Category: DVD Review

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The Adjustment Bureau
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Matt Damon is a New York politician who, upon losing the Senate election, discovers that there are men behind the scenes making sure everything goes “to plan.”  When these men attempt to keep him from the woman he is in love with (Emily Blunt), he fights back against the plan, even though it could cost him everything.  You need look no further than the source material, “The Adjustment Team” by sci-fi idol Phillip K. Dick (Minority Report, Blade Runner), to understand that this is going to be a trippy story.  While it’s not as crazy as some of his other work, the religious twist will keep the tale somewhat familiar to most audiences.  It’s no theological breakthrough, but it is a lot of fun to watch and the chemistry between Damon and Blunt is remarkable.  A-

Battle: Los Angeles
Rated PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Easily the best alien invasion film of the year, and yes there have been a few, Battle: Los Angeles follows a group of soldiers sent in to do battle with an encroaching alien invasion that is taking over the world.  Led by Aaron Eckhart, the group must not only survive, but curtail the invasion as well.  There’s not a lot of comedy relief here in this brash and intense movie that is more like a war film than a sci-fi pic.  This is a serious nail-biter wrapped up in some amazing special effects.  As for the bad reviews this film got, I don’t understand them.  I think there was definitely a piling-on by critics from the beginning.  While its not an Academy-worthy movie, it certainly is entertaining and a strong representative of the genre.  B+

Kill the Irishman
Rated R for strong violence, language, and some sexual content/nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on a true story, Ray Stevenson is Danny Greene, an infamous Irish thug that stood up to the the Cleveland mob in the 1970s, which led to the collapse of mafia syndicates across the country.  While its not a bad addition to the mafia genre, its not the greatest rep either.  The acting by Stevenson, Vincent D’Onofrio and Christopher Walken is pretty good, but much of the supporting cast come off as merely cliched Italian mobsters with no depth.  Also, the film’s pacing suffers from the director’s inability to move the non-violent scenes along with a rapid enough clip.  That being said, I rather liked the story and found myself researching it afterward.  Check out the documentary Danny Greene: The Rise and Fall of the Irishman for a more in-depth look at the titular character.  B-

Legend of the First: The Return of Chen Zhen
Rated R for strong violence, martial arts action and some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
There have been many films based on the legendary fictional character of Chen Zhen, including my favorite martial arts film Fist of Legend with Jet Li and Fist of Fury with Bruce Lee, but never before has he been portrayed as a chinese pseudo-superhero, attempting to take down the Japanese as they prepare to invade before WWII.  Just as you would expect from martial artist Donnie Yen, the fighting sequences are spectacular.  Andrew Lau, the director whose film Infernal Affairs was remade into the multi-Oscar winning The Departed, has a way with filming action that is unique and exhilarating.  The problem lies in the scenes without action.  These scenes plod along in such a manner that the film just stalls.  There is some huge potential here for not only a hit, but a franchise.  Unfortunately, its hard to get past the ridiculously boring plot points.  B-

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True Grit
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence including disturbing images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you are a big fan of the original John Wayne classic about a young girl and a washed-up U.S. Marshall seeking revenge for the death of her pa, then there is a chance that you might not like this newer version.  Personally, I found it to be a huge improvement over the original, mostly due to a far superior vision from the Coen Brothers and much stronger performances by the immensely talented cast.  Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, while not as iconic as John Wayne and Glen Campbell, are simply amazing in their performances, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld proves to be  truly worthy of her Oscar nomination.  And with the beautiful score by Carter Burwell and the inspired cinematography of Roger Deakins, this movie works at every level imaginable.  I do wish the Coen Brothers would include a commentary in one of their movies, but there are enough special features thrown in here to make most folks happy.  I highly recommend checking out “The Cinematography of True Grit” for a more in depth look at the legendary artist behind the unique look of the film.  A+

Sanctum
Rated R for language, violence and disturbing images
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Executive Producer James Cameron is the man responsible for this film about a group of cavers that encounter a life and death struggle when the cave system they are exploring experiences a tropical storm.  While there are some decent actors here, there are no true stars in this film that feels like an indie with a decent effects budget.  It’s not the acting that hurts the film though, but rather the pacing.  You would think that a film with such constant action would be exciting, but instead its rather boring.  Also, much of the drama that ensues feels too forced, almost like they knew they needed something besides man vs. nature.  And while the sights are beautiful, I would suggest checking out the documentary Planet Earth which gives a more thrilling vantage of the scenery.  C

