Tag Archives: reviews

This week’s DVD releases are anchored by the return of Rambo, the emotionally scarred Vietnam veteran who loves to wreak havoc on his enemies. But if action flicks aren’t your thing, you can choose between two understated and beautifully acted dramas.

 

Rambo
2 1/2 stars (out of four)
Rated R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language
Lionsgate
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
First, Sylvester Stallone revitalized Rocky Balboa by bringing the aging fighter back after 16 years of silver screen retirement. Now, he’s done the same for John Rambo, the American super soldier who has been missing in action for two decades.

Stallone wore many hats for “Rambo,” serving not only as the star but as director and co-writer, but the character revival wasn’t entirely successful because Stallone ramped up the violence and gore to ridiculous levels. This was an unfortunate choice because as a pure action film, “Rambo” has merit.

The film is set in the recent past, with Rambo living in Thailand and making a living as a river boat pilot and snake wrangler. He’s happily minding his own business when a group of Christian missionaries ask him to transport them into Burma, better known today as Myanmar. At first, Rambo refuses because the country’s military leadership is at war with rebel fighters, but a pretty missionary named Sarah (Julie Benz) convinces him to make the trip.

Of course, Sarah and her party are taken captive by the military government, prompting Rambo to go on a rescue mission with a group of mercenaries hired by her church. From that point forward, the movie is little more than a fast-paced shoot ’em up and, as such, it’s fairly entertaining. Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding the cringe factor that comes with exploding heads and severed limbs.

The DVD is available in a variety of versions including full-screen and widescreen single-disc editions and a two-disc special edition. Extra features vary, but the special edition and Blu-ray discs contain an audio commentary by Stallone, deleted scenes and six shorts on the making of the film. Fans of the franchise can also purchase Rambo: The Complete Collector’s Set, a six-disc boxed collection containing “Rambo” and the three prior movies.

 

Grace is Gone
3 stars
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, brief strong language and teen smoking
The Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD
John Cusack turns in a heartbreaking performance as Stanley Phillips, a conservative store manager who goes into shock when he learns that his wife, Grace, has been killed in the Iraq war. Unsure how to tell his two young daughters, Heidi (Shelan O’keefe) and Dawn (Gracie Bednarczyk), he whisks them away on a trip to a Florida amusement park.

Most of the film is spent dealing with Stanley’s internal struggle, as he mourns privately while trying to avoid breaking the devastating news to his children. Heidi, the older of the two girls, realizes that something is wrong but doesn’t have enough information to put the puzzle together.

Although the film is only 85 minutes long, director James C. Strouse occasionally lets the storytelling drag, primarily because it’s focused so tightly on a confined moment in the characters’ lives. But that’s nitpicking. Overall, “Grace is Gone” is a wonderfully acted and emotionally poignant story about grief, loss and the sometimes-ugly responsibilities of parenthood.

DVD extras include a couple short features on the making of the film and a profile on the military’s Tragedy Assistance Program, which is designed to help families deal with the loss of a loved one.

 

Cassandra’s Dream
3 stars
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexual material and brief violence
The Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD
Writer-director Woody Allen delivered one of the finest films of 2005 in the thriller “Match Point,” and he sticks with the same genre for “Cassandra’s Dream.”

Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play brothers who, finding themselves in severe financial distress, agree to commit murder for their wealthy uncle (Tom Wilkinson) in return for his help. But the film isn’t about the crime so much as the brothers’ struggle to come to terms with what they are about to do.

McGregor and Farrell are terrific and they have exceptional chemistry, but the film bogs at points, easing the tension and making things less suspenseful than would desire. Still, the excellent acting, coupled with Allen’s smart script and smooth direction, make the film worth watching.

The DVD contains no extra features.

 

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Darfur Now: Writer-director Ted Braun points his camera at Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, where violence and death have become the norm. The film follows six people, including actor Don Cheadle, who are working to make a difference in the region.

