Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton star in “The Big Wedding.”
This week’s biggest home video releases have a lot of star power, but they are unfortunately light in more important areas.
Tag Archives: films
Video Verdict: ‘Oblivion,’ ‘Mud,’ ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’
Tom Cruise stars as Jack Harper in the science-fiction adventure “Oblivion.”
It’s an excellent week for home video, with three outstanding movies, including a big-budget science-fiction epic, making their way to the small screen.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’
Channing Tatum, left, and Dwayne Johnson play American soldiers in the action film “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”
It’s a slow week for home video, as the only major theatrical release moving to the small screen is an action film based on the G.I. Joe toy franchise.
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Video Verdict: ’42,’ ‘Evil Dead,’ ‘Bullet to the Head’
Chadwick Boseman plays baseball star Jackie Robinson in the sports drama “42.”
This week’s home video releases include a Sylvester Stallone action film, a horror-franchise reboot and an inspirational sports drama.
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Video Verdict: ‘The Host,’ ‘Admission,’ ‘The Gatekeepers’
In “Admission,” Tina Fey plays a Princeton University employee with the power to decide who does and does not get accepted to the top-notch school.
This week’s home video releases include a romantic comedy starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, an Oscar-nominated documentary and a science-fiction film about alien invaders.
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Video Verdict: ‘The House I Live In’
Director Eugene Jarecki’s documentary “The House I Live In” focuses on the War on Drugs, an ongoing effort that has resulted in about 45 million arrests.
Because of the holiday, no major theatrical releases migrated home video during the week of July 4. However, an exemplary documentary about the U.S. War on Drugs filled the void.
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Video Verdict: ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,’ ‘Phantom’
Steve Carell gets magical in “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.”
This week’s home video releases are anchored by a Cold War drama starring Ed Harris and a mainstream comedy featuring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey.
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Snapshot Review: ‘The Internship’
The Internship
3 stars (out of four)
Rated: PG-13 for sexuality, some crude humor, partying and language
Story: Two middle-aged salesmen (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) lose their jobs and try to reinvent themselves with internships at Google.
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi and Max Minghella
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Bottom line: The film takes product placement to a new level; as it is essentially a recruiting ad for Google. Get past that and it’s also a consistently funny comedy that benefits from the same winning chemistry that Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson displayed in “Wedding Crashers.”
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Video Verdict: ‘A Good Day to Die Hard,’ ‘Identity Thief,’ ‘Warm Bodies’
Melissa McCarthy (front) and Jason Bateman star in “Identity Thief.”
This week’s home video releases include an R-rated comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman, a new entry in the “Die Hard” franchise, and a charming zombie romance.
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Snapshot Review: ‘After Earth’
Will Smith, left, and his son, Jaden, star in Columbia Pictures’ “After Earth.”
AFTER EARTH
3½ stars (out of four)
Story: The events in “After Earth” take place in a distant future where human beings – having seriously damaged Earth – have been living on a different planet for centuries. During a routine military mission, a famous human general (Will Smith) and his 13-year-old son (Jaden Smith) crash land on the planet and must figure out how to survive amid dangerous creatures and a hostile physical landscape.
Starring: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Sophie Okonedo and Zoë Kravitz
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Bottom line: Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, who hadn’t made a truly great film since 2002, returns to form with this exciting and well-paced adventure. As with many science fiction efforts, there are flaws. For instance, the characters seem to possess only close-range weapons designed for hand-to-hand combat despite having the technology for intergalactic travel. Look beyond the flaws, however, and one uncovers a thrilling action movie that also has a lot to say about father-son relationships.
Filed under Snapshot Reviews
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