Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Having already cracked the code to what would yield the best animated Batman of all time (and arguably the best adaptation of The Dark Knight, period), the team behind TV’s The Animated Series was ultimately given the green light to make a PG-rated feature film in that same style. And while small-screen Bats pushed creative boundaries, in theaters he went even further, with blood, violence and even (gulp) sex adding a palpable impact to this wholly satisfying adventure.

Director Howard Hawk’s Rio Bravo is based on the short story of the same name by B.H. McCampbell. It takes place in the American West and tells the story of a small-town sheriff, John T. Chance (John Wayne), who enlists the help of “Dude,” a hard drinker with a past, “Stumpy,” an ornery codger with a bum leg, and “Colorado,” a quick-with-a-gun whippersnapper, to help him prevent the leader of a local band of outlaws from busting his brother — whom Chance arrested for murder — out of jail.

Ranked as the fourth greatest love story of all time by the American Film Institute, Roman Holiday — director William Wyler’s 1953 fairy tale — memorably captures the bustling streets and iconic sites of Rome. The story is set against the backdrop of post-war Europe, expressing the exhilaration of not only embracing long-awaited peace but joyously breaking free as young Princess Ann retreats from her royal obligations and finds adventure. This movie put Audrey Hepburn on the map, and I thoroughly enjoy the story’s unapologetically schmaltzy romance blended with light humor.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, the final installment in the trilogy, finds our beloved band of misfits set on repairing the extreme damage done by Thanos during his run-in with The Avengers. But it isn’t long before the Guardians’ attempt to return to normal is upended by a brutal attack from a new enemy who has a direct connection to Rocket’s turbulent past and will use any means to fulfill his quest.

Under the guise of an invitation-only tournament for the world’s most elite fighters, the notorious crime lord Han is in fact planning something far more sinister. After some convincing from British intelligence, martial arts master Lee (Bruce Lee) agrees to participate, with the dual agenda of gathering the evidence needed for a government takedown plus revenge upon the man responsible for the death of his sister. A couple of newfound friends share Lee’s opposition to Han, but it will take more than these three to win this fight.

See, when studios invest hundreds of millions of dollars in their intended tentpole movies, they’re betting that sufficient tens of millions of people will be buying seats and popcorn to offset these exorbitant costs.

One of the ways they hedge these bets is to feature familiar characters in sequels, remakes, reboots and other sorts of “franchises'' with (they assume) a certain built-in audience. Of course, the movies need to be of a certain level of watchability and even rewatchability to reach that goal, and therein lies the challenge.