Blu-Ray/Movie Review: My Week With Marilyn

 

My Week with Marilyn is a movie from 2011 starring Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, and Emma Watson. It tells the story of the filming of the movie The Prince and The Showgirl from the late 1950s. Specifically how the third assistant director on the film (or Gopher as is more aptly titled) played by Eddie Redmayne befriended and ultimately fell in love with Marilyn Monroe, played by Michelle Williams. It does a great job telling the story of how unreliable she could be to work with and how Laurence Olivier, portrayed wonderfully by Kenneth Branagh, who was the star and director of that movie, both despised working with and was in awe of Marilyn. He put up with her both because he was trying to use her appeal as being the biggest actress in the world at the time to revive his lagging career and because he wanted to sleep with her.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray disc is very good. While there are not really any special effects or CGI of note used in the movie, there are some really nice cinematographic shots that look great in HD. As for extras on the Blu-ray, there is a commentary track on the movie by director Simon Curtis and a 20-minute making-of/behind-the-scenes feature. Ultimately, the movie is very good. For Williams's part, although she did not have the appeal of Marilyn (although, let's face it, few actresses before her or since could even come close), she did very well at showing Marilyn's vulnerability, flaws, and loneliness. She did a good job at showing that the public face Marilyn gave was just an act, and was not really her. And while the movie does not deal with her death, it certainly sows the seeds of the fact that it was that duality and both not wanting the fame, but not being able to give it up that caused her to drink and become more and more dependent on pills to function which ultimately led to her death. It is absolutely worth the time to watch, regardless of whether you are a fan of Marilyn Monroe or otherwise.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

 

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the third (and hopefully final) entry into the Mummy franchise of movies. It is a 2008 sequel to the original 1999 movie and its 2001 sequel. Brendan Fraser and John Hanna reprise their roles as Rick and Jonathan. Maria Bello takes over the role of Evie from Rachel Weisz, and Oded Feher does not return. The major additions to the cast, aside from Bello, are Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Isabella Leong, and Luke Ford, who takes over the role of Alex, Rick and Evie's son. What made The Mummy work as a franchise was the character development and the chemistry the cast members had with each other. Without Rachael Weisz and Oded Fehr (whose character would not have fit into this story anyway), the movie is not the same and ultimately does not work well at all.

This time, the movie is set in 1946, in China, and the Mummy is played by the awesome Jet Li. In fact, the only reason I give this even 2 stars is because of Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. They both did a great job with their characters, and the cinematography and visual effects are great. However, there is a total lack of continuity in the story in the first two movies. First, you are expected to believe that Brendan Fraser has aged 26 years from the first movie without looking much older (this movie was made nine years after the original). It was a big stretch to believe that he had aged 10 years between the first and second movies (which were made two years apart), but they needed to do a much better job at making Fraser look older. Also, the kid Alex from the second movie is now grown up and has lost the British accent in favor of an American one, and is very little like how he was portrayed in the second movie. And John Hannah is given little, if nothing, to do in this movie, and it just seems like his character is there to tag along. I think the decision to recast the character of Evie was horrible, and they would have been better off to have killed off the character than bringing someone new in. Even though I do not think Bello was horrible in the role, the character just did not have the same feel as how Weisz played her.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good. While the transfer is not as good as today's new movies get, it is much better than the first two movies and the CGI effects look more realistic than they did in the first two movies. As far as extras go on the disc version, there are a few deleted and extended scenes,  a 20-minute making-of feature, a commentary track on the film, and a handful of other items. This definitely does not have as many extras as the blu-rays for the first two movies did, but not bad for what is there. 

Ultimately, this movie did not have to be made. I think the producers thought they had a much stronger franchise with The Mummy than they really did. Without all of the original cast, which they did get for The Mummy Returns, it just fell very flat. Luckily, it seems that they got that message since no other attempts at continuing the franchise (and no, I don't count the Tom Cruise movie) have been made. It is worth picking up on blu-ray if you are one who wants to keep your collection as complete as possible, but it is definitely not a must-watch and nowhere near as good as the first two movies.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Mummy Returns

 

The Mummy Returns is the 2001 follow-up to the 1999 movie. In a rare feat (one that would not be repeated in the last movie of the trilogy), the entire cast, including Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, John Hannan, Patricia Velasquez, and Oded Fehrand and crew, including director Stephen Sommers, from the first movie, returned for this one. This helped the movie retain some continuity from the first film, even though it really expanded on the story. The big additions to the cast are The Rock, playing the Scorpion King and Freddie Boath, who plays Alex O'Connell. 

