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New in Home Entertainment – March 22, 2011

New in Home Entertainment

March 22, 2011

The Tourist
Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Shocking us all this year at the Golden Globes were the inclusion of The Tourist as best picture comedy/musical and best actor and actress noms for its stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.  Sure it’s sexy and the locations are nice, but overall this is nothing more than a boring version of Tom Cruise’s Knight and Day.  Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, whose German film The Lives of Others is rightly considered to be one of the greatest films of the last decade, received too much help from Hollywood on this film, which ultimately led to its blah-ness.  Not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, the film is as predictable as it is pretty.  But if you really just want a mindless spy movie that never pretends to be anything more than a silly love story – you might find some enjoyment.  As for me, I much prefer Knight and Day for my entertainment dollar.  C

Stand By Me: 25th Anniversary Edition
Rated R
Available on Blu-ray
When this classic coming of age tale was released twenty-five years ago I wasn’t allowed to see it due its R rating (please don’t tell my mom I watched it at a friend’s house on cable).  Watching it again now in this stunning HD transfer, one could easily believe the film was made yesterday.  This timeless tale of group of young boys that go on a journey to find a dead body is still relevant today and will bring a touch of nostalgia and a tear to the eye of anyone reflecting back on their own childhood.  I highly suggest checking out the picture-in-picture video commentary with director Rob Reiner and actors Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman.  This too serves as a wonderful trip down memory lane, allowing the audience to hear Rob and the boys discuss their own reflections of making the film.  A

Yogi Bear
Rated PG for some mild rude humor
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Combining real life and computer animation, Yogi Bear brings back the old animated classic characters Yogi and Boo Boo into the setting of Jellystone Park for an adventure with Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh).  While young kids may find the movie slightly entertaining, adults will absolutely cringe at this steaming pile of bear dung.  It is an insult to family-friendly films and will most certainly make you to want to leave the room.  The only saving grace is a decent soundtrack that is very out of place with such an uncool movie.  My advice – skip this one and wait one week for Tangled to come out.  You’ll thank me if you do.  D-

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Battle: Los Angeles

Battle: Los Angeles

Starring Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan, and Michelle Rodriguez
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman
Rated PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Eckhart) is on the brink of retirement from a long life spent in the Marines when he is called back on duty due to an alien attack on the Earth’s major cities, including his own: Los Angeles.  With a green platoon and weapons that pale in comparison to their enemy, Nantz and his fellow Marines must find a way to not only stay alive, but take out the hostiles as well.

    Many of the major critics out there are not just panning the film, but are making it sound like the first major 2011 contender for the Razzies as well.  Going into the movie, I tried to keep an open mind.  Many films like this have a great trailer, but that’s all you get.  Personally I enjoyed the trailer and was looking forward to seeing if the other critics had any validity to their statements.  Let me tell you – I think the majority of press are dead wrong about the movie and are only rejecting it because it has become cool to do so.

    First off, this is a genre film built for a specific audience.  That particular audience expects to see Independence Day meets Black Hawk Down and in this situation, their expectation is largely met.  The film gives you a little chance to meet and get to know some of the characters in the first act, but once the Marines find out they are under attack, the film goes into full-on adrenaline mode where the intense action never stops.  Unlike a film such as Independence Day, you don’t get a dozen different stories and tons of comedy relief.  While that worked for that particular film, the filmmakers here simply chose to follow one group of soldiers for two hours without switching back and forth and without a whiff of a sense of humor. 

    I will admit that the plot is fairly simple: alien soldiers vs. human soldiers.  Also, the movie does have its cheesy moments, but there are some nice emotional scenes as well that the US military would be proud to have in the film.  It helps to have an actor of Eckhart’s ability who can bring an authenticity that is hard to find in genre pics like this. 

    What many folks were afraid of is that there were just enough special effects to make the trailer look good and the film would essentially be just another Skyline.  Fortunately that is not the case here.  While many of the set pieces are briefly shown in the trailer, there is much still to see on screen that will excite the target audience. 

