Toiy Story 4

SteelBook Alert: Smaller Is Better?

Pixar, Marvel, John Wick… We expect all these franchises to get SteelBook releases. One of them this time, however, is doing something a little weird – emphasis on “little.”

John Wick: Chapter 3

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $34.99

First of all, I can’t decide whether I like the art on this SteelBook or not. I wouldn’t classify it as Pop Art, exactly. It looks more like Keanu Reeves got his face stuck in a Jackson Pollock painting. It’s an interesting idea, I guess. It bothers me somewhat that it doesn’t match the SteelBooks for the previous two John Wick movies, but not enough to stop me from ordering it.

John Wick: Chapter 3 SteelBook

Video Formats: Ultra HD/Digital (Blu-ray also included?)
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $39.99

What’s really bizarre is that Best Buy is also offering a second copy of this SteelBook bundled with a so-called “Mini SteelBook.” What’s in the smaller case, just a copy of the digital streaming code? Is that really worth making a dedicated SteelBook case for? Won’t that look awkward sitting next to the regular size cases on a shelf? What is the point of this?

The Best Buy listing is also unclear about whether this version includes a standard Blu-ray disc or if it’s strictly UHD and a streaming code. All things considered (among which is saving $5), I think I’ll stick with the regular SteelBook by itself.

John Wick: Chapter 3 SteelBook + Mini SteelBook

Toy Story 4

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $34.99

In addition to headlining his own franchise, Keanu Reeves reportedly steals the show as a daredevil stuntman named Duke Caboom in the latest Toy Story sequel.

The SteelBook case is… fine. It’s adequate and matches some earlier SteelBooks for the franchise, but it’s kind of bland.

Toy Story 4 SteelBook - Best Buy

Video Formats: Blu-ray/3D
Available at: Zavvi (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $35.49

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Zavvi (ORDER HERE)
Release date: TBD
Price: $44.99

If you’re a 3D fan, you should head over to Zavvi, which has its own listings for the movie with only temp art available at present. Whether the UK case will be the same as Best Buy’s version or something different has yet to be confirmed. From past experience, the 3D editions tend to sell out fast, so don’t hesitate if that’s important to you.

Toy Story 4 UK SteelBook temp art

Finally, we have a wave of five new Marvel reissues, as the studio upgrades all three Iron Man movies and the first two Thor movies to 4k, to coincide with the release of Avengers: Endgame on August 13th. (Thor: Ragnarok already had a 4k release with a SteelBook, and it probably seemed too soon to reissue that one already.)

None of these designs are overly exciting, but I’m very relieved to finally see a new SteelBook for the first Thor. I somehow repeatedly missed opportunities to nab previous SteelBook editions of that movie before they sold out, and its absence on my shelf has been nagging at me for a long time. I won’t hesitate this time. I already put in a preorder.

Iron Man

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: August 13, 2019
Price: $34.99

Iron Man UHD SteelBook

Iron Man 2

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: August 13, 2019
Price: $34.99

Iron Man 2 UHD SteelBook

Iron Man 3

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: August 13, 2019
Price: $34.99

Iron Man 3 UHD SteelBook

Thor

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: August 13, 2019
Price: $34.99

Thor UHD SteelBook

Thor: The Dark World

Video Formats: Blu-ray/Ultra HD
Available at: Best Buy (ORDER HERE)
Release date: August 13, 2019
Price: $34.99

Thor: The Dark World UHD SteelBook

4 comments

  1. Julian

    Perhaps that ‘Mini-Steelbook’ is the soundtrack CD, akin to the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ one once posted here? Or perhaps the ‘Mini-Steelbook’ includes just the Blu-ray, as a sort of spare copy to keep or give to a friend?

    • Josh Zyber
      Author

      I’m not sure if this was there when I first looked at it and I just missed it, or if it’s recently added, but the Best Buy listing now states:

      “Watch John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum early with the digital code included in the mini SteelBook. You can redeem the code up to two weeks before you can buy the DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD Blu-ray packaged release.”

      So the mini-SteelBook is just for the digital code sheet, and you get it a couple weeks before you get the main SteelBook.

      Seems like a dumb gimmick to me.

      • Julian

        Uhh, yes, that’s quite dumb. What will one do with the mini-Steelbook once the digital copy has been downloaded?

      • James P McKinnon

        Holy yikes. That’s like if they sent me my Audible.com password in a bookshelf. Or a Vitamin C pill in an orange juice jug. Or … something …

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