New in Home Entertainment
September 22, 2015
Pitch Perfect 2
Rated PG-13 for innuendo and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In a world where A Capella singing is more important than football, the girls from Pitch Perfect are back and performing for the president. When a severe wardrobe malfunction occurs, they are banned from recruiting or competing unless they can happen to beat the Germans in a world-wide competition. What is surprising here is how awfully random the story is. The filmmakers put together some pretty impressive song arrangements and performances, but every bit of dialog in between is filled with nonsensical silliness. While I didn’t care for the first Pitch Perfect, at least it had a bit of a story. This poor excuse for a plot is insulting to the audience, even if they just want to enjoy the music. D+
Saint Laurent
Rated R for graphic nudity/strong sexual situations, substance abuse throughout and some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In French and English with English subtitles
The life of the famous French designer Yves Saint Laurent is explored in this graphic but beautifully produced biopic. After spending almost three hours watching this film, I must admit that I am not even close to being the target audience. While I’ve seen the initials YSL in high end stores, I didn’t even know what it stood for. And while I’m no longer shocked at graphic homosexual material, it isn’t something I find enjoyable to watch. On the plus side, the film gave me a better take on the man behind the label and it is a well-crafted project aesthetically, as you could imagine. But given the subject matter, it’s not something I found to be deserving of this kind of epic treatment and I was easily bored and distracted. I can see how, for the right audience, this could be an inspiring and satisfying project. C+
Jumanji
Rated PG for menacing fantasy action and some mild language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Twenty years have now passed since Robin Williams brought us with him into this grand adventure about a board game that brings the jungle into your living room. At the time, the graphics and special effects were mind-blowing, but twenty years later, the film does look old. That being said, the story is a blast and extremely well-crafted. There is a sense of sadness as you watch the brilliant Robin Williams doing what he did best while listening to the score by the late James Horner which was much better than a film like this usually gets. Were this the eighteenth anniversary edition instead of the twentieth, this might have been a much less sobering experience. B+