New On Blu-Ray And Digital: 'Columbia Classics Collection', 'Gladiator' 4K, 'Braveheart' 4K
In the words of the Mama Mia! sequel: here we go again. It's time for another Blu-ray round-up, and this week's titles are what I'd call "specialty titles." None of these are new movies – but they're all new releases. These are the new Blu-ray releases (and digital releases, too) you should check out this week.
Columbia Classics Collection
The Columbia Classics Collection is a jaw-dropping new box set that has an odd assortment of films, all of which are in 4K, and all of which are worth checking out. While I'm not entirely sure how they decided to classify some of these films as "classic" – Jerry Maguire? – I can safely say this set is a stunner. The set includes Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, where Jimmy Stewart plays an idealistic senator who quickly discovers all his colleagues in the beltway are politicians who would rather destroy him than work for the American people; Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean's epic about T.E. Lawrence, as played by Peter O'Toole; Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Stanley Kubrick's pitch-black satire about the end of the world via nuclear war; Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, where Ben Kingsley plays the Indian leader devoted to non-violence; A League of Their Own, Penny Marshall's hilarious, heartfelt look at the All-American Girls Baseball League, with a cast that includes Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna; and Jerry Maguire, Cameron Crowe's romantic drama starring Tom Cruise as a down-on-his-luck sports agent trying to put his life back together.
Without exception, all of these films are good – some are even great. The "worst" film here would probably be Jerry Maguire, and even that has its charms. And while these titles may not all go together, the prospect of having them all together – on 4K, no less – is too good to pass up. I particularly enjoyed revisiting A League of Their Own, which is even better than I remember. It's a funny, charming, even melancholy film that I might dare say is perfect. Most of the rest of the titles here speak for themselves: Lawrence of Arabia is often held up as one of the best films of all time, and while Criterion recently released their own version of Dr. Strangelove, it's still great to have Kubrick's classic in 4K.
Own or Rent?
Well, this is an easy one: own, primarily because you can't rent this one. The price (currently $106.99 on Amazon) might scare some off, but all things considered, that's a very fair cost for so many 4K movies. Especially since all of the films collected here are worth owning. So if you're looking to splurge a bit, or you have a birthday coming up and want to ask for a cool gift, here's your solution.
Special Features Include:MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON Disc Breakdown
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LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Disc Breakdown
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DR. STRANGELOVE Disc Breakdown
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GANDHI Disc Breakdown
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A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Disc Breakdown
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JERRY MAGUIRE Disc Breakdown
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Gladiator 4K
In honor of the anniversaries of two of their epics, Gladiator and Braveheart (more on that below), Paramount has released new 4K steelbooks of both films. It's wild to look back now, 20 years later, and remember that Gladiator was a major Oscar winner, taking home Best Picture and Best Actor, among other awards. I'm not saying Gladiator is bad – it just doesn't really seem like an "Oscar movie." The book The Men Who Would Be King, about the creation of DreamWorks, goes into great detail about how the DreamWorks publicity people worked overtime to get Gladiator noticed by the Academy – and it worked, obviously.
Ridley Scott's Gladiator has Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is betrayed by the sniveling Commodus (a great, nasty Joaquin Phoenix, clearly relishing playing an unredeemable jerk). Maximus' wife and child are killed, and Maximus himself is left for dead. But he recovers – only to end up a slave forced to become a gladiator. When he's not dodging swords and wild animals in the Colosseum, he's plotting his revenge. Again: this doesn't read as Oscar-bait. Instead, it's an entertaining, gory, action-packed sword-and-sandal epic, and it holds up surprisingly well.
Own or Rent?
Gonna go with OWN for this one. I'm not an avid steelbook collector, but I will confess that they're nifty. And if you don't already own Gladiator, this is the version to scoop up. The film was actually already released on 4K back in 2018, so it's not exactly new. But if you're in the market for this film, I'm happy to recommend this newest release.
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Braveheart 4K
Okay, before we get into this, I have to add a disclaimer: Mel Gibson is clearly a person with a lot of issues, and many of those issues involve him being a racist, offensive creep. I am by no means condoning Mr. Gibson's actions – I'm just talking about a movie he made 25 years ago. Back before Gibson's terrible deeds derailed his career (at least for a while), he was a box office star, and he directed and starred in the epic Braveheart.
Based on the true story of Scottish warrior William Wallace, Gibson's film takes a lot of liberties with history. For instance: the real Battle of Sterling took place on a bridge, but here, it's set entirely in a big open field. That's just one instance, there are many more. But movies like this aren't meant to be factual records, they're meant to be entertainment. And say what you will about Gibson (and you can say a lot), he knows how to direct an epic. Full of big, bloody battles and swooning romance, Braveheart was a huge deal when it arrived in '95, and the big battle scenes still have the power to thrill.
Own or Rent?
A tough one. You might not want to plop down money for this if you have a problem with Mel Gibson, and that's perfectly understandable. However, if you're a fan of this film, this is a good version of it to own. The 4K transfer looks sharp and the steelbook is a nice touch.
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