John C. Reiley and Sarah Silverman star in the video game bonanza, Wreck-It-Ralph. Courtesy of Disney Pictures
Who remembers the original gaming consoles like ColecoVision, Atari, Nintendo, Sega Master System, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, etc…? For many boys, and a fair number of girls, video games and the characters we battled were a vital source of our entertainment during childhood. Reminiscent of Toy Story, Disney Animation’s latest feature, Wreck-It Ralph, brings an old fantasy to life: What happens to the video game characters when we aren’t playing with them?
Wreck-It Ralph tells the story of a gigantic video game baddy who tires of his thankless existence and ventures off into other games to find his heroic moment.
Let’s make something clear right away, this movie will be a hit. The incredible story will push all the right buttons and keep you locked in for the journey. Writers Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnston manage a near flawless story arch, with intricate twists and lovable characters. The only downside to their script is the lack of humor. There are a decent amount of jokes, but also a lot of missed opportunities and jokes that fell flat.
Casting was solid in this film. John C. Reilly (Ralph) and Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz) are great together, as is the rest of the cast. The benefit of the actors recording their dialogue together, as opposed to the norm of doing them individually really shows.
You’ll definitely want to pay extra for the 3D option that will be sure to take you on an immersive roller coaster ride.
Bottom Line: Ralph and Vanellope’s story will touch your heart, while the pedal-to-the-metal action will rock your world.
The Great Mouse Detective is available on Blu Ray + DVD on Oct. 9, 2012. Courtesy of Disney Films
Between 1958-1982, Eve Titus parodied the greatest fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, into a mouse named Basil Rathbone for a series of children novels. His success in making the adult detective series accessible to youngsters led to Disney’s adaptation The Great Mouse Detective.
In this rodent based adaptation, Basil and Dr. Dawson (a parody of Dr. Watson) track down the notorious Professor Ratigan in order to prevent him from committing a heinous crime against the Royalty of Victorian England.
What’s really astonishing about this film is how they’ve retained the original character traits of the base characters, while adding whimsical nuances to entertain younger generations. Disney did a fantastic job of allowing the sophisticated detective genius from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work to shine through, all the while interweaving a daring adventure for younger audiences.
Twenty-six years after its theatrical release, Disney has completely restored both the original film and its audio track for the Blu Ray + DVD release. On top of that, they’ve included some special features worth checking out. “So You Think You Can Sleuth” is entertaining and educational to both children and adults. This featurette looks at the history of crime solvers and provides a lighthearted wrongdoing for the audience to take a stab at solving. There’s also The Making Of The Great Mouse Detective and “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” Sing-A-Long Song.
Bottom Line: This mousy mystery is timeless and definitely worth owning on Blu Ray.
Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins star in the Blu Ray release of John Carter. Courtesy of Disney Pictures
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ magazine serials from the early 1900’s hit cinemas earlier this year in the form of John Carter. Unfortunately, the film was completely ill-advertised and suffered a disastrous box office run. Hopefully more people are willing to give this fantasy/sci-fi adventure a chance when it’s released on Blu Ray today.
The movie tells the story of Civil War veteran John Carter’s unwitting transport to Mars, discovering a race of human and alien life forms at war.
Academy Award winning writer/director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) does a good job with his first foray into live action cinema. He creates a good balance between drama and action, with neither element overpowering the other – Unlike a hollow blockbuster. To be honest, this isn’t his best work, but there’s enough substance in the story to keep the audience eagerly intrigued.
This is Taylor Kitsch’s first time as a lead in a film with such a vast budget (estimated at $250 million… Not exactly pocket change). Kitsch did a great job as the leading man, showing a good range of emotion as well as a much appreciated knack for slap-stick comedy. The rest of the cast felt solid, but never outstanding.
For Blu Ray + DVD release, Disney has included a stout amount of special features for fans to explore. Among these are Disney’s interactive Second Screen feature that allows you to connect with a computer or tablet for additional viewing pleasure, Deleted Scenes, Barsoon Bloopers, 360 Degrees Of John Carter featurette, 100 Years in the Making featurette, and a feature length commentary with the director and producers.
On top of that wallop of special features, the movie itself looks and sounds fantastic.
Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of the film or looking for something different to watch, this movie will provide a ride you’re sure to enjoy.
