F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 3, 2025

There have been any number of both small screen and feature film properties wherein some unusual civilian type is somehow secretly conscripted to work for (sometimes shadowy) governmental coteries, since the Everyday Joe (and/or Jill) has a "particular set of skills" that will come in handy for whatever is on tap. In that regard, the "high concept" of both F/X films might be thought of as a weird combo platter of elements from a television series like It Takes a Thief and what might be called (perhaps semi-appropriately given the foregoing use of "platter") the "flip side" of Argo. The first part of this "recipe", namely the old Robert Wagner show, is relevant since Wagner's character Alexander Mundy was in fact a thief who went to work for the government, utilizing his burglary skills in any number of Mission: Impossible adventures, certainly a seemingly unlikely partnership based on a very unique skill set. Something at least a bit similar is on hand with regard to the first F/X film, though instead of a thief, "officials" want to hire a special effects wizard to help them fake the "murder" of a mobster who has turned informant. That aspect may then offer a bit of a mirror image of Argo, which of course offered a bunch of operatives posing as a film crew, with this film reversing that and making focal character and film crew specialist Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) into a quasi-spy, once he finds out his original task was something of a setup. The second film may frankly struggle a bit to recapture the "magic" (special effects or otherwise) of a very specific setup, but it has its own pleasures, including an arguably more central teaming of Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy than the first film offered.

For reviews of the films in this set, please click on the following links:

F/X Blu-ray review

F/X2 Blu-ray review

F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

On disc supplements are detailed in the above linked reviews. Perhaps surprisingly given the relative lack of continued renown for these two films, Arrow has once again gone above and beyond in terms of packaging. This Limited Edition offers an O ring enclosing a slipcase which itself encloses a keepcase and a double sided fold out poster. That poster offers the same two art choices that the keepcase's reversible sleeve does. The keepcase encloses a set of stickers. A really nicely produced 60 page perfect bound booklet contains several excellent essays along with an assortment of stills and a couple of wacky clown images.

F/X & F/X 2: The Grande Illusion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

F/X is a really unique thrill ride, even if it's spectacularly ridiculous a lot of the time, and F/X 2, while probably not its progenitor's equal has its own fun elements. Arrow offers a set with generally secure technical merits and some very appealing supplements, all packaged handsomely. Recommended.