The Thief of Bagdad: The Criterion Collection has given this 1940 adventure classic a deluxe treatment with a new digital transfer of the film, audio commentaries from film experts and a second disc devoted solely to extra features. The film, inspired by “The Arabian Nights,” won Oscars for art direction, cinematography and special effects.

Holocaust: This Emmy Award-winning, 1976 miniseries follows a Jewish family’s struggle to survive during World War II. Meryl Streep, James Woods and Michael Moriarity star.

Cleaner: Direct-to-DVD release starring Samuel L. Jackson as a former cop who makes his living sterilizing crime scenes. But, after cleaning up the remains of a grisly murder, he discovers he may have unknowingly participated in a cover-up. Also stars Ed Harris and Eva Mendes.

Lipstick Jungle — Season One: Based on a book by “Sex and the City” author Candace Bushnell, this NBC comedy-drama follows the exploits of three high-profile businesswomen. Brooke Shields, Kim Raver and Lindsay Price star.

Only one of this week’s video releases — “National Treasure 2” — is big in stature, but there are plenty of smaller films to fill the gaps, including a new adventure from horror master George A. Romero.

 

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
2 stars (out of four)
Rated PG for some violence and action
Walt Disney Video
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
The first “National Treasure” film felt like an ill-conceived attempt to capitalize on “Da Vinci Code” fever, so it’s no surprise that part two is pretty dull.

Nicolas Cage returns as treasure hunter Ben Gates, who is forced to look into the Abraham Lincoln assassination when a mysterious man named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) asserts that Ben’s great grandfather was a conspirator. This, of course, leads to a lengthy treasure hunt that has Ben, his assistant Riley (Justin Bartha), his father (Jon Voight), and his girlfriend (Diane Kruger) deciphering historical documents and traveling the world. Because Ben lacks common sense, his adventures even lead him to kidnap the president of the United States and break into Buckingham Palace.

The movie has moments, including some decent action sequences and impressive set pieces, but it ultimately feels like a stale rip off of the Indiana Jones franchise.

“Book of Secrets” is available in a single-disc version and as a two-disc collector’s edition. Extra features vary by release, but both versions have an audio commentary by director Jon Turteltaub and Voight.

 
George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead
2 1/2 stars
Rated R for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language
The Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD

Romero, master of the zombie film, continues the franchise he started in 1968 with “Night of the Living Dead.” This time, he allows a group of film students to document what happens when corpses begin coming back to life and attempting to eat the living. The entire movie is presented “Cloverfield”- and “Blair Witch Project”-style, with the footage supposedly shot by the actual character.

In typical Romero fashion, “Diary” is extremely gory, with heads splitting open, eyeballs exploding and characters being eaten from start to the finish. That said, it’s also a little goofy, as the director often pauses for dark comedy and political statements about everything from the mainstream media to the degradation of American moral values.

Because of the in-your-face gore and general campiness of the presentation, mainstream viewers will want to steer clear, but horror fans — particularly Romero devotees — should find this diary compelling.

DVD extras include some making-of features and a commentary by Romero, director of photography Adam Swica and editor Michael Doherty. The Weinstein Company is also rolling out a remastered, 40th anniversary DVD of “Night of the Living Dead.” It is available separately and makes a nice companion to “Diary.”

 
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

“Strange Wilderness”: Steve Zahn plays Peter Gaulke, the host of a wildlife show with failing ratings. In hopes of picking up viewers, he decides to go in search of Bigfoot, accompanied by a crew of goofballs played by Allen Covert, Jonah Hill and Justin Long.

“Company”: Video of the Tony Award-winning, 2006 revival of composer Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Company.” This production originally aired as part of the “Great Performances” series on PBS.

“Cranford”: Five-episode BBC drama adapted from writer Mary Gaskell’s works about 19th-century British life. Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Simon Woods, Lisa Dillon and Imelda Staunton star.

