THE POOP SCOOP: Musical Monsters Edition

UPCOMING KIBBLES THAT MAKE US PURR!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS on 4K and Digital October 6 from Warner Bros. An adaptation of the off-Broadway musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, the film features an all-star ensemble cast starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Academy Award Nominee Vincent Gardenia and Steve Martin and featuring Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray. The film was nominated for Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects at the 59th Academy Awards. The newly remastered film will include both the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts, as well as new bonus content featuring cast and filmmakers reflecting on the making of Little Shop of Horrors 40 years later. 

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD November 3 from Criterion Collection (seriously!). Few films have taken the world by storm quite like KPop Demon Hunters, an Academy Award–winning sensation overflowing with dazzling animation, unforgettable characters, and tenaciously catchy songs. At the film’s center is the chart-topping girl group HUNTR/X, whose three members—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—have been busy juggling the pressures of stardom with their secret duty to shield their fans from supernatural forces. When their demon enemies suddenly take the form of a rival boy band, the trio must overcome their deepest self-doubts and use their music to protect humanity. Richly layered with references to Korean culture both ancient and modern, this generation-bridging phenomenon has inspired millions of fans with its message of friendship and self-acceptance.

SCARY MOVIE on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD September 22 from Paramount. Twenty-six years after the original massacre, Cindy, Brenda, Shorty, and Ray get dragged back into the chaos by a brand-new masked killer who clearly never learned when to quit. Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall reunite, alongside returning favorites, for the wildly unhinged return to the franchise’s original roots — where every target is fair game and every line gets crossed.

PASSENGER on Blu-ray and DVD September 8 from Paramount. After stopping at the scene of a gruesome accident on a remote highway, a young couple realizes they didn’t leave alone. A demonic presence known as the Passenger has hitched a ride, turning their van-life adventure into a nightmare they can’t escape. Directed by André Øvredal.      

The Original MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Movie on 4K and Blu-ray September 15 from Toy Robot. The release also includes hours of special features and newly commissioned extras. A 2-Disc Blu-ray version will also be available.

MINIONS & MONSTERS on Digital Now and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 9 from Universal. Illumination expands its joyful Minions universe with a riotous chapter featuring all-new characters in the biggest global animated franchise in history. 

The Original INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES on 4K September 15 from Warner Bros. The newly remastered film will also include new bonus content featuring filmmakers reflecting on the making of the film over 30 years laters.

Not Quite Sensurround, but the next best thing…ROLLERCOASTER on 4K +  Blu-ray September 29 from Kino Lorber. An unnamed young extortionist (Timothy Bottoms) sets off a bomb on an amusement park roller coaster, and he will do it again unless he's paid one million dollars. 

  

EVIL DEAD BURN on Digital Now and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 18 from Warner Bros. EVIL DEAD BURN unleashes the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date with an all-new chapter of carnage and demonic mayhem.

SUPERGIRL on Digital Now and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 8 from Warner Bros. In its inaugural flight into the new DC Cinematic Universe, “Supergirl” reveals the origin of the interplanetary nomad Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, cousin of Kal-El, better known as Superman. 

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD October 20 from Alliance Entertainment. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicolas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). e.

Nominated for Multiple Oscars, THE SECRET AGENT Comes to 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 22 from Criterion Collection. With an electrifying blend of kinetic punch and elegiac historical sweep, Kleber Mendonça Filho connects life under Brazil’s twentieth-century military dictatorship to the living present, delivering a kaleidoscopic period thriller pulsing with resonance. 

GONE WITH THE WIND in 4K and Digital November 3 from Warner Bros. The film quickly became an “Instant Classic” when it was first released over eighty-five years ago and now returns newly remastered with extraordinary picture and sound and includes new bonus content. 

Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN on 4K and Blu-ray October 27 from Criterion Collection. A decades-in-the-making triumph of darkly ravishing visual invention and operatic storytelling, Frankenstein is a deeply personal statement from a director who has long been drawn to the realm where men and monsters merge.  

STAR TREK: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES 60th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray and DVD September 8 from Paramount. Blending action, philosophy, and visionary storytelling, the series remains one of the most influential sci-fi shows of all time. .

