The Kid Blu Ray Review (Lionsgate)
The Kid is a 2019 western film directed by actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Don’t Go in the Woods, Full Metal Jacket, JFK, Ed Wood, & Strange Days). It was written by Andrew Lanham (The Shack, The Glass Castle, & Just Mercy). It was produced by Carl Stubner (Dear Jack, Sunset Strip, & One Nation Under God), Jonathan Bross (2001 Maniacs, The Monster Project, & Doorman), David Gendron (Brightburn, Super Troopers 2, Assassination Nation, & Mom and Dad), & Ali Jazayeri (Elvis & Nixon, The Front Runner, The Con Is On, & Tully) . It had a budget of $7 million & it grossed $1.51 million at the box office. Rio Cutler (played by: Jake Schur) is forced to go on the run across the Southwestern United States to find his sister Sara (played by: Leila George from Animal Kingdom, The Long Home, & Mortal Engines) from his villainous uncle Grant Cutler (played by: Chris Pratt from Guardians of the Galaxy 1/2, Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, Jurassic World 1/2, & The Lego Movie 1/2) after saving themselves from their abusive father Bill (played by: Tait Fletcher from Breaking Bad, John Wick, Waco, & The Last Stand).
Along the way, he encounters Sheriff Pat Garrett (played by: Ethan Hawke from Training Day, The Magnificent Seven, The Purge, & Gattaca) on the hunt for the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid (played by: Dane DeHaan from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, A Cure for Wellness, Lawless, & The Place Beyond the Pines). Rio finds himself increasingly entwined in the lives of these two legendary figures as the cat and mouse game of Billy the Kid’s final year of life plays out. Which causes him to run into people like Sheriff Romero (played by: Vincent D’Onofrio from Daredevil, Death Wish, Jurassic World, Men In Black, & The Cell) & Bob Olinger (played by: Adam Baldwin from Chuck, Full Metal Jacket, Firefly, Predator 2, & Wyatt Earp) during this deadly confrontation. Ultimately Rio must choose which type of man he is going to become, the outlaw or the man of valor!!!!
The Kid is one of the unknown gems of 2019, it’s a shame that it didn’t have a big release & it had almost no promotion. Character actor Vincent D’Onofrio directs this 2nd film & it shows that he paid attention to all the talented filmmakers that he’s worked with in his long career. I would love to see him behind the camera more in the future, he knew exactly what he was making here. They don’t make westerns like this anymore, it’s one of my all time genres but it barely gets acknowledged these days when it comes to cinema. The script is relentless & it doesn’t hold back. It had some real violent moments & they are carefully crafted with this production. Jake Schur makes his acting debut with The Kid & he makes a major impact. It’s good to see young talent like this get a chance to shine. Leila George just popped up on the new season of Animal Kingdom & she gives a fierce performance in this feature. Dane DeHaan & Ethan Hawke steal the show as the legendary rivals. Plus it has a fantastic supporting cast that includes director Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Baldwin, & Chris Pratt in a rare villain role. I’ve never seen Pratt like this before in a movie, he is brutal & proves that he can be more than a hero or a joker. There’s nothing funny about his character here, this might be my personal favorite turn from him. It has a nice pace & flow to it. All the suspense, thrills, & action keep you on your toes until the very end! It’s one of the best films from 2019 so far, I really hope it gets more attention on home video because it deserves it, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
Let’s talk about the high definition presentation & special features from Lionsgate! This 1080p (2.39:1) transfer looks fantastic on blu ray. It has a great atmosphere, the locations shine, & the cinematography makes this western journey experience even better. The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds great, the dialogue is crystal clear & all the action here is elevated. The classic score really drives the story. It also has English SDH & Spanish subtitles. “Making The Kid” is a little over 9 minutes. It has interviews with director/actor Vincent D’Onofrio, actors Adam Baldwin, Dane DeHaan, Ethan Hawke, Jake Schur, Leila George, & various members of the production. Vincent D’Onofrio rocks a cowboy hat during his discussions. He says he always wanted to direct a western but it took awhile to do it. They talk about getting friends & actors who respect him to sign up right away to do the film. He says he fought to use authentic locations for this. He chats about working with his real life daughter Leila George on The Kid. They both joke around about the experience. The rest of the cast & crew bring up working with Vincent as a director & how it comes so natural since he is a great actor. Ethan Hawke mentions their friendship & all the other projects they have worked on together. They talk about Billy the Kid being more realistic in this compared to previous productions that made him look more flashy & bigger for the screen. It has “Trailers” from other Lionsgate films. It has a slipcover & a digital copy of the release. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!
