Tag Archives: reviews

A wealth of new titles hit video stores this week, including two of the best films from the first half of 2008.

Freddie Highmore in "The Spiderwick Chronicles."

In Bruges
4 stars
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use
Universal Studios
Available on: DVD
At the midpoint of 2008, this small but beautifully made film is the best picture to receive a theatrical release.

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as Ray and Ken, assassins who are ordered to take downtime in Bruges, Belgium, after botching a job in England. As writer-director Martin McDonagh unspools his clever plot, viewers learn that Ray — a fledgling hit man — is struggling to come to terms with his English debacle. Meanwhile, Ken — an aging veteran — is worried about what’s next.

Both men have reason for concern, as their hard-nosed boss (Ralph Fiennes) isn’t the type to tolerate mistakes, and he’s letting them sweat things out in the best-preserved Medieval city in Belgium. That means Ray and Ken spend their days sightseeing while their minds wander in anticipation.

The film is an oddball mix of dark humor, drama and action-violence, but McDonagh has so carefully crafted the feature that the parts gel beautifully. Like the best work of Quentin Tarantino, “In Bruges” is funny, poignant and just plain entertaining.

DVD extras include a making-of feature, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

 
The Spiderwick Chronicles
3 1/2 stars (out of four)
Rated PG for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements
Paramount
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
It’s not as remarkable as “In Bruges,” but “The Spiderwick Chronicles” also ranks among the best of 2008. Freddie Highmore is featured, in an amazing dual-role performance, as twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace.

When the Grace boys move from New York City to a country home with their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) and sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger), they discover a world of fanciful creatures living just beyond human perception. Trouble is, not all those creatures are friendly, and a particularly nasty ogre leads an assault against the children.

“Spiderwick” is often frightening, particularly for a PG-rated movie, but it’s also a terrific fantasy effort that can stand proudly alongside the Harry Potter franchise. Director Mark Waters and his crew did a great job with the special effects and the young cast is believable whether battling monsters or simply discovering the wonders of the strange new world surrounding them.

The movie is available in multiple versions, including a two-disc special edition. Extra features vary by release.

 
10,000 BC
2 stars
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence
Warner Brothers
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray

It’s not often that one gets to watch herds of wooly mammoths saunter across the screen, so “10,000 BC” has value in terms of spectacle. Look beyond the flash, however, and the picture derails.

The action centers on a prehistoric hunter named D’Leh (Steven Strait) who is forced to become a hero when his small tribe is attacked by marauders. They kidnap many of D’Leh’s people, including the woman he loves, Evolet (Camilla Belle). In hopes of freeing their friends, D’Leh and fellow hunters track the marauders across untamed lands.

The action sequences are decently staged, and the special effects are respectable, especially considering the grand scope of the film. Unfortunately, the relationships between characters — including that of D’Leh and Evolet — have little resonance.

DVD extras include an alternate ending and deleted scenes.

 
Definitely, Maybe
3 stars
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking
Universal Studios
Available on: DVD
Disturbed by her parents’ choice to get a divorce, Maya Hayes (Abigail Breslin) asks her father, Will (Ryan Reynolds), to detail his relationship with her mother. What follows is a complicated but extremely likable romantic story in which Will frankly recounts his romantic ups and downs with several women. The catch is, he uses assumed names for each of the ladies, so Maya — and audience members — have to guess which is her mother.

Reynolds and his leading ladies — Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Banks — turn in nice performances, and the plotting is smarter and considerably more entertaining than that of the average romantic comedy.

The movie is available in both widescreen and full screen DVD transfers, and extra features include making-of features, an audio commentary by Brooks and Reynolds, and deleted scenes.

 
The Hammer
3 stars
Rated R for brief language
Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD

Radio host and comedian Adam Carolla is the writer-producer-star of this underdog sports comedy. He plays Jerry “The Hammer” Ferro, a 40-year-old construction worker who loses his full-time job, becoming dependent on his part-time gig as a boxing coach. But what seems like bad luck, turns good when the middle-aged fighter — a former Golden Gloves slugger — is offered the opportunity to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

“The Hammer” could have become a typically sappy sports flick, but Carolla filled it with enough of his trademark humor to keep things fresh even when the plotting isn’t groundbreaking. Fans of the comic’s radio show should have a great time with the film, but his shtick is unique, so those on different bandwidths could be left cold.

