie on Broadway and brings that role to the screen, and while I don’t think she’s the most natural actor ever, she does represent well here, naturally shining brightest in the musical numbers.
The 4K Audio/Video: The Color Purple comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD (as well as Blu-ray and DVD), and once again, Warner Bros. has done a bang-up job with the A/V quality, giving us excellent color saturation and crystal clear imagery as well as an outstanding surround soundtrack that doesn’t miss a beat of a song. A lot of times, in a musical movie, that can come at the expense of surround effects, but this is a nice, immersive soundfield that also gives us lush music and clear dialogue. A terrific effort overall.
The Special Features: There are four making-of documentary features that give a pretty robust look at the making of the film and the music.
The Wrap-Up: The Color Purple has always been a story you experienced rather than enjoyed; it’s hard to watch one character go through so many awful events. I don’t know that making the story a musical was what I personally needed for it, but I do think it’s a well-made movie that I can see people easily enjoying more than experiencing.
The Shining
The Movie: Stephen King is notoriously lukewarm on Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining, even though it’s one of the most popular horror films of all time. In 1997, horror filmmaker Mick Garris re-adapted King’s novel into a TV miniseries, and the result is a near-five-hour event that King praised as a much more faithful adaptation of his book. Which makes sense, since he wrote it. That miniseries makes its Blu-ray debut this week, something many die-hard King fans have probably been looking forward to. Now, it’s pretty hard to compare the two, and honestly, it’s kind of unfair, so let’s just focus on the miniseries itself. It’s definitely a deeper dive into the story of Jack Torrance and his slow slide into insanity while he and his wife and son look after the Overlook Hotel in the dead of winter. And in the lead roles, Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay both shine. Weber’s performance isn’t as iconic as Nicholson’s, but it’s also much more balanced, giving us a look at him sliding into crazytown, as opposed to seeming to have always been there. Unfortunately, the running time – while fleshing out some story elements – is also a bit on the long side. An the 1997-era CGI special effects don’t hold up particularly well. Still, despite the flaws, it is an engaging and entertaining miniseries, and it presents an alternate version to Kubrick’s movie, which is legendary but not without flaws of its own, and certainly is a less faithful adaptation of King’s novel.
The Special Features: In addition to 11 deleted scenes, there is an Audio Commentary by author Stephen King, director Mick Garris, cast members Steven Weber and Cynthia Garris, and some crew members.
The Wrap-Up: I don’t think there are many people who will say that this miniseries version of The Shining is superior to the Kubrick film, but I think a lot of people will say it is an interesting and different version, and that’s okay. This new Blu-ray will let you check it out for yourself and see which adaptation you like better.
Quigley Down Under (4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: I’m an unabashed Tom Selleck fan, and yet somehow Quigley Down Under is one of those movies of his that has always gotten past me. I remember seeing it in video stores on VHS back in the day, and it always seems to be on one streaming service or another, and yet I’ve just never gotten around to watching it. Until now, that is, courtesy of Shout Factory’s new 4K Ultra HD release. The movie sees Selleck play Matthew Quigley, possibly the greatest sharpshooter in the world. He’s been hired to come to Australia and work for rancher Elliott Marston – played by Alan Rickman, so you know he’s not a nice guy. Unfortunately, when Quigley finds out he’s been hired to kill Aborigine natives who are encroaching on Marston’s land, Quigley refuses and ends up on the wrong side of Marston’s fury. It’s a western in a slightly more modern setting than many westerns (taking place in the early 20th century rather than the 1800s, I believe), and it’s an easy watch It’s not a masterpiece or anything, but Selleck easily carries the film with his charm, Rickman is always a value-add personality, and you can even spot a young Ben Mendelsohn in the cast if you look hard enough. I enjoyed it.
The 4K Audio/Video: The new 4K Ultra HD sees the film presented in what I assume is its highest quality A/V yet on home video, and it looks and sounds quite good. The fact is that the film is 30 years old, and while some older movies can look brand new in 4K, Quigley Down Under doesn’t quite hit that level. It does, however, boast clear imagery and natural and vivid colors, giving the film new life. The surround soundtrack is similarly limited by the age of the film, but the dialogue is clear and there are some decent surround effects to be found to build the film’s atmosphere.
