Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Recommended reading
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Daisy Ridley in Cleaner
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (June 13 - 15)
Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith in Civil War.
Movies The 10 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
Charlize Theron as Andy in The Old Guard 2.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Havoc
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (April 25 - 27)
Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, next to a floating space ship in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.
Streaming Services The 10 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Tom Hardy as Walker in Havoc.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Movies to watch on Blu-Ray and DVD: Bridget Jones's Baby, The Magnificent Seven, more...

Features
By Total Film Staff published 21 January 2017

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Out on 23 January and 30 January

Out on 23 January and 30 January

Long overdue, Ms Jones still delivers. Fantastic Denzel and Ethan team up once again.

Yes, here’s the new DVD and Blu-Ray releases coming out in the next two weeks. Click on for our reviews of Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Magnificent Seven, Blair Witch, The Transformers: The Movie, The Man from Laramie, Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, The Blue Lamp, and The Guyver.

For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Bridget Jones’s Baby

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The big pants are gone. So are the ciggies and the diary. But more than a decade after Bridget Jones last blundered through public embarrassments and posh love triangles, everybody’s favourite cringe-magnet is as adorably befuddled as ever in Bridget Jones’s Baby. Here’s a threequel that seeks to remind us why, in an age of superheroes and McFranchises, sometimes all you need for a good time is a pissed fortysomething and a, um, yurt.

British audiences concurred – on release, Bridge’s third go-around became the highest-grossing romcom ever at the UK box office. Across the pond it was a different story – its US gross was a measly $24m, against the original’s $72m.

Older (though not necessarily wiser), writing on an iPad instead of in a diary and still prone to calamitous eff-ups, she is, as Renée Zellweger notes on the disc’s 18-minute Making Of, still “our Bridget”. Just, y’know, 43, but as single as ever and hitting the music festivals hard with hip newsroom colleague Miranda (Sarah Solemani). Middle-aged she may be, but she remains the quintessential Brit hero – as much a part of the London landscape as any of the skyscrapers crowding her Borough Market flat.

Of course, certain things have fallen by the wayside. Daniel Cleaver’s ditched in the first five minutes (he’s also roundly ignored in this disc’s extras), but his no-show allows Bridget to evolve beyond the sort of lazy storytelling that hampered 2004’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (a trilogy boxset is also out on 30 January). Unlike that sequel – notably not directed by Sharon Maguire, who returns here – this has genuine surprises in store.

Because, yes, Bridge is preggers. And with Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy spared the same fate as his literary counterpart (see Helen Fielding’s third Jones novel), BJB stages a romantic tug of war between our heroine’s past (cosy, uptight Darcy) and possible shiny new future (Patrick Dempsey’s online dating guru Jack). Naturally, after two separate nights of passion, she has no idea who her baby daddy is, and the ensuing hijinks – hospital scans, joint pre-natal classes – bubble with awkward comedy.

“There’s life in the old dog yet,” is Bridget’s confident dismissal of those who might ask why, 12 years after TEOR, she’s back on screen – but that extended hiatus proves all to the good.

By catching up with Bridget in a new decade, with newfound confidence, new problems and, yes, a new weight, screenwriters Emma Thompson, Dan Mazer and Fielding make the perennial singleton relevant again, conjuring the zeitgeist-iness of 2001’s Diary.

That film remains as spunky and quotable as ever (“Come the fuck on, Bridget!”), and this threequel does for forty-somethings what BJD did for thirty-somethings. As Bridget contends with FaceTime, hashtags, ‘Gangnam Style’ and hipster beards, we discover that time may have moved on, but our heroine’s definitely not been left behind (there’s even a compelling argument for authenticity in our romance-slaying social-media age).

“It’s rather like coming back to an old friend,” comments Firth on the film’s Making Of. Or, you might say, slipping into your favourite pair of “absolutely enormous panties”. It’s not difficult to see why he admits to marvelling at Zellweger – clearly, none of this would work without her.

The Texas native enjoyed a lengthy break of her own before making BJB, and her comeback proves she’s lost none of her sparkle. Together with Firth, she finds new wrinkles (easy) in old friendships, and there’s genuine warmth between both the characters and the actors playing them – something evident in the disc’s  brisk gag reel, which includes Firth apologising profusely off-camera to Zellweger when he trips and drops her on a rainy street.

