The latest adventures of a ragtag group of heroes tops this weekend’s new DVD and Blu-ray releases.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” Grade B-: This is the third and what will probably be the last film in the franchise. It comes with a much darker edge than the previous two movies. And no matter what future projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have in store for the band of rogue heroes, the group will never be the same.
The latest installment has the team on a mission to save Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). It is discovered after he is injured that a failsafe chip that keeps them from operating has been implanted inside him. If the team can’t find a way to bypass this safeguard, Rocket will die.
Director/writer James Gunn uses this as a starting point for two very different storylines. There is the very familiar action part of the tale where the team must deal with the latest egomaniacal bad guy. In this case, it is the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), who goes around the galaxy creating what he considers to be perfect worlds.
The third offering in a film series needs to be different so as not to come across as a rehashing of what has come before. There is a line where change to be refreshed and to get away from the core of what made the first two work is very thin. Gunn drifts back and forth over the line but ends up making a film that works more often than it doesn’t.
Also new on DVD and Blu-ray as of Aug. 1
About My Father: Son is worried his father will embarrass him during a very special weekend trip.
“The Kennedy Incident”: Three months before the outbreak of WWII, the future US President, John F. Kennedy, visits Estonia where he crosses paths with two very different girls.
“Maggie Moore”: Police chief in a small town must solve a pair of murders. Jon Hamm stars.
“Force of Evil”: The newly restored version of the 1948 John Garfield film noir offering is being released.
“The River Wild”: Adam Brody stars in this tale of a white-water rafting trip that goes very wrong.
Available through digital platforms
“Fast X”: The son of a kingpin seeks revenge on those who took down his father. Will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Aug. 8.
“The Blackening”: A group of Black friends reunited for a weekend getaway find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a masked killer. Will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Aug. 22.
“The Night of the 12th”: A police captain becomes obsessed with solving a murder case.
“Rub”: Lonely man and a sex worker form an unlikely bond.
“Bad City”: In a city plagued with poverty and crime, a corrupt businessman decides to run for mayor by eliminating opponents from the rival mafia. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Sept. 19.
