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: “Longlegs”
“Longlegs” has been called one of the best horror films of the year, but that’s not entirely true — not because the movie isn’t good, but rather because it’s not really a horror film at all. It’s more of a psychological crime thriller in the vein of David Fincher’s “Seven,” complete with a creepy serial killer with a unique method of murder. In fact, “Longlegs” works best in the opening act when its titular killer is still a mystery. Once writer/director Osgood Perkins reveals Nicolas Cage’s Longlegs in all his glory, it loses some edge. Cage is certainly memorable in the role, but it’s a bit over-the-top between all the prosthetics, makeup and general Caginess, especially in comparison to the quiet tension of the rest of the film. Nevertheless, while “Longlegs” doesn’t quite live up to genre classics like “Seven” or “The Silence of the Lambs,” it’s still a very solid crime thriller that stands above most in the genre.
Extras include an audio commentary by Perkins; on-set interviews with actors Cage, Maika Monroe and Blaire Underwood; and a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” — Following the Slap Heard ‘Round the World, most of Hollywood wanted nothing to do with Will Smith, and rightfully so, which makes Sony’s decision to get back in bed with the actor by greenlighting a fourth “Bad Boys” movie extremely disappointing. Worse yet, the film is just a further deterioration of the buddy cop franchise, as the whole thing feels like it was rushed to production to provide a springboard for Smith’s Hollywood return. The plot makes no logical sense, while the action scenes are pretty unmemorable, save for a fun sequence featuring Dennis McDonald’s Reggie character. Though returning directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah do their best to spice up the proceedings with fancy camera tricks and lots of neon, “Ride or Die” is all flash and no substance — and not even the fun kind. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the movie, a blooper reel and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Despicable Me 4” — It’s been seven years since we’ve gotten a new mainline entry in the “Despicable Me” franchise, and though it’s nice to revisit the characters after all this time, it’s clear that the series has continued its downward trajectory. The emotional core of the films — Gru’s relationship with Margo, Edith and Agnes — is completely missing this time around, while the script is pretty light on laughs as well. Additionally, there are entire subplots that don’t serve any real purpose other than to act as filler and stretch out the runtime — even more so than the usual Minion antics. “Despicable Me 4” contains a few bright spots, including an amusing heist where Gru teams up with the aspiring teenage villain next door, but it’s an otherwise dull affair that lacks the wit and charm of the first two installments. Extras include a making-of featurette, two new mini-movies (“Game Over and Over” and “Benny’s Birthday”), some deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
