Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Here's Your 2024 4K/Blu-ray Holiday Gift Guide!

Chris Chiarella  |  Nov 27, 2024

Disc aficionados like us are stalwarts in the face of continued seismic shifts in the physical media landscape, so perhaps the greatest gift the studios can give us is another season filled with their finest offerings. The past few months have brought us some of the most enjoyable releases of the entire year, from back-breaking boxes and single-movie deep-dives to multimedia indulgences that defy simple explanation. So read on, dear collector/gift-giver, and be inspired.

Frank Capra at Columbia Blu-ray/4K (Sony)
One of the most respected and admired American filmmakers in history, Frank Capra left behind a legacy like no other, influential to this day. Sony’s massive collection transcends the late silent era through the Columbia’s first talkie (each with new or reconstructed musical accompaniment) and on to some always-compelling, frequently acclaimed and award-winning all-time greats. From movie to movie, we see Mr. Capra often content simply to entertain, but with his own masterful flourish for it, soon evolving into a voice for his generation, exploring what it meant to be a good citizen but also a good-hearted human being.

All of these Capra films are presented on high-definition Blu-ray disc:

  • So This Is Love (1928)
  • The Way of the Strong (1928)
  • That Certain Thing (1928)
  • Submarine* (1928)
  • The Younger Generation* (1929)
  • Flight (1929)
  • Ladies of Leisure (1930)
  • Rain or Shine (1930)
  • Dirigible* (1931)
  • The Miracle Woman (1931)
  • Platinum Blonde** (1931)
  • American Madness (1932)
  • The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1932)
  • Forbidden (1932)
  • Lady For a Day (1933)
  • It Happened One Night** (1934)
  • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town** (1936)
  • Lost Horizon** (1937)
  • You Can’t Take It With You** (1938)
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington** (1939)
*also presented in 4K/SDR on UHD disc
**also presented in 4K/Dolby Vision on UHD disc

They’ve been restored at the highest possible quality from the best elements Sony could secure, filling 28 discs total (some of the movies are quite short and share double-feature platters). Although previously released on 4K, It Happened One Night and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington now carry new audio commentaries exclusive to this set. An assortment of further bonus content is spread across the collection, mostly audio commentaries and mostly archival, the featurettes with distinguished disciples Ron Howard and Michel Gondry in particular well worth a watch. A library in itself, the set arrives in a head-turning case with its contents assembled behind dramatic magnetic double doors. The capper in this monumental limited edition is Matthew Wells’ new feature-length documentary, Frank Capra: Mr America.

Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 5 (Sony)
In much that same historical vein, Sony is wrapping up the centennial celebration of their storied movie studio, Columbia, with a reminder of what a total boss the lady with the torch is, dropping another half-dozen gems from her vault. Three are Best Picture winners along with a multitude of other Oscars and further statuary, and two of them are even based on Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, all new to 4K Ultra HD disc and only available in this set:

  • All the King’s Men (1949)
  • On the Waterfront (1954)
  • A Man for All Seasons (1966)
  • Tootsie (1982)
  • The Age of Innocence (1993)
  • Little Women (2019), although the 1994 version just dropped on 4K as well
A timeless, powerful political drama. A tale of blue-collar working stiffs that’s also a masterclass in acting. The true story of a man of conscience who crosses a corrupt monarch. A gender-swap comedy that’s more insightful than it has any right to be. A gorgeous period romance that teams one of our greatest actors and a legendary director. And the most engaging and relatable adaptation ever of a book loved by generations. There’s truly something for everyone in this shiny purple box.

Each title arrives in 4K with Dolby Vision high dynamic range, most from restorations of the original camera negative. On the Waterfront is presented in three different aspect ratios (a featurette explains the differences) and the companion HD Blu-ray for each movie is sourced from its appropriate 4K master. All but the oldest movie carry Dolby Atmos (re)mixes on their 4K discs, and Movies Anywhere redemption codes are also supplied.