“The Muppet Show” — The Complete Third Season: The titles says it all. Twenty-four episodes of Muppet mania for folks who loved the 1970s-’80s show. Guest stars include Sylvester Stallone, Raquel Welch and Liberace.

“Hamburger Hill” — 20th Anniversary Edition: Re-release of director John Irvin’s chronicle of the brutal, Vietnam War battle for Hill 937.

“Operation Homecoming: Stories From the Heart”: Documentary film about U.S. soldiers wrapping up their tours in Iraq and returning to life in the U.S.

This week’s major video releases include an ill-advised thriller and an unfunny comedy, so it’s a good thing Denzel Washington saved the day with his latest directorial effort.

 

The Great Debaters
3½ stars (out of four)
Rated PG-13 for depictions of strong thematic material including violence and disturbing images, and for language and brief sexuality
The Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD
Denzel Washington’s second film as a director is nearly as good as his first, “Antwone Fisher.” And that’s saying something because “Fisher” was one of the best offerings of 2002.

With “The Great Debaters,” Washington tells the story of all-black Wiley College’s award-winning, 1935 debate team. Segregation was the rule in the Jim Crowe South, and the movie looks at both the debate team’s struggle to find white schools willing to compete against it and at the living conditions of black Americans in the 1930s.

Along with directing, Washington stars as the team leader, poet and professor Melvin B. Tolson. He’s a charismatic man who is able to get the most out of his students, but he’s also a rebel who spends his nights working to help sharecroppers unionize. This puts him on the wrong side of the law and also places his students in danger.

“The Great Debaters” works well as an underdog sports movie – if debating can be considered a sport – but because it also looks at racial issues, it’s deeper than most films of that genre. Plus, the movie is extremely well-acted. Washington is joined by Forest Whitaker and lesser-knowns Denzel Whitaker (no relation to Forest), Nate Parker and Jurnee Smollett.

The movie is available as a single-disc release and as a two-disc special collector’s edition. As would be expected, the extras vary drastically depending on the version, but both releases include a making-of feature and two music videos.

 
Untraceable
2 stars (out of four)
Rated R for some prolonged sequences of strong gruesome violence, and language
Sony Pictures
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray
Presumably, “Untraceable” was designed to make Americans address the increasingly blurred line between entertainment and violence, as it focuses on a serial killer who broadcasts his murders on the internet, allowing traffic to his Web site to determine how fast the victims die. In one situation, for instance, he places a man beneath a host of sun lamps in front of a Web cam. The more people who log on to watch the man die, the hotter the lamps get.

Sadly, director Gregory Hoblit spends so much time with each gruesome scenario that rather than calling attention to a cultural sickness, he actually sells the idea that violence is entertaining.

That’s too bad because the picture is relatively well-acted, with Diane Lane playing Jennifer Marsh, the head of an FBI cyber crime unit that is trying to find the tech-savvy killer before he claims more victims. Also turning in nice performances are Joseph Cross, as the killer, and Colin Hanks, as one of Jennifer’s FBI associates.

Aside from a melodramatic ending, the movie’s plotting is smart, and Hoblit paces things relatively well. Had he spent less time on the graphic depiction of murders, the film might have been worthwhile. But, as presented, it feels like a snuff show.

DVD extras include a commentary with several of the filmmakers and four features on the making of the picture.

 
Mad Money
1 star (out of four)
Rated PG-13 for sexual material and language, and brief drug references
Anchor Bay
Available on: DVD
Diane Keaton is a great actress, but she doesn’t always deliver great movies. Think back to a couple of her biggest failures, “The First Wives Club” and “Hanging Up,” and you’ve got an idea how disappointing “Mad Money” is.

Keaton plays Bridget Cardigan, an upper-class lady who faces losing her home and plush lifestyle when her husband (Ted Danson) gets downsized. To help pay the bills, she goes to work as a janitor at the Federal Reserve Bank and quickly hatches a plan to rob it.

