Category: DVD Review

New in Home Entertainment

April 5, 2016

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The biggest movie of 2015 (and the reigning all-time box-office king) hits store shelves this week where it will most likely break records again. Continuing the saga, the film takes place decades after Return of the Jedi where a defected storm trooper (John Boyega) joins forces with a beautiful young scavenger (Daisy Ridley) as they find themselves the target of an Empire-like First Order and their leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Joining forces with an aged Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, the team attempts to take on the First Order while they are on a desperate search for the missing Luke Skywalker. Director J.J. Abrams here did an impressive job of giving us everything that was sacred from Episodes IV-VI while at the same time delivering special effects that have a completely organic look and feel to them. Sure the plot around the Star Killer Base is pretty similar to what we’ve seen before, but overall the similarities are well-handled and the differences give us something to hope for in future films, which will be coming at a rapid pace over the next several years. Included in this set is a good amount of supplemental material worth watching including a rather intricate look at how the film was put together from concept to completion. I wish they had included at least a trailer for the new Rogue One film coming in December but I’m sure that’s all coming soon. A

Noma: My Perfect Storm
Unrated but contains much adult language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Rather than making another simple food porn movie about the world’s most celebrated restaurant, director Pierre Deschamps here gives a good, bad and ugly account of how chef Rene Redzepi has won the world over with his Copenhagen restaurant touting an all-Nordic cuisine menu. While I did come away with a pretty decent sense of the chef’s vision, I thought I’d be ready to book a trip to Denmark after watching and that just wasn’t the case. It’s a fascinating subject, and worthy of a feature-length documentary, but if they were trying to sell their audience on Redzepi and his food (and I’m not sure if that was their goal) then they could have done a better job with their presentation. B-

New in Home Entertainment

March 22, 2016

Brooklyn
Rated PG-13 for a scene of sexuality and brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This best picture and best actress nominee stars Saoirse Ronan as a young Irish girl who leaves her homeland in Ireland to make her way in America in 1950’s Brooklyn. Ronan, once again, turns in a mesmerizing performance as the young heroine and turns what could easily appear as a chick flick into a beautiful and engaging story that can be appreciated and admired by anyone. It is an absolutely lovely movie that you owe it to yourself to check out. A

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This final chapter to the popular Hunger Games franchise was met with a surprising amount of gloom as it underperformed at the box office (compared to the first three films) and received a fair amount of bad reviews. My take is that it is consistent with the other films and delivers a very passable version of the book to the screen. Yes it’s the darkest chapter of the series. Yes they probably could have made Mockingjay into one film rather than split it up to make more money. But overall, the film gives the books’ fans an excellent visualization of their beloved novel. B+

Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs
Unrated
Available on DVD
Sometimes you just gotta watch a bad movie, knowing full well that it’s gonna be bad – especially when it’s called Cowboys vs Dinosaurs. This ultra B movie finds a team of miners in Montana who accidentally allow an army of blood-thirsty dinosaurs to escape from a huge cavern beneath the Earth. As they rampage the local town, its up to a former bull rider and some scantily-clad blondes to take down the prehistoric beasts. Honestly, it might be the funniest film of the year so far but I’m guessing that that’s unintentional. Still – its horrible, awful and everything in between so enter at risk. C-

Daddy’s Home
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, crude and suggestive content, and for language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 30%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Will Ferrell is a lovable step-dad to two kids who don’t respect him when suddenly their real father, played by Mark Wahlberg, steps into their life. Competing for their attention at every turn, the two men go to war over the kids. I think two things kept this film from reaching success. First, the film relies on silly physicality for much of its humor where the big jokes are widely wasted on the trailers. Second, this could have been a more-than-decent family film but language and a bit of raunchiness keep it out of the very category it most obviously belongs in. C+

New in Home Entertainment

March 15, 2016

The Big Short
Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on Michael Lewis’s best seller, The Big Short tells the story of the 2008 housing crash in a perversely funny manner with one of the best ensembles of the year. With Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling (as well as many other big names) writer/director Adam McKay (Anchorman) weaves a devastating tale that makes you laugh ferociously while at the same time making you feel bad for laughing. An Oscar-winner for adapted screenplay, there are many, including myself, who were quite surprised when they didn’t win best picture.  A

