Morgan (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Morgan was a film I undeniably didn’t get to theatrically very much so on purpose. While the trailers and the promise of Ridley Scott producing it initially sucked me in the overall negative critical response kept me far away. However, I couldn’t help but wonder what really was under the surface here within Morgan. Is it just some great concept cooked up, but executed poorly? Does it really make you want to revisit Ex Machina immediately after viewing? Those questions and more I hope to tackle and address down below in my 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Morgan, which releases at retailers everywhere this coming Tuesday, December 13th. Here goes nothing or in more scientific terms, Great Scott! Continue reading ‘Morgan (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
Ben Affleck’s directorial catalog has been nothing short of a perfect batting average. Despite your thoughts on his films, none of them are terrible and at worst you can’t say any of them aren’t pretty damn entertaining. There were no clumsy steps or learning curves, he started right out with some prestige. His second film The Town, which Brian just recently expertly covered the 4K of garnered him some big attention and people wanting to give the man a second Oscar. That would come with this film, Argo, the one that famously snubbed him a Best Director nod only to land him that second Oscar with a Best Picture Oscar in the producer role (As well as George Clooney). Its a well directed, exciting, educational and crowd pleasing film that had a quadruple threat of box office money, audience, critical approval and statues to go with. 
4K UHD has been impressing me along the way this year. One thing I really want to see more of on the format are classic films. I know new films are going to look shiny, new and vibrant. But, what I really want to see is how the vintage stuff is going to look and improve when done right. Just a few months ago, I was downright disappointed when Sony released yet another version of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (One of the greatest Blu-ray transfers of all time) on regular Blu-ray when they actually do have a 4K remaster just sitting there waiting. Thankfully, Warner Bros didn’t let me down. Like usual, when a new format drops, here comes Goodfellas. Last year, you’ll remember they release a Blu-ray sourced from a 4K remaster…well…here’s what said master actually looks like now. I couldn’t be more excited to be revisiting this film and transfer just a year later.
Suicide Squad is one of those movies where you just have to get that first screening under your belt. It’s like being on a Southwest Airlines airplane. You know how you hear that ding and the captain says you’re now free to move around the cabin? It’s sort of the same principle with David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. After you get that initial first viewing of the film out of the way you’re now able to freely have fun with all subsequent watches. That was at least the case for me as I went on to see this one a total of three times theatrically despite my initial disdain. There are just too many good morsels to eat up in here to harbor any hate for the film. It’s not like the second through fourth Transformers films. Suicide Squad gets better with repeat visits. If you don’t believe me, check out how much money this bad boy made at the box office. Surely Margot Robbie doesn’t draw that much in attendance. Or does she now?! 
I Am Legend is best known to me as that Will Smith “zombie” apocalypse movie that featured the real star of the show…a red 2007 Shelby GT500. He does drive other Ford vehicles in the film, but none compare to that beastly, now classic muscle car. Now I know how that can be construed by someone just reading this. You’re probably thinking Brian hates this film and the only thing good about it is some stupid race car. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I don’t hate I Am Legend at all. It’s no World War Z, but it’s definitely not the worst “zombie” film ever made either. I consider it middle of the road and for me it’s a very odd selection for Warner Bros. to include in their next wave of catalog 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases alongside Goodfellas, Argo and The Town. You get where I’m going here? However, for the moment I wish to digress and for the next five minutes or so (depending upon how fast of a reader you are) I’d like to discuss all things I Am Legend. After all, that is my job!
I didn’t use to be the biggest Ben Affleck fan around, but The Town was definitely one of the movies I could not wait to see after viewing its initial theatrical trailer. Maybe it was those devilish looking bank robbing masks (click 
Jason Bourne needs no trailer to sell it. Let’s be honest of that fact. When Bourne Identity dropped in 2002 it rejuvenated the stale international spy franchises out there. Just look at the style of what came next in the Bond series, Casino Royale, as living proof. Suddenly Bourne-like movies infected our screens everywhere from the mainstream Mission Impossible franchise to even television series like 24. Yes, technically 24 came out first, but surely you can see the influence of the Bourne films. Ha ha. Whatevs! What I want to know is what’s up with these “character name” movie titles? Stallone resurrected two dead franchises like that. Now I guess it’s Greengrass’ turn, eh? 
Hot on the heels of the original came the obvious sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. Since there’s, you know, multiple books in the series, anybody and everybody was expecting regardless of “how big” the first film would do. With the sequel came a changing of the guard as Gary Ross stepped away from the director role and Francis Lawrence would fill his shoes and finish out the series. Along with Lawrence came some hard hitters filling in the supporting character roles with the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Plummer. It was another huge success for the franchise, which is making a full on 4K UHD Blu-ray appearance, just a year after finishing its run. This thrilling second chapter, er book…or sequel will be making its Blu-ray debut on November 8th. 