The movie is set 10 years after the first movie. The Mummy is resurrected in order to kill the Scorpion King (played by The Rock in his first movie role), and of course, the events pull the now-married Rick and Evie O'Connell along with their son and her brother Jonathan. Oded Fehr and Patricia Velasquez also return and are given much more to do and are involved much more in the overall plot in this movie. Rachel Weisz was given more action scenes, including a sai fight in a barely-there outfit against Patricia Velasquez about halfway into the movie and another one at the end. She was much more of an action heroine in this movie than she was in the first. Which ultimately is good, although the plot twist through which that happened was kind of silly.

Like the first movie, this one is very special effects-laden as well. There are new creatures from the first one, and the effects, while not as good as they would be today, are slightly improved from the first film. Although the CGI characters still look quite cartoonish in this movie, If you are one of those who only want to see it because The Rock is in it (which was probably more of an issue when it was released in theaters and he was at the height of his WWF/WWE fame), he is really only in the move a total of about 15 min. 5 at the beginning in the flesh, and about 10 at the end as a dumb CGI creature. I think it would have been much better to have him resurrected as a human and essentially have a three-way battle between the main characters at the end.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good. As far as extras go, there is a commentary track for the movie, a 20-minute making-of feature, a three-minute interview with The Rock that was actually done for the spin-off Scorpion King movie, and a short feature on the visual effects along with a few other things. 

Ultimately, whether you like this or not depends on your feelings about the first movie. If you hated the first one, then you will likely hate this one, too. If you liked or loved the first one, you will at least like this one as well. While some elements from the first movie were incorporated into this one, it was not a carbon copy of the first one. It is a good action-adventure movie that, like the first movie, has some humor mixed in. If you are a fan of the genre or the actors involved, it is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Mummy

 

The Mummy is a 1999 action/adventure movie starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, and John Hannah. Oded Fehr and Patricia Valasquez have supporting but important roles as well. The movie is a retelling of the 1930s version of the story. It utilizes many of the same characters and story elements, but it is its own movie. It is not a shot-by-shot remake by any means. This version utilizes a ton of CGI animation and a green screen. It is set in the period between World War I and II, and so it blends ancient Egypt with the 1920s modern world. The premise of the story is that a group of adventurers and scholars are at a dig site in Egypt. They inadvertently release the spirit of high priest Imhotep (played by Vosloo), who then, as an almost immortal being, tries to resurrect his mistress Anck-su-namun (played by Valasquez).

The movie itself is a blend of action, comedy, and romance. Along with somewhat cheesy drama. In some ways, it pays homage to old monster movies, and in some ways, it is a tongue-in-cheek spoof of them. The ensemble cast of Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, and John Hannah all do a great job with their respective roles. Fraser shows he has the chops to be both funny and somewhat of an action hero...Although not necessarily a larger-than-life one. Hannah is great at blending being a cowardly, weasel with reluctant bravery when the need arises so that you actually like and root for his character. It is hard to buy Weisz as the nerdy librarian they portray her as in the beginning of the movie and their attempts to make her kind of frumpy and tone down how gorgeous she really is did not work all that well. But once they turned the character into more of a leading lady kind of role for movies like this, she worked well. I thought Vosloo, did a fine job as the mummy, especially given that so much of his performance was based on expression as opposed to dialog. He said very little throughout the film, and when he did it was never in English, Regardless of that he was able to portray being menacing, smug, concerned, and scared without needing to say much.

If you get the blu ray, the movie looks and sounds very good. The special effects are good but dated, so some of the things are not going to be as good as in a movie made today. However, it looks about as good as a movie from that time could without a major restoration (which it may get if it is released on 4k). There are quite a few special features, with the longest being a 50-minute featurette centered on the digital effects used to create the various mummies in the movie. There are also some deleted and extended scenes and a couple other short making-of featurettes.

