Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.
WHAT: Convinced by her father (Colin Quinn) at a young age that monogamy isn’t realistic, commitment-phobic magazine writer Amy Townsend (Amy Schumer) has gone through life without having a single, meaningful romantic relationship. But when she’s assigned to do a profile on sports doctor Aaron Connors (Bill Hader), only to end up sleeping with him and realize that she wants more than the usual one-night stand, Amy doesn’t know how to respond.
WHY: Amy Schumer has been making people laugh for years, both on stage and on her Comedy Central TV sketch show, so it was only a matter of time before she made the jump to the big screen, and as the star and writer of “Trainwreck,” Schumer officially announces herself as a legitimate Hollywood double-threat. While her raunchy humor has a tendency to take some jokes a little too far, Schumer has an incredibly likable presence, even when playing a borderline asshole like she does here. What’s most surprising about her work in the film, however, is that she showcases some real dramatic chops in addition to the comedy. Bill Hader also turns in a solid performance as Schumer’s love interest despite being given the short end of the stick as far as character development goes, while supporting players like Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton and LeBron James (yes, that LeBron James) are very funny in their respective roles. But while the jokes come fast and furious in the first act, the movie eventually gets sucked into the same tropes that plague the rom-com genre, and that causes the middle section to really drag. In typical Judd Apatow fashion, it’s also about 20 minutes too long. Still, it says something that “Trainwreck” is the first movie Apatow has directed that he didn’t also write, because it’s his best film in years.
EXTRAS: In addition to an audio commentary by writer/actor Amy Schumer and producer Judd Apatow, there’s a behind-the-scenes look at making the film, a featurette on the athlete cameos, deleted scenes, alternate line readings, a gag reel and more.
FINAL VERDICT: RENT
WHAT: In the year 2029, resistance fighter Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is sent back in time to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), the future mother of rebel leader John Conner (Jason Clarke), from a time-traveling Terminator designed to kill her. But when he arrives, Kyle discovers that the timeline has been radically altered, forcing him to team up with Sarah and an antique Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in order to save the world by resetting the future.
WHY: It may surprise you to learn that “Terminator Genisys” was only written by two people, because the film is such a narrative mess that it feels like the result of a design by committee. Unlike J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” (which is fast becoming the gold standard for franchise reboots), “Genisys” isn’t nearly as precious with the series’ history as it would like you to believe, relying on muddled time travel logic to hold together its incomprehensible plot. No amount of twists or character deviations changes the fact that “Genisys” is basically a less interesting rehash of the first two movies, especially when John Connor’s villainous turn makes about as much sense as anything else that happens in the film. Though Arnold Schwarzenegger is enjoyable as the aging Terminator, and the main trio fares well in their respective roles, there’s very little that sets “Genisys” apart from the other installments. Say what you will about “Terminator Salvation,” but at least that movie tried to expand the mythology by telling a different part of the story. “Terminator Genisys,” on the other hand, may look different on the surface, but it’s the same end-of-the-world yarn that James Cameron already told twice before.
EXTRAS: There’s a trio of featurettes on casting, location shooting and visual effects.
FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
WHAT: Dying real estate mogul Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds). But when he begins to experience hallucinations that feel more like memories, Damian discovers that the doctor (Matthew Goode) behind the controversial treatment wasn’t completely honest about its potential side effects.
WHY: Whether or not you like his movies, director Tarsem Singh has made some absolutely gorgeous films over the past decade, which is why it’s so disappointing that “Self/less” is such a visually bland and forgettable piece of science fiction. It lacks the personality of his other projects, resulting in a movie that feels more like the work of a director-for-hire than a distinctive voice like Singh. Though it boasts a clever premise that’s bursting with potential (even if it owes a lot to John Frankenheimer’s 1966 thriller “Seconds”), the film takes an incredibly generic approach to the story that fails to explore some of the more interesting avenues. Very little thought appears to have gone into the execution, like for instance, why doesn’t Ryan Reynolds exhibit any of Ben Kingsley’s mannerisms when the latter’s consciousness has just been transferred to his body? It’s also not very suspenseful for a movie that wants to keep the audience guessing, because when every twist is so predictable that you can see it coming miles away (heck, even the ending is telegraphed by the title), it doesn’t leave much to latch onto.
EXTRAS: There’s an audio commentary by director Tarsem Singh and featurettes on production, filming the action sequences and the shedding procedure seen in the movie.
FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
WHAT: An aging Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) battles with early dementia as he tries to remember the details of his final case, which continues to haunt him 30 years later.
WHY: Director Bill Condon hasn’t made a good film in almost a decade, so it makes perfect sense why he would want to return to the kind of intimate, character-driven stories that helped launch his career. Unfortunately, while “Mr. Holmes” boasts a pair of solid performances from Ian McKellen and Laura Linney, it falls a bit flat. For starters, the central mystery isn’t terribly exciting, and although debunking the myth of the fictional Sherlock Holmes is what makes McKellen’s version so unique, it still feels like a giant slap in the face to fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s illustrious detective. Perhaps the biggest problem, however, is that the story is constantly being pulled in three different directions – between the flashbacks to the decades-old case, Holmes’ recent trip to Japan and his tenuous relationship with his housekeeper (Linney) – creating a splintered narrative that doesn’t flow very well. The basic premise is certainly ripe with potential, but if you’re going to play with someone else’s creation, you better do it right, and sadly, there’s just not enough of the Holmes we know and love in “Mr. Holmes.”
EXTRAS: There are two short featurettes on the story and Sherlock Holmes.
FINAL VERDICT: RENT