Liam Neeson battles the cold wilderness in The Grey. Courtesy of eOne Films
Liam Neeson has proven to be quite the box office draw in the last few years. In fact, movies he has a bit part in will feature him prominently in the trailer (Battleship). It is true however, that he has chosen some solid parts and delivered performances to warrant this attention. The Grey proves to be one more stepping stone to greater acclaim for Mr. Neeson.
The Grey tells the story of a plane filled with rough lumber workers crashing into a snow-ridden wilderness with only a handful of survivors left to fight the harsh conditions and a unique pack of territorial wolves.
What makes this an incredible film is the development of the misfit characters who feel remarkably real thanks to fantastic performances from its cast, including Liam Neeson, Dallas Roberts, Frank Grillo and Dermot Mulroney.
Joe Carnahan with Ian Mackenzie wrote the screenplay wielding an unforgiving world and crafted the characters credible backgrounds, making this more than your basic survival movie. Carnahan’s direction adds an immense level of tension and suspense, which had me propped up on the edge of my seat, even during my second viewing.
For the home release, the audio and video quality has its ups and downs. The audio is very immersive, but the video featured obvious added grain, which was distracting at first. Once you get past it, you tend to ignore its intrusion.
The special feature set isn’t bountiful and features some poor additions. The six deleted scenes are interesting, while two of the three featurettes felt more like advertisements than a means to deliver more insight into the making of the movie. There are also Clips, the kind you see when an actor is being interviewed about the movie they’re starring in, and horribly constructed Interviews with the cast and director. The Audio Commentary features the director and editors providing insights on the process of making the movie while they sip on scotch.
Not a bad way to enjoy this amazing movie.
Bottom Line: The main feature is worth every penny, but don’t expect too much from the extras.
John Tui, Taylor Kitsch, and Rihanna star in Battleship. Courtesy of Universal Pictures
For the past two decades, Michael Bay has been “King of the explosion”, “Master of destruction”, “Terror to critics who flat out hate him”, etc. We’ve reached a milestone in Hollywood today with the release of Battleship, whose director, Peter Berg, has finally dethroned Bay with his movie which could have been alternately titled, “Life of an Explosion”.
In Battleship, Alex Hopper, a guy going nowhere in life, reluctantly joins the Navy and falls for the admiral’s daughter. Then, aliens are signaled to Earth and they do battle, much like the board game from Hasbro of which the movie is based.
That’s right folks, the story is about as thin as brothers Erich Hoeber (Red) and Jon Hoeber (Red) could possibly make it. Their script celebrates clichés and cheesy dialogues, leaving plenty of time for the director to blow everything up.
The cast is pretty much dreadful to watch. A lot of the attempted humor falls flat and there was no chemistry between any of the actors – Especially between Taylor Kitsch and Brooklyn Decker as the “love struck” couple. Kitsch better do something worth watching soon or he may find himself stuck in the “B” movie zone. What’s really sad is that the only person worth watching, Liam Neeson, was given very little screen time, even if the trailers would have you think otherwise.
However, if you’re in the mood for endless action or enjoy explosion “porn”, this movie has the goods to satisfy your every need. Some of the Transformers inspired CGI is crude, but at least the movie is shot nicely which allows the audience to see the ballistic action in its entirety.
Bottom Line: With your finger on the fast forward button, this is a great piece of demo material for your home theatre.
Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace star in the sci-fi action, LOCKOUT. Courtesy of Alliance Films
Science fiction films have brought eye opening ideas and experiences to movie goers for generations. Chances are these stories have probably made you ponder the possibility of a Utopian and/or apocalyptic future at some point or another. Along the darker lines, Lockout examines how we may handle our convicts in the not too distant future.
In the year 2079, convicted ex-government agent Snow (Guy Pearce) fights to clear his name and his freedom by venturing into space to rescue the U.S. President’s daughter who is being held hostage.
Guy Pearce (Prometheus, Memento) is too much fun in this role. His countless, hilarious one-liners add the perfect light-hearted touch to this adventure. Other notables include Maggie Grace (Taken), who shows a welcome maturity in her performance, and Joseph Gilgun (Harry Brown) as the psychotic, charismatic inmate.
The directing team of James Mather and Stephen St. Leger co-wrote the original screenplay with Luc Besson (Taken, The Fifth Element). Inexperience is present in their direction, but they got enough right to keep it enjoyable. It is because the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously that keeps the audience interested.