Ultimately, the movie is enjoyable as long as you do not go into this movie thinking you are about to see an Academy Award-winning best picture or get a best actor/actress performance. You won't. It is purely a big-budget, special effects popcorn movie. If you look at it as a somewhat funny action/adventure movie, and if you generally like those kinds of movies then you will probably like this. Also, it is not meant to be an accurate period piece from either ancient Egypt or early 1900s Egypt. So, if you are one who would nitpick things that are wrong, you probably want to stay away from this. Otherwise, it is worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Memento 10th Anniversary Edition

 

Memento is a 2000 suspense-thriller/mystery that was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. The movie starred Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss,  and Joe Pantoliano. It came out before Christopher Nolan was a household name (this was his second movie). It was a relatively low-budget film that was part revenge story, part drama, part dark comedy, and part love story. The basic plot is that a man named Leonard Shelby (played by Pearce) is looking for his wife's killer, but because of a head injury, he cannot make new short-term memories. He remembers everything up to his accident but becomes a blank slate every few minutes. As a result, he takes Polaroids of the people he interacts with, writes notes to himself, and tattoos clues onto his body. The twist is that the movie is shown in reverse. You get a scene, then it will roll back about 5 min or so, and show the events leading up to what you just watched. And keeps doing that throughout the entire movie, so you do not find out everything until the very end.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good. While there is not much in the way of special effects (if any) or really any sprawling cinematographic shots, the movie does look and sound good in the HD format. As far as extras go, there on the Blu-ray, there is about 25 min' worth of behind-the-scenes material. Commentary on the film from Nolan, a copy of the script, a gallery showing the various clues tattooed on Leonard and his diary. It's not a ton of material, but it's good for what is there.

While the writing and directing are great, the key to the movie being as good as it is was the acting. Guy Pearce, as the main character, Lenny/Leonard, does a great job both when he is narrating the rules for his life and when he is onscreen. Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss, both having come off making the original Matrix film when this came out, are great at playing characters that are much more than they seem. What you find out by the end/beginning of the movie is that all the characters are pretty morally gray. It is much more like Inception (with a little bit of The Fugitive mixed in) than the Dark Knight movies, but to the extent you can say Nolan has a style, it definitely follows it. It is not a movie you can have on in the background and get what is going on. You really do have to pay attention all the way through, or you will miss too much. That said, it is a unique drama/mystery that is worth multiple viewings.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Gia

 

Gia is a 1998 biographical movie that tells the story of the rise and fall of model Gia Carangi, who shot to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The movie stars Angelina Jolie, who plays Gia as an adult, Elizabeth Mitchell, Faye Dunaway, and Mercedes Ruehl. Mila Kunis also has a small role as a young Gia. The movie dramatizes Gia's career and how her life was ultimately cut short due to heavy drug use and contracting AIDS from using infected needles. The story spans essentially a 9-year time frame from when she was discovered at 17 to her death at age 26.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good. It is an upgrade in video quality from the DVD, but since there are no CGI effects or even great cinematographic shots, it is not a movie that you necessarily need to upgrade to HD if you already own the DVD. There are no bonus features included on the blu-ray, just the movie itself. 

Overall, the movie is very good. The strength of the movie is the acting. While all the actors do a wonderful job, Angelina Jolie really shines. It was one of her relatively early roles as a lead, but it established that she had real acting chops. The role really did call for someone who could pull off being flawlessly gorgeous when all made up, but could also pull off being crazy, vulnerable, caring, dramatic, and funny. Angelina was able to do all of that, and as a result, it is more than just a movie where she looks hot and is naked for a few minutes (although that is not bad either). It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: Private School

 

Private School is a coming-of-age comedy from 1983 starring Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Kathleen Wihote, and Ray Walston. The best way I can describe this movie is a combination of Porky's and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, yet nowhere near as good as either of them. However, if you were a boy anywhere near puberty in the 1980s this was one of the movies you always hoped came on cable late at night when you got to stay up late. The script and acting are atrocious. Even though the movie had some young stars who would go on to be relatively good actors, they were not given much to work with, even by teen sex comedy standards. There were also some whose careers never made it out of the 1980s. It has about every 80s movie cliche you can imagine (right down to the cheesy music montage). 

The DVD is very bare-bones. There are no extras such as deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, or the like. Realistically, given that it was not one of the major teen comedies of the 1980s and is far more of a cult classic, it is not surprising that it did not get a more expensive DVD release.

The two best things about the movie are Betsy Russell and having some relatively good songs on the soundtrack. Phoebe Cates was the big star in the movie, coming off her role in Fast Times. And although she was the "sexy one" in that movie, she plays the rather bland "good girl" in this one. She is of course still gorgeous and did show a little bit toward the end of the movie, but Betsy Russell is the one who amps up the sex factor here. Ultimately you know what you get with this. It is not great by any means. Do not expect an Academy Award winner, but if you fall within the demographic who remembers this movie from your youth, you can have a good laugh at how good you probably thought it was when you were young and fondly remember ogling Betsy.

