Keri Russell plays the mother of a family haunted by strange happenings in the horror film “Dark Skies.”
A horror film about malevolent aliens is the only major theatrical release moving to home video this week.
Tag Archives: films
Snapshot Reviews: ‘Fast & Furious 6’ and ‘Epic’
“Fast & Furious 6” makes its way into theaters today (May 24).
I’m introducing a new feature here at ForrestHartman.com: Snapshot reviews. Please note that I will still write long-form critiques for my Video Verdict column. These are designed to give readers a quick assessment of new movies. Hopefully you find them useful and fun.
FAST & FURIOUS 6
2½ stars
Story: Dominic Toretto and his crew team with U.S. agent Hobbs in order to capture a dangerous mercenary who is at skilled at motorized hijackings as they used to be. Sweetening the pot is the apparent appearance of Dom’s longtime love, Letty, a woman the whole crew thought was dead.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Gina Carano.
Directed by: Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow,” “Fast Five”)
Bottom line: The plotting is ridiculous and the dialogue is melodramatic, but the stunts are as good as they get.
EPIC
3½ stars
Story: Animated film about a teen girl who discovers a tiny world of forest creatures engaged in a constant battle between good and evil. When she is magically transported into their world, she goes on a fantastic adventure.
Voice cast features: Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce, Chris O’Dowd, Pitbull, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz and Jason Sudeikis
Directed by: Chris Wedge (“Ice Age,” “Robots”)
Bottom line: Beautiful 3-D animation coupled with a compelling story. The fantastic writing, and Wedge’s excellent execution, make this the best animated movie since “Rise of the Guardians.”
Filed under Snapshot Reviews
Video Verdict: ‘The Last Stand,’ ‘Parker,’ ‘Side Effects,’ ‘Beautiful Creatures’
Alden Ehrenreich, left, and Alice Englert play star-crossed lovers in “Beautiful Creatures.”
R-rated films, including action-adventure efforts from two big-name stars, dominate this week’s home video releases.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘The Guilt Trip,’ ‘Broken City’
Jennifer Lawrence, left, and Bradley Cooper star in the Oscar-nominated film “Silver Linings Playbook.”
A thriller featuring Mark Wahlberg, and a relationship drama that received eight Oscar nominations anchor this week’s home video releases.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘The Impossible,’ ‘Promised Land,’ ‘Gangster Squad,’ ‘A Haunted House’
Tom Holland, left, and Naomi Watts star in the disaster drama “The Impossible.”
After several slow weeks, the home video field is crowded once again. This week’s hefty slate of new releases includes a star-studded crime film, a lightweight horror spoof and a disaster movie that landed actress Naomi Watts her second Oscar nomination.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Django Unchained’
Christoph Waltz, left, and Jamie Foxx star in writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s stylized Western, “Django Unchained.” Both Tarantino and Waltz won Oscars for their work in the film: Waltz for best supporting actor and Tarantino for best original screenplay.
An Oscar-winning Western by writer-director Quentin Tarantino is the only major theatrical release making its way to home video this week.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’
Bill Murray plays US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in “Hyde Park on Hudson.”
It’s another slow week on home video with a lightweight historical drama being the most noteworthy new title.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn’
Nicole Kidman, left, plays Martha Gellhorn and Clive Owen plays Ernest Hemingway in the HBO movie based on their relationship, “Hemingway & Gellhorn.”
It’s a slow week for video, with no major theatrical releases making the transition to home viewing formats. Fortunately, an excellent HBO drama is available to fill the void.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Killing Them Softly,’ ‘Parental Guidance,’ ‘The Collection’
Daniel Day-Lewis won a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of the title character in director Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.”
This week’s home video releases are anchored by a terrific historical drama that was nominated for 12 Oscars, including best picture.
Filed under Video Verdict
Video Verdict: ‘Life of Pi,’ ‘Rise of the Guardians,’ ‘Hitchcock’
Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) and a fierce Bengal tiger named Richard Parker are forced to share a lifeboat in director Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi.”
This is an excellent week for home video, as the new releases include a top-notch animated movie, a solid biopic about director Alfred Hitchcock and a drama that won four Academy Awards.
Filed under Video Verdict
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