Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “The Mauritanian”
Based on the 2015 bestselling memoir by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, “The Mauritanian” tells the true story of Slahi’s fight for freedom after he was unlawfully detained in Guantánamo Bay for his suspected role in the 9/11 attacks. Though it plays like a rather straightforward legal drama for much of its runtime, “The Mauritanian” is at its best when exploring the humanity of its titular subject, including one especially affecting sequence that showcases the horrors that Slahi was exposed to during his early days of captivity. Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch turn in solid work as the lawyers on either side of the case, but it’s Tahar Rahim’s performance as Slahi that makes the movie so compelling. It’s a multifaceted performance that demands a lot of Rahim both physically and emotionally, and he’s so good in the role — equal parts charming and heartbreaking — that it’s a wonder Hollywood hasn’t come calling sooner.
Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“The Marksman” — There’s no denying that Liam Neeson benefitted greatly from the success of 2008’s “Taken,” but in the years since that film’s release, Neeson’s career has been largely predictable and disappointing. Apart from a few projects, the actor has essentially been making the same movie over and over again for the past decade, and “The Marksman” is just the latest in this trend of Neeson-led action thrillers — a dull and poorly written neo-Western with very little action or suspense. Neeson practically sleepwalks through his role as the down-on-his-luck rancher, while his young co-star has zero charisma. It’s a turgid affair with no redeeming qualities, and it makes you question why someone of Neeson’s talent continues to persist with these movies when he’s capable of so much better. Extras include a making-of featurette. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Land” — Robin Wright’s directorial debut plays like a companion piece of sorts to the Oscar-winning “Nomadland” in that it’s also about a grieving woman who leaves behind her previous life in the hope of finding some semblance of peace in the outdoors. But whereas that movie was actually about something and contained genuine moments of joy, hope and humor, “Land” comes across as bland and overly melodramatic. It fails to explore the grieving process in any meaningful way, while Wright’s character is so cold and closed off that it’s very difficult to empathize with her. Though the film contains some incredible shots of the Rocky Mountains, that has less to do with Wright’s skills behind the camera than the natural beauty of the setting itself. Extras include a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a look at the protagonist’s emotional journey in the film. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Justice Society: World War II” — In recent years, DC’s animated movies have been focused largely on two things — Batman and adapting fan-favorite comic book stories — so it’s nice to see some other characters featured in an original story for once, even if “Justice Society: World War II” isn’t all that original. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time that we saw Wonder Woman face off against the Nazis, and the movie even goes so far as to lift direct imagery from her 2017 live-action solo film. The addition of modern-day Flash to the WWII setting is probably the best part of the movie, but that’s not too difficult when everything else around it is so dull and uninspired. Extras include a roundtable discussion with director Jeff Wamester, co-writers Jeremy Adams and Meghan Fitzmartin, and producers Butch Lukic and Jim Krieg, as well as a sneak peek at the next DC Universe animated movie, two episodes of “Justice League” and the DC Showcase short, “Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth.” FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