DVD/Movie Review: Out of Sight

 

Out of Sight was a 1998 crime-drama/dark comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, and Albert Brooks. The movie is, at its core, a love story (albeit a twisted one) about a bank robber/prison escapee (Clooney) and a federal marshal (Lopez) who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is also very much a drama with some very funny moments. In that way, it really does not fit any label perfectly. It is part love story, part chase movie, part criminal looking for one last score. The story is told part in the present and part through flashbacks (in an almost pulp fiction-like manner). That part of it really works well, and I think it ultimately makes the movie better than it would have been had it run in chronological order.

As far as extras on the DVD version go, there is a 25-minute making-of documentary, a commentary track by Steven Soderbergh, 22 minutes worth of deleted scenes, and select scenes that highlight certain songs from the movie. All in all, enough to keep those who like going through the bonus material happy.

The strength of the movie is the stellar ensemble cast. Clooney (who was probably at the height of his ER fame when the movie was made) and Lopez were the stars and the focus of the movie, but everyone from Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks to Steve Zahn (who steals nearly every scene he is in) works perfectly. There are also cameos by Michael Keaton and Samuel L Jackson, which, although brief, are very good. Clooney and Lopez either had very good chemistry or faked it well because you can buy the sexual tension between the two that the movie was going for. It is a very good movie that is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: Office Space

 

Office Space is a 1999 comedy written and directed by Mike Judge. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, John C. McGinley, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Diedrich Bader, and Richard Riehle. The movie centers around three guys who have crappy jobs at a corporation called Initech. Ron Livingston plays Peter, who is the lead character. He becomes completely apathetic toward his job after a botched hypnotherapy session and basically tries to get fired. He ends up hatching a plan to rip the company off that goes haywire. As I said, that is almost ancillary to the real purpose of the movie, which is to poke fun at office life and the various characters.

I really think this movie will hold up in any era. Really as long as corporations exist this movie will be hilarious. To the extent there is a plot it almost takes a back seat to making fun of the corporate culture. And let's be honest, for those of us who work in the corporate world, some of the things they are making fun of (albeit in over-the-top ways in some instances) still very much exist. It was made from an animated short by Mike Judge the creator of Bevis and Butthead and King of the Hill.

The DVD does have a handful of extras. Those include an approximately half-hour retrospective made in 2005, about 10 minutes of deleted scenes, and the trailer. There is definitely enough to satisfy those who like going through the extras.

The movie has a true ensemble cast, which was made up of relative unknowns. They made a pretty big casting coup in landing Jennifer Aniston when Friends was immensely popular. She really did not dominate the movie though and really fit in well with the ensemble cast. The two most memorable characters in my opinion were Milton, played by Stephen Root, and Lumberg played by Gary Cole. All the actors did a wonderful job, however, even those with the smallest roles. It really seemed like they were all having fun with it, which along with the well-written script (which has tons of quotable lines) really make the movie.

It is really a "cult classic" kind of movie. The brand of humor is probably not for everyone, but it holds up as well or better as any of the more modern-day comedies do. I think anyone who likes any of Judge's other work will find this enjoyable. There is a lot of swearing in the movie, and in that respect, it earns its R rating, but it is really nothing more than you get in any R-rated comedy. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: My Cousin Vinny

 

My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 comedy starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei (in her breakout movie role), Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, and Fred Gwynne. The plot involves Macchio and Whitfield's characters, Bill and Stan, being arrested in Alabama for the murder of a convenience store clerk. Bill's cousin, Vinny (played by Pesci), who is a personal injury lawyer in New York, agrees to represent them for free. He travels to Alabama with his fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito (played by Tomei), where the two stick out like sore thumbs, and Vinny is in over his head trying a murder case and dealing with the hard-ass judge (played by Gwynne). 

This movie really was kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle type movie. I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would turn out as good as it did. Pesci, who up to that point was best known for being in mobster movies, the burglar in Home Alone, and a sidekick in the Lethal Weapon movies, got to show off his comedic chops in a leading role. And he pulled off the New Yorker thrown into the Deep South perfectly. Tomei, of course, stole every scene she was in and ended up winning an Oscar for her role as Lisa.