Carol
Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity and brief language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this awards season favorite, Cate Blanchett stars as a 1950’s socialite who lives a secret life as a lesbian in Manhattan. When she falls for the much younger Rooney Mara, her secrets come out, disrupting and potentially ruining her life. Just like Spotlight and The Danish Girl, I have an appreciation for the film but it wasn’t one of my top choices for the year. I found myself empathetic to the characters but I also struggled to connect with their story. The performances are very strong and the production values are excellent, but without that connection it remains good not great. B

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In this latest season of HBO’s megahit show based on the books by George R. R. Martin, everything goes south for our beloved heroes while the villains, for the most part, seem to be making their way to the top. You get the sense that the season is a giant setup for season 6 and beyond and then you wonder how they will carry on now that they’ve reached the end of Martin’s written material. All I can say is that I can’t wait for April 24 to come around so I can see where this magnificent story will take us next. A

Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine
Rated R for some language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
And yet another Steve Jobs movie? Well this time its a documentary about his life as told by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side). It’s a no holds barred look at Jobs’ life that almost makes him appear to be less of a visionary and more of an aggressive man whose biggest attribute was his ambition. While I didn’t love the film, I have a feeling that between a gigantic novel and two biopics, it’s just that I’m getting a little tired of hearing about him. B

Sisters
Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, and for drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star in this broad comedy (no pun intended) about two sisters who try to save their parents’ home by throwing a giant party in it. While there is an occasional laugh or two, the whole thing feels like they are trying too hard and in the process it comes across as just dumb. Don’t get me wrong, these are a funny couple of women, but they just aren’t any good in this schlock. D

 

New in Home Entertainment

March 8, 2016

In the Heart of the Sea
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and peril, brief startling violence, and thematic material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Based on the best-selling novel In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick, Ron Howard’s latest opus tells the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. The film was lambasted by critics and ignored in theaters but it is an interesting adventure with some really great special effects. Perhaps its a tad bit too ominous for a truly enjoyable experience, but there is no doubt it is a well-crafted picture. Honestly, I would have rather seen Howard tackle Moby Dick rather than this project which seems to be a lesser story. B-

Macbeth
Rated R for strong violence and brief sexuality
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star as the Macbeths in this new uber dark version of Shakespeare’s play about ambition, power and corruption. Artistically it’s a fantastic production led by director Justin Kurzel. But its a tough watch unless you are a big fan of the bard. Personally, I love Shakespeare’s stories, but not his plays. There is so much underlying context that when combined with old English, I feel you almost have to be a Shakespeare historian to fully appreciate the works. This particular project especially proves that. C+

Coming Home
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In Mandarin with English subtitles
Chinese director Zhang Yimou is best known for his stunning epic films like House of Flying Daggers and Hero, as well as his grand opening ceremony in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But here he tells the quiet story of a family separated by decades when the husband is imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution. Upon his final release from labor camp, he comes home to a daughter who doesn’t know him and a wife who has a medical inability to recognize him as she patiently waits for his return. It’s a challenging story, and one I’m surprised was allowed by the Chinese government, but overall one I’m glad I watched as I now feel more connected to a culture that I’m completely unfamiliar with. After all, that’s the power of a great foreign film. B+

Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
It seems so random now that we have whatever we want to watch at our fingertips, but growing up we were reliant on a few select channels, and one of those channels showed a lot of Hogan’s Heroes in syndication, so I have a deep nostalgia for this classic comedy. Following the adventures of a group of POW’s in a German prison camp who turn their camp into their secret headquarters for carrying out crazy missions, the show makes light of a very serious part of history and in the process churns out a lot of really great comedy. This new set contains all 168 episodes on 27 DVDs which is one heck of a binge. B

New in Home Entertainment

March 1, 2016

Creed
Rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Many rolled their eyes at me last year when I told them that one of the films I was most looking forward to seeing at year end was the latest Rocky sequel. But what had me excited wasn’t Rocky, per se, but rather the re-teaming of Fruitvale Station director Ryan Cooler with its star Michael B. Jordan as the son of Rocky nemesis Apollo Creed. Here the young boxer seeks the assistance of Stallone’s Rocky to help him follow in his father’s footsteps. This is the best Rocky film since the 1976 original and while I never thought this statement would come from my mouth, Sylvester Stallone turns in a performance here that is truly worthy of the Oscar he didn’t win this last week. A-

