New in Home Entertainment
July 15, 2014
Under the Skin
Rated R for graphic nudity, sexual content, some violence and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This trippy sci-fi import from Scotland features Scarlett Johansson as an alien who searches the highways for lonely men to consume. Johansson, who walks around naked for much of the film, gives a really interesting performance, but the story is just too weird to be enjoyed. Part of me is glad that they didn’t just create another flick from the Species franchise, which they easily could have, but I wish a stronger narrative could have been present. It’s a brave and bold project, but not one that is entertaining or memorable, aside from Johansson presenting her, um, assets. C
Rio 2
Rated G
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
I basically despised the first Rio film, so going into this one I had the lowest of hopes. Maybe that expectation was what was needed since I walked away having felt a tinge of fun. The story line follows the parrot Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), his wife Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and their three kids as they fly into the jungles of Brazil and discover a tribe of their own kind, led by Jewel’s father (Andy Garcia). While still a little too silly and of course not enough meat, Rio 2 suffers from some of the same problems as the first, but saving the day are the villains voiced by Flight of the Concords frontman Jemaine Clement and the wicked Kristen Chenoweth. I found myself laughing my tail feather off at their antics and was thankful the writers had the ability to add such witty and edgy material to a film so geared towards small children. C+
Watermark
Rated PG for smoking images
Available on DVD
I have mixed feelings about this new documentary focusing on how water literally and figuratively shapes the world around us. The film is stunning to look at, especially in HD, and it is by no means preachy like many other docs of its kind out there. The problem is that it is really dull and I had a tough time focusing. The material is interesting, but certainly not even close to groundbreaking. C