Angels Crest is available on DVD April 3rd. Courtesy of eOne Films
If you were responsible for the death of your child, would you be able to move on with your life? This and other life dilemmas are examined in Gaby Dellal’s Angels Crest.
The story revolves around a young, single father’s upcoming trial for criminal neglect that led to the death of his son. In their small town where privacy in not a liberty, lives are intertwined and these events send them into a downward spiral.
There is a lot of potential in this movie, but none of it is fully realized by director Gaby Dellal and writer Catherine Trieschmann. The baseline story and themes are real and the audience is able to connect to the unfortunate circumstances that have taken place. However, there is a lack of cohesion between the multiple themes and characters. Too many unnecessary characters are given storylines and pointless screen time, leaving little room for important ones to develop.
The saving grace of this film lays in the good performances from Thomas Dekker (My Sister’s Keeper, A Nightmare On Elm Street), Lynn Collins (John Carter), Elizabeth McGovern (Clash of the Titans), Kate Walsh (Legion), and the young Ameco Eks Mass Carroll.
The DVD release features two alternate scenes and brief deleted scenes, both with director commentary. There are also interviews with actor Thomas Dekker and actress Mira Sorvino. The movie’s video encode is poorly compressed, but the audio mastering is good.
Bottom Line: Worth a rental, if you’ve got nothing else to watch and are in need of a darker drama.
Movie Grade C-
DVD Grade C-
Runtime: 93 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
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