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: “Thelma & Louise”
Ridley Scott is best known for directing iconic sci-fi films like “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” as well as historical epics like “Gladiator” and “Kingdom of Heaven,” but this 1991 crime drama starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as a pair of best friends on the run from the law is arguably one of his finest movies. Though it doesn’t feel like a typical Scott film, “Thelma & Louise” succeeds thanks to a strong script and great performances from its two leads. Not only are the title characters written like real people, but Sarandon and Davis have such great chemistry that it feels like a real friendship as well — the kind that would endure the numerous mistakes that Thelma makes along their journey. “Thelma & Louise” was way ahead of its time in its portrayal of female empowerment, and though it doesn’t hit quite as hard today as it did back in the early ‘90s, it remains a groundbreaking piece of cinema for the way that it challenged gender stereotypes.
Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one with Scott, and the other with Sarandon, Davis and writer Callie Khouri), as well as the making-of documentary “Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey,” new interviews with Scott and Khouri, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“65” — Filmmaking duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods earned some major Hollywood credit for their involvement in 2018’s “A Quiet Place,” and it didn’t take long for them to cash it in, landing their first studio directing gig with this sci-fi thriller about an astronaut who crashes on an unknown planet and must do battle with prehistoric beasts in order to survive. It’s a pretty neat premise for a movie, even if it would probably work better as a video game, and Adam Driver proves a serviceable action hero. Though the film falls short in the script department, especially in its attempts to add some emotional depth to the story, “65” is at its best when embracing its pulpy roots as a big, dumb sci-fi dinosaur flick. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“A Good Person” — Zach Braff’s directorial career hasn’t exactly gone the way that many people expected after his 2004 debut “Garden State,” but this indie drama about a young woman whose life falls apart after a horrible tragedy is certainly a step in the right direction. The movie is a firehose of melodrama at times, incredibly heavy-handed in the way that it explores its themes of guilt, grief and addiction, but while the execution isn’t always there, its heart is in the right place. Additionally, Florence Pugh is so compelling in the lead role that she elevates the material and everyone around her, earning the audience’s empathy even when her character isn’t fully deserving of it. Though that’s not enough to transform “A Good Person” into a good film, it’s the perfect example of how great casting can make or break a movie. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Transformers Limited Edition SteelBook 6-Movie Collection” — The “Transformers” cinematic franchise is an incredibly mixed bag that’s filled with some good films (“Transformers,” “Bumblebee”), some not-so-good films (“Revenge of the Fallen,” “Dark of the Moon”) and some truly awful films (“Age of Extinction,” “The Last Knight”). That’s not to say that each movie doesn’t have its moments, especially as far as the action is concerned, but the continual decline in quality hasn’t done the franchise any favors, to the point that it’s difficult to imagine anyone giving a damn about this release outside of the most fervent fans. Though the individual SteelBook cases are really cool, between the repackaged discs and the movies contained within, this new box set doesn’t have much else going for it. Extras include audio commentaries for the first two films, hours of behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