POWER BALLAD on Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital) August 25 from Lionsgate. From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), POWER BALLAD is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition. 

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES on Blu-ray and DVD August 25 from Alliance Entertainment. The film holds a staggering 95% ‘Certified Fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics and audiences agreeing that The Sheep Detectives is a film the whole family will be coming back to for years to come. 

FORBIDDEN PLANET Limited Edition on 4K September 28 from Arrow Video. For the very first time, Forbidden Planet is presented in its original Cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.55:1 with its theatrical "Perspecta" stereo soundtrack in an eye-popping brand new 4K restoration. 

THE COMPLETE KUBRICK Coming to 4K + Blu-ray October 20 from Criterion Collection. Collected here for the first time are Kubrick’s thirteen features and three shorts, all restored in 4K, over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials; and deluxe packaging.

Catnip Reviews: PAST MIDNIGHT, MUTANT GENESIS and EVIL DEAD (2013)

Snack-sized opinions from the frisky felines at Free Kittens…

PAST MIDNIGHT (Blu-ray) - This one has kind of an interesting history, in that the original screenplay underwent significant (and uncredited) rewrites by none other than Quentin Tarantino (before anyone knew who he was). While you can kinda see his unique touches here and there, this is mostly the kind of direct-to-video thriller that shared shelf space with lots of similar ones back in the day. Rutger Hauer, playing somewhat against type, is Ben, a parolee who just spent 15 years in prison for murdering his wife. However, his case worker, Laura (Natasha Richardson), becomes increasingly convinced of his innocence. She also ends up falling in love with him, despite warnings from friends that this is a bad idea. In more ways than one, as it turns out. Past Midnight is a sporadically entertaining but ultimately unremarkable mystery-thriller that gets a bit of a boost from its two leads (though both have obviously done far better work before and since) and a few steamy love scenes. More or less forgotten after all the Blockbuster stores closed up shop, the film is no lost classic, but certainly fitting for inclusion in Alliance Entertainment’s ongoing Retro VHS series. (1991/100 min/Alliance Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

MUTANT GENESIS (DVD) - Maybe you’re like me and consider Terminator Salvation to be the worst film in the franchise. Now imagine a much cheaper film that appears to be primarily inspired by that one…with a little Transformers thrown in for bad measure. Mutant Genesis is a shamelessly derivative Chinese knock-off that takes place in a post-apocalyptic future after a malevolent AI has decided to wipe out all of humankind. A small band of resistance soldiers, as well as an enigmatic female asskicker, decide to fight back. But a complete lack of originality is the least of this movie’s problems. Not only do the hyper-edited action sequences defy all sense of plausibility, they’re largely rendered with laughable CGI that wouldn’t have passed muster 30 years ago. And amid all this largely cartoony pew-pew-pew action is a charming scene where a robot hangs a pregnant woman and yanks the dying baby from her womb. What the hell? While even rip-offs can be fun in the right hands, this one makes your typical mockbuster from Asylum look like the work of James Cameron. (2024/95 min/Cleopatra Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺

EVIL DEAD (Blu-ray) - In 2013, Fede Alvarez’ Evil Dead joined a very short list of horror remakes that managed to top the original, and I’m assuming it’s being reissued to coincide with the release of the franchise’s most recent entry, Evil Dead Burn. A decade-and-change later, this film still plays like the kind of movie Sam Raimi would have made back in 1981 if he had the financial resources of a major studio at his disposal. The plot’s more-or-less the same…several twenty-somethings venture to a cabin in the woods and one of them comes across the Book of the Dead, which raises unholy demons if one were to foolishly recite the words. Of course, someone does. Once the mayhem begins, we’re too busy fastening our seatbelts to care about any character’s well-being, which is ultimately Evil Dead’s greatest virtue. It may not always be scary, but it moves at a lightning pace, a virtual symphony of truly disturbing, visceral scenes, thrown at us so unrelentingly that it becomes more of a thrill-ride than an actual movie. Onscreen carnage aside, Evil Dead is simply better than the film which inspired it…better direction, better FX, better dialogue & much better performances (even though the characters are still pretty bland). In addition to a few bonus features, this reissue includes both the theatrical and unrated versions. . (2013/97 min/Sony).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼

FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER: An Anthology of Estrangement

FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER (Blu-ray)

2025 / 111 min

MUBI

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

As I write this, I keep wanting to type MOTHER Father Sister Brother because it’s something I’ve often shouted-out when public decorum prevented me from using an expletive that also starts with ‘mother.’ Perhaps some of you have, too. As for writer-director Jim Jarmusch, maybe his title is an intentional play on the phrase, maybe not. For all I know, it simply signifies the film’s individual chapters. 