It’s surprisingly easy for her to recruit accomplices, one a hard-working single mother whose job is shredding “worn out” cash (Queen Latifah), and the other a young wife (Katie Holmes) who moves carts of old money from place to place.

The heist portion of the film is inventive and well-executed, but just about everything else is dull. Keaton’s and Holmes’ characters don’t even resemble real people, yet the film isn’t a particularly broad comedy. What’s more, director Callie Khouri (“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”) doesn’t spend a moment building camaraderie between the three leads.

Don’t waste your money, mad or otherwise.

DVD extras include a commentary by Khouri and a behind-the-scenes feature.

 
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Indiana Jones – The Adventure Collection:  To cash in on the May 22 release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” Paramount has rolled out new DVD versions of the three previous Indy movies, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Temple of Doom” and “Last Crusade.” They can be purchased in a boxed set or individually.

“Youth Without Youth”: Unusual, new drama by director Francis Ford Coppola. The film tells the story of an elderly man (Tim Roth) who is struck by lighting and begins to age in reverse.

“Two and a Half Men” – The Complete Third Season: More sitcom hijinks from Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, who play Charlie and Alan, brothers of drastically different personalities living together and raising Alan’s young son.

“Mission Impossible” – The Fourth TV Season: If Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible” movies have fogged your memories of the 1960s-’70s television show that inspired them, this set could bring everything back into focus.

“Saturday Night Live” – The Complete Third Season: Hours of sketches from classic “SNL” personalities, including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray.

“The Lovers”: Director Louis Malle’s 1958, French drama starring Jeanne Moreau as a housewife who leaves her husband and lover for a younger man. It is being released in French with English subtitles by the Criterion Collection.

“The Fire Within”: Also released by the Criterion Collection and also directed by Louis Malle this dark, French drama tells the story of a despondent writer (Maurice Ronet) who decides to reconnect with old friends before ending it all.

Not much good news to report on the home video front this week. Although we have a healthy crop of mainstream titles, none of them are particularly inventive or engaging.

 
P.S. I Love You
2½ stars (out of four)
Rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity.
Warner Home Video
Available on: DVD, Blu-ray

You know a film has troubles when its most likable character kicks the bucket in the first act. So, when Gerry Kennedy (Gerard Butler) dies in “P.S. I Love You,” the warning sirens start screeching.

Butler is a charming actor, and it’s fun to watch him on screen, but “P.S.” is built around the fact that Gerry must die. The premise is such: Before exiting, Gerry sets up an elaborate plan allowing his wife, Holly (Hilary Swank), to receive notes from him after he’s gone. It’s a sweet concept, and sentimental viewers will find themselves wiping away a few tears as Holly receives one letter after another from her dead husband.

Unfortunately, there’s no getting away from the schmaltz that accompanies this story and, even worse, there are a number of sketchy performances. Swank is solid, although not at her best, but Nellie McKay is unbelievably bad as her sister, Ciara. Add to this an uneven performance from Harry Connick Jr. – as a befuddled bartender – and even the great Kathy Bates can’t turn things around.

Too bad because the movie has romantic moments and its heart is certainly in the right place.

DVD extras include a short about adapting the Cecelia Ahern novel into this film, a collection of deleted scenes and a James Blunt music video.

 
Over Her Dead Body
1 star
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language
New Line Home Entertainment
Available on: DVD

Eva Longoria Parker may be one of the best parts of the television show “Desperate Housewives,” but that doesn’t mean her film career is going to catch fire. In fact, if she uses “Over Her Dead Body” as a calling card, it might just croak.

In the film, she plays Kate, a screechy, unlikable bridezilla who is crushed by an ice sculpture on her wedding day. The film doesn’t do much to build on the relationship she had with her much more charismatic fiance, Henry (Paul Rudd), but we are led to believe that he is devastated. So devastated that he reluctantly agrees to see a psychic named Ashley (Lake Bell) who is supposed to contact Kate’s ghost and help him move on.

