New in Home Entertainment – August 7, 2012

The Lorax
Rated PG for brief mild language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
I must sound repetitive since I think I’ve prefaced most of my animated reviews lately by stating that we are in a drought when it comes to good animated features, but I believe it’s absolutely true.  Take, for instance, this latest Dr. Seuss picture based on his book The Lorax.  It is a very beautiful film to look at overall, but the story and the writing are just blah.  To me, there seemed to be an agenda for getting kids to care about the environment, almost as if this film were meant more as propaganda rather than entertainment.  Sure that’s important, but geez the message gets old quick.  I found myself bored to tears after 30 minutes and I noticed the kids were right there with me.  C

Marley
Rated PG-13 for drug content, thematic elements and some violent images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you’ve ever wanted to possess a great knowledge of the man who put Reggae music on the map, you must check out this documentary about Bob Marley by Oscar-winning director Kevin McDonald (The Last King of Scotland).  This journey through the life of the iconic musician follows his short 36-year-long life on Earth and the legacy it has left behind.  Using interviews from family, band-mates and others in his life, as well as fantastic archival footage and dozens of recordings, you will find yourself with a new appreciation and deeper understanding of the music legend.  A

Le Havre: The Criterion Collection
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
French with English Subtitles
The internationally-acclaimed Finish director Aki Kaurismaki is famous for his style of deadpan comedies.  While not well-appreciated in America, his films are huge overseas.  His latest opus Le Havre won the 2011 FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for the Palme d’Or, but received very little attention here stateside.  The pic follows an aged shoe shiner who helps a young African boy evade the French authorities in the coastal city of Le Havre.  It’s a nice little tale that might not have you in stitches, but will surely put a smile on your face.  B+

Grimm: Season One
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Sure this new NBC show about a descendant of the Brothers Grimm who uses his inherited abilities to take down unseen evil lurking among us sounds like just another fantasy/horror show trying to steal True Blood’s and Supernatural’s audiences, but once it gets going, it starts to develop its own unique identity and thus becomes a fun hour-long diversion.  At times the dialog will have you rolling your eyes, but you tend to accept it while waiting for the scares to pop up.  After this first season, I’m very interested to see where they’ll take this genre series.  B-