Just Go With It
Rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual content, partial nudity, brief drug references and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
After having his heart broken on his wedding day, Adam Sandler changes his medical specialty to plastic surgery and uses his wedding ring to score chicks. When he finds himself meeting the girl of his dreams, he convinces his assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his ex-wife in order to create an elaborate scheme to win her heart.  The first few minutes of the film show real promise in a sort of Adam Sandler movie kind of way.  There are some decent laughs and an interesting setup.  But when Aniston and Sandler began plotting and the film goes downhill quick.  The rest of the movie relies on cheap and stupid laughs, taking away any credibility the film might have once had.  The jokes smell of desperation brought on by the complete lack of creativity or nuance.  Don’t get me wrong – I like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy and many of his other films.  I think there is a place and time for those types of movies.  That is why I am disappointed by this one because there is just no excuse for an insanely dumb project such as this.  D+

Burn Notice: Season Four
Available on DVD
While most of the time I consider USA’s shows a little O.L., I have to admit that between Burn Notice and White Collar, USA has a pretty good thing going.  This cult classic show about an burned spy and his crazy sidekicks is still fun, witty and entertaining after four seasons.  You gotta check out the special feature “Sam Axe’s Guide to Ladies and Libations” with the infamous Bruce Campbell.  Also of note is the “Burn Notice Roasts White Collar – White Collar Roasts Burn Notice” feature.  B

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True Blood: The Complete Third Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When the Sopranos left the air a few years back, there were many besides myself that thought HBO was in a bit of a pickle.  After a bit of dry spell, they came back with a vengeance with True Blood.  While the first two seasons of the hit vampire show introduced us to the world of Louisiana vampires and demons, the third went in a brand new direction: werewolves.  Sookie (Anna Paqin) had a fun enough time being fought over by two bloodsuckers (Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard), but in season three a new hairy hunk was thrown into the mix (Joe Manganiello).  And if you thought seasons one and two were crazy, the third gets wilder and naughtier.  I can hardly wait to see what season four throws at us come June 26.  A

Biutiful
Rated R for disturbing images, language, some sexual content, nudity and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
He might have been haunting in No Country for Old Men, but now Javier Bardem is haunted in Alenjandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s latest film about a man from Barcelona who struggles not only to provide for his children, but with his connection to the afterlife as well.  Just like Inarritu’s other films, Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel, the film is a challenge to watch but worth every minute spent viewing.  With the absence of long time writing partner and collaborator Guillermo Arriaga, there is definitely a different approach to his characters and his filmmaking than audiences will be used to, especially since this film follows one central storyline rather than several.  But many will find this to be an easier film to follow, although it is equally as difficult in regard to subject.  The biggest reason to watch this film – Bardem’s powerhouse performance which won him a best actor award at Cannes as well as an Oscar nomination.  A-

Once Upon a Time in the West
Rated PG-13
Available on Blu-ray
While this classic western isn’t as popular as Sergio Leone’s other masterpiece The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, (it’s still ranked #20 on IMDB’s top 250 list) you can tell five minutes into the first act that this might be his most influential.  Having been years since I’ve seen this tale about a widow trying to stay alive in the old west while some really bad dudes want her property, I had forgotten how much this looks like a Quentin Tarantino film.  I would guess that Tarantino watched this over and over again, studying it while trying to put together his own stories in his head.  This particular pic is unique in that Leone built the film around the score.  He had long-time collaborator Ennio Morricone compose a magnificent piece of music and then shot the movie with the music in his head.  In this regard, the music becomes an entire other character, enhancing the movie well above where the story could have taken it.  It’s not my favorite western, but it’s awfully darn good and very evident that there can be a true art in western pictures.  A-

American Graffiti
Rated PG
Available on Blu-ray
While not a western, American Graffiti, which is also making its blu-ray debut, has a lot in common with Once Upon a Time in the West.  When George Lucas pitched his classic American car story, he did so as a musical.  He had dozens of classic American songs from that period in his head and wanted to play them in the background while telling the story of teenagers in the 60s whose lives were about to change after their high school graduation.  The film takes place in the span of one night and in the process invented a new sub-genre of teenage comedies.  I’m not a big fan of the film, but I can certainly appreciate what it did for cinema.  Without American Graffiti there would be no Dazed and Confused, American Pie, Harold and Kumar or even Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.  Graffiti also introduced the concept of Music Supervisor, creating a new standard by which many films are judged today: the soundtrack.  B+

