The title “Bride Hard” is obviously a play on the 1988 action classic, “Die Hard,” and it represents the height of the production’s creativity. Instead of doing something inventive or propulsive with the one-woman-army concept, the picture remains content to be a Rebel Wilson comedy, which is a signal to the audience that laughs won’t be happening in this effort. Screenwriter Shaina Steinberg is tasked to create a “Bridesmaids”-like endeavor that highlights character banter and quirks, while director Simon West (an uneven helmer who recently did okay with last winter’s “Cleaner”) is in charge of exaggerated physicality, setting up Wilson to play a master spy aiming to wipe out a criminal enterprise. “Bride Hard” (which was shot two years ago) doesn’t have a brain and it’s not exciting, stuck with dismal slapstick and mostly flat performances while West periodically breaks out some violence to act as smelling salts for the offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2002’s “28 Days Later” offered director Danny Boyle an opportunity to purge his system of Hollywood habits after the troubled releases of 1997’s “A Life Less Ordinary” and 2000’s “The Beach.” Returning to his low-budget roots, armed with crude cameras to complete his mission, Boyle teamed with screenwriter Alex Garland for an updated take on the viral outbreak/zombie film, creating an adrenalized, down-and-dirty horror experience that delivered some feel for imposing atmosphere, and also helped to popularize the sprinting undead movement. “28 Days Later” was a hit, helping to readjust the helmer’s antenna, and a Boyle-less sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” eventually arrived in 2007, also managing to make a profit. Almost two decades later, Boyle and Garland return to this post-apocalyptic world for “28 Years Later,” though they come armed this time with a sizable budget, which doesn’t always fit the weirdness of the offering, as the filmmakers go semi-comedic with the second sequel, but still try to deliver acts of wild, vicious violence. “28 Years Later” gives the moviemakers full creative control of the saga, and they don’t really advance the storyline, preferring to linger on oddity as the endeavor makes its way to a ridiculous non-ending. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The worlds of music and monsters collide in “KPop Demon Hunters.” It’s a musical from co-writers/directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, who seek to explore pop culture trends through the world of animation, allowing fantasy to flow a bit more freely. The material isn’t exactly striking while the iron is hot, but the production has a vision for slickly designed action set pieces and plenty of musical performances, as selling a soundtrack is a top priority for the effort. “KPop Demon Hunters” obviously has a target demographic, and they should be pleased with this overview of heated fandom and band interactions. Outsiders might be a bit more bewildered with the particulars of this story, but the basics in struggle and sensitivity are noted, and the animation remains lively, keeping the endeavor moving forward with energetic visuals and pop star sheen. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After revisiting the inner world of “Inside Out” in a blockbuster 2024 sequel, Pixar Animation Studios goes to outer space for “Elio,” but they remain attentive to the sensitivity of emotions. While the picture has endured a rough production journey (a teaser trailer for a different version of the film debuted two years ago), the endeavor doesn’t come across as hastily reworked or slapdash. Actually, it’s extremely appealing, with directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi pulling together a grand alien adventure that delivers all the laughs, love, and gorgeous animation Pixar is known for. “Elio” deals with heartache, as all of the company’s offerings do, but the material (credited to Julie Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones) isn’t overwhelmed by sadness, keeping the eponymous character’s journey flavorful and packed with interesting and endearing characters. It's a delightful movie, and another reminder of Pixar’s creativity when they inch away from the financial lure of sequels. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A martial arts champion, Cynthia Rothrock moved from competition to the big screen in the 1980s, quickly becoming the highlights of the Hong Kong productions she appeared in. Supporting roles quickly turned into leading ones, extending her career throughout the 1990s before the action movie business died off. Rothrock has been working on different projects over the last few decades, taking small parts in family pictures and B-movie tributes, but she claims creative control with her latest endeavor, “Black Creek,” making her directorial debut, also taking co-writing and starring credits on the project. It’s a western, but, never fear, there’s a strong martial arts component to the material, which puts Rothrock’s character on the path of revenge, facing an evil casino owner. “Black Creek” intends to pay homage to genre influences and action history, with Rothrock getting some of the old gang back together for another presentation of butt-kicking. Intent is there, but execution isn’t, as the helmer doesn’t prioritize pacing on this unexpectedly glacial effort. Fans of Rothrock’s previous work in bruisers might find their patience tested in full by this overlong (115 minutes) feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

