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: “King Richard”
Venus and Serena Williams are without a doubt two of the greatest tennis players to ever grace the game, so it was only a matter of time before Hollywood gave them the biopic treatment. However, “King Richard” takes a slightly different approach to the story by focusing on the man responsible for helping the two tennis stars get to where they are today: their father, Richard. Though Richard clearly thinks the world of himself — hence the title — director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film is under no illusions that Richard is a perfect human being. He’s arrogant, domineering and often a pain in the ass, but he also means well and has great love for his daughters, regardless of whether it’s channeled in the most positive way. It’s a tough character to make likable, but Will Smith manages to smooth out those rough edges with some of his best work to date. He’s also surrounded by a great ensemble cast, including Aunjanue Ellis as Richard’s wife, Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton as the Williams sisters, and Jon Bernthal and Tony Goldwyn as two of their coaches. “King Richard” doesn’t stray too far from the typical crowd-pleasing sports drama, but it uses that well-worn formula to its benefit to create an incredibly well-made and entertaining film that ranks among the best movies of last year.
Extras include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“Encanto” — “Encanto” may not be one of Disney’s most profitable animated films — the pandemic certainly played a role in that — but it’s fast become a pop culture sensation thanks to its chart-topping soundtrack and delightful cast of characters. The film is also unique from most Disney movies in that there’s no traditional villain and no quest for the heroine to go on. Though the story feels a bit underdeveloped as a result, directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith do such a good job of keeping the action moving along that you don’t really notice. It also helps that the world of “Encanto” is such a lively place, from the vibrant characters to the gorgeous visuals to a handful of catchy songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including the underrated earworm “Surface Pressure.” Though “Encanto” falls a bit short compared to recent Disney hits like “Moana” and “Frozen II,” it’s yet another entertaining animated musical that gets better with each viewing. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the movie, the original short film “Far From the Tree,” outtakes, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Catwoman: Hunted” — Another DC animated movie, another misfire. Considering just how popular comic book properties are these days, it’s honestly surprising that Warner Bros. continues to release such low-quality fare, though at least “Catwoman: Hunted” tries to mix things up with an anime-inspired art style (similar to “Batman Ninja”) that lends itself well to the action. The voice cast is also pretty good, especially Elizabeth Gillies as Catwoman and Stephanie Beatriz as Batwoman. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The story is practically nonexistent, ultimately devolving into a never-ending series of fights between Catwoman and numerous DC villains, while the “Cowboy Bebop”-esque jazz score feels out of place. Though it’s certainly better than some of the studio’s recent animated films, “Catwoman: Hunted” is still a fairly slight and forgettable affair. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a short documentary on the history of Catwoman. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