The DVD version of the movie is pretty light on extras. It does include the trailers, a couple TV spots, and a commentary by the director, Jonathan Lynn. Overall, the movie is wonderful. The two things that made the movie work were the fact that it did not take itself too seriously and made fun of everything and the excellent supporting cast. Fred Gwynne, who was a great comedic actor himself, was a great straight man to Pesci's Vinny in what ended up being his last role. It is a movie that, even after 30+ years, stands up on its own, never needing multiple sequels to water it down, and will hopefully never be remade. It does have quite a bit of swearing and some sexual innuendo, but compared to what is in some of today's movies, even that is pretty light. But if that turns you off to a movie then you should probably skip it, but for everyone else, I cannot recommend the movie highly enough.

DVD/Movie Review: Mr. & Mrs. Smith

 

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a 2005 Action/Dark Comedy starring Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vince Vaughn, Adam Brody, Michelle Monaghan, Jennifer Morrison, and Kerry Washington. The best way I can describe the movie is if you take War of the Roses, combine it with True Lies, and mix in a little Bourne Identity action sequences, you have this movie. In this case, both spouses are agents; neither one knows about the other, and most of the film surrounds what happens after they find out. The two things that make the movie work as well as it does are that it is very well written, mostly tongue in cheek, and the great chemistry between Pitt and Jolie. The two played off each other perfectly, whether it was with comments or even looks, which made the dark comedy moments great.

The supporting cast is good, but they are used very minimally. Vince Vaughn is in the role when he really does the best, as the sidekick wisecracking buddy. Adam Brody of The OC fame and Jennifer Morrison from House and Once Upon a Time have small roles in the movie as well. There are two great action scenes in the movie, one a total spoof on The War of the Roses, and the second a great car chase sequence.

The special edition DVD's extras include about 8 minutes of deleted scenes, an 8-minute making-of feature, and the trailers. There are also three separate commentary tracks on the film from the various filmmakers. Nothing is too extensive, but it's okay for what is there. 

All in all, it is very well written and well acted, and of course, Pitt and Jolie provide eye candy for their respective audiences. So, if you are in the mood for an action movie that has some humor, this is worth the time to watch and/or to add to a physical media collection.

DVD/Movie Review: Mallrats

 

Mallrats is a 1995 comedy written and directed by Kevin Smith as a part of his View Askewniverse. The movie stars Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Claire Forlani, Shannen Doherty, Jeremey London, Ethan Suplee, Smith and Jason Mewes (playing Jay and Silent Bob), and Joey Lauren Adams. The premise was simple. Two friends get dumped and go hang out at a local mall. From there, hilarity ensues. (Historical note for those who care, the mall involved looks totally different after massive renovations).

Kevin Smith has repeatedly said that Jason Lee makes Mallrats, which is true. He was definitely the best part of a very underrated movie. Ultimately, Mallrats had a very uphill battle to overcome, being the movie that followed up Clerks. If you have only seen Clerks at this point, you will recognize some of that story put into this one, and even actors from Clerks playing different roles in this movie. That is the one thing you have to accept with Kevin Smith's movies. He uses a lot of the same people in his movies, but casts them in different roles.

This DVD includes the theatrical cut of the movie, as well as a 2-hour extended cut (which is given an 11-minute intro by Smith and Scott Moser). There is also a 50-minute Q&A session with some of the cast and crew. 

While I do not think the movie is as good some of Smith's other movies, such as Clerks, Chasing Amy (which Smith made a couple of years after this one), Dogma, Or Jersey Girl, it is still a very good comedy (if you enjoy Smith's brand of comedy). All in all, if you are a fan of the movie itself, a fan of Smith's movies in general, or just a fan of good comedy (all be it raunchy comedy), then definitely check this out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Iron Man 3

 

Iron Man 3 was the 2013 sequel to the two stand-alone Iron Man movies and, of course, was a part of the larger MCU. The movie was directed by Shane Black and brought back Robert Downey Jr., Gweneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Jon Favreau to reprise their roles from the earlier films. The major additions to the cast for this movie are Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce, and the movie was also Jenna Ortega's first film role (albeit a minor one). 

