The summer moviegoing season is over, but three of its biggest hits come to Blu-Ray the week of September 15, along with some other notable titles.
Godzilla – The legendary Japanese monster gets (another) update in director Gareth Edwards’ modern take. When a nuclear accident unleashes gigantic creatures from the sea, a group of humans, led by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, try to stop them. But one of those beings, Godzilla, may not be as malevolent as it initially seems.
Filled with great special effects and a strong visual style, Godzilla is a worthy entry in this character’s cinematic legacy. Best of all, the film has a solid story that ties in to the original 1954 Japanese version. This is much more than just two hours of monsters destroying cities.
Blu-Ray features are a series of eight shorts that fall into two categories. One section purports to “discover explosive new evidence that unravels the massive cover-up to keep Godzilla’s existence a secret.” It’s essentially fake news footage and government reports. The other contains more traditional making-of segments. All told, they add up to about an hour. Godzilla is available in both 2D and 3D versions.
The Fault in Our Stars – Shailene Woodley plays a young cancer patient who finds love with Ansel Elgort in a support group. This tearjerker, based on the best-selling novel, was a summer sleeper that scored big with its target audience. Bust out your Kleenex before viewing.
The film is being released in two different editions on Blu-Ray. One is a standard edition that features audio commentary, six promotional vignettes, six deleted scenes, and a feature about the transition from book to screen. The other is a “Little Infinities” extended version that has a longer cut of the movie, in addition to the theatrical cut. The same bonus features are on this version, which also includes an infinity bracelet in the pack.
Different stores are offering exclusives. If you buy the standard version at Walmart, you get two music downloads from the soundtrack. Best Buy’s exclusive is an e-book copy of the novel. Get it at Target and you can also purchase a fabric TFIOS poster for an additional five bucks.
Think Like a Man Too – The characters from the hit original return, and this time they’re in Vegas for a wedding. Comic shenanigans ensue. Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, and Michael Ealy star. Released this past June, Think Like a Man Too wasn’t quite as successful at the box office as its predecessor, but still managed a respectable $65 million.
Bonus goodies are six deleted scenes, a gag reel, a feature on Kevin Hart, and three segments devoted to making this sequel in Las Vegas.
Thomas & Friends: Tale of the Brave – The “very useful” engine and his pals return for another adventure on the island of Sodor. This time, a major landslide occurs, with several large footprints appearing in its wake. Thomas and Percy attempt to find out what caused them.
Bonus features are, appropriately, aimed at a young audience. They are a couple of music videos and puzzle-themed games.
Also hitting Blu-Ray this week are Criterion’s edition of the David Lynch classic Eraserhead, the new 4k scan of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, the 40th Anniversary Edition of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the seventh season of The Big Bang Theory. Also of note is the Scream Factory release of The Battery, a fresh and original take on the zombie apocalypse.
What will you be buying this week? Give us your picks in the comments section.
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