New in Home Entertainment
August 23, 2016
The Nice Guys
Rated R for violence, sexuality, nudity, language and brief drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While a dud at the box, this film by Lethal Weapon creator Shane Black was a huge hit critically and remains still as one of the best films of 2016 so far. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are two 1970’s detectives who must pair up, regardless of their hatred for one another, to investigate the alleged suicide of a famous porn actress. Just as you’d expect from Black, the action and dialog provide for a funny thrill ride with lots of surprises that have you fully engaged from shot one. An early summer release date surely didn’t help the box office any, but hopefully this gem will find a wider audience at home. A-
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 17%
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD
As the first major tentpole dud of the summer, Winter’s War is what happens when you put a major movie in the hands of an untested director who is only know for his visual effects work. Serving as both a prequel and sequel to the moderately successful Snow White and the Huntsman, this new project brings back Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, as a new queen, Theron’s icy sister Emily Blunt searches for the infamous mirror in order to gain new powers. As expected, the special effects are dazzling – especially on the 4K edition if you have that kind of setup. What is not dazzling is the storytelling which is not helped at all by the movie magic around it. While not quite as bad as the critics make it out to be, it’s also not a joy to watch either. C
Maggie’s Plan
Rated R for language and brief sexuality
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This little indie from Sony Pictures Classics finds Greta Gerwig as a young New Yorker looking to have a baby without the need for a husband. When she finds the married Ethan Hawke, she changes her tune. It’s an odd little romantic comedy without much comedy but at least it has a nice style to it. Then again, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters as I found them to be very selfish and overly flawed. It’s well enough acted, but my lack of connection made it hard to find engaging. C+
The Walking Dead: The Complete Sixth Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
As with all of the other seasons, the zombies are fun – the people are scary. Facing a new foe, the gang finds themselves on the run for their lives, only briefly striking back when opportunity knocks. The end of the season has been hotly debated and many are anxious for season 7 to start in October to determine if they will keep watching. That being said, season 6 is full of action, thrills and nice surprises. B+
Narcos: Season One
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you are one of the 10 Americans without Netflix, then I highly advise you check out this new set containing the hit show about Pablo Escobar and his rise to power in the drug world. It’s a fantastic drama with superb acting and writing. Better yet – just subscribe to Netflix – they are creating some of the best shows right now outside of HBO and the monthly price tag is indeed a bargain considering what you get. A-