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 Naked Gun”
The last thing anyone expected in 2025 was a reboot of the “Naked Gun” franchise, especially given how sensitive and politically correct audiences have become these days. But perhaps that’s what makes this incredibly goofy police spoof such a welcome breath of fresh air, as it provides an escape from all the seriousness of the real world. “The Naked Gun” is only interested in one thing: making you laugh by any means possible. Though not every joke lands, the gags are hurled at such a frenetic pace that there’s always something funny just around the corner. Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are fully committed to the bit, embracing the ridiculousness of the material no matter how silly it gets, including a particularly funny dream sequence involving a magical snowman. Directed by Akiva Schaffer of the comedy trio The Lonely Island, “The Naked Gun” doesn’t quite have the cult appeal of earlier films like “Popstar” or “Hot Rod,” but it’s a solid addition to his growing collection of absurdist comedies.
Extras include a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a look back at the original trilogy, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (4K) — Director Milos Forman’s 1975 screen adaptation of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is probably among the more overrated films from that era. Though it made Oscars history as one of only three films to ever win the “Big Five” awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay), the movie hasn’t aged particularly well. Its oversimplified portrayal of mental illness is problematic, while none of the characters are developed in any meaningful way, including Jack Nicholson’s protagonist. The acting is great all around, and it’s interesting to see screen veterans like Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd in early roles, but the movie never really connects on an emotional level. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” remains an excellent showcase for its performances, but it’s not nearly the cinematic masterpiece that its reputation would suggest. Extras include a roundtable discussion with producer Michael Douglas and actors DeVito, Lloyd and Brad Dourif on the casting process, as well as a brand-new retrospective on making the film, a making-of featurette and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” — 1984’s “Spinal Tap” is a comedy cult classic, so it’s understandable why the team behind that film would be tempted to return to that world. Unfortunately, like so many other legacy sequels, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” is a cheap and lazy follow-up that begs the question: why even bother? None of the callbacks work as well as the original jokes, while the various cameos from real-life musicians like Paul McCartney and Elton John add nothing to the story, especially when their supposed adoration of the titular band contradicts everything that the original movie told us about them. The cast still has great chemistry — hardly a surprise since they’re all friends in real life — but it’s not enough to make this tired, dusty sequel anything other than a massive disappointment. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Together” — Writer/director Michael Shanks’ debut feature has an intriguing premise for a body horror film — it’s just a shame that it’s executed so poorly. Starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, “Together” exists as one big (and painfully obvious) metaphor for codependency. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t make much sense outside of that bubble, as the lore behind the mysterious force at the center of the story is never properly explored, so audiences are supposed to just accept it at face value. The lead characters are also very unlikable, though that has more to do with the one-dimensional writing than the performances themselves. The few moments of dark humor hit well, and there are some gnarly bits of body horror sprinkled throughout, but it never pushes things far enough, resulting in a rather tame and forgettable affair. Extras include interviews with Shanks, Brie and Franco, as well as a codependency quiz game with its two stars. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Freakier Friday” — 2003’s “Freaky Friday” has become a bit of a cult classic in the years since its release, but a sequel never made much sense. That hasn’t stopped Disney from moving forward with one anyway — albeit 22 years later — though its appeal is more about reuniting stars Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis than anything else. Sadly, while it may have seemed like a fun idea to bring back the original cast for another film, “Freakier Friday” fails to justify its existence. The four-way body swap gives Lohan and Curtis some amusing material to play with, as they’re embodying teenage girls for most of the film, but it’s never as funny as it thinks, while the other half of the body swap is pointless since these characters already learned their “lesson” in the previous movie. “Freakier Friday” certainly has its moments, thanks in large part to Curtis’ enthusiastic performance, but like so many legacy sequels these days, it lacks the charm of the original. Extras include a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes and some deleted scenes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Prisoner of War” — There’s no denying that Scott Adkins is a talented martial artist, but his acting leaves a lot to be desired, and unfortunately, it’s the latter that takes center stage in this WWII snoozefest about a group of prisoners forced to fight for survival at a Japanese internment camp. The acting is pretty bad all around, but it’s the weak script and uninspired direction that makes this such a boring watch, as the movie just sort of plods along with no real sense of purpose. Though “Prisoner of War” contains a fair amount of action, none of the set pieces are particularly impressive, with most of Adkins’ fight scenes struggling to even get out of first gear. It’s hard to say whether better action would have made the film any more enjoyable, but at least it would have had something worth celebrating. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
