New in Home Entertainment
December 15, 2015
Ted 2
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use
Available one DVD and Blu-ray
Seth MacFarlane’s fowl-mouthed teddy bear is back with Mark Wahlberg and this time Ted is trying to prove to the courts that he should have the same rights as a person in order that he can stay married to his human wife. While any social commentary is largely missed and many of the jokes land with a thud, the film does provide a ton of laughter amidst the disgusting sense of humor that you’d expect from the sequel. Once again, the cast looks like they are having a blast while filming, and we get to at least smile while watching them enjoy themselves. B-
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this latest installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt finds his agency on the verge of extinction while at the same time trying to take down a huge international crime ring known as the Syndicate. I really hate promoting Cruise, simply because every dollar the man makes means we are supporting a different crime syndicate in Scientology, but I can’t deny that this is a really good film. In a year where 007 really missed the mark with Spectre, this American knock-off gave us the Bond film we didn’t get in the fall. A-
Jellyfish Eyes: Criterion Edition
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This Japanese import from Criterion is possibly one of the weirdest films I’ve ever seen. If you’ve ever been subjected to your child’s Pokeman cartoons, or any of its copycats, imagine that but come to life. Here a group of elementary school kids in Japan all have a cell-phone controlled battle pet called a F.R.I.E.N.D. and a secret agency is trying to control the world through these creatures. The film’s budget was very low but you wouldn’t know it from the special effects utilized. The eye candy doesn’t take your mind off of the fact that the film is just too strange to be palatable and the unfortunate result is pure, unadulterated annoyance, followed by a huge headache. C-