Forget Bridge’s baby-brained muddle; there’s a comforting marriage of the old and new here. The snow-dusted villages and return of Mum (Gemma Jones still has all the best lines) are classic Bridge. Talk of Spilfs (yeah, “spinsters”) perhaps less so,  but Jack’s a fine action-man suitor, making the central conflict more compelling than it might have been if Cleaver were still around. Thompson’s no-nonsense midwife Dr. Rawlings, meanwhile, is a brilliant creation.

US audiences may have favoured a homegrown hero in the form of Clint Eastwood’s Sully, but Bridget’s return should be celebrated – here’s a movie about a woman in her forties that, too-neat finale aside, refuses to bow to convention.

And while a sly coda hints this may not be the last we’ve seen of Bridge (or a certain floppy-haired grotbag), the prospect of a further entry in Bridget’s diary another decade down the line is a surprisingly rosy prospect. Bridget Jones’s Menopause, anyone?

EXTRAS: Making Of, Deleted/Extended scenes, Gag reel

Director: Sharon Maguire; Starring: Renée Zellweger, Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent; DVD, BD release: January 30, 2017

Josh Winning

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven

Antoine Fuqua’s remix of John Sturges’ epic western makes the classic quiz question – can you name them all? – even harder. Boldly looking beyond the A-list, his casting makes up for the feeling this old-time affair needed more risk. Fuqua shows flair in aping genre icons – even the squib-busters of Leone and Peckinpah – but he’s too quick on the draw.

Much of the previous Sevens’ magnificence comes from getting to know them first, but at least Fuqua’s impatience makes the most of Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt’s charisma.

EXTRAS: Featurettes

Director: Antoine Fuqua; Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke; DVD, BD, Digital HD release: January 23, 2017

Simon Kinnear

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Blair Witch

Blair Witch

If you go down to The Woods today, you’re in for a big surprise. Arriving with a bang after its last-minute name change/reveal, this belated sequel sees James (James Allen McCune), l’il bro of the original’s Heather, descend on Burkittsville to unearth what became of his snot-nosed sister.

Helmed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest), it’s a brasher remix of the 1999 classic, with added tech (the drone-cam is wasted), gimmicks (an endless night descends), and glimpses of the source of all the screaming. Effective. Extras include a 103-min(!) Making Of.

EXTRAS: Commentary, Making Of, Featurette

Director: Adam Wingard; Starring: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid; DVD, BD release: January 23, 2017

Jamie Graham

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
The Transformers: The Movie

The Transformers: The Movie

Forget the wanton carnage of Bay’s blockbusters. The best Transformers film is this ’80s animated effort. Set in futuristic 2005 (!), it sees the Autobots already driven from their home by archenemies the Decepticons when a devastating attack on Earth causes them to retreat to the stars as intergalactic refugees. Things get bleaker still when planet-eating super-bot Unicron threatens to destroy them all.

You might expect an adap of a kids’ toy line to be disposable froth, but Nelson Shin’s film is shockingly dark. Tackling themes such as genocide, it also includes the surprise death of a major character. Upon release this proved too much for some young viewers, leading producer Joe Bacal to rue (wrongly) that “we went too far”.

In fact, there’s plenty of light to offset the shade. The story rips along, powered by air-punching anthems and Rocky IV composer Vince DiCola’s score, while the third act delivers crowd-pleasing catharsis. Factor in the ace ensemble – including Leonard Nimoy and Orson Welles – and, much like the eponymous robots, this is a film in disguise: a solid feat of storytelling masquerading as Saturday morning fizz.

This 30th anniversary 4K Blu-ray packs a clutch of new extras, but fails to port all of the riches from 2007’s Ultimate Edition.

EXTRAS: Commentary, Featurettes, Storyboards

Director: Nelson Shin; Starring: Orson Welles, Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy; BD Steelbook release: December 12, 2016

Tim Coleman

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
The Man from Laramie

The Man from Laramie

The last of five westerns James Stewart made with Anthony Mann is also the most ambitious:  a Shakespearean thriller of violent revenge, in which Stewart’s drifter comes between a cattle baron, his sociopathic son and the hired help.

It’s a potent allegory of empire-building, set in a bleak landscape of salt lagoons where Mann’s choreography of action achieves a heightened symbolism. With Stewart’s coiled intensity, it’s a key step in the western’s journey towards Leone and Peckinpah.