After all, Jarmusch can be one ambiguous motherfathersisterbrother at times.

How much one gets out of Father Mother Sister Brother largely depends on one’s appreciation for the director’s style and sensibilities. This is an anthology film comprising three stories, all of which center around reunions of estranged family members. “Father” has siblings (Adam Driver & Mayin Bialik) visiting their reclusive dad (Tom Waits), who initially appears to be in mental decline. In “Mother,” two sisters (Cate Blanchett & Vicky Krieps) make their annual visit to their mother (Charlotte Rampling), a famous author. Finally, “Sister Brother” features a brother and sister returning home following their parents’ deaths.

"I've highlighted all the naughty bits for you."

The film is loaded with the kind of superfluous small talk people engage in to avoid uncomfortable silences, and we get the impression everyone’s trying really hard to get along with those they love…but may not actually like. Aside from the ongoing theme of estrangement, these stories are tenuously connected through recurring imagery (skateboarders, watches, similarly colored clothing, etc) and dialogue (variations of “Bob’s your uncle”). What any of it symbolizes is largely left to the viewer to figure out, which is typical Jarmusch. For some, this’ll feel like a whole lot of nothing going on.

On the other hand, some of this will resonate with anyone who’s experienced similarly strained familial relationships. If nothing else, these characters feel real, largely due to their deceptively mundane conversations and, more significantly, outstanding performances by the entire cast. If forced to choose who stands out the most, I’d choose Driver, who masterfully depicts his character’s internal conflict with a minimum of actual dialogue. 

Overall, Father Mother Sister Brother (dammit, I still accidentally typed ‘mother’ first) is watchable, but not as profound as Jarmusch (and his admirers) might think it is. He accurately and admirably serves up examples of family estrangement, but doesn’t really have anything substantial to say about it.

THE SAINT and ENEMY AT THE FATES in 4K: Love Stinks

THE SAINT (4K) and ENEMY AT THE GATES (4K)

Paramount

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

These two titles have a few things in common. Though I’m sure each has its share of admirers who’ll appreciate the 4K SteelBook treatment, neither film would ever be mistaken for a classic. But more significantly, the narratives of both are dragged down by similar subplots that ultimately keep them from being great.

Val Kilmer...Ninja Turtle.

The character of Simon Templar has been around since the 1920s, appearing in novels, radio serials, TV shows and movies. In this version of The Saint (1997/116 min), Val Kilmer wisely passed on another Batman debacle to star as the main character, a high-tech thief for hire. In this one, Simon steals a formula that enables cold fusion, developed by chemist Emma Russell (Elizabeth Shue) and coveted by a megalomaniacal Russian billionaire 

The Saint plays like a film with franchise aspirations, perhaps hoping to establish something akin to the James Bond series. As such, it’s not half bad. The action is fun and the primary story is fairly intriguing, while Kilmer certainly exudes the devil-may-care “cool” required make Templar engaging. However, the romantic subplot between Templar and Russell is godawful, with cringeworthy dialogue and love scenes that bring the momentum to a screeching halt...more than once

EXTRA KIBBLES: 

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Phillip Noyce.

"Hi-diddle-dee-dee...a sniper's life for me."

Based on a book about the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II, Enemy at the Gates (2001/131 min) begins like gangbusters with a Russian & German conflict that’s more of a slaughter than a battle. Afterwards, one surviving Russian soldier, Vasily Zaitsev (Jude Law), emerges as a national hero with his sniper skills, his exploits championed by political officer/friend Commissar Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) in the press. The Germans try to stop Vasily by bringing in a legendary sniper of their own, Major Konig (Ed Harris), to take him out.

