Though critics haven't been overly kind to Michael Bay's "Transformers" series, there is no doubting its commercial drawing power, as "Transformers: Age of Extinction" heads into the home market as the only release to top $1 billion in theatrical revenue so far in 2014. Also hitting stores this week will be "Chef," an adult-geared romantic comedy from director Jon Favreau that was a quiet hit with indie audiences earlier in the year.
Other titles getting new releases on Blu-ray include a new version of Robert De Niro-starring gangster epic "Once Upon a Time in America" and the Criterion Collection of "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul," a widely lauded 1974 film from acclaimed director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
After "Transformers" was a major hit in 2007, it wasn't hard to imagine that it was going to turn into a successful action franchise, though the worldwide drawing power of Michael Bay's smash-ups have easily succeeded initial projections. All four releases have earned at least $700 million around the globe, and both 2011 release "Dark of the Moon" and this year's "Age of Extinction" crossed $1 billion in worldwide revenue.
This time around, Mark Wahlberg leads a mostly new cast in a story that revolves around the Autobots saving the world from a dangerous bounty hunter. Though "Age of Extinction" carried some of the worst reviews of the summer (and of the series) and saw dwindling domestic numbers for the franchise, it still isn't likely to have much of a problem finding action audiences around the globe considering its overall popularity. Look for "Transformers: Age of Extinction" to end up one of the highest grossing movies in the home market for 2014, setting up the June 2016 release of "Transformers 5."
While "Age of Extinction" hopes to find some action audiences this week, romantic comedy "Chef" will be hoping that the positive audience buzz from its theatrical release can translate to an expanded audience in the home market. Though writer/director Jon Favreau is known for helming the first two movies in the "Iron Man" franchise, he originally made a name for himself by writing and starring in "Swingers," a low-budget 1996 comedy that has developed somewhat of a cult following.
With "Chef," Favreau stars as a former culinary whiz who has to find new creative inspiration when he has to start over again professionally, forcing him to juggle a new career with bringing his family back together. Thanks to strong critic reviews (88% approval on Rotten Tomatoes) and good overall audience buzz, "Chef" enjoyed a nice run with art house/indie audiences in the early part of summer, which should lead to some decent success on DVD and Blu-ray as well.
Also looking to find a few audiences this week will be a new Blu-ray set for "Once Upon a Time in America," an acclaimed gangster saga from director Sergio Leone that stars Robert De Niro and James Woods. De Niro stars a former gangster returning to the Manhattan streets of his youth, forcing him to deal with a dark past that complicates his new life. Released in 1984, "Once Upon a Time in America," struggled at the box office thanks to a running time of more than three and a half hours, though it's remained one of De Niro's most critically celebrated gangster movies and one of the best reviewed films from Leone.
Another movie that film buffs might be interested in this week will be "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul," a massively acclaimed mid-1970s film about a couple facing discrimination when they decide to marry despite a significant age gap. From director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" was a major hit at the Cannes Film Festival and brought Fassbinder's international popularity to new heights. Fassbinder ended up being one of the most influential directors of the New German Wave, though he tragically died of a drug overdose at the age of just 37 in 1982. With "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" getting launched in a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray set, it should have a niche following thanks to Fassbinder's standing in art house film circles.
Next week, Tom Cruise's well-reviewed sci-fi thriller "Edge of Tomorrow" is set to hit DVD and Blu-ray following a decent worldwide box office run this summer. Also getting launched will be Seth MacFarlane's R-rated comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West," the latest season of "American Horror Story" and the complete first season of Showtime's acclaimed drama series "Penny Dreadful." The second season of "Bates Motel" is another TV series that should get some attention, and early Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Foreign Correspondent" will be getting launched in a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray set.
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