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: “Missing”
This spiritual sequel to 2018’s “Searching” doesn’t have any tangible connection to the John Cho vehicle apart from a sly callback in the opening moments, but it does utilize the same computer-screen storytelling device. While this approach could easily come off as being too gimmicky, it’s actually used to great effect for a majority of the film, save for a few instances where it crosses the line of believability. The movie is not without its flaws — the incompetency of the various law enforcement agencies is equal parts maddening and laughable, and there are some pretty obvious clues in the first act that are blatantly ignored until it’s convenient for the story — but “Searching” is nonetheless a mostly entertaining cyber-thriller that keeps you guessing throughout and also serves as a nice showcase for star Storm Reid.
Extras include an audio commentary by writers/directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at making the film and deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Plane” — The makers of “Plane” probably didn’t envision their film being released in theaters with such a generic title, but it’s actually quite fitting considering the movie itself is equally as generic. Though the first half is a bit slow, the film picks up considerably once Gerard Butler’s veteran airline pilot and Mike Colter’s convicted murderer are unleashed on the local militia that has taken the passengers of a downed airplane hostage in the Filipino jungle. It’s a little too late to completely turn the movie around, but it at least makes the second half a lot more enjoyable, especially with the addition of Tony Goldwyn as a no-nonsense crisis expert working behind the scenes to safely bring everyone home. However, while “Plane” is certainly better than expected for this type of B-movie action flick, its charms only go so far. Extras include a trio of production featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham” — The latest DC animated project set in the Elseworlds universe imagines Bruce Wayne as a 1920s explorer who inadvertently unleashes an ancient evil and must return to Gotham after a decades-long hiatus to do battle with supernatural forces that threaten the city. It’s basically a Hellboy story with Batman standing in for the big-fisted half-demon, which isn’t all that surprising considering the film is based on the three-issue comic book miniseries by “Hellboy” creator Mike Mignola. Unfortunately, like most DC animated films, “The Doom That Came to Gotham” is a lackluster affair. Though it certainly doesn’t help that Batman is such a poor fit for a cosmic-horror story filled with Lovecraftian monsters, “The Doom That Came to Gotham” digs its own grave by being so poorly written and incredibly dull. Extras include an audio commentary by co-director Sam Liu and screenwriter Jase Ricci, a behind-the-scenes featurette and more. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
