crunchonthis

November 20, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – November 20, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

November 20, 2012

The Expendables 2
Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The first Expendables had a good concept of taking a host of old and new action stars and blending them up into a big violent movie. Unfortunately the writing and directing by its star, Sylvester Stallone, was less than great. Two years later, Stallone has fired himself from the director’s chair and has hired a number of big writers for the even bigger sequel. This new installment works as both a great revenge flick as well as a mercenary tale. Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture are back with beefed up parts for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Added to the game are Chuck Norris and young heartthrob Liam Hemsworth. Even Jean-Claude Van Damme joins in as the super evil villain. The film works well enough simply because the action is so non-stop you don’t have time to think. And that’s a completely reasonable approach to a project such as this. Sure the acting isn’t the best and much of the dialog by the big stars is completely tongue-in-cheek and self-aware, but it’s also a ton of fun and a great way to waste two hours. B+

The Watch
Rated R for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The Watch couldn’t have had worse timing this year. The first ads for what was called “Neighborhood Watch” were released right before Trayvon Martins death occurred, forcing the studio to rename the film about a neighborhood watch group taking on an alien invasion to simply “The Watch.” While this comedy starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill isn’t the funniest film of the year by a long shot, I firmly believe that its unfortunate timing was its box office downfall. An open-minded viewing of the film will give you an entertaining evening, especially now that the words “neighborhood watch” are safe to utter again. I will admit, though, that if you are looking for an alien invasion comedy, the British film Attack the Block, released last year, is a more interesting and more enjoyable rental. B-

November 13, 2012

Lincoln

Lincoln
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Rated PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language

When Spielberg originally envisioned a movie about Lincoln, it was to be a huge biopic encompassing the life of the great man who would be portrayed by Liam Neeson. A lot changed though when playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner (Angels in America) got ahold of the project. Unable to narrow down the huge story of the life of Lincoln, he and Spielberg opted to just tell the story of the last few months of the Civil War and how Lincoln managed to get the 14th Amendment passed in Congress.

There are many things about this project which will make audiences flock to it. First off is the story. The events of the tale might be 150 years old, but they couldn’t be more relevant to today’s political climate. It seems our country has always been one in which the leaders bicker and fight over principals and values even though history will most undoubtedly show some of the principals and values to be not just antiquated, but immoral. Kushner’s screenplay is masterfully written and while the film comes in at almost 149 minutes, it seems that every minute is earned and the time flies by faster than you’d think.

Of course it helps having Spielberg at the helm. You can tell that this is a project that he cares deeply about and his heart and soul went into it. This is his finest film since 1998’s Saving Private Ryan and he is sure to get a lot of attention come awards season. To help him along here is the work by his long term collaborators cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and composer John Williams. The color palate Kaminski uses here which contrasts between subdued colors and harsh shadows gives the viewer the imminent sense of danger our country was in at that time. When combined with William’s remarkable score filled with beautiful piano driven melodies and lush brass choirs that perfectly matches the film’s feel and mood, you get a rich sense of texture that leads to a film filled with gorgeous art.

I think the thing that will most excite audiences though are the multitude of brilliant performances. People will justifiably be drawn by Daniel Day-Lewis as the commander in chief. His performance is perfect. Just like in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park where you just forget that you are watching visual effects rather than real dinosaurs, here you will forget that this is an actor and that somehow Abraham Lincoln has been brought to vibrant life. There’s no doubt that this will go down as one of the great performances in Hollywood history. Luckily the film also has a tremendous supporting cast including Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and James Spader. Everyone here is performing at such a high level, making the film seem that much more authentic. A

November 12, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – November 13, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

November 13, 2012

Brave
Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Pixar’s latest fable tells the story of a young red-headed Scottish princess who loves her freedom and doesn’t want to marry the man her parent’s wish her to. Oh – and then there is some weird story with bears. At least with this new home video release, there is a short story called The Legend of Mordu which attempt to better explain the bear predicament. It’s just too bad the short is crudely animated and not actually in the movie itself. From an aesthetic point of view, the film is fantastic. It’s beautiful to look at, has interesting characters and a terrific score by Patrick Doyle. Unfortunately, the film’s heroine is a horrible role model for children due to the lackluster screenplay. She’s a spoiled brat who gets her way, even to the end. And then there’s the complete lack of a villain. Who makes a film without a bad guy? There’s a very good reason they exist in fiction and Pixar here ignores this centuries old rule and the film suffers because of it. So by far, this is Pixar’s worst movie to date, and a complete departure from what made them special to begin with. C+