Ashley is game, mostly because she wants Henry to move on into her bedroom, but things get complicated when Kate’s ghost doesn’t play along. Dead or not, she wants Henry all to herself, so she starts haunting Ashley, who is the only human who can see her.

What follows is a lengthy supernatural catfight that isn’t the least bit funny or entertaining, especially when coupled with a lame subplot involving Ashley’s possibly gay catering partner, Dan (Jason Biggs).

For the record, Biggs is the best part of the movie, but that’s something like saying fire is the best part of Hell.

The DVD doesn’t come with extra features, which is just as well, as the film isn’t recommended for anyone with a pulse.

 
I’m Not There
2½ stars
Rated R for language, some sexuality and nudity
The Weinstein Company
Available on: DVD
Writer-Director Todd Haynes’ meditation on the many aspects of musician Bob Dylan’s life is both fascinating and frustrating.

The concept – using six actors to portray the different sides of Dylan – is genius, and it offers an unusual and compelling look at the man’s extraordinary career and the mythology surrounding it. Unfortunately, the film’s pieces don’t blend into a satisfying whole, leaving audiences with good moments but an experience that is disjointed overall.

In an attempt to reduce audience confusion, Haynes gives each actor who portrays Dylan a different character name. That allows them to be viewed as separate characters, but it will be obvious to Dylan fans that they are all part of the musician’s whole.

“I’m Not There” garnered a good deal of acclaim when it was released into theaters, even earning a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for Cate Blanchett, who plays Dylan at the height of his career. Her performance is decent, but in my mind the Oscar nod was a result of voters wowed only by the fact that she played a man. Surely, she was no better than her co-stars, including Ben Whishaw, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin and the late Heath Ledger.

“I’m Not There” may prove a pleasant distraction for moviegoers who enjoy abstract works, like those of filmmaker David Lynch. But those who prefer entertainment that takes a mainstream course will be better off looking elsewhere.

The movie was released on a two-disc collector’s edition that includes a commentary by Haynes, on-screen song lyrics, deleted scenes, outtakes, footage from the film’s premiere and a still gallery.

 
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

“First Sunday”: Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan play petty thugs who decide to rob a church to solve their money problems. Of course, the heist goes bad and they are forced to re-examine the direction their lives have taken.

“Bella”: Independent drama about a former soccer star and New York City waitress who connect in an unexpected, but mutually beneficial, manner. The film won the People’s Choice Award at the 2007 Toronto International film Festival.

“Teeth”: Horror-comedy about a teen girl named Dawn (Jess Weixler) who discovers she has a toothed vagina that can be put to good use when she’s a victim of sexual violence. Written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein.

“A Collection of 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films”: Terrific collection boasting all the films nominated for best live action short at this years Oscar celebration, plus three of the five shorts nominated in the animation category. Both winners, “The Mozart of Pickpockets” (live action) and “Peter & the Wolf” (animated), are included.

“Speed Racer – The Next Generation”: New animated series based on the 1967 Japanese cartoon about high tech racing. This show was made in the U.S. and focuses on a boy who is son to the original Speed. It’s being released now to promote and cash in on the live-action “Speed Racer” film, which opens May 9.

“Crossing Jordan” – Season 1: Fans of this TV drama, about a coroner (Jill Hennessy) who solves crimes, can finally sit down with all 23 of the first season episodes.

“The 4400” – The Fourth Season: Final season of the USA Network show about 4,400 people who were mysteriously abducted and then returned to Earth in a single swoop.

“Bewitched” – The Complete Sixth Season: This season of the popular TV comedy about a mortal man married to a witch (Elizabeth Montgomery) will always be remembered for its historic casting change. Dick Sargent replaced Dick York as Darrin – the mortal – changing the feel of the show forever.