Blu-ray movie review roundup

Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story, Shoot 'Em Up, Storm Warning and Shrooms.

Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story - Blu-ray

Walk Hard is a tongue-in-cheek biopic on the life of fictitious rock star Dewey Cox. Following the death of his brother when both were only children, Dewey discovers an unbelievable musical talent and sets his sights on becoming a superstar of the musical world.

What follows is a series of No.1 hits spanning the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s, dozens of kids, failed marriages, plenty of drugs and groupie nudity thrown in for good measure. The star of the show is Cox, played wonderfully by John C. Reilly. Not only does Reilly prevent the weaker comedic moments from bombing, but the movie's many musical numbers showcase what a talented performer the Oscar nominated actor is.

There are many moments of stand out hilarity, but it's the aforementioned songs that steal the show. Performed by Reilly, every tune is good enough for the viewer to believe it actually was a genuine hit yet also manage to raise a smile thanks to some inspired song writing. Personal highlights include a sexual innuendo lavished duet and a seemingly innocent song which sends the young audience into a gyrating craze, and priests claiming Dewey is performing the devil's music.

The film's 90 minute runtime is just about right and doesn't overstay its welcome, something which can't be said of the extended cut also included on the Blu-ray. Fans will certainly want to check out the extended version, but on repeat viewings you're likely to want to go back to the more condensed theatrical cut.

This Blu-ray edition offers a mixed bag of presentation. While the audio is excellent, with well balanced dialogue and studio quality performances, the video is a letdown, often looking washed out and at times quite soft. Neither managed to impact my enjoyment of the movie, but are disappointing to see in a modern film.

Extra content is also disappointing, not because what's included isn't good, but because the North American release includes so much more. This UK Blu-ray sports a bunch of worthwhile features, my favourite being a mockumentary titled The Real Dewey Cox. This short feature is full of real-life musical stars lavishing praise on the 'real' Dewey Cox. It fits with the movie perfectly and should be the first point of call once the movie's credits start rolling. There's also an excellent feature on the creation of the music from Walk Hard and full song performances, including those which were only briefly featured in the movie. The biggest disappointment here is the small selection of songs on offer compared to the 16-strong line-up on the US Blu-ray edition.

I was pleasantly surprised by Walk Hard. It's certainly not up there with the mockumentary classics from Christopher Guest, but is enjoyable and Dewey Cox is a thoroughly likeable character. Hopefully we'll see a full-on special edition on Blu-ray at some point down the line offering all the extra content found on the US release, but this disc is still worth checking out.

Verdict: 4/5
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Check out page two for reviews of Shoot 'Em Up, Storm Warning and Shrooms.