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: “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”
Much like Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s other collaborations, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” takes an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach to its comedy, where an endless barrage of jokes and visual gags is thrown at the screen to see what sticks. The stuff that works is very funny, but there’s a lot more that falls flat, mainly due to its heavy reliance on improvisation, which feels half-baked at best. Sacha Baron Cohen is particularly ineffective as French Formula 1 driver Jean Girard, while Ferrell’s man-child schtick starts to wear thin by the end. Though “Talladega Nights” is definitely the weaker of the three McKay/Ferrell films, it earns enough laughs over the course of its 108-minute runtime, fueled largely by the incredible onscreen chemistry between Ferrell and John C. Reilly, to justify its cult status.
Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one with director Adam McKay and the cast on the theatrical version, and another with McKay and his friends on the unrated version), as well as deleted scenes, alternate line readings, a gag reel and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“The People vs. Larry Flynt” — Milos Forman’s 1996 drama about outspoken pornography publisher Larry Flynt and his decades-long battle to protect First Amendment rights hasn’t aged particularly well, but it’s still better than many of the other paint-by-number biopics that followed in its wake. Though it’s not exactly groundbreaking cinema, “The People vs. Larry Flynt” makes up for what it lacks in depth with a fantastic lead performance from Woody Harrelson, who manages to turn the boorish real-life figure into a likable character. It’s some of the best work of Harrelson’s career, earning the actor a well-deserved Oscar nomination, and it’s a major reason why the film is so well remembered after all these years. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries (one with actors Harrelson, Courtney Love and Edward Norton, and another with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski), as well as new interviews, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