Savages
Rated R for strong brutal and grisly violence, some graphic sexuality, nudity, drug use and language throughout
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Oliver Stone (Wall Street) wrote and directed this tale of two California drug growers (Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson) who get tied up with the wrong Tijuana kingpin and her henchman (Salma Hayek and Benicio Del Toro). Just like Stone’s 1994 Natural Born Killers, the violence here is over the top. The difference is that this film possesses some entertainment value. Aside from the torturous performance by Blake Lively who plays the girlfriend of the growers and unfortunate lynch pin of the film, the performances here are better than I expected. I especially liked Aaron Johnson who is one of Hollywood’s best chameleon actors. I didn’t even realize that the Kick-Ass star was in this film until I started to write the review. If it weren’t for Lively and the awful ending, I would recommend this film, but those flaws bring it down a few notches. C+

Dinotasia
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Dinotasia is a group of short stories taken from The Discovery Channel’s “Dinosaur Revolution” and then repackaged as a feature length documentary with narration by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. It’s a strange assembly of films that starts out lame and then becomes quickly captivating. I was hoping this could be something for my dino-loving toddler, but these shorts are extremely violent and kinda scary. There is also a sense of humor that is unexpected, such as a great scene where a dinosaur eats an hallucinogenic mushroom moments before being attacked by carnivores. The visual effects are good but not great. Don’t expect the big budget and you’ll be satisfied. B

November 6, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – November 6, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

November 6, 2012

Arthur Christmas
Rated PG for some mild rude humor
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
While last year threw us some real duds in the animated feature category, a couple of films popped up unexpectedly as real winners. A Cat in Paris, which I recently reviewed, was an excellent foreign film that snuck in with an Oscar nom, but the best of all of the category is finally getting a blu-ray release this week. Arthur Christmas tells the story of the youngest son of Santa Clause who has a heart of gold, but is shadowed behind his older and much more arrogant brother. As Santa is about to retire, his reliance on his oldest son leaves a child without a present and it is up to young and clumsy Arthur to save the night. This is not only a wonderful animated film, filled with beautiful animation and story-telling, but it is one of the best Christmas films to come out in years. The movie was far from successful at the box office last holiday, but my prediction is that this home video release could very well make this terrific film a new Christmas classic. A

Ruby Sparks
Rated R for language including some sexual references, and for some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
From the directors of Little Miss Sunshine comes this unique little comedy about a writer who manages to bring his dream girl to life with his writing, and then continues to control her with every word he types. You would think from the trailer and description that this would be a romantic comedy, but I think it’s far from it. First off, I’m pretty certain that one of the reasons it performed so poorly at the box office was that many were turned off due it’s misogynistic central theme. If it is demeaning to women, it certainly doesn’t mean to be, but being that the girl is almost like a programmable robot doesn’t exactly scream romance. In fact, the movie takes quite a dark turn down this direction in the second act. The script is brilliantly written by the films star Zoe Kazan who is obviously inspired by Charlie Kaufman more than Nora Ephron. The casting is also perfect with her as Ruby and Paul Dano as the nerdy but kind-hearted writer. What the film lacks in romance, it more than makes up for in thoughtfulness and creativity and it is overall very enjoyable. A-

Your Sister’s Sister
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
A year after the death of his brother, Jack is depressed and having trouble getting on with his life. When his female best friend convinces him to spend some time in her parent’s remote lake cabin, he agrees only to find himself sharing the cabin unexpectedly with his best friend’s lesbian sister. Of course a drunken night with bad decision making ensues and when the best friend joins the fray, a dramedy of reflection, tension and secrets flows out. The film itself is fairly entertaining. The performances are good and the script is well-written, but you have to be in the mood for an adult-themed indie that is far less funny than it should be. B-

Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon: The Criterion Collection
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, Kurosawa’s classic is getting a very complete treatment from Criterion in this new hi-def edition. When a man is murdered and his wife raped, four people give differing accounts of the events, showing how different the truth can be depending on the vantage point of the viewer. This international classic is presented here with a new digital restoration and soundtrack as well as tons of features about not only the beauty of the film but also the legacy it has left behind. A

October 29, 2012

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas
Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant
Directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume), Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix)
Rated R for violence, language, sexuality/nudity and some drug use

There are many movies out there with several interconnecting stories. Some have been excellent examples of filmmaking such as Stephen Daldry’s The Hours and Richard Curtis’s Love Actually. Then again some have been disasters, such as many of the films trying to copy these two. Cloud Atlas is different. Very different. Yes there are several stories unfolding at the same time, but the connection between them is more complicated. Based on the book by David Mitchell, Atlas attempts to show how one’s actions in the past and present can impact the future, while simultaneously telling several stories told throughout time with very loosely connected themes.