Fan or not, Carolla is a likable screen presence, and “The Hammer” has more heart and creativity than much of what makes the multiplex circuit these days.

DVD extras include a commentary by Carolla and co-producer Kevin Hench, behind-the-scenes promotional bits, outtakes, deleted scenes and a photo gallery.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

“Charlie Bartlett”: Anton Yelchin stars as Charlie, a wealthy teen who becomes the self-appointed “psychiatrist” for his new high school. Robert Downey Jr., Kat Dennings and Hope Davis also star.

“Persepolis”: Oscar-nominated animated film that tells of an Iranian girl’s coming of age in a difficult political environment. Presented in multiple languages with subtitles when necessary.

“Honeydripper”: The owner of a 1950s juke joint (Danny Glover) teams with a hotshot guitar player in a desperate attempt to save his club. Written and directed by Academy Award nominee John Sayles.

“The Furies”: Director Anthony Mann’s 1950 melodrama starring Walter Huston as a wealthy ranch owner and Barbara Stanwyck as his impetuous daughter. Presented by the Criterion Collection.

“Before the Rain”: Multi-pronged story with elements of everything from political intrigue to romance. The film, released by the Criterion Collection, is noteworthy as the first made in the newly independent Republic of Macedonia.

“Futurama — The Beast With a Billion Backs”: Feature-length, direct-to-DVD movie featuring characters from the animated television series.

Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson in "Jumper."

This week’s new video releases offer something for everyone, including a touching drama by two of America’s most-loved actors and a tasteless comedy from its prime purveyor of blue-collar humor.

 
The Bucket List
4 stars (out of four)
Rated PG-13 for language, including a sexual reference
Warner Brothers
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play Edward Cole and Carter Chambers, aging men who discover that they’re dying of cancer and decide to go out with a bang. Despite vast differences in personality and background — Cole is a health-care tycoon and Chambers an auto mechanic — they make a pact to fulfill their dying wishes together.

Chambers is the sentimental sort, and his bucket list — things he wants to do before kicking the bucket — includes intangibles such as “see something majestic.” But Cole is into more materialistic experiences like skydiving, racing cars and great meals. Together, they’re a fine pair, and they change each others lives profoundly.

During it’s theatrical run, “The Bucket List” was criticized for being sentimental and manipulative, and it is those things. But I don’t have a problem being manipulated when a story is good and told with the type of conviction that director Rob Reiner offers here. It’s also tough to beat a movie featuring great outings from two of America’s most talented and charismatic actors.

DVD extras include an interview with writer Justin Zackham and John Mayer’s “Say” music video.

Jumper
2 1/2 stars
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality
20th Century Fox
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
If it weren’t for an ending that lacks all closure, “Jumper” would be a decent action film. The story is built around David Rice (Hayden Christensen), a young man who discovers he has the ability to transport himself anywhere in the world … as long as he’s been there at least once before. This, of course, opens the door to a unique lifestyle, as David is capable of lifting money from banks and traveling the world in the blink of an eye.

The catch is that there are other jumpers in the world, and a super-secret society of people — known as Paladins — have made a mission of killing them. David learns this when he meets a fellow jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell) while trying to show the Roman Coliseum to the love of his life, Millie (Rachel Bilson).

Rapidly, “Jumper” becomes a cat-and-mouse adventure as David and Griffin combat a lethal group of Paladins led by a nasty fellow named Roland (Samuel L. Jackson). The special effects are outstanding and director Doug Liman does a nice job with the action sequences, but there’s nothing deep or important about the film. Still, it is pretty entertaining right up until the conclusion, when things wrap so quickly and with so many cliffhangers that it feels like the first installment of a three-part miniseries. Sequel anyone?

The movie is available on two-disc and single-disc editions. Extras vary by release, but both versions have an audio commentary, and several making-of shorts.

Funny Games
No stars
Rated R for terror, violence and some language
Warner Bothers
Available on: DVD
Supposedly, writer-director Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games” is an artsy exploration of the way violence is depicted in our society, but the project is so morally bankrupt that it doesn’t deserve that sort of credit, let alone an audience.