This movie follows up both on the previous stand-alone Iron Man films and shows the "post-Avengers" Tony Stark and the toll that the events of that movie had on him. There is a lot of misdirection in this movie, which even hinting about would give away too much. Some people hated the way that turned out, but I personally did not have much problem with it. Although the effect of the big twist did make the movie in a way similar (but not the same) as the plot in the second one. This film definitely ratchets up the action even more than Iron Man I and II. There are a lot more "big" action sequences in this movie, from Stark's house being blown up and a great mid-air rescue to the final battle. A lot is going on, and the effects are blended very well with live action shots so they look more "real" than in any of the other movies. The plot is somewhat convoluted and like I said above, has twists to it. Both the characters of Pepper and Rhodes have even more expanded roles in this movie. Robert Downey Jr continues to nail the Tony Stark role and mixes humor and intensity. Ben Kingsly is excellent in his role, he was very chilling as Mandarin, and is involved in one of the plot twists. There is also the usual after the credits scene involving a cameo by one of the Avengers.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is great. As far as extras go, there is about an hour of material from making of/behind-the-scenes features, a short film that reveals events after the end of Captain America, a short look at the next Thor movie, and a gag reel. In all enough to make those who like the bonus material happy. 

While an argument can be made that the superhero franchises are becoming over saturated, they do not seem to be slowing down over time. This movie definitely left open the possibility of further stand alone Iron Man movies, but also brought a sense of closure to the Tony Stark origin story. If you are a fan of the movies that have come before this one, then you will most likely like this as well.

DVD/Movie Review: Live Nude Girls

 

Live Nude Girls is a movie from 1995 written and directed by Julianna Lavin and starring Dana Delany, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Stevenson, Laila Robins, Lora Zane, and Olivia d'Abo. Anyone who hears the title of the movie will think it is smutty or something that is on Cinemax overnight, but that is not the case. Yes, there is nudity in it, but it amounts to about 2 scenes (and yes, one does involve Olivia D'Abo), but that is it. Even though there is not much nudity, there is a lot of sexual suggestion and dialogue and a lot of swearing. The movie is basically a slumber party before the wedding day of Kim Cattrall's character, where the group of childhood friends sit around and talk about their lives and about sex. It has a good mix of drama and humor.

There are a few different physical media versions of the movie (the original DVD, a DVD that includes an unrated cut of the movie, and a blu-ray version). I have the original DVD version that just includes the theatrical version of the movie with no extras. 

The movie is really a story about the relationships (good and bad) between the characters. There really is not any kind of overcomplicated plot that you need to follow, so it is one of those movies that can just kind of be on in the background, and you can tune in and out of it. It is a good relationship story that does not drag on too long. This is good because, for the most part, it is set inside the same house (save for a couple scenes) and could have easily ended up going way too long. While the easy comparison is to Sex and the City (especially given Catrall's involvement), while the movie does have some similarities, it is quite different. The movie is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, but if you are not offended by talk of sex and don't mind dialogue-driven movies, this is worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: The Legend of Zorro

 

The Legend of Zorro is a 2005 sequel to 1998's Mask of Zorro. Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones return to reprise their roles from the first movie, and Rufus Sewell joins the cast as the main antagonist. This movie is set 10 years after the original, just before CA becomes a state. Elena and Alejandro are at odds over his dedication to Zorro at the beginning of the movie, and that theme plays throughout most of the movie. Rufus Sewell is the main bad guy in the movie and, as usual, excels at playing a jackass who you love to hate. Like in the first movie, there is a conspiracy to take down, and this time, Elena is much more involved in thwarting it separately from Zorro.

The movie is okay, but it is definitely not as good as the original. Even though some of the scenes were done to mirror some from the first movie (the opening sequence for example, and Elena facing off with bad guys in a stable), it does not have the same feel as the first. That is good and bad. It is good in that it is not a carbon copy of the first movie, but bad because it also does not have some of the things that worked well in the first. It is really the trap that a lot of sequels fall into. One thing I think the movie misses is the comedic elements between Alejandro and Elena that worked so well in the first one. But because they spend a lot of the movie apart, and fighting when together the movie tries to get the comedy elements in via other ways that just do not work as well.  You can tell that the tone of this movie was meant to be less dark than the first. It is not nearly as violent (although there is still a lot of action and fighting, it is not as graphic as the first movie. The film also misses the presence of Anthony Hopkins and the father/authority figure he played in the first.