Five of the six include new extras (shall we give Mr. Scorsese a pass?); audio commentaries, “making of” programs, retrospectives, etc.; alongside hours and hours of legacy content. In keeping with the anniversary theme, the set’s bonus platter contains four nearly-century-old feature films from the Columbia Pictures library: The Belle of Broadway (1926) in HD, then Ladies of Leisure (1926), The Desert Bride (1928) and The Scarlet Lady (1928) in 4K/SDR. A hardcover book with extensive writing about the six main titles is illustrated with long-hidden photos from the archive.

Disney+ Original Series 4K SteelBooks (Walt Disney)
With the wildly popular Marvel and Star Wars franchises going through “rebuilding” seasons on the big screen, television has proven to be the new frontier, with multiple series tied directly to some of our favorite characters and introducing others. The studio has spared no expense, with cinema-quality costumes, sets and special effects that hold up ably in 4K, this latest crop representing the first Disney+ discs with Dolby Vision HDR as well, paired with spectacular Dolby Atmos audio.

  • Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Complete Third Season
  • Star Wars: Ahsoka The Complete First Season
  • Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye The Complete First Season
  • Marvel Studios’ Loki The Complete Second Season
Everyone’s favorite Mandalorian… umm, The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) returns, reunited with little Grogu and taking on new adventures in the New Republic. Elsewhere in the galaxy, former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) fights the forces of evil, a lightsaber in each hand. Sprung from the comic book pages, o.g. Avenger Hawkeye (the unstoppable Jeremy Renner) is joined by an apprentice (Hailee Steinfeld) who takes on the duties of bow-wielding protector. And the god of mischief himself, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is back for more temporal travels, this time in pursuit of supervillain Kang the Conqueror.

The Star Wars titles include multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes, while the Marvel titles bring gag reels, deleted scenes and in-depth “making of” programs. For the fans, these are all two-disc collector’s editions in SteelBook cases covered in beautiful original artwork, each with three concept art cards tucked inside.

Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection Collector's Edition 4K (Shout Factory)
I know I’m not alone in my overt joy at the realization that The Wrong Trousers is now available in 4K with restored audio and video, in all its hand-crafted frame-by-frame glory. In fact, Shout is serving up all four of the stop-motion shorts starring hapless inventor Wallace and his brave, faithful canine companion Gromit created by claymaven Nick Park et. al.:

  • A Grand Day Out (1989)
  • The Wrong Trousers (1993)
  • A Close Shave (1995)
  • A Matter of Loaf or Death (2009)
in addition to the feature film on HD Blu-ray:

  • Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
alongside the ten-episode series:

  • Cracking Contraptions (2002)

(“Trousers,” “Shave” and Were-Rabbit are all Oscar winners.) Timed for the rollup to the new Netflix film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, this three-disc set arrives inside a nifty little suitcase which also carries a fun little booklet and character Colorforms (remember those?), in addition to on-disc extras including audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The West Wing The Complete Series (Warner) Veep The Complete Series (HBO/Warner)
Must be an election year or something because Warner has brought us their two most presidential series in substantial HD sets. Up first, let’s take a trip back to Washington DC in 1999 for The West Wing, from scripter extraordinaire Aaron Sorkin. Often echoing the “walk and talk” style from his previous show, Sports Night, this one was more overtly infused with political messaging, sometimes heavy-handed but also written and acted better than most else on TV at the time, so I dare say that whichever side of the aisle you fall on, you can find something to latch onto.

One particular highlight: the Lawrence O'Donnell-penned “The Debate,” performed live (twice!) in Season Seven. The legacy extras are substantial, primarily audio commentaries and a slew of SD featurettes, spanning 28 discs in two cases within a slipcase.