A remake of Haneke’s 1997, foreign version of the movie, the story is centered on an upper-class family taken hostage in their country vacation home. Naomi Watts is Ann, the family matriarch, Tim Roth is her husband, George, and Devon Gearhart is their son, Georgie.

Each cast member is a fine performer, which makes it all the more horrific to watch them undergo the horrors they endure when two white-gloved psychopaths (Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet) take over their home.

The movie may pretend to be an examination of violence, but the safe bet is most people who watch and enjoy it will get off purely on the suspense and adrenaline rush that comes from viewing the torture of the three family members. If Haneke actually believes the majority of filmgoers are taking more from his film, he is sadly mistaken. There is nothing funny or rewarding about his mess of a movie.

The DVD has no extra features.

Witless Protection
1 star
Rated PG-13 for crude and sex-related humor
Lionsgate
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
The world didn’t need another Larry the Cable Guy comedy, but writer-director Charles Robert Camer didn’t ask the world before charging forward with this ridiculously unfunny and sloppily produced picture.

It’s safe to say nobody other than Larry’s fans will want to watch this picture, but even fans will have to endure glaring continuity errors, rushed storytelling and poorly defined characters. Larry stars as Deputy Larry Stalder a small-town law man who dreams of one day joining the FBI.

When a beautiful woman (Ivana Milicevic) rolls into town accompanied by several men in black suits and shades, he assumes that she has been kidnapped. So, he nabs her and takes her into protective custody.

When Larry learns that she is due to testify in a high-profile criminal case in Chicago, he decides that he’s going to deliver her personally, even though she tells him that she was already in FBI custody. The plot gets increasingly convoluted, but further explanation is pointless, as Camer doesn’t unfold his tale with much grace or humor.

Throw in a handful of racist and otherwise offensive one-liners and you have a pretty good idea of what “Witless Protection” is about. In other words, the film doesn’t Git-R-Done.

The movie is available in both full screen and widescreen editions, and extra features include a few shorts on the making of the film.

Sidekick
3 stars
Unrated
Warner Brothers
Available on: DVD
Typically, this column sticks to the mainstream, but now and again it’s nice to watch a film made outside the Hollywood system to see what ambitious filmmakers are doing with perseverance and guts alone. It’s also nice to see what they can do without the seemingly endless flow of cash powering most mainstream flicks.

For “Sidekick,” an independently financed Canadian superhero movie, the budget was well below $50,000, and it shows. But that doesn’t ruin the experience. Although “Sidekick” lacks polish, production value and high-end acting talent, it has a lot of heart and, more importantly, a good story compliments of writer-producer Michael Sparaga.

The feature centers on Norman Neale (Perry Mucci), a nerdy computer tech who discovers that one of his co-workers has telekinetic abilities. Because he’s obsessed by comic books, and because he’s a generally nice guy, Norman approaches said co-worker, a handsome salesman named Victor (David Ingram), about refining his power.

At first Victor is reluctant, but it’s not long before he and Norman are engaging in nightly training sessions. When it becomes clear that Victor could do immense good with his abilities, Norman tries to convince him to become a costumed hero. But Norman is disappointed to learn that Victor isn’t as altruistic as he would like.

Because “Sidekick’s” shoestring budget is obvious, the film won’t be for everyone, but there are rewards for superhero fans who can look beyond the surface.

DVD extras include a filmmakers commentary, deleted scenes, cast and crew interviews, and outtakes.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

The Other Boleyn Girl: Historical drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as Mary and Anne Boleyn, sisters competing for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) of England.

John Adams: HBO miniseries starring Paul Giamatti as America’s second president. Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, David Morse and Sarah Polley also star.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad: Documentary about the struggles of an Iraqi heavy metal quartet trying to stay viable despite the war-time violence surrounding it.

Will Ferrell lines up a shot in "Semi-Pro."

There’s plenty of variety in this week’s DVD crop with a Will Ferrell comedy, a Jessica Alba thriller and a goofy parody of “300” competing for viewer attention.

Semi-Pro
2 stars (out of four)
Available unrated and in the theatrical cut, which was rated R for language and some sexual content
New Line
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray

Will Ferrell has leveled his comedic sites on anchormen, NASCAR drivers and figure skaters, so he probably saw basketball as the next logical step. It wasn’t.

