I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 28, 2026

Celebrity impersonators are nothing new, but what might be new is the hybrid of Connor Ratliff's take -- not necessarily impersonation -- of acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas and the format in which he brings the Star Wars creator to life. Rather than just try to look, sound, and act like Lucas, he does his Lucas impersonation as if Lucas were hosting a talk show, talking to real people, about this and that, and, oh, he's accompanied by The Phantom Menace's Watto (previously, the same film's Jar Jar Binks). It's an unusual take but much appreciated as something different rather than just a straight mimicking of a celebrity figure.

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story looks at Ratliff's life leading up to his take on George Lucas, including early TV appearances and a disastrous dismissal from the cast of Band of Brothers. Eventually, the idea of impersonating Lucas grew into something of a minor cult phenomenon, leading to a monthly recurring gig at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. Ratliff, portraying Lucas, leads a late night talk show-format discussion with a revolving door of guests, accompanied by his pal Griffin Newman, playing the role of Watto. But, Ratliff plays a very specific timeframe Lucas: the Lucas who is living in his retirement following his $4 billion+ sale of the Star Wars franchise to Disney. The film closes with a look at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Ratliff personally, the show specifically, and the live comedy scene broadly.

The film largely follows a classic documentary style: a number of interviewees discuss Ratliff and his style, how he channels Lucas, the show’s success, and other facts and figures and odds and ends, all the while Ratliff himself helps build the narrative of his life and career. It blends in scenes from various episodes but is primarily focused less on Ratliff’s “work” as Lucas and more on the show itself, its impact on the comedy scene, its place in his personal life, and more. Much like the show itself is less concerned with crude impersonations (at least in terms of Ratliff’s work; Newman’s turn as Watto is much more over the top and concerned with raw impersonation) the film focuses more on the heart and soul of the show rather than its superficialities.

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The movie is not particularly noteworthy in the video department, but the 1080p presentation delivers what is a fairly simple collection of visuals for all they're worth. Clarity is nice. The digital elements shine through with pleasing detail and stability in every shot. Facial definition is fine and clarity to things like Star Wars props and toys look great, allowing audiences to soak in plenty of detail. Colors are well balanced, too, with good, expressive tones as needed, such as "Lucas's" orange Howard the Duck jacket. Flesh tone look fine, ditto white balance and black levels. Noise and other source issues are kept to a minimum, and the encode looks to be in fine shape.

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kino Lorber's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack doesn't have a big load to carry. I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story isn't a film with prodigious sonic needs, and the included lossless track (a Dolby Digital 2.0 track is also included) handles the straightforward material with satisfying clarity. The track is primarily dialogue driven, and there is never any lack of clarity. Dialogue is centered as well. Light support elements spread along the front, and the surrounds carry a modest amount of information. There is no real low end engagement of which to speak. This is not at all a dynamic listen, but the track captures and conveys the film's basic sonic needs well enough.

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story contains so many extras on the two discs that it will take fans multiple days to dig through them all. And, on top of that, there is a second digital spread that will require several more days to digest. Between the two, this is easily the most feature-packed set I have ever reviewed and easily breaks my personal record for most commentaries on a single disc that I have ever seen (I never kept tabs before, but I would guess 4-5 would be the max I had previously ever encountered). I will not list the digital extras, but below is a breakdown of everything that is included physically on the two discs. This release also ships with a non-embossed slipcover, reversible jacket art, and a small booklet.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: There are a whopping 30 commentaries accompanying this release. I must confess that I did not listen to all of them in full; I did sample several of them. Below is a list of each track.
  