35 years ago, producer Jerry Bruckheimer attempted to bring the intensity and competitive ways of NASCAR to the big screen in “Days of Thunder.” The feature wasn’t very compelling and didn’t light up the box office, but Bruckheimer isn’t done with car racing, returning to even bigger screens with “F1” (a.k.a. “F1: The Movie”), this time offering the world of Formula One to viewers. And he comes heavily armed to help sell such cinematic power, reuniting with “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski and writer Ehren Kruger to supply a big, fat, juicy audience-pleasing movie highlighting perhaps the most popular motorsport in the world. “F1” isn’t going to win on originality, but it’s often gloriously adrenalized and bigger than life, delivering an underdog story with high-tech filmmaking and the simple pleasures of star power, working to make sure everyone who invests in a ticket is sufficiently wowed. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Don’t Tell Larry” began life as a 2018 web series, offering a no-budget take on workplace politics and relationships, sold with some wackiness. Writer/directors Greg Porper and John Schimke certainly feel confident enough to expand on the original idea, giving the concept a feature-film treatment. Escalation is the name of the game here, putting Porper and Schmike to work dreaming up ways to test the main characters while they endure a hellish week of misunderstandings, accidents, and mistakes as they try to realign office hierarchy, screwing something up at every turn. It’s the stuff of farce, and “Don’t Tell Larry” has its moments, doing just fine with leads Patty Guggenheim, Kenneth Mosley, and Kiel Kennedy. The material isn’t steady and takes too many detours into lazy stupidity, but there’s enough here to entertain for those in the mood for an offering that’s darkly comedic and decently paced. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the late 1960s and early '70s, Robert De Niro was like many actors in the game. He was hungry, eager to prove himself, hunting for any job he could get to add to his resume, allowing him to maintain momentum in the industry. 1973 was the year when everything changed for De Niro, breaking through big time with his turn in Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets," detailing a tough side to the talent, backed by an exceptional filmmaker. There was also "Bang the Drum Slowly," giving De Niro an opportunity to showcase his range, portraying a dying baseball player handling a friendship with his teammate. Director John Hancock oversees this tender study of partnership and trust, which is an adaptation of a book by Mark Harris (who also scripts), challenged to find the softness in male bonding and sporting achievements. "Bang the Drum Slowly" is a quiet picture with a love for character that sometimes derails its pacing, but the central relationship is compelling, watching two men deal with their emotions and the reality of mortality while handling the ups and downs of a baseball season. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Keanu & Co." is the official title of this Blu-ray release, but Keanu Reeves is barely featured. The once and future Ted Logan plays only a small part in the Canadian shorts collected here, as the spotlight is actually trained on director Robert Fortier, who worked throughout the 1980s to bring social and emotional issues to viewers through the "Family Crisis Series" and assorted offerings. The idea is to present moments of strife and confusion, highlighting the troubles of others plowing through their issues, with hopes that perhaps seeing such difficulties will help illuminate viewers. Three shorts are presented as the main program the disc, with 1986's "Out of a Job," 1985's "One Step Away," and 1985's "Running Scared" supplying a range of Fortier's work during the decade. Fans of Reeves aren't left with much beyond "One Step Away," which represents the star's debut lead role, giving the set a little spark while the offerings delve into tumultuous feelings and strained relationships. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Experimental filmmaker Guy Maddin has spent his career creating peculiar movies for art-house audiences. He's in love with the dreamlike possibilities of cinema, maintaining a sense of humor and bold visuals to bring his creations to life. He's been away from screens for quite some time (2017's "The Green Fog" was his last project), and he returns with perhaps his most accessible undertaking yet in "Rumours," examining the strangeness of an apocalyptic event occurring during the G7 gathering of world leaders. Maddin doesn't come alone, joined by collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson, and the trio is out to craft a disorienting journey into ego, power, and panic with the effort, which also aims to be a comedy, at least for the most part. "Rumours" is a little bit of everything, and while it does get a tad fatigued, it remains a periodically hilarious and fantastically performed offering of oddity from a helmer who just loves the stuff. