2018 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part I - First-Run Releases and Franchise Box Sets
November 19, 2018
It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course the first installment of our Holiday Gift Guide. This week we will tackle first run releases and franchise box sets as well. Unfortunately, 2018 has not been a good year for blockbusters for any studio not named Disney. In order to be on this list, a film has to be a major release, earn critical praise, and be on out DVD / Blu-ray and that’s a really short list this year. For example, Universal is the second best studio this year in terms of total domestic box office, but they’ve only released one film that has earned $100 million and overwhelmingly positive reviews. That film, Halloween doesn’t come out on DVD / Blu-ray till January. Most of the rest of the big six are lucky to have more than one entry on this week’s list.
For those who want the biggest, and deadliest, super hero movie of all time...
For those who want a much, much smaller super hero movie...
For those who want more diversity in super hero movies...
For those who can’t wait for Mutants to arrive in the MCU...
For those who want animated super heroes...
For those who are burned out on super hero movies...
For those who are burned out on loud action franchises, super hero or otherwise...
For those who want to be crazy rich...
For those who want a smaller title...
Avengers: Infinity War - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: Ten years of the MCU has been building to this. Thanos plans to “balance” the universe by using all of the infinity stones to snap away half of the population of the universe and all of the super heroes in the MCU try and stop him. Well, most of the heroes.
Pros: This is the best movie in the MCU, at least in my opinion. Part of what makes the movie so good is the sheer audacity of the production. The number of characters in this film is simply incredible. They manage to include nearly everyone and none of them are shortchanged as far as screen time or emotional impact go. Additionally, the extras on the DVD / Blu-ray are good, but not great when compared to its box office numbers.
Cons: It is the first film of a two-part story and if the second part is bad, then this film will seem worse as a result.
Ant-Man and the Wasp - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 3D Combo Pack, HD Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: Following the events of Civil War, Scott Lang, Hank Pym, and Hope van Dyne work to get Janet back from the quantum realm.
Pros: The film is even better than the first film with a more compelling main antagonist, but just as good in every other way. Again, the extras are good, but not great for a monster hit.
Cons: It’s a much smaller story than Avengers: Infinity War so it might seem insignificant by comparison.
Black Panther - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, , or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: T’Challa has to become king following the death of his father, but an old enemy and a new enemy team up to complicate his transition to king.
Pros: The Afro-futurism is not something we’ve seen in a movie of this scope before and this helps set it apart from the crowded genre. The chemistry between the main leads is incredible and Wakanda is one of the best-looking settings in the MCU. Like the previous two films, this one has good extras on the DVD / Blu-ray.
Cons: This movie had a ton of hype, too much hype, so it is nearly impossible to live up to that hype. It’s amazing, but the hype was just so much. Also, this is the earliest release on this week’s list, so more people likely have it on DVD / Blu-ray already.
Deadpool 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4k Combo Pack
Description: Tragedy strikes Wade and Vanessa and Wade needs to find a reason to live. That reason is Russel, a young mutant who lives in an orphanage that tries to “cure” mutants through torture. He is determined to save this young boy so he doesn’t grow up to be a monster in the future.
Pros: It takes everything that works in the first film and makes it bigger, and for the most part, better. There are plenty of extras on the two-disc Blu-ray, including an extended version of the movie.
Cons: Apparently, there’s a PG-13 recut of the movie coming out and that will almost assuredly be included in a bigger box set, so you might want to wait for that.
Incredibles 2 - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4k Combo Pack
Description: The film begins moments after The Incredibles ended and the plot focuses on attempts to make being a super hero legal again. However, while the Parr family is at the center of this plot, Helen is chosen to be the super hero and Bob becomes a stay-at-home dad.
Pros: It took 14 years to get a sequel, but this film absolutely lives up to the original. It has the same level of cool action scenes, important heartfelt moments, and humor. The two-disc Blu-ray is loaded with extras.
Cons: The original came out 14 years ago and the film is better if you know these characters. That said, if you know someone who loved the first film as a child, then this film should be perfect for them, because adults will enjoy it as much as kids will.
Mission: Impossible: Fallout - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4k Combo Pack
Description: The IMF has to stop stolen plutonium cores from getting into the hands of an extremist, who wants to crash the world into chaos so that they can rule the new world order.
Pros: This is the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible and one of the best. The most recent three installments have been a big step up in quality from the first three films.
Cons: It doesn’t come out on DVD / Blu-ray for a few more weeks, so I’m not sure about the extras.
A Quiet Place - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: This movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which aliens have invaded. These aliens have incredible hearing and will kill anything that makes any noise. We focus on a family living on a farm. They have survived as long as they have, because their daughter is deaf and they know sign language and can communicate with each other with other without making noise.
Pros: This is one of the most tense horror films I’ve seen in years and showcases incredible talent on both sides of the camera. It is especially important that the actress who played the daughter, Millicent Simmonds, is deaf in real life. It adds realism to the movie.
Cons: There are not a lot of extras on the DVD. It isn’t devoid of extras, but it was a massive hit, given its budget and original predictions, so I was expecting more.
Crazy Rich Asians - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: Constance Wu plays Rachel Chu, who travels with her boyfriend back to his home for his best friend’s wedding. However, when she gets there she learns her boyfriend’s family isn’t just rich, but they are crazy rich.
Pros: This film earned some of the best reviews for a wide release this year and it is one of the biggest worldwide hits for a Romantic Comedy of all time. Extras include audio commentary track, making of featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes.
Cons: It comes out on DVD / Blu-ray this week, so it likely won’t have a deep discount on Black Friday / Cyber Monday.
BlacKkKlansman - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: A true story of the first African-American cop in Colorado Springs, Ron Stallworth, who cold calls the KKK and convinces them he’s a white man who wants to join. He then teams up with Flip Zimmerman, a Jewish cop in the same precinct, who will act as his physical person and attend KKK meetings as part of this investigation.
Pros: It is a fascinating real life story and Spike Lee’s best film in years.
Cons: The only extra on DVD / Blu-ray is a five-minute making of featurette.
Normally we include a few franchise box sets, but this year I really didn’t see any worth including. I think this is a result of the rise of “cinematic universes” at the expense of limited franchises. Studios don’t want to make a trilogy that can be sold as a box set, but a continuing franchise that never ends.
That's it for the first-run releases. Next week is actually the December monthly preview, but the week after that, it is the TV on DVD releases. Hopefully they will be better than the first-run releases, but I wouldn’t bet it. Then we have classics, limited releases, etc., before finishing off with miscellaneous releases and anything I forgot.
Filed under: Holiday Gift Guide, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Incredibles 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mission: Impossible—Fallout, Deadpool 2, Halloween, A Quiet Place, Crazy Rich Asians, BlacKkKlansman, Mission: Impossible, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredibles, Holly Hunter, Morena Baccarin, Josh Brolin, Michael Douglas, Michael B. Jordan, Spike Lee, Evangeline Lilly, Craig T. Nelson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, Andy Serkis, Adam Driver, Constance Wu, Chadwick Boseman, John David Washington, Julian Dennison, Millicent Simmonds, Hannah John-Kamen, Henry Golding