I wasn’t able to get to War Dogs this past summer when it released to theaters. And I was interested in checking it out theatrically. There were a lot of factors that appealed to me. Miles Teller and Jonah Hill seemed like a natural and exciting team up. Todd Phillips is also a pretty good and overlooked director and seemed to be using his talents for something new. It also looked like a piece of cinema akin to the Pain and Gain and The Wolf Of Wall Street type of movies. Oh, and it had a true story aspect with a topic that I kind of was interested in learning more about how this all actually happened. Well, I was able to check it out on this new 4K UHD Blu-ray that just released this week from Warner Bros. 
The Secret Life of Pets was a film we never made it to theatrically this year. It wasn’t because we did not want to see it, quite the contrary, but it was just a bad timing thing. Time is our enemy in life. Then came news of the fact that this title was coming to the superior Ultra HD Blu-ray format in December. I jumped at the chance to be one of the first peeps to review it. Call it an ego thing or call it what you want. I just really wanted to see it. See I don’t have any kids in my life. I’m too selfish and impatient to ever have them. However, what I do have are loving, adorable pets. They are my kids to me and I know I love my son Star-Lord just as much as 
Mechanic: Resurrection was a film I never made it to theatrically this year. In fact I never even saw the first film in the series. After reading Aaron Neuwirth’s review of the second one 
Sausage Party, which sort of made its premiere at SXSW this year, is one film I purposely missed out on theatrically this year. I know I’m not alone in my way of thinking. The overall consensus is very split on this one too. Either people seem to love it or others outright hate it like our boy Bron Anderson 
All good things must come to an end and all Mockingjays must have their part 2. And it all felt like it came and went so quickly. Just a mere 3 and a half years following the first film, here we were with a fourth (extra film to be honest) and final chapter. It was quite an enlightening and engaging journey through some terrific science fiction, action and thrilling politics. The series also gave us a iconic actor/character in Katniss Everdeen that will forever remain one of cinema’s best. The Hunger Games series raised the bar and went beyond the level of just simply something for the young adult enthusiasts. While Twilight never went beyond the Twi-hards (And there are a TON of them) and Harry Potter really didn’t pick up the all-ages crowds til around the fourth one, The Hunger Games had it from the start. And here’s its climactic finish. You can own it and the rest of the films on 4K UHD Blu-ray when Lionsgate drops them November 8th. 
Following in the footsteps of its contemporaries, Harry Potter and Edward Cullen, Katniss Everdeen had the final book in her series split into to. For the fans of the novel, it brought some head scratching, that of the three books, Mockingjay would get split and not one that could have been more detailed in Catching Fire. When it comes to the splits of these novels, you get the impression the studio is trying to milk the cow dry, but in Harry Potter’s case, it actually worked out very well. Either way with Hunger Games: Mockingjay, you can just look through a purely financial standpoint and see that Lionsgate made the correct choice from that angle. This penultimate film in the Hunger Games series isn’t splitting any differences when it makes its debut on the 4K UHD Blu-ray format on November 8th. 
Following on the heels of Harry Potter and the Twilight films, The Hunger Games was the next in line to carry the torch of big time young adult novel adaptations turned blockbuster films. This first film was expected to do well, but wound up taking in a massive box office haul, which not only was a record for when it was released, but also for something that wasn’t a sequel or based off of anything prior. This first film catapulted Jennifer Lawrence into superstardom and made her the total “it girl” that still seems to be running. Starting in 2012 and ending in 2015, the series came and went in a flash. But fear not, the complete series is now hitting 4K UHD, the first to have its entire run on the format (Unless you count the nu-Trek as its own series, but technically, its part of the longer 13 film ouvre in the lore). 
Its hard to believe that its been sixteen years since director Ang Lee announced himself as a powerhouse director with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film burst onto the scene to great acclaim in the United States, even moreso than in its native land. Critical acclaim and audience enjoyment followed with an incredible amount of awards love for a foreign film. Lee’s film garnered ten Academy Award nominations that year, including Best Picture and Best Director. While it didn’t take the big prizes, it wouldn’t go home empty handed, winning for Best Foreign Film, Art Direction, Cinematography and Original Score. This also launched a bit of a craze for this sort of martial arts film in the United States with the likes of House of Flying Daggers and Hero following in its wake, as well as launching the career of Zhang Ziyi. 
Star Trek Beyond promises us one thing going in, a departure from J. J. Abrams’ direction. It of course delivers more, but my main concern was what kind of adventure are we in store for? For too long now I hear complaints from longtime Trekkies upset over the direction of the first two films. Most notably, many dismiss the second film as blasphemy. Rightfully so, but as a new fan to Star Trek I find myself quite fond of Into Darkness (review 
Independence Day: Resurgence is one of those sequels that never needed nor should have been made. So why was it? That’s a very good question. Considering they couldn’t even lure Will Smith back for it should have been the nail in the coffin. However, it wasn’t. Not even Jeff Goldblum nor Liam Hemsworth can keep this ship from crashing in this one. Sadly it’s all about greed here. Fox knew the uneducated would come out in droves to support the film that took the sic-fi community by storm 20 years ago. And what’s more patriotic than seeing a summer action movie circa the Fourth of July holiday? That’s a rhetorical question. So what follows is a review of a crappy sequel to the highly heralded sci-fi classic, Independence Day (see my 20th anniversary review of the 4K Ultra HD set 
