New in Home Entertainment
June 10, 2014
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Paramount is once again resurrecting Jack Ryan with an even younger hero in Chris Pine (Star Trek). Directed by and starring as the villain, Kenneth Branagh makes for a good baddie and Pine and Kevin Costner have decent chemistry together. The script is a tad bit stale though and so full of action that the brains seem to be missing completely. It’s almost as if the plot is just an excuse to get from point to point in order to show off another set piece. At an hour and forty-five the movie almost feels too short, like they were trying to hide their lack of any real story. C+
True Detective
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
HBO’s new hit show starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as two cops going against a satanic serial killer in Southwest Louisiana made a splash this past year as it shocked audiences hungry for Game of Thrones to start up. While it is well-written and the acting is superb, it feels like an American remake of BBC’s Red Riding Trilogy in its scope. That being said, I liked what they did with it and can’t wait to see where they take it in seasons to come. B+
Son of God
Rated PG-13 for intense and bloody depiction of The Crucifixion and for some sequences of violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
After The History Channel discovered they had a huge hit on their hands with The Bible, they decided to re-edit the show to make a feature length movie about the ministry of Jesus on Earth. The production values are huge and I particularly love the unknown actors they chose to play some of the best known characters from history such as Jesus, Pilate, Caiaphas and John. Due to how this film came about, the screenplay isn’t the best and a better narrative would have improved the film immensely. I still much prefer The Passion of the Christ, but this one is much more family friendly, even with the violence it depicts. B+
Unacceptable Levels
Not Rated
Available on DVD
This movie has already cost me $1500. Let me explain. This documentary that attempts to tell us what is in the water we are consuming as well as what chemicals are in our bodies and how they got there. In one of the segments it discusses fluoride and a not-so-secret government conspiracy to cover up how most cities, including the one I live in, obtain their fluoride and the damage it can do, as well as the lack of science behind its helpfulness. My independent research unfortunately corroborated the story. While its not a well-crafted documentary and seems a bit novice at times, it was effective enough to convince my wife and I to invest in a device for our home to remove the fluoride being pumped into it. Now comes the test to see if our teeth rot out in the near future. B
Bible Quiz
Not Rated
Available on DVD
I love documentaries about obscure childhood competitions like Spellbound, Wordplay and Brooklyn Castle. While this new religious-themed doc won’t be competing for awards come the end of the year, it certainly will make for good entertainment for the right audience. Following a group of students who compete in a Bible Quiz competition nationally, the movie dives fairly deep into the lives of some very good, although somewhat cocky young bible scholars who know more about The Bible than most of us could ever dream of. Having memorized several chapters of The Good Book they are in impressive lot and fun to watch as they show off their skills. More importantly, though, I enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level and would love to see what direction their lives go to in the future. I wish the filmmaker would have interviewed past champions in the present to see how, and if, these skills have paid off in life. B+