  
  • Star Connor Ratliff
  • Director Ryan Jacobi
  • Producer Annamaria Sofillas
  • Co-Star and Co-Producer and George Lucas Talk Show Producer Patrick Cotnoir
  • Editor Rob Malone
  • Director of Photography and Producer Marsh Chamberlain
  • Ryan Jacobi, Marsh Chamberlain, Annamaria Sofias, and Patrick Cotnoir
  • Rob Malone and Patrick Cotnoir with Griffin Newman, Keith Haskel, Dru Johnston, Matt Porter, Bethany Hall, and Annamaria Sofillas
  • Executive Producers Rod Bogart and Benny Benedetto with Patrick Cotnoir
  • Composer Joe Imburgio and his friend Chris Vert
  • Executive Producer/Former Guest Bobby Moynihan, Connor Ratliff, and Patrick Cotnoir
  • The Stepfathers -- Connor's improv team and co-stars Shannon O'Neill, Sebastian Conelli, and Alex Dickson
  • Co-Star Partrick Willems
  • Livestream Producer Dave Szarejko and Live Show Cinematographer Keith Haskel
  • Former Guest Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show)
  • Former Guest Rich Sommer (Mad Men) with Patrick Cotnoir
  • Former Guest Will Hines (Comedy Bang! Bang!)
  • Former Guest Brian Jay Jones (author of George Lucas: A Life)
  • Former Guest Brian Michael Bendis (comic book writer)
  • Former Guest Josh Gondelman (stand-up comedian)
  • Former Guest Travis McElroy (My Brother, My Brother and Me)
  • Former Guest Craig Shemin (Prident of the Jim Henson Legacy) and Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Sesame Street)
  • Former Guests Karen Han (culture writer) and Brian David Gilbert (Dropout)
  • Former Guest Jackie Michael Johnson (Natch Beaut podcast)
  • Former Guest DC Pierson (Derrick Comedy)
  • Former Guest Shalyah Evans (Girl Code)
  • Former Guest Becky Drysdale (Key & Peele)
  • Star Wars Explained Podcast with Alex and Mollie Damon
  • Star Wars Minute Podcast with Pete the Retailer and Alex Robinson
  • Blast Points Podcast with former guest Gibner and Gabe Bott
• Deleted + Extended Scenes (1080p):
  
  
  • "How Connor Inspired Me" (1:02)
  • Griffin Taking Over For Shaun (1:18)
  • Playing With Toys (1:26)
  • The Prom Show (1:35)
  • Extended -- Missouri Shakespeare in the Park (2:07)
  • George's 5th Anniversary Show Intro (4:54)
  • Connor, Griffin, and Patrick Discussing Star Wars (5:21)
  • Fall 2019 Show at the Intrepid Museum (4:44)
  • October 2021 Pre-Show (2:06)
  • Outtakes (6:50)
• Trailer (1080p, 2:01).

Disc Two:

• Introduction by Connor Ratliff, Patrick Cotnoir and Ryan Jacobi (1080p, 2:52): The trio introduces the film and its subject.
• Extended Interviews (1080p): Included are Connor Ratliff (36:48), Griffin Newman (34:41), Patrick Cotnoir (30:50), Bill and Gretta Ratliff (18:06), Bobby Moynihan (1:37), Shaun Diston (4:54), Zach Cherry (5:02), and Alex Song-Xia (0:42).
• A Message from Connor Ratliff (1080p, 1:48): Ratliff discusses the prodigious bonus content available on this disc and the several days worth of additional digital content which can be accessed via an on-screen QR code (scanners will be taken to a YouTube page). He also thanks fans for supporting physical media.
• Q&A with Comedian Paul Scheer (1080p, 35:04): Connor Ratliff, Director Ryan Jacobi, Film Producer Annamaria Sofillas, George Lucas Talk Show Producer Patrick Cotnoir, and Actor Griffin Newman sit down to discuss all things I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story.
• 2019 Star Wars Day: Full Show with John Hodgman, Marina Cockenberg, Ethan Slater and Julie Cohen (1080p, 1:03:57): I was thrilled to find a full episode of the show included as part of the on-disc supplements. Though shown in spurts throughout the film (this episode in particular is briefly seen), it's a nice (and necessary) conclusion for viewers who have come into this film unfamiliar with the show itself.

I'm 'George Lucas': A Connor Ratliff Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The one thing that really separates Connor Ratliff from George Lucas is about $4 billion, give or take. But that's of no mind. Ratliff has carved out a fairly nice career for himself these past few years playing the part of one of the world's most recognizable figures, and now longtime fans and newcomers alike are invited to take peek behind the scenes at what makes the show, and the man who heads it, work so well. Kino's Blu-ray presents the film well, but the real star of the show here is the prodigious amount of extras (including a mind-boggling 30, yes thirty, commentary tracks) spread across the two discs. There's also a treasure trove of digital only bonuses, which I have not even touched upon in this review. Needless to say, this is an easy recommend for fans of the show; it may literally take a week or more of dedicated watching and listening to absorb everything it has to offer, physically and digitally alike.