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: “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”
2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” really hit the sweet spot of what its audience wanted from a movie based on the popular video game series, so it’s hardly surprising that returning directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have doubled down for the inevitable sequel, and for the most part, it works just as well. Though the film leans a little too much into fan service at times, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” brings in some fun new characters — Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Yoshi and Fox McCloud — without taking the limelight away from its core group. The introduction of Fox McCloud, in particular, opens the door for some intriguing IP crossovers down the road, should Illumination and/or Nintendo be tempted. The story is still rather generic, and the film moves at such a breakneck pace that there’s little room for actual character development, but what “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in visual spectacle and good vibes.
Extras include a collection of behind-the-scenes featurettes that focus on the voice cast, Brian Tyler’s score, the film’s various Easter eggs and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Scream 7” — After 2011’s “Scream 4” failed to resurrect the series in any meaningful way, it seemed like the horror franchise was done for good, only to be brought back from the dead once again with the 2022 reboot. But while “Scream” fans have been treated to three new films in that time, the series has never felt more stagnant. Relying on nostalgia and cheap scares over the clever, self-aware energy that drove the earlier installments, “Scream 7” is perhaps the worst movie in the franchise, despite the return of co-creator Kevin Williamson as writer and director. Though the movie earns brownie points for bringing back Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher, “Scream 7” is a mostly hollow and lazy installment that seems to ignore a lot of what makes the series so great. Williamson is responsible for writing what are arguably the three best films in the franchise, so it’s especially disappointing that “Scream 7” feels so disconnected from the series as a whole. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Day of the Dead: Collector’s Edition” (4K) — Though not as popular as 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead” or 1978’s “Dawn of the Dead,” the third entry in George A. Romero’s zombie series has become a cult classic over the years, in part due to its unique approach to the subgenre, focusing less on the threat of the zombies themselves and more on the ideological clash between a group of soldiers and research scientists as they cope with the psychological toll of surviving an apocalypse. In doing so, Romero is able to explore some pretty heady topics, like the dangers of militarization/authoritarianism and the ethicality of scientific research without moral boundaries. The acting isn’t great, and the gray zombie paint looks even worse in 4K, but Romero manages to squeeze some nice tension from the claustrophobic setting, and the practical effects still work really well. It’s hard to imagine “Day of the Dead” being anyone’s favorite Romero zombie flick, but it contains enough good moments and qualities to justify its cult status among horror fans. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one by author Daniel Kraus and film critic Drew McWeeny, and the other by Romero, star Lori Cardille, special make-up effects artist Tom Savini and production designer Cletus Anderson), as well two new featurettes, new interviews with the cast and crew, some behind-the-scenes footage and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