After proving himself to be a gifted political satirist with 2009’s In the Loop, creator Armando Iannucci brought that deadpan absurdity to HBO’s Veep three years later. I honestly found the show a little slow out of the gate, but soon enough it found its footing and became worth a weekly watch, and a welcome next chapter for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. One aspect shared by The West Wing and Veep are the outstanding ensemble casts, but while WW put the supporting team front and center, limiting even the screen time of the president himself (Martin Sheen) in the process, the comedy players of Veep surrounded the star and worked to elevate her, while also doing some of the best work of their careers. These seven seasons fit onto 13 discs (shorter seasons, shorter episodes) in a single case, with a generous smattering of audio commentaries and deleted scenes across the set.

I Love Lucy The Complete Series Blu-ray (CBS/Paramount)
Seasons One and Two of the seminal sitcom dropped on Blu in 2014 and 2015 respectively… and then the Love abruptly stopped, so this full set is kind of a big deal. More than two dozen Blu-ray discs—packed in a chubby, clear DVD-height case for some reason—deliver the entire run of both I Love Lucy (1951-57) plus its subsequent Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960), also restored and presented as The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show as first aired on CBS.

Both series were shot on 35mm film and so they hold up well to HD scrutiny. CBS/Paramount went back and remastered a bunch of long-lost footage too, including the original opening/closing credits, TV commercials featuring the cast, and flashback scenes which were used to set up reruns. New for this set are the colorized “Lucy and the Loving Cup” episode and the Lucille Ball/Vivian Vance segment from a fall TV preview program, rarely seen since 1959. Legacy extras include the pilot, 1953’s I Love Lucy: The Movie, episode commentaries, radio programs and bloopers.

On the Road with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Blu-ray (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
One of the great comedy pairings of all time, TV icon/USO legend Bob Hope and crooner Bing Crosby headlined a total of seven Road movies which—incredibly—have never before been brought together into a single collection. (We’re guessing that’s due to rights issues between different studios, which is one of the reasons why independent labels like KLSC are so important!) And so for the first time, assembled in high definition:

  • Road to Singapore (1940)
  • Road to Zanzibar (1941)
  • Road to Morocco (1942)
  • Road to Utopia (produced in 1943 but not released until 1946)
  • Road to Rio (1947)
  • Road to Bali (1952, the only entry shot in color)
  • The Road to Hong Kong (1962)
A product of their era, the movies were a winning blend of laughter, music and adventure, with the boys scheming their way to exotic locales, usually joined by a sarong-clad Dorothy Lamour. Their cheeky humor often broke the fourth wall and parodied other films and genres, and the duo as set to reunite for an eighth installment in 1978, were it not for Mr. Crosby’s untimely passing. The lovely package is supplemented with expert audio commentaries for four of the later Roads plus featurettes.

Film Anniversaries: Warner Edition

  • The Terminator 4K (40th)
  • Blazing Saddles 4K (50th)
  • North by Northwest 4K (65th)
  • Wizard of Oz 85th Anniversary Theater Edition 4K (all Warner)

The Terminator endures as a visionary sci-fi actioner that thumbs its nose at its meager budget and analog visual effects, dazzling with imagination and execution that punch above their weight. The arrival of this last of James Cameron’s “official” dramatic feature films on Ultra HD disc has predictably met with some controversy: Do the AI “re-visualization” and Atmos remix go too far and lose the authenticity of the original? Unwrap it, pop it in and decide for yourself, although I personally think the criticism is overblown and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip back in time.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the political incorrectness of Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, but one important point to keep in mind: The movie is an indictment of racism, so it’s all about context. If you were there in the early days or even if you weren’t but you keep an open mind, it’s a wild ride, the first of the cinematic spoofs that would dominate the remainder of the director’s career, and his fondness for westerns shows in the many trappings of the genre. The movie was shot by Oscar winner Joseph Biro and looks great on 4K, sounding better than ever with an Atmos remix, too.