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Return" is a retelling of Homer's "Odyssey," only the "epic poem" has been whittled down to a more manageable size by the production, which isn't out to fully explore the fantastical elements of the story. Instead, writers John Collee, Edward Bond, and Uberto Pasolini (who also directs) search for a character-based understanding of Odysseus and his special battle against the memories of war and the ache of reunion. It's a prime opportunity to do something deep with personality, getting into the dark corners of the players as they figure out an extended game of power, but Pasolini isn't too concerned with summoning thunder for the endeavor. "The Return" doesn't take advantage of the cast or the emotional journey, remaining largely motionless for a great deal of the run time. The helmer mistakes stillness for profundity, dialing down pacing to a crawl, which doesn't help the feature reach the few moments of fury it cares to deliver along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Improvisational comedy. It’s regarded by some as a breakthrough in funny business, while others view it as the worst the world of humor has to offer. It’s certainly become a major force in screen comedies, and it serves as part of the plot of “Deep Cover,” which is actually credited to four writers, including co-producer Colin Trevorrow, and features very little improvisation. The picture uses this subculture as a way to refresh the crime movie, following the panic of three improv players pulled into a scheme to become undercover cops in London, using their wits to deal with criminals. It’s a fun concept that becomes a mildly amusing offering from director Tom Kingsley, who toys with the unscripted ways of panic and presence, going for a more madcap tone as a potentially simple situation snowballs out of control. “Deep Cover” is kept alive by alert performances, as the story tends to feel overstuffed, finding the writers laboring to extend a short film idea. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While a few movies didn’t quite meet financial potential, Disney has managed to sustain audience interest in their run of live-action remakes of animated classics. These things have made a ton of money for the studio, and DreamWorks isn’t about to pass on an excellent opportunity to exploit arguably their finest animated film. “How to Train Your Dragon” managed to capture critical acclaim and box office success in 2010, paving the way for two sequels, T.V. shows, and a ton of merchandising. There’s even an entire “universe” based on the franchise at a Universal theme park. And now it’s back, in the flesh (and CGI), with writer/director Dean DeBlois returning to transform a cartoon world into something a little more real, following the Disney template as most of the story, characters, and tone are revived for a redo. While so much of “How to Train Your Dragon” is the same, there’s still life in the brand name, providing a suitably epic return to Berk that’s not as delightful as the 2010 effort, but it does the trick, especially for younger audiences who can’t get enough “Dragon” in their lives. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Two years ago, writer/director Celine Song made her debut with “Past Lives.” It was an offering about longing and life, sold with an indie film tilt that secured sterling reviews and impressive box office, helping to launch her career. She’s back in the thick of yearning in “Materialists,” examining a different processing of love and attraction, which the lead character turns into a type of math to serve her job as a matchmaker. The picture is being sold as something frothy and lively to help lure audiences into theaters, but “Materialists” isn’t a romantic comedy. It’s a more severe understanding of relationships and people, with Song once again refusing to butter up her material, preferring to go to some extremes to fully illuminate her ideas. Tonally, the movie is all over the place, but there are a few wonderful performances to keep the endeavor upright, and the writing contains moments of clarity when it comes to the ways of romantic expectations, providing more sting than sugar in this oddly conceived feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With a few possible exceptions, Scott Adkins has managed to become the best thing about the movies he appears in. Perhaps that’s damning with faint praise, as these productions aren’t always created with the finest filmmaking minds around, and budgets are typically very small, but Adkins keeps moving forward in B-movies, usually prepared to put on a show for action fans. “Diablo” is his latest endeavor, and Adkins nabs a co-story credit for this rescue picture, which pits a desperate American ex-con against waves of Columbian enforcers out to prevent his reunion with a daughter he’s never met. Screenwriter Mat Sansom and director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (“The ABCs of Death,” “The Fist of the Condor”) understand the mission, trying to deliver hard hits and near-misses in the offering, which carries an interesting viciousness. “Diablo” isn’t slick or swiftly paced, but it does retain intensity at times, and there’s always Adkins, who delivers a pleasing turn as a desperate man who’s always ready to fight. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Unholy Trinity” has the structure of an epic, arranging a war of personalities all vying for a hidden stash of gold, willing to kill one another to achieve their claim on a fortune. However, the film doesn’t look all that big and mighty, presented as a low-budget display of western formula that put up enough money to acquire the attention of two name actors. Director Richard Gray (“Robert the Bruce,” “Murder at Yellowstone City”) attempts to sell a battle of men dealing with their past, greediness, and guilt, but a gritty sense of hostility doesn’t emerge in the feature, which has its troubles when trying to sell a more dramatic take on the central conflict. “The Unholy Trinity” has some thespian emphasis to power a few scenes, but there’s not enough to cover the whole picture, which gradually comes to a stop as banal speeches compete with disappointing action for screentime. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The trials of parenthood are explored in “Echo Valley,” but not in full. Screenwriter Brad Ingelsby (“Out of the Furnace,” “The Way Back,” “Mare of Easttown”) examines the increasingly hostile relationship between a mother and her drug addict daughter, but the material isn’t a dramatic understanding of such particular suffering. Ingelsby is more interested in creating a thriller out of the situation, and not an inspired one with intriguing turns and corrupt characters. Director Michael Pearce (“Encounter,” “Beast”) has a committed lead performance from Julianne Moore, but not a firm grasp on suspense in the feature, which has a throttled sense of escalation and a screwy appreciation for its central crisis of motherly love. “Echo Valley” commences with some interesting illness, but once the writing starts to reveal its ultimate destination, it loses almost all of its appeal. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I’m not sure what kind of expectations should be in place for this new release when the filmmaker’s last effort was a 2021 cheapie titled “Coronavirus Conspiracy.” Writer/director James Sunshine somehow returns with “Killing Mary Sue,” which moves away from global misery to simply focus on viewer agony involving an action comedy that’s mostly unbearable. Sunshine doesn’t know what he wants from the endeavor, beginning as something approximating a farce before it slams into concern for characters nobody is going to care about. “Killing Mary Sue” is violent and obnoxious, and the helmer’s job is to transform extremity into a good time with terrible people. Instead, Sunshine keeps the picture shrill and unfocused, bringing a small cast of familiar faces to play around with an abrasive tone the director ultimately has no idea how to manage. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Family ties are thoroughly knotted in 2023's "Endless Summer Syndrome." It's a French production from co-writer/director Kaveh Daneshmand, and he makes his feature-length helming debut with a specific tonal challenge, following an accusation of incest as it invades what's meant to be a bittersweet vacation for a family of four. "Endless Summer Syndrome" is provocative and somewhat mysterious, but Daneshmand doesn't turn it into exploitation. He remains committed to character and mood, maintaining elements of paranoia and resentment to make an engrossing drama with pieces of a detective story, and one offering an unusual crime up for investigation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Evil Spirits? A suicide epidemic? Haunted beepers? Surely 2000's "Dial D for Demons" is a horror film, but director Billy Tang has other ideas for the screenplay (credited to Kai Cheung Chung), intending to offer a roller coaster ride of emotions, reactions, and enemies as the story details a deadly night for five characters trying to enjoy time inside a Hong Kong vacation house. Mayhem is meant to break out in the endeavor, but such wonderful chaos doesn't arrive, as most of the feature attempts to transform a lukewarm mystery into something suspenseful, while the personalities involved are mostly generic, missing definition to help viewers get involved in the developing nightmare. Comedic touches are also difficult to digest, as the helmer isn't entirely sure what tone to go with in the picture, preferring to follow every whim. "Dial D for Demons" is more a drag than a thrilling fright film, unable to achieve much in the way of tension and characterization before unleashing a last act expositional dump that's too much for the effort to handle. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com