The Kids in the Hall: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
In the late 80’s SNL producer Lorne Michaels introduced America to Canadian sketch comedy with The Kids in the Hall.  Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson performed a unique style of comedy that while reminiscent of SNL and Monty Python, definitely stands out in its originality.  While the episodes look dated with an almost pastel hue, the laughs are still there in force.  Watching these guys go drag is simply hilarious and in their more masculine characters they are just as funny.  The great thing about a set like this is that the more you watch, the funnier it gets.  It sort of breaks down your defenses and puts you in the right mood to enjoy the silliness.  Also included in this set (as well as sold separately) is the 2010 eight-episode television series Death Comes to Town.  It’s not as great as the original show, but the comedy team proves that they still have it and their unusual style shines through.  The Kids In the Hall A; Death Comes to Town B

Gnomeo and Juliet
Rated G
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While I can’t prove it, I’m generally certain that Disney’s Shakespeare-inspired tale started with the catchy title and then they attempted to put a story with it.  There are many problems with that though.  When they couldn’t get a good enough kid-friendly story, they chose to beef it up with a load of Elton John tunes.  I know Elton tells it differently, but I just can’t imagine another alternative.  First off, how do you screw up Romeo and Juliet?  First, you muck with the classic.  In an attempt to be clever, they throw in tons of puns, most of them unfunny.  And talk about boring.  This is the stuff of Saturday morning cartoons, not the follow up to the brilliant Tangled.  I know an animated tragedy doesn’t make the best kids flick, but maybe Disney shouldn’t be so worried about pandering to their perceived audience and instead elevate the material.  And if they think the themes would make that bad of a kids movie, then maybe they shouldn’t have made it at all.  I’ve seen many good modern variations on Shakespeare’s work,  but this sure isn’t one of them.  C-

Wartorn 1861-2010
Available on DVD
Executive producer James Gandolfini and HBO explore the world of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its link to military combat.  The disease has had many names since the Civil War, but the cause as well as the results are very similar.  The essential thesis of the film is that we turn our kids into killing machines and can’t handle the consequences when they aren’t deprogrammed back in the States.  This is a tough film to watch, but it is absolutely one of the best arguments I’ve ever seen for not sending our kids out to fight frivolous wars.  A-

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Mao’s Last Dancer
Rated PG for  a brief violent image, some sensuality, language and incidental smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray (Exclusively at Target until the end of July)
If you blinked, you probably missed this little Australian Indie based on the true story of a Chinese ballet dancer and his time in Houston during the early eighties.  Li Cunxin (Chi Cao) started out as a poor peasant only to end up representing Beijing as a ballet dancer.  Upon a cultural exchange with the Houston Ballet, Li became world famous, especially after he defected in order to stay.  While the film does have its problems, including some subpar acting and many situations where they showed a modern Houston while wanting you to believe it was 1981, it is also an amazing story with two big stars: The Dancing and The City of Houston.  First off, the dancing is remarkable and overall much stronger than what we saw earlier this year with Black Swan.  I think the part of the film I enjoyed the most was seeing how well Houston was represented.  Houston is portrayed as a Mecca of the arts and since it was filmed in our great city, it was thrilling that a group of Australian filmmakers would show Houston is such a great light.  And while I wasn’t hot on some of the acting and scene direction, I must give props to Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) who did a terrific job portraying Houston Ballet Artistic Director Ben Stevenson.  I wish I (and many of the other critics around the country) could have seen this film in time to vote last year, as he would have easily been a contender for Best Supporting Actor.  B+

Diablolique: The Criterion Collection
Not Rated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While the word shocked is relative compared to today, in 1955, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s film about the wife and mistress of a cruel headmaster plotting revenge shocked the world and paved the way for many of the great psychological thrillers and horror films of the 60s and even today.  56 years later, the classic French film is getting the Criterion treatment with a new digital restoration and tons of great special features.  It’s hard not to like an old film such as this, which looks less dated than you would think, and it’s one of only a few classic movies from this time period to grace the IMDB Top 250 (currently ranked 182).  A

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No Strings Attached
Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Films about couples that only want a physical relationship and nothing more have until lately been sentenced to straight-to-dvd or late night cable flicks with lousy actors that possess no talent other than their beautiful looks.  The last few months, however, has changed that with the Anne Hathaway/Jake Gyllenhaal dramady Love and Other Drugs and now No Strings Attached with Oscar winner Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.  While this new film sticks to the predictable formula you’d expect, there are some bright spots.  First off, this is a sex comedy with relatively little sex.  While there are some that might think that is a bad thing, I think it helps to elevate the integrity of the film a bit.  Acting-wise, while there aren’t going to be any awards handed out from this title, Portman does a fine job and Kutcher keeps up respectably.  Unfortunately, director Ivan Reitman (Dave) creates too many sit-comish scenarios that bring the film down a notch.  That being said, I did laugh quite a few times.  So while it’s not a great achievement for the genre, it is still better than most of the rom coms hitting the scene today.  C+