The Danish Girl
Rated R for some sexuality and full nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Eddie Redmayne here plays artist and transgender pioneer Einar Wegener. In her Oscar-winning performance, Alicia Vikander is his wife and fellow artist who must patiently evolve with her husband’s transformation into womanhood. This is a beautiful-looking film, directed by Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) with a lush production, but honestly, it’s just not my thing. I can fully appreciate its artistry but its subject matter to me is not something I would choose to watch if I didn’t feel I had to. And while after watching I did feel empathy for both of its leads, I still have to admit that its just not a picture for me. C+

Paulette
Rated R for drug content and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
In French with English Subtitles
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
On the outskirts of Paris, retired widow and destitute curmudgeon Paulette (Bernadette Lafont) discovers the world of cannabis sales as she creates an empire based on delectable baked goods. While the content is dark, the film is ultimately a light-hearted comedy with a lot of uncomfortable laughs. It is entirely accessible as a foreign film though and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this doesn’t spawn an American remake starring Judy Dench within a few years. B

New in Home Entertainment

February 16, 2016

Steve Jobs
Rated R for language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In 2013, director Joshua Michael Stern gave us version 1.0 of the life of Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, and while the promise was there, the product failed to deliver. With version 2.0 though, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle and Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin deliver up Michael Fassbender as the iconic tech idol and the result is a brilliant, elegant story that is as engaging as it is enlightening. Rather than a chronological step-by-step, Sorkin opted for a three act play with each act taking place solely at one of the major, now infamous, launch meetings. The acting by Fassbender and fellow cohorts Seth Rogan, Kate Winslet and Jeff Bridges is inspiring and the movie flows like a beautiful symphony. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is the lousy results at the box office. Almost everything Steve ever touched in life, including his official biography, has turned to gold. Could it be that folks have finally lost interest in the once-invincible tech god? A

Black Mass
Rated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Johnny Depp here disappears into the role of James “Whitey” Bolger, the once-powerful Boston gangster who was recently the FBI’s #1 most wanted until his capture a few years ago. The story itself is fascinating enough, as they kept to the saga of the far-reaching corruption exhibited by a multitude of real-life villains. Unfortunately the makeup was tremendously distracting. What should have been Oscar-worthy transformations, looked like something from a bad church play. I would suggest, rather than picking this one up on blu-ray with awesome resolution, opt for the DVD and watch on an old tube TV so that the lousy makeup won’t be as offensive. C+

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series
Available on DVD
It seems like this has been released before, but now officially, comes the entire series in a new box set on 39, count’em, 39 DVDs. All 8 seasons from the 60’s featuring 249 episodes (why couldn’t they have gone for an even 250?) in one set. While this sounds like an unimaginable binge journey, it sure is fun revisiting Mayberry with Andy, Ron Howard and Don Knotts. The show is completely dated, in a good way, and one of the best special features in the set are the original sponsor ads included on the season 2 and 3 discs. A

New in Home Entertainment

February 9, 2016

Crimson Peak
Rated R for bloody violence, some sexual content and brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score 69%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In Guillermo del Toro’s latest horror fantasy, Mia Wasikowska plays a young heiress who marries a handsome young businessman, Tom Hiddleston, after her father’s mysterious death. Once at her new husband’s strangely beautiful estate, Crimson Peak, she must deal with the home’s many secrets, as well as her new sinister sister-in-law, played by Jessica Chastain. As you’d expect with a del Toro ghost story, the film is macabre yet mesmerizing. What it lacks in scares it more than makes up for in aesthetics. Unfortunately, the project falls flat due to an unworthy script that even these fantastic actors have trouble navigating. C+

99 Homes
Rated R for language including some sexual references, and a brief violent image
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
As a great companion piece to the Oscar-nominated The Big Short, 99 Homes shows us the battle between Spiderman and General Zod (not really, but the same actors at least: Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon). Here Garfield plays an out of work and homeless construction worker who goes to work for Shannon, the very person who evicted him from his home, in order to make money kicking people out of their homes. There is a great social commentary to be found here although the story could have been stronger, especially the inorganically dramatic ending. Still, the performances are terrific and it leaves lots of food for thought. B-

Grandma
Rated R for language and some drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Here Lilly Tomlin plays a mean old grandma who attempts to help her teenage granddaughter raise enough money to pay for an abortion. From a surface-level viewpoint, the film is a nice adult comedy about an old dog learning new tricks. But the very subject of the film is a distracting and uncomfortable albatross around its own neck. I wanted the heroes to win on their journey and yet I really desired a deeper discussion about the prize. B-