When focusing on the duel between Vasily and Konig, the film is exciting, with tension filled cat-&-mouse action sequences, immersive production design and convincing performances. Even though he’s a willing participant, we sympathize with Vasily because he’s obviously being exploited for propaganda purposes. While that’s all the story a movie like this needs, someone decided it also needed a love triangle involving Vasily, Danilov and Dania (Rachel Weisz). It isn’t as intrusive or embarrassing as the one The Saint serves up, but does tend to suck the viewer out of an otherwise compelling film.

EXTRA KIBBLES: 

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - Through the Crosshairs and Inside Enemy at the Gates both feature numerous cast & crew interviews.

DELETED SCENES

Both films are being released on 4K for the first time, with overall video quality that’s a bit of an improvement over their Blu-ray editions, while the 5.1 Dolby True HD audio track is the same. Each also includes a smattering of vintage bonus features. The SteelBook packaging is nice for those who are into that sort of thing, though the artwork is largely the same.

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES: Fun For The Entire Flock

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (Blu-ray) 🐑

2026 / 109 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Princess Pepper😺

I generally don’t watch a lot of family films. Not that I have anything against them per se, but now that my daughters have since grown up, sitting through those aimed squarely at children are usually a chore to endure. And that’s what I assumed The Sheep Detectives was going to be…cute and cloying, with talking CGI sheep. My first thought was that Hugh Jackman’s Marvel residuals must have finally dried up. 

But The Sheep Detectives is not what I was expecting. While Jackman gets top billing, he probably has less screen time than anyone else because his character is killed within the first 20 minutes (though he’s really good in his role). Sure, the film is chock full of CGI sheep, and yeah, it’s pretty cute at times. But it’s also a genuine whodunit, and a pretty intriguing one at that.

Jackman plays George Hardy, a reclusive, dedicated shepherd who really loves his flock (not that way, LOL). Not only does he prefer their company over his neighbors in the nearby village of Denbrook, he’s named each one and reads murder mysteries to them every evening. When he’s later found dead near the camper where he lived, Denbrook’s dimwitted lone cop, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) believes George died of a heart attack. 

George's selection of The Silence of the Lambs didn't go over well.

However, his flock, led by the ‘smartest’ of them, Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), suspects foul play, as does newspaper reporter Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine). Meanwhile, George’s lawyer, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), arrives in town to read his will, and in attendance are numerous potential suspects, including Rebecca (Molly Gordon), the daughter he once gave up for adoption after her mother died during childbirth.

Using what they learned from murder mysteries, Lily and two other sheep, Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) and Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), dig up clues and discreetly coerce Derry and Matthews to investigate each suspect further, eventually accusing Rebecca, who stands the most to gain from George’s death. Along the way, these animals reveal unique, charming personalities, as well as some interesting views and beliefs, such as their understanding of the concept of death. While the film’s overall tone is affably whimsical, its narrative does occasionally venture into some dark territory with its depiction of death and the flock’s reaction to its reality (which is contrary to what they’re always believed).

But for the most part, the emphasis is on fun. Not only are the characters and  investigation engaging, The Sheep Detectives is full of good humor that’s never pandering or overly broad. With clever writing and good cast (both onscreen and those voicing the individual sheep), this is an enjoyably sweet-natured film for kids and adults alike.

Revisiting TROY in 4K

TROY Limited Edition (4K UHD)

Also available on Blu-ray

2004 / 196 & 162 min (2 cuts)

Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Buffed Blond Butcher😸

With Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey cleaning up at the box office, and bringing literarily-impaired trolls out from under their rocks, the timing of 2004’s Troy on 4K couldn’t be more perfect. Some comparisons are inevitable, of course, so as a heads-up to the mouth-breathers out there…Troy is the not-woke one.

This is Brad Pitt’s compulsory historical epic. As far back as the silent era, every Hollywood dreamboat has one or two on their resume. Mel Gibson had Braveheart, of course, and I only mention his because the two films share some similarities, and not just in the action and bloodletting department. Both protagonists are savage but intelligent and impossibly gorgeous (even in battle), with the camera almost voyeuristically fawning over their flowing locks and statuesque frames at every opportunity (which was probably written into the contracts). 

