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: “Sean Connery 6-Film Collection”
Sean Connery was once one of the biggest movie stars in the world, so any box set containing his name is sure to garner excitement among fans. But Warner Bros. has buried the lede by giving this set such a generic title, as this isn’t just some random assortment of Connery films but rather a collection of the actor’s work as James Bond (sans 1983’s unofficial “Never Say Never Again”). Though these movies have been packaged together plenty of times before, this is the first time they’ve been available on 4K UHD. More importantly, each film has been remastered from new 4K scans of the original camera negatives and features Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. The final product is nothing short of superb. It’s impossible to hide the age of these films completely, but this is the best that these movies have looked and sounded to date, and if you consider yourself a diehard 007 fan, it’s well worth the upgrade.
Extras include audio commentaries for every film, along with production featurettes, archival material and much more. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“A Working Man” — Jason Statham has built a career around his action star persona. It’s a formula that has served him well over the past two decades, and if his latest film is any indication, he doesn’t plan on abandoning it anytime soon. Co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who originally planned to adapt Chuck Dixon’s novel into a TV series, “A Working Man” reteams Statham with “Beekeeper” director David Ayer for more vigilante justice. Though Statham is basically on autopilot at this point, playing a different version of the same character in each role he takes on, the actor remains a charismatic screen presence. Unfortunately, even Statham looks bored with “A Working Man” — a film that is clearly designed to spawn future installments but can’t even be bothered to put forth the effort in this one. It’s not his worst movie, but it’s so incredibly lazy and needlessly drawn-out that its faults feel even more egregious as a result. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Drop” — Director Christopher Landon has found success in the horror-comedy genre with movies like “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky,” so it’s disappointing to see him tackle a more straightforward thriller that doesn’t utilize his knack for irreverent humor. Much like his previous films, “Drop” is completely reliant on its narrative gimmick — in this case, a mysterious stranger who’s sending (or “dropping”) threatening messages from their phone. But while Landon’s other movies benefitted from their respective gimmicks, the premise of “Drop” is so absurd (and littered with so many plot holes) that it’s hard to take anything seriously. Actors Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar do the best they can with the material provided, and Landon adds some visual flair to the proceedings, but it’s not enough to combat the sheer ridiculousness of the story, which will have you reaching for your own phone out of boredom. Extras include an audio commentary by Landon and a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“The Wiz” (4K) — 1978’s “The Wiz,” based on the Broadway musical of the same name, has become a bit of a cult classic in the years since its initial failed release, though I’m not sure why, as it’s a largely dull and unpleasant experience. The whole thing feels cheap, like a bad made-for-TV movie, while none of the songs are particularly memorable. The decision to drain out all the color and wonder of Oz in place of a junkyard aesthetic is an odd choice, making the transition between the real world and the fantasy world less magical, but that’s only one of many strange decisions by director Sidney Lumet, who clearly has no idea how to stage a musical. Every musical sequence feels flat and drags on for too long, and Diana Ross is horribly miscast as a too-old (and depressingly dour) Dorothy. Though “The Wiz” has been celebrated for its all-black cast and Afrocentric reshaping of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, it almost seems even more insulting that this ugly and unimaginative pile of garbage was the best anyone could offer. Extras include an audio commentary by film historians Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin, as well as archival interviews with Lumet and Ross, and an essay by film critic Aisha Harris. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