    This film was never designed to be a critical success, but as an entertaining experience, this film is of a much higher quality than it is given credit for.  B

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New in Home Entertainment – March 15, 2011

New in Home Entertainment

March 15, 2011

The Fighter
Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While the real story of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother Dicky might have gotten by you in the mid 1980s, you would almost have to be living under a rock to have escaped the press The Fighter has gotten over the last few months.  Winning Academy Awards for supporting actor and actress, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, as well as a host of other known and unknown actors like Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams, turn in easily the best ensemble performance of the year in this unique boxing flick which is more about the relationships than the fight.  While the basic premise is essentially your typical boxing plot, the film turns out to be very special due to the strong writing and superb acting, as well as a nicely paced drama directed by the extremely talented David O. Russell.  Originally under the direction of Black Swan’s Darren Aronofsky, David picked up the reigns and turned what could have been just another sports flick into a critical and box office success.  A

Hereafter
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Video on Demand
When I first saw this film a few months ago, I didn’t really have much love for it.  And while I still don’t think it’s a particularly good film, the release is timely and completely and unexpectedly relevant.  The opening sequence of Clint Eastwood’s afterlife drama begins in a town as it is devastated by a tsunami.  The effects of the destruction were good enough to earn the film an Oscar nod and in light of what just happened in Japan, the movie couldn’t be more sobering.  I still think that the filmmakers chickened out of taking any kind of religious stance, and even went as far as to mock two of the world’s largest religions.  But this time around the film has a different vibe in spite of its boring screenplay and not-so-great supporting cast.  C+

Sony Masterworks Classic Film Scores
In 1972 Charles Gerhardt released his famous Classic Film Score Series featuring the music of some of the greatest composers of the Golden Age of film.  Now 38 years later, the scores are being re-released on CD by Sony Masterworks, having been re-mastered using the original analog masters and including the original LP liner notes.  Among this release is Citizen Kane – featuring music from scores by Bernard Herrmann, Sunset Boulevard – featuring music from scores by Franz Waxman, Elizabeth and Essex – featuring music from scores by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Spellbound – featuring music from scores by Miklos Rozsa, Now, Voyager – featuring music from scores by Max Steiner, Laura/Forever Amber/The Bad and the Beautiful – featuring music from scores by David Raksin, and scores from movies featuring Bette Davis.  The recordings here sound like they were made yesterday and you could tell a lot of love went into releasing the series for the true movie music lovers of the world.  A

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Rango

Rango

Starring the voice talent of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher and Ned Beatty
Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Rated PG for rude humor, language, action and smoking
Appropriate for ages 8+

    When an eccentric pet chameleon separates from his owner and finds himself stranded in the desert, he winds up in the town of Dirt, a rundown Wild West outpost with a water shortage and no sheriff.  Calling himself Rango, the chameleon finds himself on the fortunate end of a battle with the town’s worst enemy, a hawk, and becomes a hero to the animals in deep need of one. 

    If the Coen brothers ever decided to do an animated film, I would picture it looking much like this.  It’s beautiful, quirky, and well told with some really great performances by the ensemble.  While the scale of the animals feels off since all of the creatures are roughly the same size, they are still wonderfully conceived and stunningly put on film.  Better than that though, the characters are well-written.  I realize that much of the plot of the film is a cross between China Town and Pale Rider, but it still comes off as original and charming, and most of the audience won’t catch the easy references. 

    Much like the voice recording of Fantastic Mr. Fox, the cast was recorded while actually acting around each other, rather than by the actors by themselves alone in a studio.  This type of recording obviously brought out the best in these performers and managed to make the action much more enjoyable.  Johnny Depp, who carries the film as Rango is superb, and unlike characters voiced by the likes of Jack Black, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, I wouldn’t have even known it was Depp had his name not been plastered over the title.  He really gets into the character here and turns in a much stronger performance than he did in his Golden Globe nominated role in The Tourist.  The rest of the cast here is also pretty darn solid and the good time they had making it comes through in the finished project.

    While I know it will be hard to get your young kids not to see it, I will say that some parents will have a big problem with the language.  It’s probably not enough to garner a PG-13 rating, but there are enough hells and damns to throw off any parent who might be trying to “earmuff” their kids.  What stinks is that the bad language is unnecessary and the filmmakers should have had better sense than to include it in a film that will make most of its money from families. 