But rather than bastardizing history, Troy bastardizes Homer’s The Illiad, which is fine because it’s doubtful most people who continue to love this film have ever actually read it. By and large, director Wolfgang Petersen does a good job distilling and embellishing events for cinematic oomph. The battles are big & bloody, the production design is excellent and the performances befit the material. 

"Not to alarm you, sir, but we've depleted our reserves of mousse."

This new 4K set from Arrow features both the theatrical version and the director’s cut, which runs well over three hours. Though the latter is lauded in some circles, I personally don’t consider it an improvement over the original. The thirty minutes of additional footage feature more gore and sex, but storywise, they tend to drag the pace down a little. Still, it’s got a great ensemble cast, with Pitt in full movie star mode (which is something of a rarity these days). 

It also looks and sounds terrific, a significant improvement on the previously released Blu-ray. The film’s been beautifully remastered and boasts two audio options (DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 stereo, the former being especially impressive). While the technical specs alone will be worth the upgrade for some, there’s a third Blu-ray disc packed with bonus features. Though none were created specifically for this release, most of them are pretty interesting. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.  

THEATRICAL AND DIRECTOR’S CUT 

FEATURETTES - Troy in Focus; In the Thick of Battle; From Ruins to Reality; Troy: An Effects Odyssey; Attacking Troy (most of these featurettes consist of director Wolfgang Peterson discussing particular aspects of the film); Gallery of the Gods is exactly what it sounds like.

TROY REVISITED - An introduction to the Director’s Cut by director Wolfgang Petersen.

IN MOVIE EXPERIENCE - This is a picture-in-picture commentary. 

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERIES

EASTER EGG

Catnip Reviews: FRESH HORSES, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT and MARSHALS - SEASON ONE

Snack-sized opinions from the frisky felines at Free Kittens…

FRESH HORSES (Blu-ray) - Spending most of the ‘80s as a generation’s high school sweetheart, Brat Packer Molly Ringwald grows up just a smidgen in 1988’s Fresh Horses. Somewhat against type, she dons her white trash hat to play an underaged woman in an abusive marriage. Then she meets a well-to-do yuppie played by fellow Brat Pack alumni Andrew McCarthy, who falls hard enough in love with her to break off his engagement to another woman. But things eventually grow more complicated. Ringwald delivers an earnest performance, while McCarthy essentially plays the same guy he does in every movie. While the story is sporadically interesting, the overall tone is a little too serious, especially since we’ve seen this kind of thing plenty of times before. The film isn’t a gold star on anyone’s resume, least of all director David Anspaugh, the guy responsible for Hoosiers and Ruby (sports movies are definitely his forte). But as the last movie Ringwald did before leaving teen roles behind, this mostly forgotten effort might be of interest to those who loved her back in the day. Part of Alliance Entertainment’s ongoing Retro VHS series, the Blu-ray features a nifty throwback slipcover, but no bonus features. (1988/105/Alliance Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Blu-ray) - For us, any movie that polarizes wide swaths of viewers definitely piques our interest. As for one that manages to raise the hackles of an entire government? Hell, sign us up! It Was Just an Accident was directed by Jafar Panahi and his film won the 2025 Palme d’Or at Cannes. It tells the story of a small group of former political prisoners who believe the man they kidnapped and stuffed into a van is the same Iranian guard who viciously tortured them while they were incarcerated. However, no one is 100% certain, so efforts are made to prove his identity. And even then, not everyone is convinced he should be killed. What initially seems like a fairly straightforward revenge tale evolves into a morally ambiguous, politically-charged film that raises some interesting questions. However, the backstory for this one is ultimately more fascinating than the movie itself. Filmed without permission from the Iranian government, Panahi shot most of this in secret, without permits. That he manages to pull it off - with a mostly amateur cast, no less - is a story unto itself, some of which is explored in this disc’s small selection of bonus material.

