Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest home video releases, along with a rundown of the included extras, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “Paddington”
Family entertainment is a tricky business — make things too kiddy, and parents will lose interest, but make things too adult, and you risk alienating the younger audience. Striking the right balance isn’t easy, but Paul King’s “Paddington” does it with gusto, delivering a charming, cute and funny family film that checks nearly every box. The movie’s success comes down to two things: King’s style, which blends storybook aesthetics with clever visual comedy, earnest emotion and a healthy dose of whimsy, and the sheer lovability of its titular CG bear, which is brought to life by some fantastic visual effects and Ben Whishaw’s warm vocal performance. Though King’s 2016 sequel is arguably the better film, it’s nice to see the 2014 original receive some recognition of its own in the form of this special edition 4K release from Lionsgate Limited because it’s every bit as magical.
Extras include a new interview with King and three legacy featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Memoirs of a Geisha” (4K) — It’s hard to imagine Rob Marshall’s version of “Memoirs of a Geisha” being made today, given how overly sensitive the world has become, because although the film endured its share of controversy when it was released — largely around the casting of Chinese actresses in Japanese roles — the Twitter army would have eviscerated the project before a single frame was even shot. As a result, “Memoirs of a Geisha” feels somewhat outdated for a movie that is only 20 years old, though it doesn’t make the performances or gorgeous visual aesthetics any less remarkable. Gong Li is especially good as the fiercely jealous rival to Zhang Ziyi’s lead geisha, while Ken Watanabe brings gravitas to an otherwise limited role. For all its beauty, however, “Memoirs of a Geisha” falls short where it matters most, resulting in a lavish but slight historical romance that lacks emotional depth. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one with Marshall and producer John DeLuca, and the other with costume designer Colleen Atwood, production designer John Myhre and editor Pietro Scalia), as well as some behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“The Owl vs. Bumbo” / “Where’s Officer Tuba?” — Sammo Hung is probably my least favorite of the Three Dragons, the iconic Hong Kong martial arts trio consisting of Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Though he’s fine in small doses and works well as part of an ensemble, his bumbling nerd shtick is incredibly grating, as evidenced in these lesser-known 1980s action-comedies, which would have been better left to collect dust in whatever vault 88 Films found them in. “The Owl vs. Bumbo” is certainly the stronger of the two movies, but it doesn’t have a whole lot to offer outside of a few decent action sequences. The comedic moments largely fall flat, while neither romance subplot is very believable. For all its flaws, however, “The Owl vs. Bumbo” easily outshines the absurdly stupid “Where’s Officer Tuba?,” which is so awful by virtually every metric that it gives “Heart of Dragon” a run for its money as the worst Sammo Hung film. Neither one is honestly worth your time, but for fans of Hong Kong cinema, “The Owl vs. Bumbo” at least has some redeeming qualities. Extras for “The Owl vs. Bumbo” include an audio commentary by Hong Kong film expert David West and a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes, while “Where’s Officer Tuba?” includes an audio commentary by film historians Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
