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: “One Battle After Another”
As far as Oscar frontrunners go, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” is one of the more deserving films in recent memory. Loosely based on the 1990 novel “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon, “One Battle After Another” is the rare movie that feels perfectly balanced in every way, finding that sweet spot between comedy and drama, and more impressively, prestige and accessibility. The film isn’t exactly flawless — I’m not a fan of whatever the hell it is that Sean Penn is doing here, and the opening act is a bit rough around the edges — but once the story jumps to present day, it evolves into a fantastic screwball thriller that completely sucks you in. Leonardo DiCaprio is incredible as the strung-out revolutionary who lives in a constant state of paranoia; it’s one of the best roles of his career and arguably the best performance of the past year. Benecio del Toro is also great as the yin to DiCaprio’s yang, while Chase Infiniti impresses in her first major film role. The movie feels so different from anything Anderson has done before, and while that might normally be viewed as a bad thing for a filmmaker whose work is as revered as his, in the case of “One Battle After Another,” it’s a side of Anderson that I’d like to see more of in the future. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” — It was only a matter of time before Bruce Springsteen received the biopic treatment, but with a career as storied as his, “Deliver Me From Nowhere” feels underwhelming in comparison. Much of the film’s problems stem from the decision to focus on a specific, darker period of his life — namely, his struggles with depression and the creation of his 1982 album, “Nebraska.” That’s obviously an important period of Springsteen’s life, both as a person and an artist, but it robs the movie of the energy and passion of his live performances. Though Jeremy Allen White (as Springsteen) and Jeremy Strong (as his longtime manager, Jon Landau) are both good in their respective roles, there’s just not enough to the film to keep you engaged. “Deliver Me From Nowhere” is an admirable attempt at delivering a different kind of biopic, but it fails to capture the joy and overall significance of its subject’s music — something that the underrated 2019 movie “Blinded by the Light” does far better. Extras include a making-of documentary. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Roofman” — Derek Cianfrance was once considered among the most promising directors of his generation thanks to indie hits like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” but following his 2016 drama “The Light Between Oceans,” he all but disappeared from the filmmaking scene, marking nine years between his last feature film and “Roofman.” That’s a long time in Hollywood, which possibly explains why his new movie feels like such a departure from his past work. Based on a true story about an escaped convict hiding out in a Toys “R” Us, “Roofman” is much lighter and more commercial than Cianfrance’s previous films. It’s an interesting stranger-than-fiction tale wrapped up in some comfy ‘90s nostalgia, but while it boasts some decent performances from Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, it’s a largely forgettable affair that lacks the emotional depth of his other work. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Wicked: For Good” — Universal’s decision to split its big-screen adaptation of “Wicked” into two films certainly sounded like a dumb idea when it was announced, but in reality, it’s so much worse. Though 2024’s “Wicked” at least contains a few good musical numbers to paper over its flaws, “Wicked: For Good” is almost indefensibly bad. It’s visually flat, poorly written and lacks the emotional punch of the first movie, and there’s maybe only one good song out of the bunch. It’s also all over the place narratively, and though it runs nearly 2 ½ hours long, it doesn’t feel like anything actually happens. Then again, what else would you expect from the second half of a story that even fans of the original stage show would admit isn’t very compelling? “Wicked: For Good” only reaffirms why splitting the musical into two movies — each one running nearly as long as the entire musical itself — was a terrible idea, and if nothing else, it will hopefully serve as a reminder why bigger doesn’t always mean better. Extras include an audio commentary by director Jon M. Chu, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Fackham Hall” — The spoof film has become a bit of a lost art these days, so it’s surprising to see another entry in the genre arrive so shortly after Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of the “Naked Gun” franchise. An unapologetic send-up of stuffy British period dramas like “Downton Abbey,” “Fackham Hall,” whose title is the biggest running joke in the whole movie, is a delightfully dumb comedy that unfortunately runs out of steam far too early. As is usually the case with these kinds of films, the first act absolutely rips — it’s loaded with clever sight gags, silly wordplay and some truly committed performances from its cast. But the movie can only maintain its rapid-fire delivery for so long, and the back half suffers greatly as the jokes begin to fade. Though “Fackham Hall” has enough good laughs to keep you amused for most of its runtime, it’s not a film that will live long in the memory. Extras include some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“On the Run” — Director Alfred Cheung’s 1988 crime thriller “On the Run” is not one of Yuen Biao’s more popular films, but it’s a notable departure from his typical martial arts projects that showcases a more serious, dramatic side to the action star. Though it’s a bit of a bummer that we only get one fight sequence in the whole film, Biao and co-star Pat Ha strike up some good chemistry thanks to the interesting dynamic between their characters. Unfortunately, while the first half of the movie is quite good, with a really cool neo-noir aesthetic that looks fantastic on this new restoration by 88 Films, “On the Run” falls apart in the back half due to some lazy writing and a bleak, nihilistic tone that slowly wears you down. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one by podcasters Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon, and the other by film historians Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto), as well as interviews with Cheung and film critic David West, and an alternate ending. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
