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: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”
The third installment in the “Ant-Man” series is definitely one of the lower-tier MCU films, but it’s not nearly as bad as many critics would lead you to believe, especially when its main cast — Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer — is so much fun to watch. The addition of Kathryn Newton (as Scott Lang’s grown-up daughter, Cassie) is also a big win for the future of the MCU, while the introduction of Jonathan Major’s Kang provides a Thanos-level villain who is as complex as he is menacing. Written by “Rick & Morty” scribe Jeff Loveness, who imbues the film with a Douglas Adams-style weirdness that meshes well with its quirky title character, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is a lot messier than it really ought to be, but it serves its purpose both as a cog in the larger MCU machine and as a mildly amusing space adventure.
Extras include an audio commentary by Loveness and director Peyton Reed, as well as a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes, some deleted scenes and a gag reel. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“In the Line of Duty I-IV” — The “In the Line of Duty” franchise is one of the more confusing Hong Kong film series, as the included movies have not only undergone numerous title changes over the years (often depending on where and when they were released) but are also in no way connected, despite featuring many of the same actors playing similar roles. The films themselves are a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re looking for a great plot, you’re out of luck, as that’s easily the weakest part of all four movies, but there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had thanks to the insane amount of action on display. 1985’s “Yes, Madam” and 1986’s “Royal Warriors” are undoubtedly the headliners, as they feature Michelle Yeoh in her first two starring roles, but 1989’s “In the Line of Duty IV” (featuring a young Donnie Yen) contains arguably the best fight sequences in the entire set, rounding out a flawed but overall solid collection of Hong Kong action cinema. Extras include an audio commentary on all four films, as well as cast interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes and a 100-page book by Matthew Edwards. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