With such an ambitious film, it is hard to figure out how to tackle it. Having not read the book first, I found the best way was to try to follow the individual stories and sort it all out later. Most of the tales are very entertaining and they each encompass their own genre with very little relatable between them. I found each of the stories to be watchable although only one of them really stood out for me. The fifth story-line takes place more than a 100 years in the future in a city called Neo Seoul and follows the life of what we can assume is a cloned human, or fabricant, named Somni-451 who finds herself thrown into a rebellion. It is the only individual story that has the potential to stand up on its own, but then I don’t think that is the point.

The point of the film is to show how each person’s life has an effect on their next life and how all of these lives come together. Each actor plays multiple parts, both male and female, in this menagerie of adventures. For example, Tom Hanks goes from playing a sordid physician, to a lowly hotel manager, to a scientist willing to betray his corrupt boss, to a violent gangster, and finally to the hero of the story in the far distant future. It’s enough to keep you exhausted. But it’s also a lot of fun. Trying to keep up isn’t that difficult if you just let go and come to the realization that you might have to watch the film a time or two more to really comprehend it. At least that’s the way I felt. I left the theater wanting to watch it again, even though it is almost 3 hours long. Fortunately, the film earns its long running time as the pacing is outstanding for a project of such immensity.

What really helps the film keep things together is the passion each of the actors puts into their roles. That tells me they were having fun making the movie and that there is something to it. And while I couldn’t figure it all out with one viewing, I fully expect there to many more until I finally do.

The biggest disappointment I felt that is that I couldn’t connect with anything in particular. My mind was attached but the emotional connection I fully expected to have just wasn’t there with any of the story lines. That is a shame because I really wanted to come away with that. A-

October 29, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – October 30, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

October 30, 2012

The Campaign
Rated R for crude sexual content, language and brief nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Just in time for the big vote on November 6 comes this year’s hilarious election comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two candidates in North Carolina running for one of that state’s U.S. House seats. While the film is completely over-the-top and seems like a parody of our current situation, it is hiding an agenda to get its viewers to think about who is controlling some of the puppet candidates in real life. Of particular relevance are John Lithgow and Dan Akroyd who play the Motch Brothers, a take-off of the real-life political kingmakers the Koch Brothers. I don’t want to make this film seem like an intellectual masterpiece (it is first and foremost a raunchy comedy) but there sure is a lot of symbolism worth paying attention to. A-

All in the Family: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
This new complete set of the gritty 1970’s CBS comedy about the Bunker family has the chance to make some fans happy and others furious. Over the years, Sony had been releasing seasons of the show. Now Shout Factory has taken over and released this huge set with 28 DVDs including every episode and tons of extras. It’s the extras that have some fans up in arms. In order to get your hands on the hours of extras, you have to buy this new set which contains a hefty price tag to go along with it. I’ll admit, some of the extras are nice to have, especially the documentaries, but the show is the real winner and if you find you have a lot of time on your hands coming up, this will keep you busy and in stitches. Although 40 years old, this comedy holds up nicely. For those who haven’t been introduced to Archie Bunker and his family yet, you will certainly find this influential show familiar as this groundbreaking sitcom introduced much of America to dark comedy, and led the way to such hits as MASH and Roseanne. A

October 22, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – October 23, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

October 23, 2012

Prometheus
Rated R for sci-fi violence including intense images and brief language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
If you have questions about the origin of the Alien universe, Prometheus serves as a kind of prequel to the franchise and will provide some answers. It will also raise many more questions. The great thing about this new blu-ray release is that for a film like this that demands multiple viewings, it is now possible to do so without having to spend so much at the theaters. And unlike many of the top directors that don’t do commentaries, Ridley Scott loves to offer his voice to the background and here gives a nice addition for your second or third viewing. Now if only the film were a bit scarier… B+

Magic Mike
Rated R for pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) leaves the indie fare behind and instead tackles the world of male strippers in this pic starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey. So this might be more of a chick flick than a date film, but regardless, it’s decent enough entertainment if you don’t mind the lack of an interesting story. Supposedly based on Tatum’s previous career as a stripper, the story is bland and a little bleak. Just when you think you are heading into Boogie Nights territory, the movie takes you down a sort of lame turn. Perhaps if they had based the crux of the story on Pettyfer’s character rather than Tatum’s the film might have been more intriguing to watch. C+