The Special Features: There are three featurettes, including an interview with cast member Laura San Giacomo.
The Wrap-Up: Quigley Down Under is a fun western/adventure movie that is a good way to kill a couple of hours with. Tom Selleck can carry just about any movie, in my opinion, and this one is no different. It’s a solid 4K effort for an enjoyable movie.
Impulse
The Movie: Wait, hold on… you’re telling me that you have a little-seen William Shatner exploitation film from the ‘70s that next to nobody has seen, AND you’re releasing it as a 2-Disc Blu-ray special edition? Well, Grindhouse Releasing, you just impressed the heck out of me. Made in the early 1970s, between the end of Star Trek and before his reconnaissance starting with TV outings like T.J. Hooker, William Shatner starred in Impulse, a low-budget shocker about a con man who romances older women, swindles away their money, and then kills them. It’s the kind of movie that defines low-budget grindhouse filmmaking, and it’s far from a great movie, but it is a cult classic of the highest degree. Shatner actually gives the performance his all, despite the fact he was probably getting paid peanuts. As a result, what could be a completely forgettable film is carried by Captain Kirk’s awesome overacting, and I couldn’t have had more fun with it. Sure, it looks like it was made for about 35 cents and there’s nothing on screen that you can really point to as “good,” but it’s still a memorable viewing experience.
The Special Features: This is a loaded disc. There’s an audio commentary with the director, a William Shatner Live in 2022 feature, an interview with the director, two bonus movies, two additional interview featurettes, a ton of archival material, an illustrated booklet, and much more.
The Wrap-Up: Impulse isn’t the kind of release for the average filmgoer, or even your everyday Star Trek fan. But if you love indie cinema, grindhouse movies, low-budget exploitation films and the like, then you probably won’t be able to deny the Impulse to pick this great new Blu-ray up!
One Percent Warrior
The Movie: This week’s requisite Asian action film is One Percent Warrior, an intriguing thriller that isn’t 100% effective (See what I did there?) but is certainly entertaining. The film follows a martial arts actor whose career never really takes off, so he trains in some deadly martial arts to try and make his own movie. Unfortunately, in doing so, he ends up on the wrong side of real bad guys and ends up fighting them for his life. Now, first the positives: one, the action scenes are blistering. Lead actor Tak Sakaguchi moves so fast and furiously that it’s rather astounding to watch. The film also starts off with some great meta humor, such as the opening scene being in the form of a bonus material featurette from a home video release. There’s a lot of humor early on which is highly appreciated. The problem is that once the action really kicks in, all of that stuff falls by the wayside, and it’s a letdown. It would have been nice if the filmmakers had been able to keep the tone and style consistent throughout. That said, it’s still an engaging movie overall.
The Special Features: Sadly, there are no extra features on the disc.
The Wrap-Up: One Percent Warrior is a fun action thriller, and I like that it changes things up from the usual period action drama or cops-vs.-gangsters formula we get so often. It’s not entirely successful on all fronts, but it’s definitely worth a watch.
Moja & Vesna
The Movie: So, sometimes movies can be well-made but just aren’t made for me. Such is the case with Moja & Vesna, a movie from Australia that marks the debut of Australian-Slovenian writer/director Sara Kern. The film is a slow-burning and intense drama, in which 10-year-old Moja tries to help her pregnant 20-year-old sister Vesna prepare for the coming of her baby after the death of their mother. That’s a hard sell for me, as these aren’t the kinds of movies I usually watch, except when I’m reviewing them. It’s also a slow-moving film; clearly that’s deliberate, but the intensity builds throughout, and that results in taking some time to get going. Which also isn’t my cup of tea. The lead actors are quite good and I can appreciate that for a first film, this is a solid effort, but I’m just not the guy to seek out a movie like this.
The Special Features: There are no extra features on the disc.
The Wrap-Up: Moja & Vesna is a solid drama for people who like more thoughtful and deep movies. If you just want a popcorn flick for a Friday night, this won’t be for you, but if you want a deeper exploration of life and family, you might want to check it out.
