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: “Is God Is”
Based on the 2018 Off-Broadway play of the same name by Aleshea Harris, this Southern Gothic revenge thriller is one of the more unique directorial debuts in recent memory. Though the story itself isn’t all that original, the way it’s told certainly is, blending elements of Greek tragedy with grindhouse cinema to create a confident and bold genre film that feels singular in its vision. Written and directed by Harris, the movie has a distinct visual flair, especially the way it presents the inner thoughts/dialogue of its telepathically linked twin-sister protagonists as onscreen captions, almost as if they were inside a comic book. Harris quickly establishes the deep connection between the two sisters, and their relationship is wonderfully brought to life by Kara Young and Mallori Johnson, the former of whom is a real star in the making. It’s just a shame that “Is God Is” ends on such a weak note because up until that point, it’s a captivating exploration of generational trauma and the heavy cost of vengeance FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Mortal Kombat II” — Simon McQuoid’s 2021 reboot of the “Mortal Kombat” series was so lousy that my expectations for another installment were already pretty low, and yet “Mortal Kombat II” still manages to disappoint. Though the addition of Karl Urban as fan favorite Johnny Cage is a nice touch, he’s not given enough to do to justify his existence, even if the film’s few good moments all belong to him. The script is somehow even worse than the last one, while a lot of the acting is laughably bad. You’d expect the fight scenes to at least be entertaining, but they’re mostly forgettable save for maybe one or two, and for a “Mortal Kombat” movie, that’s the one thing you’d think they would actually get right. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the film and an interview with creator Ed Boon about the history of the “Mortal Kombat” franchise. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Ping Pong — Adapted from Taiyo Matsumoto’s cult manga series of the same name, “Ping Pong” is a somewhat unconventional Japanese sports drama about a pair of high school friends navigating the intense world of competitive table tennis. Unfortunately, the two main characters are so unlikable that it’s difficult to invest in either of their journeys. Yôsuke Kubozuka’s Hoshino is such an unserious goofball that his sudden about-face in the final act doesn’t feel earned, while Arata Iura’s Tsukimoto is such a one-dimensional stick-in-the-mud that he drags down every scene he’s in. The table tennis sequences are at least fairly exciting, shot with a frenetic visual flair that makes it feel every bit like a manga come to life, but those are fleeting moments in an otherwise middling adaptation. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
