New in Home Entertainment
February 2, 2016
Bridge of Spies
Rated PG-13 for some violence and brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This one I can’t figure out. Of all the great projects Steven Spielberg could tackle, he goes for this cold war picture which places Tom Hanks as a lawyer who, upon representing a captured Soviet spy, tries to broker a deal to trade prisoners in East Germany. There’s nothing wrong with the film. It’s well-acted, well-written and well-made. But it just isn’t sexy. There is nothing that yells “Spielberg” at all. The story is irrelevant and honestly it’s a bit of a bore. I really wanted to like it but ultimately it’s just too forgettable. C
Our Brand is Crisis
Rated R for language including some sexual references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based the 2005 documentary of the same name, Sandra Bullock plays a political consultant who is hired by a Bolivian presidential candidate to help him win an impossible election. There is much to like about this project. Sandra is a good choice for the lead here and Billy Bob Thornton is perfect as her nemesis, a consultant working for the top candidate in the election. The film is timely and unfortunately similar to our own political circus we are currently watching. I just wish there weren’t so many eye-rolling moments throughout and that the film could have been less predictable. There is a great story here but when it’s all over you feel like you’ve been preached to just enough and that you’ve seen the whole sermon before. C+
Man Up
Unrated
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This British import stars Lake Bell as a lovable loser who pretends to be another man’s blind date when she runs into Simon Pegg looking for love. If you’ve been missing good English rom coms this one should satisfy your craving. It’s cute, overly dramatic, funny and only the slightest bit annoying. Pegg and Bell provide here some nice chemistry and though the cheese is laid on thick at times, it ends up being a rather enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. B