    Overall, I think that while this is not nearly as good as the best animated films of 2010, it is on par with the likes of Kung Fu Panda and Despicable Me in entertainment value.  A- 

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New in Home Entertainment – March 8, 2011

New in Home Entertainment

March 8, 2011

The Walking Dead
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
With the popularity of all of the vampire shows popping up recently on TV, it’s no wonder that someone wanted to create a series based in the zombie world.  In the wrong hands, this sounds like a horrible idea, but in the hands of Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont, it turns out to be brilliant.  In this short first season, a group of survivors during a zombie outbreak gather just outside of Atlanta and do their best to survive.  Although many of the ideas are stolen from the cornucopia of zombie flicks such as 28 Days Later and even Shaun of the Dead, the show turns out to be daringly original due to strong character development and just enough of the walking dead to keep you freaked out.  The relatively unknown cast of actors perform as a strong ensemble and the production values are through the roof, cable television or not.  And if you are like me and a victim of your cable company (AT&T in my case) not carrying AMC in HD, then you will love the boost in quality of the viewing experience.  A-

Jackass 3
Rated R for male nudity, extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, and for language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I still can’t believe that no one from the cast has died or been too injured to keep on making these movies, but each one is getting funnier than the last, with the proof coming out on DVD and Blu-ray this week.  While I could still do without the bodily function stunts, the rest of the film is so funny it will make you hurt from laughter almost as much as the cast hurts from the actual stupidity.  Sometimes when I watch this stuff, I feel like Dax Shepard in the movie Idiocracy watching “Ow! My Balls,” hardly believing that this is the funniest movie of the year.  But then I take off my snobby critic hat and sit back and enjoy the awesome display of fatuity.  B+

Birds of the Gods
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
You could have David Attenborough narrate a movie about dung beetles and it could almost trick you into thinking you were watching the most interesting film in the world.  But when you give him material like this, the experience is very satisfying.  While not quite as beautiful or well-produced as Earth or Life, this short doc from PBS on the Birds of Paradise is one marvelous-looking piece of nature footage.  In order to educate and not just just allow you to chill out and stare at nature, the film ties in two researchers who follow the birds and dream of filming them during the mating rituals.  The results are peculiar and captivating.  On a nice TV in 1080p, this makes for not only an enriching, but an entertaining experience as well.  B+

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Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids

Starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Anne Heche
Directed by Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt)
Rated R for crude and sexual content, language and drug use
Appropriate for ages 17+

    Ed Helms is just a plain, honest insurance salesman from a small midwestern town who is sent to represent his company at an insurance convention in the metropolis of Cedar Rapids, IA.  Not knowing a soul there, he relies on three veteran salespeople to guide him through the meeting, and eventually lead him down a comically dark journey full of sex, drugs and corruption.

    Going into this film I was baffled by the fact that this was a small indie from Fox Searchlight.  After all, it has a great ensemble of comic actors and a tried and true formula of the debaucherous night out.  I thought before going in that this being an indie with a limited release is a bad thing, and my opinion turned out correct.

    The subject matter is right up the alley for the adult comedy audience, but the look and feel scream low-budget filmmaking with a decent cast.  Also, the script seems like it was put together with only the set pieces in mind, almost like the writer thought up some hilarious ideas after going to an insurance meeting, but didn’t know how to tie them together with a working narrative.  The MacGuffin here is the two-diamond award which supposedly every insurance company desires.  But it seems only Helms has his eyes on it, because the other agents don’t even compete and the way it is won is amateurish.  Also, the cost for him earning the award only works on an emotional level.  So much could have been done with the script to juice it up and force the actions of the characters to make sense, but because the subplot wasn’t thought out properly, it only serves as a distraction from the hi-jinx. 

    The good thing about the movie is that Helms, Reilly, and Heche do an excellent job with what they are given and they make the comedy work.  I’ve been to too many of these types of meetings, and the drunken behavior shown is fairly accurate and pretty funny.  Still, a comedy like this could have and should have been better than what ended up on screen.  C+

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New in Home Entertainment – March 1, 2011

New in Home Entertainment

March 1, 2011

Bambi: Diamond Edition
Rated G
Available on DVD/Blu-ray Combo
What was originally supposed to be Walt Disney’s second feature film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, became his fifth release and almost bankrupted the studio due to WWII and the loss of the European box office.  Now, almost seventy years later, Bambi still holds up as a masterpiece of animation and art.  With this blu-ray premiere, the print was cleaned up and enhanced again and looks simply gorgeous in 1080p.  Also there are many new special features that will have you watching the disc long after the movie ends.  Perhaps the coolest feature, and a groundbreaking one at that, is the new second screen technology which allows the movie to interact with your iPad or laptop while you are watching the film, providing a new and innovative way to learn more about the movie you are watching while you are watching it.  A