EXTRAS: Commentary, Interview, Booklet

Director: Anthony Mann; Starring: James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp; Dual format release: December 5, 2016

Simon Kinnear

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams

Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams

Peaking with Ran in 1985, an ageing Akira Kurosawa fell out of favour in Japan and couldn’t get funding for his next film. Turning instead to the young Americans who idolised him, he released Dreams in 1990 with assistance from Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola and Scorsese (who plays Vincent van Gogh).

Comprising a series of eight magic-realist fairytales, it’s intermittently brilliant; some vignettes work better than others but all linger in the subconscious. The UK Criterion edition is predictably impeccable, including a restored transfer and two whopping docs.

EXTRAS: Commentary, Making Of, Documentary, Interviews, Booklet

Director: Akira Kurosawa; Starring: Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baishô, Toshie Negishi; BD release: November 11, 2016

Paul Bradshaw

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
The Blue Lamp

The Blue Lamp

Ealing’s warm tribute to the London bobby, The Blue Lamp also offered Dirk Bogarde the chance to escape the bland matinee idol roles he’d been trapped in at Rank. As the young street thug who guns down avuncular PC Dixon (Jack Warner), Bogarde gave notice of far wider potential.

The studio’s prime scriptwriter, T.E.B. Clarke (himself an ex-copper), paints an affectionate picture of the police, with Warner slotting so snugly into his role that, resurrected, he played Sgt. Dixon in Dixon of Dock Green on TV until well into the ’70s.

EXTRAS: Commentary, Featurettes, Galleries

Director: Basil Deardon; Starring: Jack Warner, Dirk Bogarde, Jimmy Hanley; DVD, BD release: December 12, 2016

Philip Kemp

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
The Guyver

The Guyver

An endless title crawl spells out a complicated prologue that returns to the start of time; but long story short, Mark Hamill is a CIA agent who goes after a magic box that turns people into super-powered-alien-gremlin-soldiers.

Laying on enough ham and cheese for the pizza nights it seems made for, The Guyver is early ’90s videoshop sci-fi at its best and worst. Directed by Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, the guys behind Predator’s creature effects, its monsters look amazing. The rest depends on your sense of humour.

EXTRAS: Interview, Image gallery, Booklet

Directors: Screaming Mad George, Steve Wang; Starring: Greg Joung Paik, Jimmie Walker, Peter Spellos; Dual format release: December 19, 2016

Paul Bradshaw

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
Total Film Staff

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Daisy Ridley in Cleaner
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (June 13 - 15)
Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith in Civil War.
The 10 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
Charlize Theron as Andy in The Old Guard 2.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Havoc
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (April 25 - 27)
Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, next to a floating space ship in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.
The 10 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Latest in Movies
David Corenswet as Superman
David Corenswet has a favorite DC character he'd like Superman to meet next, and we're totally on board with it
Upcoming movies: Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning
New Tom Cruise underwater action thriller reportedly put on pause after budget spirals to $275m
Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw as Sofia and Rose in Hot Milk
Sun, sea, and strained relationships: Andor's Fiona Shaw and Barbie's Emma Mackey play a mother and daughter on the brink in new drama Hot Milk
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn's Superman
Is James Gunn's Superman linked to Justice League and the rest of the DCEU? The new superhero movie's canon, explained
The T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
Jurassic World: Rebirth writer "didn't have a single idea" how to continue the previous movies' 'dinosaurs in the our world' thing – so he backtracked using a key moment in Michael Crichton's novel
Pokemon image of Pikachu
Gotta watch 'em all: The best Pokémon movies from your childhood are available for free on YouTube for a "limited time"
Latest in Features
Alexej Manvelov as Akram Salim in Dept. Q
I’ve seen countless crime dramas, but Netflix’s Dept. Q and Poker Face season 2 are rewriting the sidekick archetype for the better
Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw as Sofia and Rose in Hot Milk
Sun, sea, and strained relationships: Andor's Fiona Shaw and Barbie's Emma Mackey play a mother and daughter on the brink in new drama Hot Milk
Two menacing gingerbread men look intimidating while a candy person waves from a cage
I didn't expect to like the latest D&D book, but after an utterly stupid adventure I'm all in on Dragon Delves
Mion and Rena look uneasy in the classroom in Higurashi: When They Cry
The Silent Hill f writer's debut game was basically the original Doki Doki Literature Club, and it's still terrifying me 23 years later
Quantum Witch screenshots
This stunning 2D "plotformer" is the ultimate cottagecore fantasy with an extra dose of mystery, sapphic witches, and a giant lady who fights you
Superman
Krypto the Superdog - The comic history of Superman's best friend
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...