Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Departed is director Martin Scorsese’s hard-hitting drama that tells the story of undercover South Boston rookie cop Billy Costigan, gangland chief Frank Costello, and Colin Sullivan, Costello’s state police mole. Costigan is assigned to get close to Costello to obtain the evidence necessary to bring down his criminal empire. Sullivan’s job is to keep Costello informed of all police movements and thwart their efforts. It isn’t long before it’s discovered by both sides that there are informers in their midst, which escalates the paranoia and the violence, leaving Billy and Colin to figure out each other’s identities in order to save their own lives.

In Jason Statham’s latest action-thriller, The Beekeeper, he portrays Adam Clay, a retired operative from a clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.” After the tragic loss of someone close to him, due in part to the actions of professional online scammers, Clay comes out of the shadows, embarking on a mission to dismantle a system that has corrupt ties to the highest levels of government.

By 1985, DC Comics was juggling a vast stable of characters with too many variations across an unwieldy menagerie of alternate planes of existence. How to simplify matters and also make an honest buck? The answer arrived in the form of Crisis on Infinite Earths, a popular and influential crossover comic book maxi-series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez that effectively reset the lineup for a new generation of fans.

Hang on for a wild ride through ‘90s Scotland as Trainspotting returns, nastier than ever. Adapted from the book by Irvine Welsh, it traces the ups and downs of a group of working-class young friends, most of whom are habitual intravenous drug users. The movie gets right to the heroin and not in the way audiences of the era likely expected, proclaiming narrator Mark Renton’s (Ewan McGregor) love for the stuff even as it sends his life out of control.

Based on the extraordinary, iconic character at the center of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time, Wonka tells the wondrous story of how a young chocolate-maker, armed with nothing but a hatful of dreams, manages to change the world, one delectable bite at a time. 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory will forever hold a special place among my favorite childhood films. To me, it has an endearing charm and timeless appeal that can be shared from one generation to the next. I never tire of watching it.

When you have a hit, don't quit! Inspired in some measure by Dune: Part Two's recent smash success on the big screen, we thought, why not revisit our curated sampler of new and exciting gifts you can treat yourself or someone else to? After all, Mother’s and Father’s Days are right around the corner, and then there are all those birthdays and anniversaries that fall throughout the year. So we bring you this “sequel,” packed with more 4K and Blu-ray discs and some cool gear — 25 items in all.

The seminal hero of sword and sorcery, Conan was created by author Robert E. Howard and later evolved from the pages of pulp magazines across movies, TV, and more. His first big-screen outing was also a pivotal career move for bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, who became a bona fide movie star by anchoring director John Milius’ epic adventure film Conan the Barbarian with his statuesque presence: While not everyone can survive the fashion risk of a furry little loincloth, Arnie rocks it. But yes, there are a couple of solid stories to back it all up, reunited in Arrow’s magnificent new “Conan Chronicles” boxed set featuring 1982’s Conan the Barbarian and the 1984 follow-up Conan the Destroyer on 4K Blu-ray.