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence
Availalble on DVD and Blu-ray
Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are two neighbors who build a friendship as the Earth is only a short time away from being destroyed. With the end of the Mayan calendar coming to a close, there have been many end of the world tales but the comedy approach taken here is original and funny, yet dark and pretty twisted. I never really felt a lot of chemistry between the two leads, but maybe thats the point. Great chemistry just might not be an option when you have hours left to live. Still the film manages to be enjoyable in spite of a dire ending that is inevitable. B

Secret of the Wings
Rated G
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
While Disney’s Tinker Bell movies haven’t exactly told the greatest stories, the animators sure do show off their talent in grand style. This new Fairies movie tells the tale of Tinker Bell as she visits the forbidden Winter Woods and discovers why her wings have been mysteriously glowing. It’s a cute enough movie if you have young kids (especially girls) and is bearable due to the spectacular imagery. It’s certainly not the best of Disney, but for a straight-to-video release it’s not half bad. B-

The Invisible War
Not Rated
Available on DVD
This years Sundance winner for documentary is a hard-hitting film about the massive cover-up and mishandling of rape in the military. Telling the stories of several men and women in the military who were brutally raped or sexually abused by their colleagues, only to be further victimized by the very organization that is supposed to protect them, this is a sobering and saddening expose that is a must-watch for any concerned citizen. I would especially advise women or parents of women considering the military to check this one out. The good news is that the film has already had a positive impact in the military. The bad news is that this story exists at all. A

October 16, 2012

Argo

Argo
Starring Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin and John Goodman
Directed by Ben Affleck (The Town)
Rated R for language and some violent images

Based on a recently declassified true story, Argo tells the tale of a heroic CIA agent named Tony Mendez (Affleck) who goes undercover as a Canadian filmmaker pretending to make a B-movie named Argo in Iran in order to attempt to rescue six Americans hiding out at the Canadian ambassador’s home during the Iran hostage crisis.

This film is good for many reasons, but one thing makes it stand out: tension. This film is the very essence of intensity. From the beginning of the movie where the Iranians rush the embassy, to the final moments of the film, there is an ominous and urgent feeling that something any second could go wrong and ruin everything. In screenwriting you are taught to build conflict into every scene, but here the screenwriter, Chris Terrio, takes that concept to an extreme with the help of the masterful direction of Affleck. For example, Agent Mendez has to take the six Americans, disguised as Canadian filmmakers, into a crowded market and have them pretend to be scouting out the area for the film they are supposed to be making. Already nervous from being out in the open for the first time, the audience would have been scared enough if nothing had happened and they had merely just walked through, but first they are asked difficult questions which could give away their true identities and then an Iranian man begins yelling at them and making a fuss for taking a Polaroid of his shop. And when you compound that with such high stakes and dramatic music, its a wonder you still have fingernails after the movie.

With a film such as this it helps to have the perfect cast, and indeed it does. It’s uncanny how much the actual actors resemble the real-life people they are playing. Fortunately, they aren’t just a cast of doppelgängers, but rather an extremely talented ensemble turning in great performances.

While they never could have or would have used the recent tragedy in Benghazi for promotion, there will naturally be more interest in the film due to these events. One thing I think the film does admirably is to point out the good and the evil as well as the misunderstood in ours and other cultures. In an attempt to make an entertaining historical drama, the filmmakers have created a relevant and meaningful experience for its audience. A-

October 16, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – October 16, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

October 16, 2012

2016: Obama’s America
Rated PG for thematic elements, brief language and smoking images
Available on DVD
Normally I wouldn’t think of reviewing, never mind leading off, with a film like this. But after its relative success at the box office I just had to see what all the hubbub was about. Now I wish I hadn’t. Based on the best seller by Dinesh D’Souza, the author and director travels around the world in an attempt to help us learn more about our commander in chief. The film puts on the veil of being an objective and non-biased doc with lots of repetitive visuals and a slick but silly journalistic style, but for anyone who is capable of independent thought, it is easy to see the film for what it really is: an un-American, unpatriotic, ultra-racist conservative slam-fest. Sure the filmmaker admits Obama was born in America, but using the most absurd comparisons, he eventually asserts that Obama’s long-term sinister goal is to bring America down economically by the end of his second term. The sad thing is that many of the people who pay to see this crap actually believe it. F