North by Northwest might well be my favorite from Alfred Hitchcock’s canon, Ernest Lehman’s masterful script combining as it does thrills, chills and no shortage of fun. Fans have long been requesting this 4K upgrade, from a new transfer off of the original VistaVision camera negative, reportedly on a first-of-its-kind, purpose-built scanner, and the results are worth the wait. In fact, at 65 years old, isn’t this movie now eligible for retirement? NNW’s AARP card comes with a new Atmos mix, and Bernard Herrmann’s musical score now gives me actual goosebumps.

Content-wise, the latest iteration of Oz is reminiscent of Warner’s big, slabbed “Ultimate Collector’s Editions,” but in a handy SteelBook that’s easier to handle and shelve than those bulky UCE crates of yore. Unlike the three other anniversary titles, the discs here are the same as in the previous release, the 2019 4K, which was born of an 8K/16-bit restoration and presented in Dolby Vision. But oh, the goodies: A pretty little outer box holds the SteelBook as well as sets of mini lobby cards and posters, plus a replica program and ticket from Grauman's Chinese, hence the package’s “Theater Edition” moniker. All four films in this group reiterate various on-disc legacy extras from their long home entertainment histories.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Iconic Film Collection 4K (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Does the shout-out to North by Northwest above whet your appetite for more Hitchcock in 4K? Although officially a Universal release, this collection’s limited edition of 5,150 is actually a welcome crossover with them (home of most of Hitch’s Hollywood output), Warner and Paramount, adding the new NNW disc to round out this slew of prime hits:

  • Rear Window (1954)
  • To Catch a Thief (1955)
  • Vertigo (1958)
  • North by Northwest (1959)
  • Psycho (1960)
  • The Birds (1963)

(Golly, he sure did like his blonde leading ladies, didn’t he?) The ginormous book-style packaging with artwork by Tristan Eaton contains page after page full of details about each movie, some common themes, and a few of the legendary director’s collaborators who helped bring these classics to life.

Film Anniversaries: Paramount Edition

  • Pulp Fiction 30th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K
  • Interstellar 10th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K
  • Galaxy Quest 25th Anniversary 4K (all Paramount)

Vincent, Mia, Butch, Jules and the whole Pulp Fiction gang are back yet again, celebrating their first three decades together with an elaborate new slipcase.

Disc-wise, this looks to be the same Royale with cheese as released two years ago, a fine 4K master and legacy bonus features spread across its two platters. Physical extras are the star this time, the classy black box home to a set of repro lobby cards, a miniature “contact sheet” of photos capturing key moments, and a page of stickers showcasing various Fictional logos. The cardboard sleeve also opens to reveal a three-dimensional representation of the always entertaining “You Never Can Tell” dance number.

Christopher Nolan’s landmark near-future space epic Interstellar returns from the far reaches of the galaxy, now a remnant of the near-past, preserved in one of those big, wide affairs similar to what Paramount employed for tentpoles like Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Titanic. Fancily packaged within its cardboard pockets are the 4K disc, an HD Blu-ray and a third platter with more than two hours of new and legacy bonus content that delves into the science discussed in the film, the fascinating production, and a fresh exploration of the film’s continuing impact. Strap in for a set of five screen-accurate patches as seen on the costumes, a set of five small-scale poster reproductions too, and the storyboards from the Miller’s Planet sequence.

Never give up, never surrender in your quest to find the perfect gift! Of this trio, Galaxy Quest is the only one making its Ultra HD debut: the little sci-fi comedy that could, a modest hit upon its 1999 release but since garnering legions of Questies for its unique blend of humor, adventure, and pointed riffs on a classic TV series of some renown. (I still don’t know if he was being serious but Pulitzer Prizewinner David Mamet put GQ on his shortlist of “perfect films.”)

It’s beaming down in a native 4K master with Dolby Vision and an Atmos soundtrack, plus a new Filmmaker Focus featurette with director Dean Parisot in addition to a slate of archival extras, among them deleted scenes and a Thermian language option. To make it even giftier, this 4K disc is available in a SteelBook edition adorned with the vintage movie poster artwork.

