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: “A Complete Unknown”
“A Complete Unknown” may not be a great movie, but it’s a fantastic acting showcase for Timothée Chalamet, who delivers career-best work as renowned musician Bob Dylan, perfectly emulating his voice and demeanor in a way that very few biopics accomplish. But for as good as Chalamet is in the role, the film doesn’t quite know what to do with it. The second half is largely comprised of Dylan performing songs from his early catalog, and while each musical sequence is well done, it starts to feel like you’re just watching someone perform karaoke. “A Complete Unknown” is devoid of any real insight or anything meaningful to say about Dylan, folk music or the period itself, rendering the whole exercise rather pointless. After all, what’s the purpose of making a biopic if you don’t come away from it with a better understanding or appreciation of its subject?
Extras include an audio commentary by director/co-writer James Mangold and a four-part making-of featurette. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Flight Risk” — Mel Gibson’s directorial career may be limited to only a handful of features, but they’re mostly big and bold films that have racked up their share of accolades, which makes his latest effort such a head-scratcher. More akin to a ‘90s B-movie thriller than one of his usual historical epics, “Flight Risk” is an uncharacteristically bad genre film that contains none of the craft or conviction that made his previous movies so successful. Plagued by a poor script filled with stupid characters and even dumber dialogue, “Flight Risk” is a paint-by-numbers thriller with zero tension or surprises. Though the idea of watching Mark Wahlberg break bad for the first time since 1996’s “Fear” might sound intriguing, his follically challenged hitman is so ridiculous that it only makes the movie an even bigger disaster. Extras include a making-of featurette. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Love Hurts” — It’s amazing what winning an Oscar can do for your career. Just ask Ke Huy Quan, who went from a decades-long acting hiatus to starring in his very own action-comedy following the success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” But while it’s great to see the former child actor back to doing what he loves, he’s not exactly leading man material, and “Love Hurts” doesn’t do him any favors. Directed by stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio, “Love Hurts” is an absolute mess from start to finish. The script is poorly written, the tone is all over the place, and I can’t even begin to explain what fellow Oscar winner Ariana DeBose is trying to do with her performance. Though “Love Hurts” does contain some decent action beats, as expected from the 87North team, they’re too few and far between to make much of a difference. Extras include a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes and an alternate ending. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Mufasa: The Lion King” — For a filmmaker whose career has largely been spent outside the studio system, it’s strange to see Barry Jenkins directing a four-quadrant family movie, especially one that happens to be a prequel to a “live-action” remake of a Disney classic. Disney was no doubt over the moon about landing an Oscar-winning auteur like Jenkins for their next big tentpole, but it’s hard to see what Jenkins got out of the deal other than a large paycheck because “Mufasa: The Lion King” is not only a completely unnecessary prequel, but it doesn’t even feel like one of his movies. The story is such a drag that it needs to be broken up by comical interludes with Timon and Pumba; none of the characters have much personality; and even Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to be mailing it in with the new songs, which are fine if unmemorable. There’s honestly no reason for this movie to exist other than the fact that the 2019 film made a boatload of money, and while that may be reason enough for Disney to make it, that sort of thinking rarely has a positive outcome. Extras include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes and more. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