Moonrise Kingdom
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Writer/Director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) once again assembles a huge Hollywood A-List cast (Bruce Willis, Ed Norton and Bill Murray to name a few) for a feel good, slightly-less-than-family-friendly comedy about two pre-teen love birds who run away from home for an extended camping trip. Cute and clever from start to finish, the film will put a smile on your face that you’ll regain every time you stop and think about it. While not the best of his work, this is another in a long string of critically successful indie pics from a very creative artist. B+

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Rated PG for some mild action and rude humor
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
All of the zoo critters are back and this time they are gallivanting around Europe as part of a has-been traveling circus. I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big fan of the Madagascar franchise, but upon receiving relatively high critical praise (compared to the first two films), I was actually looking forward to seeing this new installment. All it took was ten minutes to realize my colleagues were wrong and that I was about to endure 80 more minutes of pure animated torture. The only saving grace here is the animation itself which is at times impressive. D

That’s My Boy
Rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, pervasive language and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This might not seem like a stretch for Adam Sandler, who usually panders to the minds of thirteen year-old boys, but being one of his first Rated R comedies (Funny People doesn’t count), That’s My Boy makes an attempt to win over a new audience, or at least an older version of his former audience. The story has potential as it places Sandler as the teenage single father to a young boy after his teacher/girlfriend has a baby. While not the horrible mess I expected (I did laugh quite a few times), the film is by no means a great one. Just manage your expectations and you might be able to enjoy. C+

Mad Men: Season Five
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The fifth season of Mad Men introduced us to a new and improved Don Draper who is trying diligently to get his life together after his dark turn in season four. But while Don’s moral compass is beginning to point north, his colleagues are heading in the opposite direction. It might not be the best season yet, but it sure is one that will get you hooked. A-

October 9, 2012

New in Home Entertainment – October 9, 2012

New in Home Entertainment

October 9, 2012

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Rated PG
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In 1982, when I was a mere ten years old, I went from being a kid who liked movies to a cinephile. I still remember sitting on lawn chairs waiting to see the film at the Reding Four in Oklahoma City, where I would soon discover the movie that would literally change my life. There was something in that film that I really connected with, as I’m sure millions of other people did the same that year. For the twentieth anniversary of the film, Spielberg made some changes to the film, which upset others a lot more than I, but for all of us, this long-awaited hi def edition takes us back thirty years ago when g-men carried guns rather than walkie talkies. The film looks and sounds amazing, and I actually compared the blu-ray to the old dvd just to see the extent of the difference blu-ray really makes. This new version is light on new features, but the featurette Steven Spielberg & E.T. is a nice addition. Many of the old special features are still there including the wonderful The Music of E.T. where you get to see footage of Spielberg and John Williams around the piano as Williams gives the director a taste of what he has prepared for the soon to be legendary film. I love this film just as much now as I did when I first saw it and I am so happy that I finally have such a high quality version of it to watch whenever I want to revisit Elliott and his little alien friend. A+

Rock of Ages
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, some heavy drinking, and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I was so excited when I heard that they were making a big screen version of one of my favorite recent Broadway shows. Having seen the live show three times, I was ready to rock out in the movie theater. After twenty minutes of pain, I was closer to leaving a movie than I had ever been in my life. What is supposed to be a glorious nostalgia-fest turns out quickly to be an example of how not to make a movie musical. It’s not that the singers couldn’t sing (even Tom Cruise sounds decent) and it’s not that the Broadway version was a perfect show. The biggest problems was the removal of the narrator, played in the movie by Russell Brand. The show itself is very tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously, but everything was tied together so nicely by the very comedic narration. Without those jokes, and the overall humor they provided, the movie collapses upon itself. This version is not very funny and at times gets down-right depressing. In addition, any edge hair metal once had in the 80’s or even possessed on stage is lost here. Rather than rockin’ out to some of favorite songs, I found myself understanding how bad they can be when rewritten for the cast of Glee. F

A Cat in Paris
Rated PG
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
With last year’s animation slate turning out so lame, two foreign animated films managed to get themselves Oscar-nominated. I discussed Chico & Rita a couple of weeks back, but now the same distributor is releasing the other, and much more worthy feature: A Cat in Paris. Following a cat who is a pet to a young girl by day and an aid to a thief by night, the story manages to wind itself down paths you would never expect from a nice little family film when the thief’s life intersects with the girl and her family. The story is good, but what really makes the film special is the fantastic hand-drawn animation that is as beautiful as it is creative. With such a unique and vibrant color palette, each frame of the movie looks like it could stand alone as a piece of art. A-