The special effects on the other hand…not so much. There’s a fair bit of CGI-heavy scenes throughout the movie, not all of which were necessary and some of which looked dreadful.
As a cinematic experience, this needs a lot of polishing, but there’s a solid amount of fun in there too.
Bottom Line: If you’re in the mood for an 80’s style action/sci fi, this movie will take you on the right ride.
Lynn Collins and Taylor Kitsch star in John Carter. Courtesy of Disney Pictures
Would your life change much if you were unwittingly transported to Mars, discovering a race of human and alien life living there? That’s what happens to Civil War veteran John Carter in this adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ magazine serial, A Princess of Mars.
This movie may hold a record for being 79 years in the making. Countless directors have been slated to bring this classic to the big screen until Disney gave the job to Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E).
Stanton, known for writing and directing some of Pixar’s most celebrated animated features, does a good job with his first foray into live action cinema. In John Carter, he created a good balance of drama and action, with neither element overpowering the other – Unlike a hollow blockbuster.
Stanton also wrote the adapted screenplay with the help of Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon. To be honest, this isn’t his best work, but there’s enough substance in the story to keep the audience intrigued.
This is Taylor Kitsch’s first time as a lead in a film with such a vast budget (estimated at $250 million… Not exactly pocket change). Kitsch did a great job as the leading man, showing a good level of emotional range and a knack for slap-stick comedy. The rest of the cast felt solid, but never outstanding.
That’s where the film seems to fall. While it is more than just a fun ride, it lacks a certain something from making it phenomenal.
Technically, the special effects and CGI are above par, as is the post-production 3D addition.
Bottom Line: Expect more than your everyday, run-of-the-mill action flick.
Let’s make something clear right away, this movie will be a hit. The incredible story will push all the right buttons and keep you locked in for the journey. Writers Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnston manage a near flawless story arch, with intricate twists and lovable characters. The only downside to their script is the lack of humor. There are a decent amount of jokes, but also a lot of missed opportunities and jokes that fell flat.
Casting was solid in this film. John C. Reilly (Ralph) and Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz) are great together, as is the rest of the cast. The benefit of the actors recording their dialogue together, as opposed to the norm of doing them individually really shows.
You’ll definitely want to pay extra for the 3D option that will be sure to take you on an immersive roller coaster ride.
John Carter: Blu Ray + DVD Review
Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins star in the Blu Ray release of John Carter. Courtesy of Disney Pictures
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ magazine serials from the early 1900’s hit cinemas earlier this year in the form of John Carter. Unfortunately, the film was completely ill-advertised and suffered a disastrous box office run. Hopefully more people are willing to give this fantasy/sci-fi adventure a chance when it’s released on Blu Ray today.
The movie tells the story of Civil War veteran John Carter’s unwitting transport to Mars, discovering a race of human and alien life forms at war.
Academy Award winning writer/director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) does a good job with his first foray into live action cinema. He creates a good balance between drama and action, with neither element overpowering the other – Unlike a hollow blockbuster. To be honest, this isn’t his best work, but there’s enough substance in the story to keep the audience eagerly intrigued.
This is Taylor Kitsch’s first time as a lead in a film with such a vast budget (estimated at $250 million… Not exactly pocket change). Kitsch did a great job as the leading man, showing a good range of emotion as well as a much appreciated knack for slap-stick comedy. The rest of the cast felt solid, but never outstanding.
For Blu Ray + DVD release, Disney has included a stout amount of special features for fans to explore. Among these are Disney’s interactive Second Screen feature that allows you to connect with a computer or tablet for additional viewing pleasure, Deleted Scenes, Barsoon Bloopers, 360 Degrees Of John Carter featurette, 100 Years in the Making featurette, and a feature length commentary with the director and producers.
On top of that wallop of special features, the movie itself looks and sounds fantastic.
Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of the film or looking for something different to watch, this movie will provide a ride you’re sure to enjoy.
Movie Grade B
Blu Ray Grade A
Runtime: 132 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Leave a comment | tags: 3D, A Princess of Mars, action cinema, Andrew Stanton, blockbuster, blu ray, box office, CGI, civil war veteran, david budo, Disney, dvd, Edgar Rice Burroughs, entertainment, feature length commentary, film, Finding Nemo, hollywood, IMAX, John Carter, Lynn Collins, movie, oscars, review, Sci Fi, Second Screen, special features, Taylor Kitsch, Wall-E | posted in Jun. 2012