Although Ferrell is an immensely likable comic, he is at the mercy of his material, and the screenplay for “Semi-Pro” didn’t do him any favors. He plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit pop singer who traded the earnings from his music career for ownership of an American Basketball Association team. This is professional sports at its least romantic, meaning Jackie is not only the team owner, but the coach, dance team choreographer and power forward. Despite the multifaceted role, he keeps things rolling with clever promotions and sheer willpower … until it’s announced that the ABA is about to fold.

Jackie is devastated, but when he learns that the National Basketball Association will absorb the ABA’s four top teams, he sees a glimmer of hope. Trading a washing machine for an aging, former-NBA guard named Monix (Woody Harrelson), Jackie assembles what he believes will be his championship team. The only thing left is for the ragtag group of players to actually win.

“Semi-Pro” has moments but they don’t appear as consistently as in the recent Farrell comedies “Blades of Glory” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” What’s more, Ferrell’s typically raucous comedy is even cruder than usual thanks to “Semi-Pro’s” release into theaters with an R rating. Crude can be humorous, but the off-color gags in “Semi-Pro” were designed primarily for shock value. In other words, “Semi-Pro” is only semi-funny.

The movie is available on two-disc and single-disc editions. The latter contains only the R-rated cut of the film, while the two-disc version has the R-rated cut, an unrated version and a digital copy for mobile devices.

The Eye
2 1/2 stars
Rated PG-13 for violence/terror and disturbing content.
Lionsgate
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray

Thought we’d seen the last American remake of an Asian horror film? Think again.

Because fresh ideas are at a premium, Hollywood studios continue to mine foreign markets for the next big idea, and that means movies like “The Eye.” Adapted from the Hong Kong picture “Jian Gui,” the film tells the story of Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba), a blind musician whose vision is restored by a corneal transplant. Since she’s been blind for decades, the emergence of a new sense is startling, and her discomfort is amplified when she begins seeing things that nobody else does.

At first, Sydney’s visions are chalked up to hallucinations, but she quickly realizes they are actually glimpses into the supernatural world. Directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud do a respectable job building tension and intrigue in the first couple acts, but the ending is so flat that it undermines the entire project.

The film is available on a single-disc release and as a two-disc special edition containing a digital copy of the film. Extra features vary by edition.

Meet the Spartans
1/2 star
Available unrated and in the theatrical cut, which was rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language and some comic violence
20th Century Fox
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray

For a parody film to work, it has to be nearly as smart as the movies it’s satirizing, but “Meet the Spartans” is about as intelligent as gasoline is affordable.

Using the plotting of “300,” writers/directors Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg (“Date Movie,” “Epic Movie”) poke merciless fun at all things pop culture, including Budweiser commercials, Paris Hilton and “Spider-Man 3.” In fact, they’ve packed so many gags into their sub-80-minute feature that the odds favor at least some of them being good. Don’t let that fool you.

Despite decent production design and a competent technical crew, Seltzer and Friedberg have crafted a movie that is virtually laugh-free. “Meet the Spartans” is so unfunny , in fact, that it’s difficult to imagine anyone agreeing to finance it.

Not only is the screenplay terrible but the biggest names in the feature are Carmen Electra, who simply has to look hot, and Diedrich Bader, who was far better as Oswald on “The Drew Carey Show.” Since neither star is fighting off roles in prestige films, the “Spartans” paycheck probably looked good. Something had to.

The film is available in two different versions, one unrated and the other containing the PG-13 theatrical cut. Extra features vary by edition.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show: As Vaughn, star of “Wedding Crashers” and “Swingers,” tours the country performing with other comedians, the camera captures the action.

Flawless: Thriller starring Demi Moore and Michael Caine as put-upon London Diamond working bees who decide to relieve their company of its treasure. Directed by Michael Radford (“Il Postino”).

The Onion Movie: The newspaper famous for parodying current events brings its satirical look at the world to film with a direct-to-DVD effort that … well … parodies current events.

Mama’s Boy: Jon Heder stars as a man who is happily living at home with mother (Diane Keaton) until she brings home a new boyfriend (Jeff Daniels).

Mannix — Season One: The long-running drama starring Mike Connors as detective Joe Mannix gets its DVD debut.

Control: Feature film detailing the tragic life story of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis. Sam Riley and Samantha Morton star.