127 Hours
Rated R for language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Certainly one of the best films of 2010, 127 Hours was also one of the most difficult to watch.  Hours tells the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco) who finds his hand trapped by a boulder in the middle of nowhere which leaves him very few choices if he wants to survive.  Almost the entire length of the film is spent with Aron and his struggle, yet because of the superb acting by Franco and the intense directing of Danny Boyle, the film is extremely fast paced and never bores.  If you are even the least bit squeamish, however, you won’t want to come near this as it would make the strongest of stomachs weak.  But even with the gore fest, the film comes out triumphant and gives a great insight to the events that occurred and provides a positive, life-affirming message to its audience.  A-

Love and Other Drugs
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, and some drug material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This controversial film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway appears on the outset to be a romantic comedy about a drug rep that falls for a patient at one of his doctor’s offices.  But then it converts to a romantic drama about learning to love someone no matter what the consequence.  The comedy part of the film doesn’t work too well at all, mostly due to a poorly thought-out script that lacks authenticity.  The drama however, delivers a punch to the gut as it asks the question of committing to someone knowing that their disease will eventually put you through hell.  If the film had a better sense of itself then I think it could have been a classic romance, but as it stands, it’s simply going to be known as the Jake and Anne sex flick.  C

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I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four

Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, and Teresa Palmer
Directed by D.J. Caruso (Eagle Eye)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequence of violence and action, and for language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    John Smith (Pettyfer) is one of several young people sent to Earth to seek safety from Alien invaders.  But when the first three are killed, John and his protector (Olyphant) must move to a small Ohio town to escape certain destruction.  While there John falls in love for the first time and also discovers his unique powers, which may or may not help defend him from the assassins.

    Part of me really wants to like this film.  After all, unlike most of the tent pole pictures out there – its somewhat original in plot and has a big look and feel to it.  The young actors are talented and dynamic enough and Olyphant is fun to watch as the father figure.  I even want to like the aliens who are truly a dastardly bunch with nasty weapons and even nastier pets. 

    But then after thinking about the whole thing, I realized that there is so much to dislike about this film.  First off is the flat dialog which does nothing to help the story.  And while the plot feels original, the way they carry out the plot is as cliched and copycatted as you can get.  Stealing from Twilight, Spiderman, Terminator and others, the film doesn’t deliver on its original promises it makes in the opening act.  I know we are supposed to say that “teenagers do stupid things and that rational thought doesn’t enter their heads at times,” but why would a teenager from another planet with a group of interstellar assassins hot on his trail act in such a fashion.  His actions defy logic and really pinpoint the flaws in the script. 

    And as for Olyphant, he proves once again that he can shine even in the worst of films.  While this is not the most horrible film he could star in, it is also not a place for his talents to be put to the test. 

    But what I found most insulting was the whole “franchise” feel to the movie.  The third act gives a tidy ending to this particular story, but then stands up and declares that there are sequels are on the way.  A smart film would have ended where the audience didn’t feel like they were in some studio’s master plan to make millions and millions of dollars.

    So while I think that the demographic this film was intended for will not see past some of this sloppy filmmaking and might actually enjoy the picture, it will most like never break out and become a huge box office smash.  C+

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New in Home Entertainment – February 22, 2011

New in Home Entertainment

February 22, 2011

Due Date
Rated R for language, drug use and sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When father-to-be Robert Downey Jr. gets booted off of a plane for an altercation with Zach Galifianakis, the two end up on a cross-country road trip trying to get back home to Los Angeles in times for his child’s birth.  While the setup doesn’t make a lot of sense, the film itself works well as a buddy road comedy, mostly because of Galifianakis turning in a hilarious performance.  Downey is fine, but could have been played by anybody, and the role might have been better served had he and co-star Jamie Foxx switched characters.  As is, though, the film is still really funny at parts and worth the watch.  B

Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Musical Event of a Lifetime
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I have a special place in my heart for Les Mis since it is the musical that made me a Broadway junkie.  Before seeing this show, I had no interest in musical theater, but then I saw this in Oklahoma City in 1992 and it blew me away.  Since then I’ve seen it five or six times but have craved a version that I could just pop in the DVD or Blu-ray player and enjoy anytime.  So needless to say I was excited to get a chance to review this new concert event.  Putting together one of the most amazing group of singers you could imagine with a huge orchestra and a choir made up of various talents from West End theater, this production had me as happy as I could get in front of the TV.  The only flaw in the event is the addition of Nick Jonas from the Jonas Brothers in the role of Marius – most likely as a ploy to get young folks to see the show.  For me it was like Garth Brooks playing baseball: sure he sold some tickets and it was fun to see him in the uniform, but once he picked up the glove or bat you know it wouldn’t be pretty.  Rather than singing from the diaphragm, he has a throaty, poppy voice that stands out badly with the rest of the brilliant cast.  But don’t let that stop you from checking this out because not only do you get Lea Salonga and Matt Lucas, but in the role of Jean Valjean is one of the most lovely voices I’ve ever heard, performed by opera sensation Alfie Boe.  A

Megamind
Rated PG for action and some language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Will Ferrell lets loose in this animated film about an evil mastermind who loves to do battle with his superhero nemesis, Metro Man.  But when he accidentally kills Metro Man, he discovers that his life is worthless without someone to battle.  While the film is kind of clever at times and Ferrell has his moments, the movie overall is pretty stale.  Maybe it’s because there was a movie about the bad guy earlier this year with Despicable Me.  Or maybe it was because it felt more like a lame parody than an original picture.  Whatever it was, the movie wasn’t as entertaining as I would have hoped.  That being said, Dreamworks crammed in the special features in on the blu-ray edition and you get a lot of bang for your buck with the set.  Also, I can see kids liking the film, although I would feel kind of weird with my young children singing the soundtrack that includes AC/DC, Ozzy and Guns N’ Roses.  C+

Fish Tank: The Criterion Collection
Unrated
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When an angry fifteen-year-old girl begins to fall for her young mother’s boyfriend, a twisted series of events changes her life.  This piece-of-English-life art film by Academy Award Winning short filmmaker Andrea Arnold shows a lot of Mike Leigh influence, and for most American audiences – that ain’t a good thing.  This is a tough, uncomfortable story that is engaging enough but relies more on in-your-face realism than a strong narrative.  I much prefer An Education which is very similar in theme to Fish Tank, but tells a better story where you actually feel empathy for your heroine rather than wishing she wouldn’t be such a screw up all of the time.  While this is one of the few Criterion titles that lacks a commentary, they did include some nice features including the director’s Oscar-winning short film Wasp.  B-

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Barney’s Version

Barney’s Version

Starring Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, and Rosamund Pike
Directed by Richard J. Lewis
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Appropriate for ages 17+

    The biggest shock of the Golden Globes wasn’t the insulting remarks by host Ricky Gervais, but rather the moment when Paul Giamatti won the Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.  I don’t consider it a shock because he didn’t deserve it, but rather because this little film has gone completely unnoticed and this was the only nomination Giamatti even received for the film.  So did he deserve it?  Absolutely.  This was easily one of the year’s greatest performances, and worthy of much more praise than it is receiving. 

    Barney’s Version follows Giamatti as Barney, an uber-blunt soap producer whose life’s journey is captured in two hours.  From his first wife to his second and onto the true love of his life, Barney, as a character, seems too over-the-top, but yet his story is so interesting that you can’t help but sit back and enjoy the ride. 

    Giving his best performance in perhaps over twenty years is Dustin Hoffman, who masterfully plays Barney’s father.  I find it even more sad that Hoffman was left off of the ballots this year for this stellar performance that is both touching and hilarious.  The rest of the cast, and especially Rosamund Pike as Barney’s third wife and Minnie Driver as his second, turn in impressive performances as well.

    While the acting here is certainly top notch, the screenplay by B-movie writer Michael Konyves allows for such tremendous performances to take place.  The rest of the production is strong also including the Oscar-nominated make-up job by Adrien Morot who does an impressive job of aging Giamatti and Pike into their senior years. 

    I believe that the chief reason this film is getting overlooked is that while the cast is huge and it is highly enjoyable, it is still considered an indie with a limited audience.  There could have been some huge buzz built up on this film and it might have had a nice box office return as well if someone at Sony Pictures Classics would have had faith in it as a potential earner.  But regardless of how much it earns, the movie comes across as a real gem and a very entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.  A