Month: December 2009

Posted on

New on DVD

New on DVD

Inglourious Basterds
Rated R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Quentin Tarantino’s World War II fantasia tells the story of a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers led by Brad Pitt as they are on a mission in Nazi-occupied France to kill and scalp as many Nazis as they can get their hands on.  This is a bloody entertaining, history-changing good time that is as funny as it is violent.  And it is very violent.  The movie is filled with terrific performances, including that by Christoph Waltz, which may very well be the best performance by any actor this year.  The blu-ray is loaded with special features  including a Nazi-killing trivia challenge you can play with your friends on BD-Live, although noticeably missing is a commentary by the maestro Tarantino.  A

The Hangover
Rated R
Pervasive Language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
One of the biggest success stories of the year has been this little comedy with no big stars about a bachelor-party-gone-wrong that made $277 million U.S. and $462 Worldwide.  In The Hangover, three groomsmen take the soon-to-be-wed to Vegas for a little fun, but the next morning the room is smashed, their is a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and no sign of the groom.  To make matters worse, none of them have a clue what happened over the last twelve hours.  This movie is so funny the laughter was actually painful.  Zach Galifianakis is so on fire here as the crazy future brother-in-law that I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he pulls an Oscar nomination out of the role.  The rest of the ensemble play their parts perfectly as well making it so you might have to turn up the volume a bit so you don’t miss some of the lines due to laugh/coughing.  Special features are thick and include a great picture-in-picture commentary with the actors and director Todd Phillips.  A

G-Force
Rated PG for some mild action and rude humor
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
A group of specially trained guinea pigs attempt to save the world from a crazy billionaire.  Most kids didn’t even like this made exclusively for kids Disney flick starring way too many talented people to be this bad.  Zach Galifianakis, who was so good in The Hangover, should probably see about a new agent after this film.  It’s just a miserable way to spend 25 bucks or 90 minutes.  F

Julie and Julia
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on two books, My Life in France by Julia Child and Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, Julie and Julia follows the life of Julia Child (Meryl Streep) as she learns to cook in France, teach cooking, and become the legend she is today, as well as Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who in the modern day cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days.  Child’s story is a joy to watch and I wish that more of the focus was put on her.  In fact, I would have loved to have seen a movie just about her.  But the Powell story line was still innovative and interesting, yet just a touch too whiny for my taste.  The DVD has a commentary and short doc, but the blu-ray has a bevy of special features that make it worth the extra price including some great cooking lessons and a feature where friends and family remember Julia Child.  B+

Taking Woodstock
Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use, and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) directs this comedy about the events that led up to Woodstock.  It doesn’t have much to do with the music, but rather with the logistics of the event, told from the eye of a young city councilman whose family’s motel is hosting most of the out-of-town visitors.  The problem with the film is that it’s just a mess from start to finish.  There are some interesting ideas, but too much felt improvised and what little plot there was didn’t feel strong enough to warrant an Ang Lee film.  C-

Posted on

Invictus

Invictus

Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language
Appropriate for ages 10+

    Noticing that his country is strictly divided between white and black lines, newly elected president Nelson Mandela (Freeman) attempts to unite his country by getting them to support their national Rugby team as they compete for the World Cup.  By charging the team captain (Damon) with the goal of winning this all-important task, the two set off to change their country and bring positive attention upon themselves from the world.

    Director Clint Eastwood, now 79, has turned in his most ambitious project yet, and he has done so impressively.  To make a film about apartheid is one thing, but to make a film about apartheid by using the little-known game of Rugby*, and making it seem so familiar and universal – well that is just an amazing feat.  I still don’t understand the sport in the least, but I completely understand everything that was accomplished according to the story, and what a great story it was. 

    It’s fairly obvious that Morgan Freeman looks like Mandela, but his performance here was very convincing as well.  He is sure to be commended come awards time for this role.  Damon was also excellent as the captain of the Rugby squad, as was the rest of the supporting cast.

    My only negative critique is that I’m not a big fan of the use of the slow motion technique Eastwood uses at the end of the final game.  It drags the scene on and distracts way to much from the action at hand.  That being said, it’s forgivable.  

    Overall, this was one of the best films of year with an unforgettable story that will be appreciated now and for years to come.  It works as a sports thriller, a political drama, and a biopic.  So now I wonder what Clint will do when he’s 80.  A 

* I need to clarify that Rugby is only a little-known sport in the United States.  World-wide it is one of the most popular sports, and thus a great subject matter for a film such as this.  Since this is a Hollywood production, though, I am making the assumption that it little-known to most of its US audience.  That being said, I can’t wait to see my first Rugby match the next time one appears on ESPN.

Posted on

New on DVD

New on DVD

World’s Greatest Dad
Rated R for language, crude and sexual content, some drug use and disturbing images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you’ve wondered why comedian Bobcat Goldthwait hasn’t been doing a lot of stand-up lately, it’s because he’s been writing and directing some very edgy indie comedies, of which World’s Greatest Dad is the latest.  In it, Robin Williams is the father of possibly the world’s worst teenager when a freak accident gives him the greatest opportunity of his life.  This is a twisted, wrong comedy that is offensive in every way possible and yet still very funny and incredibly insightful.  Williams shows that he can still act when given the right material and he puts in his best performance in over a decade.  While the cheesy moments of the picture take away from the crux of the story, the film still works and manages to be very enjoyable.  A-

Public Enemies
Rated R for gangster violence and some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Michael Mann missed the mark in this biopic about legendary gangster John Dillinger starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.  It’s badly shot, poorly edited, and way too long.  To make matters worse, the hero, even though he is a villain, does nothing to cause us to cheer him on.  It makes me wonder if the subject matter warranted the big screen treatment.  C

Knut and Friends
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
There is nothing cuter than the little polar bear that almost didn’t make it when his parents in the Berlin Zoo rejected him.  This film chronicles the life of Knut, as well as a wild polar bear family and two wild brown bear orphans trying to survive their first year.  As adorable as it all is, the narration and the music is obnoxious to the point where I wanted to turn off the volume and add my own soundtrack.  B-

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This last season of the hit TV show Lost was the trippiest yet with a time-travel plot line that was as cool as it was confusing.  On this set is recap of seasons 1-4 in case you’ve forgotten or need a crash course (no pun intended).  Also included are an enormous amount of special features including documentaries, deleted scenes, commentaries, and bloopers. Now I can hardly wait for the final season this spring!  A