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 Sheep Detectives”
It would be easy to dismiss “The Sheep Detectives” as nothing more than a cutesy animal movie based solely on the plot synopsis, but that would be a mistake because it’s actually a charming murder-mystery comedy — think “Knives Out” meets “Babe” — that balances its lighthearted premise with some surprising emotional depth. Based on the 2005 novel “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story” by Leonie Swann and adapted for the screen by Craig Mazin (“The Last of Us,” “Chernobyl”), the film boasts an incredible ensemble cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Emma Thompson and more. In many ways, the movie feels like a spiritual successor to the aforementioned “Babe” in how it sneakily explores profound themes of grief, loss and mortality through the guise of a kid’s film about talking farm animals. Though it’s not quite as memorable as Chris Noonan’s 1995 classic, “The Sheep Detectives” is an entertaining whodunit for the whole family. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Disclosure Day” — “Disclosure Day” came and went from theaters fairly quickly for a Steven Spielberg summer movie, and it’s not hard to see why. The alien conspiracy thriller is an incredibly dense piece of storytelling that’s bogged down by clunky exposition and glaring plot holes that leave too many questions unanswered. That’s hardly surprising coming from writer David Koepp, who’s made a habit of making middling tentpoles that feel overstuffed and undercooked. Though the first 30 minutes are really solid, revealing just enough of the mystery to hook you in, the middle section starts to drag before limping to the finish line in unspectacular fashion. Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor deliver good work in their respective roles, but sadly, it doesn’t make the film any less forgettable. Extras include a making-of featurette and a tribute to Spielberg’s legendary collaboration with composer John Williams. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“The Breadwinner” — Inspired by comedian Nate Bargatze’s real-life parenting experiences, “The Breadwinner” is basically a reheated version of the 1983 comedy “Mr. Mom,” complete with the same outdated, narrow-minded view of men as nonfunctioning members of the American household. This is a movie that would have you believe that its main character is an incredibly successful car salesman yet doesn’t know how to do basic adult tasks like doing laundry or using a toaster. The whole premise relies so much on this buffoonish archetype of fathers (and men in general) that it becomes borderline insulting to sit through, especially when none of the jokes or running gags are even remotely amusing. Though Will Forte’s appearance as a bumbling roofer earns a few chuckles, “The Breadwinner” is a largely laughless domestic comedy that feels like it was made about 40 years too late. Extras include an audio commentary by director Eric Appel, a making-of featurette, a blooper reel, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“The Fast and the Furious: 25th Anniversary Edition” (4K) — It’s funny to look back at the early “Fast and Furious” films because they barely have anything in common with the later installments, especially 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.” Nobody could have imagined that a modest street-racing movie about stolen DVD players would turn into a multibillion-dollar franchise about fighting international terrorists, yet over the course of 25 years and 11 movies, the “Fast and Furious” series has cemented itself within the pop cultural landscape. The 2001 original may lack the over-the-top action and visual flair that the series has become known for, but there’s something charming about the more grounded, smaller scale of the film, and it’s aged better than expected, even if it’s still a little cringeworthy at times. Though “The Fast and the Furious” is arguably one of the weaker installments in the series, it’s still an enjoyable piece of high-octane escapism that thrives off the brotherly chemistry between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Extras include an audio commentary by director Rob Cohen, an all-new retrospective with the cast and crew, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and much more. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
“Practical Magic” (4K) — Griffin Dunne’s 1998 fantasy drama “Practical Magic” was a critical and box-office failure when it debuted in theaters, so it’s quite surprising that the movie has become a cult favorite (mostly among female audiences) in the years since its release because it hasn’t gotten any better with age. Based on the novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman, “Practical Magic” is an absolute mess of a film that jumps between different genres — from romantic comedy to domestic thriller to supernatural horror, often in the blink of an eye — with no clear direction. The uneven tone and disjointed story make it nearly impossible to get invested, and though Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman do their best with the material provided, the movie is so slow and unexciting that it’s beyond saving. Extras include an audio commentary by Dunne, Bullock, producer Denise Di Novi and composer Alan Silvestri, as well as a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
