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 turned film franchise gets an origin story in this prequel set in Raccoon City.
"After We Fell": Steamy romantic drama about a young couple who must decide what their future will hold, and if it will be together.
"Golden Voices": Israeli feature about the married couple who were the Soviet Union's go-to film dubbers, voicing all the Western movies that penetrated the Iron Curtain, and their move to Israel after the fall of the Soviet Union, where they must find new work.
"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 where six hunters try to kill him on a deserted island.
"Catwoman: Hunted": Animated DC movie that finds Catwoman trying to steal a priceless emerald.
"Last Man Standing: The Complete Season 9": Final season of the Tim Allen-fronted sitcom about a married father of three daughters.
"DC's Stargirl: The Complete Second Season": CW series starring Brec Bassinger as the teenage Courtney Whitmore.
"The Hating Game": Romantic comedy about professional rivals who discover that its a thin line between love and hate.
"Alone With You": Horror film about a woman who finds that, as she prepares for her girlfriend's return, their apartment begins to feel more like a tomb filled with shadows and hallucinations.
"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.
OUT ON DIGITAL HD FEB. 8
"Alter Ego": Horror thriller with Eric Roberts as a police detective investigating his last crime scene, the mansion of a wealthy, yet paranoid recluse who was once renowned author.
"Rose: A Love Story": Vampire film about a young couple living alone in the woods who see their seclusion interrupted by the arrival of a stranger.
"Student Body": A group of students break into their high school to raid a teacher's liquor cabinet, with deadly consequences in this horror-thriller.
"The Tiger Rising": Family film starring Dennis Quaid and Queen Latifah, based on the bestselling book by Kate DiCamillo about a boy who finds a caged tiger in the woods near his home.
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