As far as extras go, you do get more with this than from the first movie, at least on the DVD version. There are more features, including a few deleted scenes (that can be played with or without the director's commentary), four making-of featurettes, a couple of scene deconstruction featurettes, and the trailer. There is also a commentary track by the director Martin Campbell and the cinematographer on the film, should you choose to listen.

Overall if you accept that like the majority of sequels this one is not as good as the first movie, and is a little more toned down and family friendly, you can enjoy it. If you are not one who collects the physical discs, I think it is fine as a rental or streaming because, while it is worth the time to watch, it is probably not a movie that most people will be compelled to watch again and again.

DVD/Movie Review: The Mask of Zorro (Deluxe Edition)

 

The Mask of Zorro is a 1998 movie starring Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, and Tony Amendola. The movie tells the tale of two Zorros and how they are each out for revenge. Anthony Hopkins is Zorro at the beginning of the movie, but his identity is discovered, and he is imprisoned for 20 years after his wife is killed and his baby is stolen by the main antagonist, Don Rafael Montero. He becomes the mentor to the younger Zorro (played by Antonio Banderas), whose brother is killed by the second main villain of the movie, Captain Love.

It is part origin story, part master/student, part love story, and part revenge tale. There is a lot of action in the form of sword fighting and horse riding. It also has very humorous moments (mainly between Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones) as the film goes along. The movie does not make much use of special effects (although there are some), so it is not really one where if you own the DVD version, an upgrade to Blu-ray is likely going to get you much more. The DVD looks and sounds fine, especially for a late 1990s movie. The disc has little in the way of extras. Just the trailer and a short "making of" feature.

Overall, it is a well-written, well-acted action movie. The plot is not complicated and really only boils down to a few key players. Personally, I think this was Banderas' best role. His character, Alejandro Murrieta is kind of like a less serious version of his character in Desperado. The movie is a bit violent, so it may not be suitable for younger kids, but that aside, it makes for an entertaining couple of hours and is well worth the price.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

 

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 movie based on the widely popular video game series. It stars Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Chris Barrie, Iain Glen, and Noah Taylor and was directed by Simon West. Jolie stars as Lara Croft, a British archeologist who gets caught up in a search for an artifact sought by members of The Illuminati. 

If you try to take this movie too seriously, you will probably walk away hating it. If you take it for what it is, an action movie with a little bit of drama and humor sprinkled in, then you can enjoy it. It is definitely not the traditional summer blockbuster with an explosion every two seconds. While there is a lot of action, there is a plot that the action does slow down for. It is not what I would call an overly deep or complicated plot. It is a pretty basic bad guys want to rule the world story, but there are aspects to it that involve more than just fighting or shooting. I think the pace of the movie was just right. Clocking in at basically a little over an hour and a half, it did not try to do too much, and was able to keep the action going, tell the story that they were trying to tell, then got out before dragging on. 

The movie's A/V quality is great. It looks and sounds great in the HD format. There are a lot of special effects, but those do not really detract from the movie at all (unlike, say, Lucas' special effects-laden movies). They used enough sets and location shots that the effects really did enhance things. For those who get the discs and like bonus material, there is a lot here. There are a bunch of behind the scenes features ranging from 5 min to 25 min. Some are general "making of" features, others focus on the special effects, and other show the training regimen Angelina Jolie went through to become the character. The fact that she did many of her own stunts in the movie was impressive given what they had her doing.

Ultimately, if you don't like action movies and/or Jolie, you probably will not like this movie. I have not really played any of the games, so I am not sure how faithful to the character as she is portrayed in the video games the filmmakers stayed, but it does seem like they were trying to. While it is not the best movie ever, on the whole, I think it is worth the time to watch if you are looking for an action movie.

DVD/Movie Review: The Last Tango in Paris

 

The Last Tango in Paris is a 1972 film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. In its day, this movie was extremely controversial, mainly because of the age difference between the past his romantic lead prime, Brando, and barely out of her teens, Maria Schneider. In terms of nudity, it is for the most part tame by today's standards. It has become more controversial over the years because of Schneider's description of the trauma she felt filming the rape scene, which was not originally in the script and sprung upon her. There are a couple points in the uncut version where Maria Schneider is fully nude, but that it is. The film is not really erotic per se. Yes, there is a lot of nudity and sex in it, and certainly, the language is not something you heard in mainstream movies in the 70s. But it really is about two scarred people having an affair that is unhealthy for both, yet one neither can let go of.