(2025/103 min/Criterion Collection).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

MARSHALLS - SEASON ONE (Blu-ray) - You’re looking at the one guy who has never seen a single episode of Yellowstone or any of its spin-offs. I don’t know the basic premise, nor could I name a character. I’m pretty certain if I worked somewhere with a water cooler, I'd be the odd man out, watching from a distance while others traded reactions to the latest episode. That being said, I found the third Yellowstone spin-off, Marshals, kind of a chore to endure. Sort of a sequel, this has Luke Grimes returning as Kayce Dutton, who leaves the ranch to become a U.S. Marshal in Montana. Somewhat refreshingly, these 13 episodes are a little more self-contained than your typical serialized show (with mostly subplots forming ongoing story arcs), so one’s engagement doesn’t depend exclusively on previous developments (but be ready for everything to conclude with the usual cliffhanger, setting up Season Two). The police procedural aspects of the show are sporadically interesting, but the action is fairly routine and I was never all that invested in any of these characters. Of course, fans of the franchise, especially Yellowstone itself, may feel a lot differently. (2026/552 min/Paramount).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

REACHER - SEASON THREE: New & Improved (and 100% Ad-Free!)

REACHER - SEASON THREE (Blu-ray)

2025 / 388 min (8 episodes)

Paramount

Review by Carl, the Couch Potato😺

Christmas and Reacher continue to be the only reasons I’m still hanging on to my Amazon Prime account. However, I’m getting increasingly disgusted with being forced to sit through commercial breaks for a streaming service I’m already paying for, which is why I’m glad that every season of Reacher has been made available on Blu-ray. In addition to being Amazon’s best show, it’s the only current series where I’ve been inclined to sit through entire seasons more than once (but not if I had to continue enduring ads).

Not only does its star, Alan Ritchson, embody the title character the way most fans of the Lee Childs’ novels envisioned, Season One established Reacher as smart, funny and unapologetically violent, with a compelling well-paced story. Season Two wasn’t quite as good, because I think it strayed a little too much from what made the previous season so entertaining…a resilient loner unwittingly dropped into a situation where everyone he encounters are either hopelessly outmatched and - friend or foe - at a complete loss at how to deal with his methods. 

Season Three, however, is a nice return to form. Based on the seventh book in the series, Persuader, this one has Reacher hunting for an elusive military criminal he thought he once killed and has since become a powerful, ruthless arms dealer. When his search results in a run-in with the DEA, he’s coerced into working undercover to investigate rich businessman and suspected drug smuggler Zachary Beck (Anthony Michael Hall), who might be responsible for the disappearance of Agent Susan Duffy’s (Sonya Cassidy) informant. 

"I saw you come out of the restroom. Did you wash your hands?"

Through a clever bit of narrative sleight-of-hand, Reacher manages to work his way into Beck’s organization by staging a fake kidnapping and rescue of the man’s teenage son, Richard (Johnny Berchtold), eventually earning Beck’s trust. Reacher learns it’s actually weapons, not drugs, that are being smuggled, with Beck being forced to work under orders of Xavier Quinn (Brian Tee), the very man Reacher has been searching for (and not to bring to justice). That’s the nutshell summary of a complex, engaging story that plays more like a six-hour action-thriller than a television show. 

But while the plot is the primary focus of these eight episodes and Reacher himself remains stoic, driven and very funny without intending to be, Season Three surrounds him with characters who are nearly as well developed. Duffy is amusingly brash, while Richard earns our sympathy by loving his criminal father but hating how he makes a living. There are even revelations about Beck that ultimately change the way we look at him. Adding menace (and a few chuckles) is Paulie (Oliver Richters) as a towering bodyguard with an immediate grudge against Reacher. The minute he appears, we’re certain he and Reacher are eventually gonna throw down. And of course, Maria Sten makes a welcome return as Neagley, Reacher's tough and reliable back-up.

Fast, funny and often ferociously violent, Reacher - Season Three is nearly as fun as Season One. While they are inevitable lapses in plausibility (no way could Reacher overturn a car, no matter how big he is), the overall quality of the writing and action make it easy to overlook such moments. And watching it ad-free this time around makes it a much more enjoyable experience. Here’s hoping Reacher continues for as long as Alan Ritchson wants to play the character.