Shawscope Volume Three Blu-ray + CD Limited Edition (Arrow)
Arrow has done it again, curating more than a dozen films from the Shaw Brothers’ vault in elegant new special editions. This batch puts the spotlight on wuxia pian, a fantastical genre marked by wirework stunts and warriors with apparently superhuman abilities. All fourteen films have been restored from their original camera negative, the star of the group—1967’s masterpiece One-Armed Swordsman—at 4K, presented here in HD. Disc Two rounds out the One-Armed Swordsman trilogy, the set then segueing to more of the violent, bloody martial arts drama/actioners that helped define the iconic studio during this era:

  • One-Armed Swordsman (1967), and then naturally…
  • Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969), not to be outdone by…
  • The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
  • The Lady Hermit (1971)
  • Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972)
  • The 14 Amazons (1972)
  • The Magic Blade (1976)
  • Clans of Intrigue (1977)
  • Jade Tiger (1977)
  • The Sentimental Swordsman (1977)
  • The Avenging Eagle (1978)
  • Killer Constable (1981)
  • Buddha’s Palm (1982)
  • Bastard Swordsman (1983)
The stories often draw from historical legends, and several of these titles even break with tradition to feature female protagonists. And as more grounded kung fu fighting began to eclipse wuxia at the box office, the bros kicked it up a big notch with Buddha and Bastard. (You’ve been warned.) The original-language and dubbed audio has also been restored, the subtitles have been revised and there are many new audio commentaries (Killer Constable has three), archival interviews and alternate versions, spilling onto a ninth, extras-only Blu-ray. Disc Ten is a sort of “greatest hits” of Shaw Brothers movie music, and the comprehensive guide booklet pulls the whole collection together.

The Project A Collection 4K (88 Films/MVD)
1983’s Project A (a working title that they never got around to changing) represented big changes for superstar Jackie Chan, reflecting new ideas that would become essential to his filmmaking style during the most celebrated stretch of his long career.

In particular, it established the trend of Jackie as hero doing his own hair-raising stunts, as in Project A’s clocktower gag that pays homage to Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! He fights turn-of-the-century pirates in the first film and land-based crime in 1987’s Project A Part II, reportedly made only because the emperor of Japan enjoyed the first movie and wanted a sequel.

Both As are here in new 4K/Dolby Vision remasters, in both Hong Kong and overseas cuts, paired with Dolby Atmos remixes and generous language/subtitle options. HD Blu-rays are also provided, with copious on-disc extras: commentary, interviews and featurettes. The limited edition box is also packed with a pair of two-sided posters, reversible sleeve art, miniature lobby cards and a 100-page companion book.

Macross Plus Movie + OVA Ultimate Edition Blu-ray (Crunchyroll/Anime Limited)
Picking up where future-war saga Macross left off, the adult-skewing anime Macross Plus (Makurosu Purasu) brings the drama as a test program to determine the next generation of fighter craft will be led by rival hotshot pilots Isamu and Guld. Their competition grows even more intense with the return of Myung, object of their mutual affection and now the producer of the galaxy’s biggest singing sensation, Sharon Apple. Sharon, however, is an artificial intelligence hologram, and we all know how it goes when AI is involved….

Plus spun its yarn in four 1994 OVA (original video animation) episodes, trimmed together into a feature film with some new and alternate scenes the following year. A successful blend of traditional cel and computer animation (a newfangled approach at the time), the series/movie also marked the introduction of renowned composer Yôko Kanno to the franchise. This deluxe Crunchyroll-exclusive two-disc edition serves up Japanese and English uncompressed stereo for the episodes as well as Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 for the movie version, with English subtitles. Beyond the on-disc video extras, the gorgeous, oversized box contains a large, hardcover art book plus artcards and a Sharon Apple concert poster suitable for framing.

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