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World War Z
Rated PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence and disturbing images
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
I don’t typically read books destined for theaters simply because it is rare for a movie to match up to the written word.  In the case of World War Z I made an exception and honestly, I’m not tremendously offended that the material didn’t match up.  They both tell the story of a world war vs a “zombie-like creature” but the monsters in both are very different as is the way they kill them.  The movie though is effective and there’s no doubt that Brad Pitt is perfect for the role and put his heart and soul into it.  Personally, I didn’t find the movie as scary as I had hoped and there were some really stupid scenes (such as the video of the WHO scientist handling the virus without protective gear), but the story worked for the most part and made for a nice thriller.  B

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Star Trek Into Darkness
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
J.J. Abrams’ second outing in the Star Trek universe did reasonably well at the box office but failed to woo the hard core fans, and in turn probably has many folks worried about what he will do to the Star Wars universe in 2015.  So what went wrong here?  Personally, I think the story is fine but there was too much stupid suspense built up around the villain, played by Benedict Cumberbatch.  For months it was rumored that he would play Khan, but those rumors were squelched by the studio and by the time the revelation is made you simply don’t care.  Had they just called him Khan from the beginning, there would have been a completely different buzz on the film and probably more enjoyment.  After all, the film is as much action as it is trippy sci-fi and there are some really fun moments and big set pieces.  The story is a bit predictable and formulaic, but still effective enough.  Unlike some of the earlier Trek films, these new additions are much more accessible for the non-Trekkies out there and while this one couldn’t match the first, or even its own hype, it is still enjoyable.  B-

September 3, 2013

From Up On Poppy Hill
Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some incidental smoking images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
From master animator Hayao Miyazaki and his talented son Goro Miyazaki comes this gorgeous new animated film from Studio Ghibli and the first release in years not associated with Disney.  Set in 1963 in Japan, Poppy Hill tells the story of a young girl who falls in love with a boy in her school only to discover a secret that could keep them apart.  While animated, this is not a kid’s film, but it is a lovely piece of storytelling with some rather stunning hand-drawn animation.  The only thing missing here is a score by Joe Hisaishi which could have really added to the already terrific film.  A-

New in Home Entertainment

New in Home Entertainment

Emperor
Rated PG-13 for violent content, brief strong language and smoking (historical)
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
During the U.S. occupation of Japan directly after their surrender during WWII, a young general (Matthew Fox) is assigned by General MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) to investigate war crimes and the possible involvement of the Japanese Emperor in the decision to attack Pearl Harbor.  The project feels like they really thought this was going to be a great, awards-worthy motion picture, but unfortunately everything plays flat and frankly a little boring.  Maybe they all lost their passion once they got on set or possibly in the editing room, or maybe they were just trying to be too cautiously sensitive with the material, but as a whole, the movie doesn’t really work all too well.  C+

To the Wonder
Rated R for some sexuality/nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life was one of my favorite films in recent memory, so I was excited to see how he would follow it up with his latest project about love and loss that takes place in my home state of Oklahoma.  In the picture, Ben Affleck falls for and brings back to Oklahoma a young European girl, played by Olga Kurylenko, but upon her exit he falls for a girl from town played by Rachel McAdams.  All the while a priest struggling with his faith, played by Javier Bardem, tries to help his community.  Unfortunately, Malick’s writing and directing style just doesn’t work well with this kind of movie.  For much of the film you get the sense that the characters only communicate through telepathy.  What should have been a beautiful and artistic film turns into an annoying and aggravating experience with lovely scenery.  Normally I would advise that this is a film for fans of the director only, but in this case I would advise against it since it could taint your image of him.  C

Girls: The Complete Second Season
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This anti-Sex and the City from HBO continues in its second season as the four entitled and annoying young girls from New York flounder around trying to find themselves.  While I really can’t stand the characters, I also can’t take my eyes off them.  Their escapades and adventures are more entertaining than anything you might find on Duck Dynasty and the show will, probably for the first time, make you wish they’d put some clothes on.  And yet I can’t seem to stop watching.  Watching Girls is like sticking to a bad habit that you just put up with even though you could easily stop it at any time.  B

Mud
Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Two young boys wandering the rivers of Arkansas befriend a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) who is hiding out from the law as he awaits the love of his life (Reese Witherspoon) to come to him.  This is simply a fascinating and surprising adventure full of great acting and superb writing.  McConaughey is on a roll with so many great films in the last two years and this one could finally get him a much-deserved Oscar nomination.  The story, revolving around three generations suffering from the disillusionment of love, is heartbreaking if not the slightest bit sexist.  But it is their story and it is so well-told you hardly care.  I love when a quiet little film like this makes such a huge impact.  A

The Place Beyond the Pines
Rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This highly unusual film tells the story of a young man (Ryan Gosling) who is convinced to rob banks in order to provide for his child and the cop that gets in the way (Bradley Cooper).  Telling three very distinct stories, the movie is far more ambitious than you would imagine and leaves you wondering if you just saw something great or just pretentious.  Don’t get me wrong – the performances by all are strong and the screenplay is solid, and it is out of the box filmmaking but honestly, my mind is still figuring out the verdict.  B

West of Memphis
Rated R for disturbing violent content and some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
In 1993, the bodies of three young boys were discovered in West Memphis, Arkansas, and subsequently, three teens were ramrodded through the court system and found guilty of the crime.  When technology was able to prove the innocence of the three men convicted, they were finally able to be released but not completely exonerated of their supposed crime.  This doc explores the complete failure of the American justice system, not only in regards to locking up and ruining the lives of the wrong people, but also not getting the proper justice the murdered children deserve.  The pic is completely sobering and extremely angering.  More than anything, it is just simply hard to believe that something like this is allowed to happen in America.  A-