Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

The Beekeeper Blu-ray Movie Review

Mom: "We have John Wick at home."

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 23, 2024

After the first couple scenes of David Ayer's questionable action-thriller The Beekeeper, I knew the highest rating I could possibly give it -- barring some sort of miracle -- was a 3/5, and by the 20-minute mark it had dipped even lower. Something funny happened after that: my critic's brain temporarily switched off and I found myself actually kinda liking parts of this awkwardly goofy but at least fast-moving film in spite of its glaring flaws which include D-tier dialogue and acting, equally bad writing, and a low-rent appearance that made me wonder where its $40M budget went.

For a full synopsis and roast of The Beekeeper, please see my recent 4K review. (Our own Brian Orndorf also posted a similarly if not more scathing theatrical review a few months back. Yet I'll acknowledge that this film obviously has its fans, as evidenced by its 50/50 critical divide and surprisingly decent box-office returns, and those who enjoyed it in theaters are encouraged to pick up either that 4K edition or this separate Blu-ray disc. Both offer proportionately solid A/V presentation but shockingly zero extras, which gives me one less reason to recommend it to newcomers.

The Beekeeper Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, please see my recent 4K review for a baseline overview of The Beekeeper's visual aesthetic, which typically takes the natural approach but occasionally veers into substantially more neon-infused territory, such as during scenes shot in the scammer's nightclub-like HQ as well as a fierce comic book-style brawl at a gas station. Though obviously the UHD beats this Blu-ray in all major areas in a direct comparison, Warner Bros.' comparatively decent 1080p/SDR transfer comes in a respectable second place with excellent image detail, visible textures, nicely saturated colors, and decently deep blacks that don't succumb to crush. As is the case with most films on Blu-ray, even those with a 50GB disc all to themselves, occasional trouble arrives in the areas of disc encoding limitations such as light macro blocking and banding, but here it's kept to a minimum and will only be evident on medium to large-sized displays. As such, if you have a fairly modest setup this Blu-ray should suffice: for a "downscale", this is solid work indeed.

The Beekeeper Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray disc includes the same default Dolby Atmos mix and subtitle options as the 4K release, so please see that review for full details. Bottom line: it's a solid though predictable effort that feels right at home in the genre.

The Beekeeper Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and a matching slipcover. A Digital Copy is also tucked inside. Like the 4K edition, no extras of any kind have been included.

The Beekeeper Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

David Ayer's The Beekeeper clearly isn't high art (not that it wants to be)... but even within the genre's increasingly narrow boundaries, it does the bare minimum to string together its efficient and brutal fight scenes. Characters, acting, and dialogue all run a distant second and feel more "guilty" than "pleasure", so newcomers will have to excuse a lot of third-rate material to get what they came for. WB's separate 4K and Blu-ray releases offer capable A/V merits, but the shocking total lack of extras makes either option for established fans only -- others should try before they buy.