Must-See August Home Entertainment Releases

As the summer comes to an end and the summer movie season winds down, the home releases keep coming. August has some major early summer blockbusters finally arriving on Blu-ray and digital. Take a look at the shows and movies that are the must-see of August,

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! Well, Buzz gets some much needed help in this origin story of one of the most beloved Pixar characters. In Lightyear, we get to meet the friends that made Buzz the space cowboy he becomes. The time travel adventure is fun and entertaining. The visuals look great. There is a good amount of action and comedy also. LIGHTYEAR is available on Digital and Disney+
The Jurassic trilogy is ending with a big bang (pun intended). Dominion reunites the classic characters with the new ones making it an all-star cast of your favorites. It’s packed with dinosaur action. The CGI and visuals are fantastic. High level entertainment. It’s the present and the past uniting in an ultimate collaboration to stop the biggest of dinosaur obstacles they ever faced. I feel fulfilled as a fan of the franchise with this appropriate ending. JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is out on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital as of August 16
Ethan Hawke terrifies in The Black Phone. Hawkee teams up again with director Scott Derrickson after they delivered the fantastic Sinister. The villain “The Grabber” in The Black Phone is extremely creepy in every context. The story follows a teenage boy named Finney who is one of The Grabbers targets. It’s a cat and mouse game of terror. A splendid psychological thriller with an imposing villain and interesting concept. The cinematography deserves a lot of credit here also. THE BLACK PHONE is out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital as of August 16
Sonic is back at it again. So is the evil mastermind Dr. Robotnik, but he’s not coming along alone. Joining Robotnik is Knuckles as they arrive in search of an emerald. Sonic gets his own sidekick Tails and they must get to the emerald and stop Robotnik and Knuckles. I really enjoyed this sequel. It was action packed and a lot of fun. New colorful and popular characters join the franchise. This is like getting a super-sized version of you favorite meal. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 is available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital as of August 9
Crimes of the Future is NOT for everyone. You’ve been warned. It’s artistically dark and twisted. It’s also unlike any other movies out there. It has a tremendous cast lead by Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux. It’s hard to explain what it’s about, so I’m not going to even try. This is a movie best to be experienced. It’s a David Cronenberg production, so maybe that will give you somewhat of an idea. Some might find it gross and gory. It’s undoubtedly polarizing. I found it fascinating and weird. The dystopian future unlike you could imagine. CRIMES OF THE FUTURE is available on Blu-ray and DVD as of August 9th.
Brought to you from the amazing team behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. The Machines, you know from the get-go that Vivo is a movie you should probably see. And to no surprise, it is. Vivo is an animated musical adventure that will make you want to sing and smile. Voice and featuring song by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Vivo the character is an adorable kinkajou who plays music. He embarks on a journey to deliver a very important letter to his owner’s long-time love. Vivo will meet and seek help from a boistrous and energetic pre-teen Gabi. It’s the buddy adventure between Gabi and Vivo that’s at the heart of this film. This film is very sweet and fun. Great for the kids and enjoyable for the parents also. VOVO is available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on August 9th.
Jamie King and Antonio Banderas don’t have the CIA on their side in the thriller Code Name Banshee. Banderas plays a former CIA hitman and King plays his ass-kicking protege. They are in for a fight of their lives when CIA assassins put a bounty on them and they gotta fight back. This was a really solid thriller. Good action sequences. It’s action packed and entertaining. You know what you’re getting with a movie like this and it satisfies on those accounts. King and Banderas form an interesting and surprisingly fitting tandem. CODE NAME BANSHEE is out now on DVD
Aloha! Season one of NCIS: Hawai’i introduces us to Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey). It’s the familiar world of NCIS just with the gorgeous backdrop of Hawaii. Crime happens in the beautiful tropics, so it’s up to Tennant and her crew to solve it. I enjoyed the show, it has a little more of a fresh feel, not only since it’s the first season, but also where the setting takes place. If you missed Hawaii Five-0, aloha to NCIS. NCIS: HAWAI’I Season One arrives on DVD on September 6 in a six-disc set featuring all 22 episodes of the show.
Hard to believe there already has been 12 seasons of the crime drama Blue Bloods. In season twelve Frank (Tom Selleck) faces a major decision to walk away from being police commissioner and pursuing a new career. More family issues arise. The show has had such a great run. It’s arguably the best police procedural drama on TV. After all these seasons the show is still going strong with plenty of drama and new storylines. The DVD for season 13 comes in a five-disc collection with deleted scenes, cast interviews and more. BLUE BLOODS: THE TWELFTH SEASON arrives on DVD on August 30
I never imagined that Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J would be together for thirteen seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, but they are. Season thirteen focuses on the chase of Katya. Everyone is at risk and the Los Angeles division is on edge as they try to evade her traps. The show is as entertaining as ever. Same familiar crew of characters. Things are going strong in season thirteen. NCIS: LOS ANGELES: Season Thirteen arrives on DVD on August 23 in a five-disc collection that includes the 300th episode.