Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie Review

Released day-and-date alongside Sony Pictures' standard Blu-ray, 4K, and other versions, Target has released an exclusive Blu-ray/DVD edition of Quentin Tarantino's 9th film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, both in-store and online. As with most store exclusive releases, the only differences here are cosmetic -- on-disc content appears identical to the regular edition. Although this may not be the most well-executed packaging variant in recent memory, it's priced very closely to the standard Blu-ray release and this makes it a low-risk upgrade for die-hard fans and collectors.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For information about the 1080p transfer, please refer to Jeffrey Kaufman's review of the standard Blu-ray.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For information about the audio and subtitles, please refer to Jeffrey Kaufman's review of the standard Blu-ray.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

At first glance, Target's exclusive Blu-ray looks identical to the standard Blu-ray, save for the slipcover's gaudy banner promoting its exclusive content. This two-disc package is housed in a dual-hubbed keepcase with a reversible slipcover; as seen on screenshot #2, its flip side matches the Blu-ray's front cover artwork. Inside, each disc looks like a film reel -- a nice little touch, but the lack of an inner print design is a little disappointing. A Digital Copy redemption slip is also included. The main packaging bonus, detailed below, is shrink-wrapped separately.

• Exclusive Film Magazine: "Rise of a Leading Man" - This 28-page squarebound "magazine" repurposes the imagery found on the film's accompanying website. Sized identically to a Blu-ray keepcase, it mimics a 1969 trade magazine and includes a note from Quentin Tarantino (screenshot #4, above), mock advertisements (screenshot #5, below), behind-the-scenes photos (screenshot #6), articles, classified ads, and more. This is a great-looking collectible and, if you like the linked website, it's nice to have it in a more tangible format.

  Although I really like the magazine's overall aesthetic, it could have been incorporated into the packaging design much better. Once opened, it's completely separated from the rest of the package -- I'd have much preferred it be tucked inside the slipcover, much like Disney's recent Target exclusives. Even a Digibook-style case would have been preferable and might have allowed for even more creative design elements. To be honest, it feels like a half-hearted attempt to mimic the beautiful 4K Collector's Edition. But rather than pile on more complaints, let's appreciate this for what it is: a nice little packaging bonus for just a few bucks more.

For a list of the on-disc extras, please refer to Jeffrey Kaufman's review of the standard Blu-ray.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a wildly entertaining film that fans of the director should enjoy. It's available in a variety of format and packaging options, from standard Blu-ray and 4K to Best Buy's 4K Steelbook and even a gorgeous 4K Collector's Edition. Target's exclusive Blu-ray seems like a stripped-down version of the latter option: basically, it's the standard Blu-ray with a bonus magazine that includes nice design elements. It's not the most practical packaging job, but still worth looking into for collectors who haven't jumped to 4K yet.