New in Home Entertainment – March 21, 2017

New in Home Entertainment

March 21, 2017

Passengers
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, nudity and action/peril
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 31%
Set in the distant future where mankind hibernates in deep sleep in order to relocate to distant planets, Chris Pratt, and later Jennifer Lawrence, wake up 90 years before the end of their 120 year journey, to find that they are alone in their predicament and unable to go back into hibernation. As the ship starts to suffer from malfunction, they must figure out to how to repair the ship or risk losing the thousands of other lives still sleeping. The story here is fantastic and you can’t beat the pair of actors for both talent and chemistry. Unfortunately, the last act just doesn’t set in right, ultimately leaving the audience disappointed. If you are wondering why this wasn’t a mega-hit, it was simply due to bland word of mouth. It’s not a bad film, but its hardly one you can get passionate about, and with the pedigree found here, this needed to be a film that blows you away in order to succeed. Still, its worth checking out now that you can watch it at home. Side note: if you do watch it and you start to get a WALL-E vibe, that’s probably due to the fact that Thomas Newman composed the scores for both projects, and they are similar throughout. B-

Miss Sloane
Rated R for language and some sexuality
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
In this box office dud, Jessica Chastain is a high power Washington lobbyist who tries to force through a bill that would enact common-sense gun regulations, only to find herself in the battle of her life as she fights the gun manufacturers. This is a case of a very good film that didn’t have the common sense of a smart release date. So while they were trying to sneak into the awards scene (Chastain was worthy of some love here), they ended up getting buried at both the box office and the trophy hunt. But the film is worth checking out, especially if you have feelings towards the argument. B+

Sing
Rated PG for some rude humor and mild peril
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
In this very colorful but story-dull animated feature from Illumination Entertainment (Minions) comes this tale of koala who attempts to save his theater by holding a singing competition. And of course the different animals have all sorts of backgrounds and reasons for wanting to win the contest. While my young son liked the movie (not nearly as much as everything else he saw over the holiday), I found little use for it. The majority of the film was trying to show off how creative it was, but with little substance to prove its point. I tell my son not to call people or things stupid, but honestly, stupid applies really well here. D

Live By Night
Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 35%
In the follow up to his Oscar win for best director for Argo, Ben Affleck takes on this prohibition-era gangster film, adapted from the novel by Dennis Lehane. While I’m sure there’s a decent movie hidden away in here, this project seems to have gotten away from him. Maybe it was rushed to take a shot at awards, or maybe it was a mess throughout the project, but it is overly long (run time is 128 minutes but feels like Godfather-length) and painful at times to sit through. And to make matters worse, Affleck is terrible for the leading role, and he should have had the sense to cast a much more fitting actor while he helmed. This was truly one of the worst films of 2016. D-

New in Home Entertainment – March 14, 2017

New in Home Entertainment

March 14, 2017

Fences
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some suggestive references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Built off of the original Broadway production from playwright and screenwriter August Wilson, and starring basically the same cast, Fences tells the story of a black garbage collector in 1950s Pittsburgh (Denzel Washington) who boasts of the days he used to play ball in the Negro Leagues before the color barrier was broken, while his wife (Oscar-winner Viola Davis) and family struggle under his drinking, cheating and temper. You can probably tell already that the story isn’t going to cheer you up and make your day brighter, but the main reason to watch this drama is the collection of remarkable performances, most notably those of Washington and Davis. It is a literal masterclass in dramatic performance and a wonderful way to immortalize Wilson’s powerful work. A-

Jackie
Rated R for brief strong violence and some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Natalie Portman here takes on the role of a lifetime as Jackie Bouvier Kennedy, telling the story of the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Portman does an exceptional job portraying the unique mannerisms that Kennedy was known to possess, while at the same time not giving in to the grief and panic the world expected from her. While the performance was solid, the film is unexpectedly bland and forgettable. It washes in and out like a dream, and sticks around in your head just as long. B-

Drunk History: Season 4
What started off as viral web series is now in its fourth season on Comedy Central and the show is still just as funny and engaging. The premise is that comedians and historians tell a story from history while getting drunk with the host, and then famous actors and actresses reenact the scene, in period costume, mouthing the words of the drunk storytellers as they tell them. This season ends with an ultra-celebrity as Lin Manuel Miranda gets drunk telling Hamilton stories with Aubrey Plaza and Alia Shawkat as Burr and Hamilton. It’s the best balance between learning and laughter that I can imagine experiencing. B+

New in Home Entertainment – March 7, 2017

New in Home Entertainment

March 7, 2017

Moana
Rated PG for peril, some scary images and brief theatrical elements
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Disney’s latest princess flick heads to the Pacific Islands as a chieftain’s young daughter wishes to save her dying island by leaving against her father’s will in order to try to force a missing demi-god (played by Dwayne Johnson) to aid her. The story itself is strong enough to carry the film, but when you throw in musical numbers from Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and some of the prettiest animation ever to come out of the mouse house, you end up with a monster hit with a huge emotional punch. I really thought that this would be the Oscar winner for best animated film this year (Disney’s other hit Zootopia won) but with such competition, Moana had a bear of a time vying for the three awards that would have normally come easy for it: animated, song and score. But who cares? At my house this was the movie that won the year, and will no doubt be a favorite for years to come. A

Rules Don’t Apply
PG-13 for sexual material including brief strong language, thematic elements and drug references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%
It’s been nearly twenty years since Warren Beatty has written, directed and starred in a movie (the last time was 1998’s Bulworth), and this time he’s back with a story about a young actress and her chauffeur (Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich) who work for the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes (played by Beatty). The film tries at time to be a comedy, a romance and a drama, but misses on all three fronts, and ultimately left me scratching my head at what I just saw. Not helping is the 126 minute running time that feels more like three hours. I’m not certain if this is the case – but the film felt rushed – like they were desperately trying to get this out to voters in time for their deadlines without stopping to think if it was ready enough to be a contender. Then again, I’m not sure if this project ever had the potential to hit that kind of chord. C