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

New in Home Entertainment

January 26, 2016

Goosebumps
Rated PG for scary and intense creature action and images, and for some rude humor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
One of the biggest surprises for me this fall was that this kiddy horror film took in a modest box office haul instead of completely tanking. In fact, I incorrectly wrote this one off before even seeing it. Jack Black here plays Goosebumps author RL Stine, who has manages to accidentally unleash many of the monsters from his various books and must now take them out of the real life and turn them back into ink. It’s very much like a clever modern-day Jumanji and while it’s rather silly and meant more for kids than adults, it manages to entertain in spite of its content. It’s a fun movie that will most likely kick off a string of awful sequels, so enjoy it while you can. B-

The Assassin
Unrated
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In Mandarin with English Subtitles
This Import from Taiwan tells the story of a beautiful young assassin who is sent to take out the man she was once betrothed to. There is no doubt that this Cannes favorite is lush and lovely to look at and the directing by Hsiao-hsien Hou is top notch. Unfortunately I found the film difficult to digest and not easy to sit through. The story is hard to follow and not nearly as good as the rest of the production. While I really wanted to enjoy the picture, I couldn’t manage to do so. C+

Downton Abbey: Season 6 – The Final Season
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It’s always nice when a show knows when to pull the plug and in this case, the team at Downton Abbey gives their world a nice enough send off while it is still incredibly popular. For this final season, the year is 1925 and of course secrets threaten the Crawley family. Yes the drama is a little bit to the extreme for all of the characters, but bravo to a show that remains watchable to its end. B+

New in Home Entertainment

January 19, 2016

Straight Outta Compton
Rated R for language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Biopics can be very hit and miss but this critically acclaimed story about the rap group NWA found a way to not only tell one of the pivotal stories of rap music, but managed to do so in a way that has the power to change the perspectives of its audience. I remember the first time I heard the song “*%^& the Police” when it was first released, and honestly I was truly offended and wondered how this kind of anti-American rhetoric could even be allowed. But then came video cameras on cell phones, recording the very acts that have been perpetrated on many black communities throughout the country and honestly, I look at the same song as an honest and powerful protest against an unjust system that at times treats minorities as sub-human. This film brings much to light that needs to be seen and in the end gives you an understanding why this band is worthy of such a well-told biographical offering. A-

The Intern
Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and brief strong language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Anne Hathaway here plays a young woman whose internet company decides to hire local retirees in an attempt to connect with the older community. In the process, retired widower Robert DeNiro ends up with the coveted job of being Hathaway’s right-hand man. What looks on the outside like a predictable and over-sentimental attempt at sweet comedy proves to be much more thought-provoking and enjoyable than I thought possible going in. That being said, the ending makes the strong female CEO look weak as she deals with her relationship with her husband. At least her relationship with De Niro is endearing and authentic throughout. B-

Everest
Rated PG-13 for intense peril and disturbing images
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
This underrated adventure tells the true story of a group of mountain climbers who try to conquer the tallest peak in the world under the worst conditions they could imagine and unspeakable tragedy. Beautifully filmed, the movie helps you understand what it is like to take on such an adventure while at the same time removing any desire to do so in real life. It’s a challenging film that goes against convention as most of it relies on man vs nature rather than forced internal struggles to bring about tension within the script. B+
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, drug use, language and drinking – all involving teens
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Taking place in the early 1970’s in San Francisco, this coming of age tale follows a young girl who explores her sexuality by sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend while documenting her various exploits on her tape recorder. The frank sexuality will be very upsetting for some audiences, but personally I found it to be a very interesting story full of brave performances by some pretty terrific actors. B
Inside Llewyn Davis: The Criterion Collection
Rated R for language including some sexual references
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The folks at Criterion picked the perfect time to re-release this 2013 Cohen Brothers musical about a young folk singer who tries to make it while struggling with personal relationships and a quest for a missing cat. I say perfect timing since it stars Star Wars Episode 7’s Oscar Isaac as the lead and Adam Driver as a fellow musician who offers him a couch to sleep on during his journey. Yes it’s an artsy, eclectic picture but between the amazing music and Isaac’s tremendous display of vulnerability, the film will seem magical to the right viewer. A