A biopic about the rise of America’s superstar tennis sisters tops the DVD releases for the week of Feb. 8.
“King Richard”: The incredible story of Venus and Serena Williams’ childhood, coached in tennis by their determined father, Richard, played by Will Smith.
Finding “King Richard” to be a “big, traditional crowd pleaser,” Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh writes in her review that the movie “doesn’t innovate the sports movie formula, but it works because star Will Smith is right in the pocket as Richard Williams.”
While acknowledging that audiences may question the focus on Richard Williams and not his daughters, Walsh writes that “ultimately, what ‘King Richard’ underscores is that the story of Venus and Serena Williams is a one-in-a-million tale, and that their success in the sport of tennis is not something to be taken for granted. It’s an apt reminder, and a tribute to the power of Richard Williams’ dreams and drive that he made this moonshot a reality.”
Also new on DVD Feb. 8
“Encanto”: A young girl, Mirabel, questions why she doesn’t have the same magical gifts as the rest of her family in this animated Disney musical.
“The Beatles: Get Back”: Hang with the Beatles as they write and record much of “Let It Be” in January 1969, culminating with the full rooftop concert that marked the band’s final live performance. The three-part, nearly eight-hour documentary from director Peter Jackson was released on Disney+ over Thanksgiving weekend, the culmination of a yearslong effort to restore unused footage from the 1970 “Get Back” documentary.
“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City”: The zombie video game that became a film franchise gets an origin story in this prequel set in Raccoon City.
“After We Fell”: This steamy romantic drama tells the story of a young couple who must decide what their future will hold, and if it will be together.
“Apex”: Bruce Willis stars as a former police officer serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit who is offered an opportunity to gain his freedom if he can survive a deadly contest in which six hunters try to kill him on a desert island.
“DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season”: CW series starring Brec Bassinger as the teenage Courtney Whitmore.
“La Dolce Vita”: Federico Fellini’s 1960 classic, about a week in the life of a celebrity journalist in Rome, gets a fresh Blu-ray release featuring a new introduction by director Martin Scorsese, who discusses the film and its lasting impact.
