New in Home Entertainment
December 20, 2016
Sully
Rated PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
In director Clint Eastwood’s latest biopic, Tom Hanks stars as American hero Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the commercial pilot who successfully landed his plane on the Hudson River when things went suddenly wrong during take off. As much a character study as a direct reenactment of the events that took place, the film is terrifically executed and completely engaging. Hanks is at his best with his spot-on impersonation as he convincingly becomes Sully. While the ending trial sequence feels not only rushed but also slightly contrived, it doesn’t get in the way of telling this remarkable story. B+
Storks
Rated PG for mild action and some thematic elements
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%
In this somewhat forgettable Warner Brothers animated flick, storks have gone from delivering babies to delivering packages (think Amazon biological drones). When a baby girl is inadvertently created for delivery, a stork and a human go on a mission to secretly deliver her before the head of the company finds out. Of course the film is cute. You’d expect that with babies everywhere. Unfortunately, the plot is non-sensical and much of the project is a complete mess. Almost saving the day though are two wolves, voiced by Key and Peele, who upon discovering the baby, use their wolf pack to hilariously take her from her delivery team. In essence, these two come close to rescuing the film in the process. B-
If There’s a Hell Below
Not Rated but contains adult language and violence
This ultra-low-budget indie that hit the film festival circuit in 2016 is getting its day on DVD this week. While the misleading title suggests a horror film, the pic is actually a decent little thriller about a whistle blower who is paranoid about talking to a journalist, only to find out she has a right to be so. It’s not about the information in her head, as you don’t really ever get a glimpse of that side of the story. Instead it is an exercise in tension that is worth checking out when you need an excuse to bite your nails. B-
Bridget Jones’s Baby
Rated R for language, sex references and some nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
It’s been a long while since Bridget (or Renee Zellweger) has graced the screen. But now she’s back and after getting pregnant by sleeping with 2 different men (Patrick Dempsey and Colin Firth) in a relatively short period of time. She has to somehow keep both on the hook in the hope of snagging the actual father after a paternity test can be performed once the baby is born. The movie has its moments with a few funny bits that bring hope to the project, but overall it’s a dull and mindless shadow of the first film, although maybe slightly better than the second. What was once a clever take on Pride and Prejudice has been reduced to an unsuccessful franchise tryst. C-