Does 'The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart', deliver enough oomph to hold my interest from beginning to end? Let's find out!
Story: This all-new original film is clean and serves up a solid storyline with multiple moving parts. One of the cogs in this film is the situation between Dr. Venture & the Monarch. The Guild of Calamitous Intent is giving the Monarch a cold shoulder because they're questioning his relationship with Dr. Venture. They want to make sure they aren't close, which makes me think back on the show and something that occurred. Let's just say the Monarch's wife (Sheila) had to get DNA from Dr. Venture for verification of sorts. That's a smaller cog, but it still matters because they're bumping heads based on her being a... councilwoman for the Guild. It's a busy film, so you will have to pay attention, but... the machine that makes up 'The Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart' has multiple cogs that will keep you interested from beginning to end.
Another cog includes Arch, a competing organization for baddies... being led by someone close to... (Malcolm) the Monarch & Dr. Venture. There is another cog related to this cog too, that represents the Monarch, and it's connected to the Guild & Arch. Speaking of Arch, the leader's outfit gives me G-Force vibes to a certain degree (I like it).
Fun fact: Wesley Snipes is on my list of favorite actors.
You will see Hank in more ways than one... just remember that he's on a journey to find himself, but even someone on his path is a huge cog in more ways than one. This doesn't even serve up everything that occurred and what was said regarding one-liners + the finale... with a twist wrapped up in true Venture Bros. style. You will figure out the title of the film once it's said and done... and it doesn't x future movies off the list, so they should keep em coming (why not?)!
By the way, watch past the credits.
Visuals: Visuals are solid and look polished. I didn't look at this and get the feeling that I was watching a 'Made for TV' movie. They did a great job, see for yourself:
Audio: When it comes to the audio in this film, it gets two thumbs up. It's served up via DTS-HD Master Audio in 5.1 surround sound, which you hear right off the bat with Hi-Res headphones and surround sound systems. Do you know how some films and movies require you to really listen out for spatial audio? That's not the case here and it makes it even more lively (even the car scene with Mr & Mrs Monarch made me feel like was in the vehicle with them... especially while wearing the headphones). I used 1More SonoFlow headphones with DTS Surround enabled, as well as Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound. Both are solid options for this film (I've watched it several times).
Price + Extras: Pricewise... The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart comes in at $19.99 SRP for Digital and $29.98 SRP for Blu-Ray + Digital (which is the better option). We always try to get you the lowest price possible, so click the links and save. I don't have a problem with the Blu-Ray+Digital price, but I'd suggest taking $5 off the digital (luckily you can save even more for either at the links).
Special Features:
Commentary by co-creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer
Jackson and Doc Answer Fan Questions (Commentary)
Hodgman and Friends (Featurette) - John Hodgman digs deep with Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer to learn more about the making of Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart and untold tales about their series. Fans will eat this up.
By the way, you see the poster, right? That's included, but... back when I did the review of The Venture Bros.: The Complete Series, I complained that there should have been something like a poster added as a plus to sweeten the pot. I presented it to the team (shout out to Jamie for sharing my thoughts), and it might be a coincidence... but a poster's included with this. Either way, it's a win for the fans!
The Digital version drops today & you can grab it on Blu-Ray... July 25th!