Blue Valentine
Rated R for strong graphic sexual content, language, and a beating
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This polar opposite of a romantic comedy stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a couple that dramatically fall in and out of love.  While the falling in love part of the film is romantic and engaging, the falling out phase is almost unbearable to watch.  Sure it’s reality, but that’s not always a good thing when it is immensely depressing.  The performances are so good by Gosling and Williams that its hard to take your eyes off of them, but many will absolutely not appreciate the challenge this film presents.  As for the NC-17 the film originally received, I’m pretty sure that was a publicity stunt by Weinstein as there is hardly anything in the film warranting that strong of a rating.  B

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The Dilemma
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James team up with director Ron Howard in this decent little buddy comedy that stank it up at the box office earlier this year.  While the movie is pretty funny at times, and fairly well-acted, the subject matter of addiction and adultery had a tough time finding an audience.  Vaughn is fun to watch while trying to put off telling his friend and business partner James about his cheating wife until the worst possible moment.  In fact, what makes the movie funny, yet also annoying, is that Vaughn’s timing is off on everything. His character couldn’t possibly make worse decisions.  Both Vaughn and James pull off respectable performances, and Winona Ryder and Channing Tatum turn in surprisingly good work as the cheating spouse and her lover.  Meanwhile, Jennifer Connelly is given an almost wasted part and Queen Latifah is completely irritating.  I like that Ron Howard got back into comedy, but this probably wasn’t the best project for him as it wouldn’t have seen a big audience even with flawless execution and a perfect cast.  B

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Blow Out: The Criterion Collection
Rated R
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This 1981 film by Brian De Palma didn’t turn any heads back in the day, but it is currently looked to as a major achievement by film scholars and students alike.  The story follows John Travolta as B-movie sound man who is out recording wind one night when a car carrying Nancy Allen and the soon-to-be president crashes into a river.  He manages to save Allen, but her lover dies and Travolta thinks he has proof that he was murdered.  If you want to truly appreciate this title, you may want to watch some of the special features first, even though they might act as spoilers.  I would definitely check out the interview of De Palma by filmmaker Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) and the interview with Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown.  It’s not a great film by any standards, but these features will help you understand its significance.  B

The Universe Blu-ray Mega Collection
Available on Blu-ray
It’s funny how The History Channel has taken on a bigger role than Discovery when it comes to well-produced science programming.  This new set contains all five seasons of the show which should provide you with almost everything you would ever want to know about the greater cosmos around you.  Watch this once and it’s very possible to transform yourself into the next Cliff Clavin at any party.  Filmed in HD and containing tons of great footage from NASA as well as decent CGI effects, The Universe presents an all-encompassing and slightly whacky look at our universe that you’ll enjoy during your “I need to feel smarter” phases.  While the information becomes a tad redundant due to trying to stretch 30 minutes worth of content into an hour, it still works as a good educational experience.  B

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The King’s Speech
Rated R for some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I’m not sure if The King’s Speech should have won this years Oscar for best picture, but it sure has all of the right ingredients: WWII period drama, compelling tale about a stuttering king, beautiful score by composer Alexandre Desplat and some pretty great performances.  It’s the kind of stuffy English film that certainly has the power to win, and that power showed through this year at the Academy Awards.  All of the performances were worthy of accolades and the look and the basic story were very engaging and interesting, but where I think it lacks is in its let-down of an ending.  The movie leads up to what I thought was going to be the king of England leading his people, and instead became all about a speech.  I guess I should have known that from the title, but I was really hoping for something more.  B

Somewhere
Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Sofia Coppola directs this snoozer of movie about a famous Hollywood actor (Stephen Dorff) who doesn’t know what direction to take his life in.  He goes from one long scenario to another in a pseudo-trance, with only the company of his young daughter (Elle Fanning) to pull him back into reality.  While it’s an interesting and probably realistic vision of an A-lister lifestyle, the film becomes too artsy to be enjoyed.  The movie opens up with a wide shot of him racing his sports car around a track over and over and over again for what seems like forever, and never really goes anywhere from there.  And while I didn’t think it was possible to make twin strippers pole dancing uninteresting, Coppola purposefully pulls off the almost impossible feat in order show the audience what a miserable life our hero has.  Too bad that makes the audience miserable as well.  D