New on DVD

The Pink Panther 2
Rated PG for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Steve Martin once again stars as French Inspector Jacques Clouseau, a bumbling detective that is on the search for The Tornado, an international thief that has stolen some of the world’s greatest treasures including the infamous Pink Panther diamond.  What I find most amazing about a film like this is how so many great actors (John Cleese, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, and Jeremy Irons) could star in such a mediocre film.  Or how it could be mediocre with all of them in it.  Maybe it’s because they are all trying to do slapstick, and none of them are very good at it.  Some of the dialogue is a little funny, but the movie depends on its pratfalls to succeed and this just gets in the way (although the horrendous plot doesn’t help the film either).  The disc isn’t a lost cause though.  While the main disc has the movie and special features, which I can’t recommend highly, disc two contains almost three hours of wonderful classic Pink Panther cartoons.  C-

Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season
Unrated but contains adult content
Available on DVD
After Vince’s Cannes Film Festival nightmare, he is now an almost uncastable actor in bad need of a way to bring his career back.  While his manager and best friend Eric and his agent Ari both have their own battles to contend with, they still fight to get Vince into a movie that might bring him back to the top.  With season six coming back July 12th on HBO, I found it to be the perfect time to sit back and review what’s gone on up to now.  After all, due to its amazing pacing, this show just flies by and makes an entire season seem to last no time at all.  And even after five seasons, it’s still very fresh and just as funny.  The set is lean on features, but the commentaries with creator Doug Ellin and the cast is worth a listen.  B+

Do the Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition
Rated R
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Spike Lee’s controversial film hit its 20th birthday this year, and while Spike Lee openly admits that New York is not nearly as racist as it used to be back then, he admits on his new documentary that it still has problems.  Right Thing centers around boiling racial tensions on the hottest day of the year in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood.  And while Lee’s assessment that New York is not nearly as racist now, I still get the feeling that Lee still is.  I remember how angry the ending of this film made me, and how Lee justified it.  And listening to him on the new commentary he still justifies it.  The 25th Hour and Inside Man prove that he has it in him to make great movies, and no one doubts his skills and artistic abilities as a director.  I just wish he would have said something in this 20th Anniversary Edition that showed that his own racist thoughts and beliefs have subsided.  On the plus side, I was glad to see a focus on the artistic approach to the film and the interviews with the very talented crew since these are features that are usually lacking on most DVD special editions.  B-