Blu-ray reviews: ABBA, action and horror
This super-duper Super Trouper sequel cleverly builds on the three-dads-anda-daughter premise to bring it full family circle.
It reunites the original cast with newcomers like Lily James, who reinvigorate it with fresh zest and charm.
The Blu-ray sparkles but the Greek isle locale and ABBA jukebox choreography are even more vibrant and colourful on 4K-UHD. And, in hopefully a sign of what soon will be the norm, all the Blu-ray extras also can be viewed in 4K on the higher resolution disc.
Most of the behind-thescenes content is trifling but reflect the joy and buoyancy of the musical, a deconstruction of the Dancing Queen sequence reveals its megaproduction values, and there are separate commentaries by writer/director Ol Parker and producer Judy Craymer.
❏❏❏
‘‘If you can’t fix it with duct tape, you’re not using enough duct tape,’’ quips the hero of this visually dazzling disaster movie.
There’s not enough duct tape in the world to make Skyscraper watertight but if you’re in the mood for Die Hard-meets-Towering Inferno escapism, replete with more outrageous cliffhangers than Indiana Jones could crack whip at, you won’t be disappointed.
Dwayne Johnson plays a security ace who singlehandedly tries to stop the world’s tallest skyscraper from going up in smoke after getting caught up in a criminal conspiracy.
Preposterous but packed with edge-of-the-seat suspense, Skyscraper boasts a vivid Dolby Vision presentation on 4K-UHD, and both it and the Blu-ray have dynamite Dolby Atmos audio.
All the extras can be viewed in 4K and there’s a director’s commentary, too.
❏❏❏
The electrifying sequel reunites two of Sicario’s chief characters in a topical, thrilling take on the drug wars, illegal immigration, people trafficking and political corruption on the Tex-Mex border.
About the covert, USsanctioned abduction of a drug cartel boss’ young daughter in a bid to spark gang wars, it’s not as grounded as the original but visually is just as breathtaking, especially if you see it with the benefits of HDR and a wider colour gamut on 4K-UHD.
The 40 minutes of extras are interesting if unremarkable, offering insights into the making of the movie, the evolution of the characters and how the original was conceived with a trilogy in mind.
❏❏❏
The ‘‘gay Butch Cassidy’’ of Santa Fe cooking shows (Steve Coogan) has been in a longtime, hedonistic relationship with his producer (Paul Rudd) when the homophobic young son he never knew he had unexpectedly turns up as an orphan on their doorstep.
Ideal Home is a smartly written, often uproarious, occasionally tasteless comedy about the challenges of reluctant same-sex parenting that’s unafraid to have outrageous fun with the premise - or the protagonists’ values - while tackling the concerns underpinning it. ❏❏❏
The most overrated horror movie since last year’s Get Out disappoints even more in the wake of A Quiet Place.
About a cursed family traumatised by the past, it’s a mundane possession thriller dressed up in art house trappings that is more glacial than ghostly.
There are some arresting images and the first half is eerily compelling.
But despite trying to defy genre conventions, it soon becomes as illogical, irksome and implausible as any franchised frightener.
Extras are limited to seven deleted scenes and making-of interviews with the Toni Collette-headed cast and director.
❏❏❏
The original movie in the franchise, along with the first two sequels, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift, fire on more cylinders than ever on 4K-UHD.
They look shinier - the first two movies have native 4K transfers - and roar even louder with new DTS:X tracks.
The original extras are on the bundled Blu-rays of the movies while the commentaries have been ported over to the 4K discs.
The only F&F movies still to get a 4K overhaul are Fast & Furious and the best in the series, Fast Five.