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 Fabelmans”
I’ve never been a big fan of Steven Spielberg‘s work, but this semi-autobiographical story looking back at the director’s adolescence, his parent’s divorce and the beginning of his filmmaking career/obsession is one of his best movies in years. Though Michelle Williams’ turn as Spielberg’s mother is slightly irritating — whether due to the actress or the character itself — there are some good performances here, chiefly Gabriel LaBelle as Spielberg’s proxy, young Sammy Fabelman. The scenes of Sammy in his element on the set of his short films are considerably more engaging than the family drama that dominates much of the movie’s runtime, but that drama is ultimately what informs Sammy as a filmmaker, so it’s a necessity that drives the narrative forward. With that said, “The Fablemans” wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if it weren’t about Spielberg’s life, and that takes some of the shine off what is otherwise a fairly engaging coming-of-age film.
Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Strange World” — Walt Disney Animation Studios is certainly no stranger to failure, but its latest animated film is one of the studio’s biggest bombs in quite some time. Though you can blame the virtually nonexistent marketing campaign for its poor showing at the box office, the truth of the matter is that the movie just isn’t very good. There’s quite a bit to like about “Strange World” on paper — from its sci-fi serial influences to its cool and interesting art direction — but the execution simply isn’t there. The characters are all pretty dull, while the ending feels so rushed that even the filmmakers seemed to have lost interest while making it. Like a lot of recent Disney/Pixar movies, “Strange World” is fine for what it is, but it lacks the emotion, creativity and magic on which Disney built an empire. Extras include a collection of behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as outtakes and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Project Wolf Hunting” — Kim Hong-sun’s “Project Wolf Hunting” came out of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival riding such a large wave of buzz that it was hard not to be excited. But despite an intriguing premise (think “Con Air” meets “Predator” on a boat) and an almost comical amount of violence, the movie falls disappointingly flat. The non-stop carnage and gore, though impressive on a technical level, gets to the point where it becomes quite repetitive and tedious, removing most of the shock value, while the ridiculous plot turn midway through grinds the movie to a halt. As a result, the final hour becomes a chore to sit through as the film mindlessly ambles toward its inevitable ending, completely abandoning all the good work that preceded it. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