The two characters, Paul and Jeanne come together, literally and figuratively while looking at the same apartment. That apartment becomes basically a place to have sex and nothing else. He will only agree to meet her on the condition that they never reveal their names or anything about their lives and never see each other outside of the apartment. For most of the movie, she wants more from him, trying to get him to open up and she keeps coming back despite his cruelty. In the end, it is Brando's character chasing her, which leads to the finale of the movie.

The only bonus feature on the DVD is the theatrical trailer. There is no making-of material or a commentary track on the movie. The movie will definitely not appeal to everyone. I thought the pacing was kind of slow and I think it could have easily had 15 to 20 minutes cut out and still told the same story. I think the acting was good, but not great. I am not an aficionado of Brando as some are, so I can't say I followed all his work, but personally, I thought he was better in The Godfather than in this movie. There is definitely a 1970s-era feel to the movie, so if you are generally not a fan of movies from that time you probably want to skip it. For fans of Brando or generally just dark dramas, it is definitely worth the price.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Last Samurai

 

The Last Samurai is a period-piece movie from 2013 starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Let me start off by saying that if you hate inaccurate movies that depict a time period, run far away from this movie. It is not (nor is it meant to be) historically accurate. It is a dramatization of the conflict between the Imperial Army and the Samurai in Japan in the late 1800s. The fact that the war actually happened was real, but the rest of it is made up and fictionalized. If you can accept that about the movie, then you will likely enjoy it. If you cannot, then you won't. Cruise plays a Captain in the US Army (who is an alcoholic and disillusioned by the treatment of the Native Americans) tasked with training the new Imperial Army in Japan. He ends up being taken prisoner by the Samurai and eventually joins their side against the Army.

The thing that makes this movie work so well is the acting. It is, in my opinion, this is one of Tom Cruise's best acting jobs. Admittedly I have not seen all of his movies, so I cannot say whether it is his best performance ever, but of the movies of his that I have seen, this is his best pure acting performance. His interactions with the Samurai leader played by Ken Watanabe, were wonderful. This is really a film where all the actors from the "main" characters to the supporting actors did their job wonderfully. Yes, the love story was contrived and (SPOILER ALERT) having Tom Cruise's character live through the final battle was unrealistic, but overall I don't think those things detracted from the film as a whole.

The A/V quality on blu ray is very very good. What I loved about the movie is that very little was done via green screen, and the little that was, was blended in seamlessly so it did not look fake. Most of the landscape shots were real and were really brought out on blu ray. For those who like physical discs, there are a ton of extras. Mainly behind-the-scenes features, a couple deleted scenes, a director's video journal, and the theatrical trailer. In all the extras are almost as long as the movie itself.

If you can suspend your disbelief and accept that the movie is not historically accurate, then it is worth the time to watch and/or add to a physical media collection. If not, then you probably want to skip it.

DVD/Movie Review: The Last Days of Disco

 

The Last Days of Disco is a movie from 1998 starring Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale (in one of her early US roles), Chris Elgeman, Michael Weatherly (in one of his first major roles), Jennifer Beals, Jaid Barrymore (Drew's mother) and Robert Sean Leonard. It is based loosely on the demise of Studio 54. To the extent that there is a larger plot, it revolves around a group of twenty-somethings that work and/or hang out at an exclusive NY club in the early 1980s. Like the real Studio 54, the club is being investigated by the police and is ultimately raided.

Reviews for the movie tend to be all over the place. Some people love it, and some absolutely hate it. I am pretty neutral toward the movie. To me, the problem with the movie is that it tries to base the story too much around the characters that frequent the club and their lives. The problem is that none of the characters do much of anything or are all that interesting or likable. They mainly sit and talk, go to the club, then talk some more, go back to the club, hook up, then talk more. I think the movie would have been better if the focus was on the illegal activity at the club (and had more characters involved in the crime and/or investigation) as opposed to being focused on characters that were going to a club where shady shit was going down. 

The original DVD release is very light on extras (to say the least). The only bonus feature is the movie's trailer. If you get the Criterion Collection release, there are a lot more extras, including a commentary track on the movie and deleted scenes. Ultimately, the movie was okay, but it could have been better. It featured a group of talented actors (most of whom were still relatively young at the time), but it did not give them great material to work with, and as a result, the movie just seemed to lag. To me, it is the kind of movie you can have on in the background while you are doing other things and still know everything about it. It is certainly not the worst movie of all time, but on the other hand, you are not missing much if you skip it.