The Last King of Scotland Blu-ray Review

The Last King of Scotland is the crowning achievement in an accomplished career for actor Forest Whitaker. He delivered an Oscar® winning performance as the notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in this 2006 film inspired by real people and events, available for the first time on Blu-ray February 2nd from Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment.

From Director Kevin Macdonald, the gripping and suspenseful incredible story of Amin’s rule is told through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scotsman who becomes the volatile leader’s personal physician, due in part to Amin’s unexpected passion for Scottish culture. Amin even proclaims himself “The Last King of Scotland.” Seduced by his charisma and blinded by decadence, Garrigan’s dream life becomes a waking nightmare of betrayal and madness from which there is no escape.

The Last King of Scotland is a very dramatic and riveting depiction of the existence of one of the world’s most volatile and ruthless rulers. Forest Whitaker is brilliant, as evidenced by his many awards. What is most amazing about his performance is how much of a stretch it is from his more typical, soft-spoken supporting roles. As in the role he played in Phenomenon as the meek friend to John Travolta’s character.

This movie offers both a lesson on global politics and an entertaining and captivating drama film experience. McAvoy does a great job in his starring role despite the fact that his efforts were underappreciated compared to the many awards collected by Whitaker. The two play brilliantly together and have a natural chemistry that you might expect the real personalities they represent to possess. One, a harsh leader, the other, a reluctant but committed asssistant.

The Last King of Scotland is Rated R for some strong violence, graphic images, sexual content and language. While these thematic elements certainly are necesssary given the nature of the story, they make the film too extreme for young audiences.

The Last King of Scotland Blu-ray special features include:

• Nine deleted scenes
• Fox Movie Channel Presents Casting Session – The Last King Of Scotland
• Theatrical Trailer

Actors: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson

Format: AC-3, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Number of discs: 1

Rating: R (Restricted)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Blu-ray Release Date: February 2, 2010

Run Time: 123 minutes

The Last King of Scotland Blu-ray Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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