‘The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is The Blood Of A Baboon Heart’ Blu-Ray Review – A Proper Send-Off For A Beloved Series

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Doc’s latest invention will either bankrupt Team Venture or launch them to new heights, as Hank searches for himself, Dean searches for Hank, The Monarch searches for answers, and a mysterious woman from their pasts threatens to bring their entire world crashing down on them.

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Video Quality

The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of a Baboon Heart comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer that is the best we have ever seen the characters and series look, mostly due to their being less material being crammed on a single disc for more impressive encode optimization. This disc shows substantial improvement over the recently released DVD set of the complete series, but admittedly even the last season is a few years old. The high definition presentation provides some improvements in the form of greater crispness and the elimination of any digital anomalies. The animation style consists of thick lines and distinct edges which is represented well here with terrific line detail and more textured shading, which gives the characters enhanced definition. This presentation handles the gradients of the artwork in a way that is welcome without a hint of banding.

The color spectrum on display is grand with the robust palette popping off the screen. These deep colors are fully saturated, and the transfer balances the shift between these different locations easily with its command of contrast. The disc provides impeccable black levels for a cleaner viewing experience free of black crush, along with strong highlights that never veer into blooming. This disc displays a notable command over keeping everything tight and flowing naturally. The Blu-Ray is a winner from Warner Bros.

Audio Quality

This release features a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that is nice and active for this grand adventure. Dialogue is the star here as it comes through clearly alongside all manner of sound effects. Every piece of information comes through with pinpoint precision so every element holds its own during this adventure. The track utilizes all of the channels with exciting panning effects and sounds of action set pieces that settle you into the scene. There are no obvious sync issues or other anomalies present to ruin the experience.

There is a significant amount of activity in the low-end which will give your subwoofer some life. The interpersonal moments hold up just as favorably, as the varied environments hold a lot of sonic complexity to appreciate. The momentous score comes through with a flawless fidelity as it sets the tone from beginning to end. Warner Bros. has delivered a fantastic audio experience for this one. There are optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Co-Creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer provide an immensely entertaining commentary track which does give rich detail about the production while maintaining the loose and jovial nature of their friendship as they joke about their “dead show” and their future. There are so many great insights into why they chose certain paths, how they pulled off certain moments and more. 

• Audio Commentary #2: These two return for another commentary track dedicated solely on answering fan questions that were submitted online. This is a treasure chest of information and good times. 

• Hodgman and Friends: A terrific 51-minute mock TV interview show hosted by the great John Hodgman with guests Publick and Hammer who discuss the legacy of The Venture Bros., their lives and more. 

Final Thoughts

The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of a Baboon Heart is a welcome conclusion for fans who are still mourning the unceremonious cancellation of the series. It should be noted that this is staunchly for those who have been with the show throughout the years, as newcomers will likely find themselves more than a little bit lost even if they can still have fun with it. This concluding movie is terrific fun with absurd humor, great character moments and everything else you loved about the series. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top notch A/V presentation and a few great special features. Fans of the show should rush to get this one. Recommended 

The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of a Baboon Heart is currently available on Blu-Ray and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.