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: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”
Peter Weir’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” has probably been one of the most requested 4K titles of the last few years, so it’s nice to see Disney has finally pulled through with this gorgeous 4K SteelBook release, which marks a significant upgrade over the previous Blu-ray edition. Adapted from the tenth novel in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, “Master and Commander” may have been nominated for 10 Academy Awards (winning two for Cinematography and Sound Editing), but it’s largely been forgotten by the masses in the 20-plus years since its release. Though it’s true that “Master and Commander” is very much an acquired taste, the film is a technical masterclass that contains some fantastic battle sequences and a pair of solid lead performances from Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. It’s a shame that the movie didn’t perform well enough to warrant any sequels because there’s plenty of source material to draw from, and Crowe and Bettany’s chemistry is so good that they make even the densest nautical jargon interesting.
Extras include a historical and geographical trivia track, some deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
