DVD Corner's blog

The Kid Blu-ray Review

“The Kid” is a quality western film.

In 2019’s western “The Kid,” a brother (Rio) and sister (Sara) find themselves on the run from their crazed uncle Grant after Rio kills his father for beating his mother to death. While on the run, they wind up getting mixed up with the infamous Billy The Kid and Sheriff Patt Garrett who has been hunting down Billy.

While director Vincent D’Onofrio’s “The Kid” doesn’t reinvent the western genre at all, it is an engaging piece of revisionist history that interjects a coming-of-age story about a brother and sister intertwined with the tale of Billy The Kid and Pat Garrett. Much of what you see has been done on screen before, but D’Onofrio and writer Andrew Lanham manage to construct a very personal and often thrilling film about family, finding yourself, decisions and consequences, and trust. Is it a bit too cliched and on the nose? Sure, but the performances make it worthwhile.

Speaking of the performances, this is certainly an all-star western if there ever was one. Ethan Hawke, as per usual, turns in another winning performance as Pat Garrett. Chris Pratt goes against type and is generally unrecognizable as Grant. It’s nice to see him showing some range in a part that isn’t comedic. Jake Schur (Rio) could have easily been lost with the wide range of talent on screen, but he shines and plays off of others quite well. The real star here is Dane DeHaan. The underrated actor hasn’t fared well in blockbusters like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets,” but his performance as Billy The Kid in “The Kid” is a reminder of his acting talent. He really seems more comfortable in smaller films (see “Life” for reference).

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: A-

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Lionsgate trailers
* “Making The Kid”- A standard featurette with interviews, film clips, discussions about the project came about, etc.

May 27, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Chris Pratt, Dane DeHaan, Ethan Hawke, The Kid Blu-ray Review, Vincent D'Onofrio, Western Movie