Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Black Rock

 

Black Rock is about three friends, played by Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell, and Katie Aselton (who also directs the movie) who go camping on a small island off the coast of Maine that they used to visit as kids. While there, they encounter three hunters who turn out to be dishonorably discharged war veterans who, after a series of pretty stupid events, end up trying to kill the women, who must defend themselves. The movie was written by Aselton's co-star in The League, and husband Mark Duplass.

The movie is a fine thriller that borders on horror. Of course, like most movies in that genre, it is totally unrealistic...both to think that three untrained, unarmed women would be any match for three veterans with guns, or that three guys who had recently been dishonorably discharged would all be out walking around. So, there is definitely some suspension of disbelief going on there. The acting is okay, but honestly, all of the main actors have done better work. Bell, Bosworth, and Aselton are definitely the stars of the movie by far, and the guys were all played by unknown actors. I do think that the movie would have been helped by having at least one of the guys played by someone recognizable. It is short, just under an hour and a half, so it gets in and out of the story quickly.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is fine, the cinematography is really nice, and the film has a bunch of beautiful outdoor shots. The extras include a commentary track on the movie with Aselton and Bell, a short behind-the-scenes featurette, a slightly longer featurette on the music of the film, and a trailer. Not a ton of extras, but what was included is fine.

Overall, the movie is just okay (at best). It is totally unrealistic, but also not something you will really have to think deeply about. It does have a lot of violence that can get a bit gory. There is not much in the way of sexual content, but there is a nude scene featuring Bell and Aselton. It is not one that I would classify as a must-see by any means, but if you are looking for a thriller that can almost be on in the background this is an okay option.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

 

This movie is kind of a sequel to the first GI Joe movie, Rise of Cobra, continuing part of that storyline and then branching way off of it, so it then mostly becomes a reboot. Some of the cast members from the first movie do make an appearance, but most of them amount to extended cameos. Some roles were recast, and some of the characters, such as The Baroness and Destro were not used in this movie. This one stars The Rock as Roadblock and Adrienne Palicki as Lady Jaye, the two main Joe characters (along with Snake Eyes, played by Ray Park). The bulk of the story involves the plot by Cobra to use Zartan to impersonate the President of the United States and bring down GI Joe. There is a large parallel story that involves Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and goes into their rivalry.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is very good. The picture looks great, and the special effects are seamless. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director and producer, then there are just over an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as a few deleted scenes. So if you like watching the bonus material there is a decent amount.

Overall, the movie is a good action movie, but not great. Not even as good as the first movie (in my opinion). I would have liked more of the characters to come back and not just have small roles. I am fine using the additional characters but I would have liked more of a conclusion to Duke and Baroness' storyline and bring back characters like Scarlett and Ripcord. I also think that expanding the role of Cobra Commander with Joseph Gordon Levitt and bringing back Christopher Eccleston as Destro would have been a wise move. Obviously, like the first movie, this is not an academy award-winning drama. It is a summer blockbuster action movie, and it most definitely stays in that lane. But, if you are looking for an action movie with tons of explosions and great fight scenes, this is definitely a good one.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Hangover Part II

 

The Hangover Part II is the 2011 follow-up to the massively popular 2009 movie, The Hangover. It again stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha, and Ken Jeong. This installment also includes Jeffrey Tambor and brings in Paul Giamatti. The movie definitely has its funny moments, but it feels like a very recycled version of the first money with a plot line that is very similar, just doing things like swapping out the baby for a monkey and changing the setting. So basically, if you have seen the first movie, you have seen many of the jokes in this one. Again, most of the plot involves the characters of Stu (Helms), Phil (Cooper), and Alan (Galifianakis), while keeping Bartha's character, Doug, away from all the shenanigans and avoiding the blackout. Ken Jeong continues to be the scene-stealer that he was in the first movie, and is for me, the highlight of the movie.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds very good in the HD format. The film is not really effects-laden but the scenery and cinematography look very good in HD. The extras include an "Unauthorized Documentary" which is basically a making-of documentary, 13-minutes of additional making-of material, a short gag reel, and an action montage. What was included was good, but it is not very extensive.

The movie ends up being a decent comedy and does have funny moments. But, it is way too derivative of the first movie and would have been better (in my opinion) if it did something to change up the plot a bit, such as having Doug being one of the people with his memory of the prior night erased and Alan being the one to have to try and help the group. So, I'd say if you liked the first movie you probably will not hate this one, but you may not like it as much as you did the first one.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Ghostbusters Afterlife

 

When comparing this movie to the 2016 female-led Ghostbusters movie, the line from Batman Forever, "Your entrance was good--his was better", comes to mind. While I think the 2016 movie gets unfairly ragged on, this is how an updated Ghostbusters movie should be done.

This movie, unlike the other one, is a direct continuation of the 1984 original movie and the 1989 sequel and has a ton of easter eggs that tie into things from both of those movies. The basic storyline is that Egon packed up all of the Ghostbusters equipment and moved from NY to Summerville Oklahoma. This caused a rift with the other Ghostbusters that was really never repaired. We find out that Egon did have a family, including his daughter Callie (played by Carrie Coon) and grandchildren Phoebe (played by McKenna Grace) and Trevor (played by Finn Wolfhard). Upon Egon's death, the family moves to his farm in Summerville and the rest of the story plays out from there. I will not spoil anything about the rest of the plot, but it is directly tied to the original movie and there are many parallels to that story. Where the original movie was more of a straight comedy with some action, this one is more of a dramedy with a lot of action spaced throughout.

For those who get the 4k set, the movie looks and sounds wonderful in the UHD format. The movie has a ton of great special effects that are a mix of CGI and practical that looks seamless even in UHD, and there is a lot of great cinematography. The UHD disc has the movie and about 15 minutes worth of preview trailers that play before the movie. Then, there is a regular Blu-Ray disc that has the movie and the rest of the extras on it. These include several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a discussion of the impact of the original movie by Ivan Reitman, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray, a featurette on the various easter eggs in the movie to tie back to the original films, and a single deleted scene.

Overall, the movie is very, very good, and a perfect sequel to the original movies. It was written and directed by Jason Reitman, who is the son of the director of the original movie, and he made a wise choice to bring back as many of the creators of the original movie as he could. The movie does include all of the living cast members from the original movies (aside from Rick Moranis who had retired from acting) in either cameo or extended cameo roles. And, the movie was able to include Harold Ramis, who of course passed away in 2014, in a couple of different ways, one of which worked well and the other which was a bit corny but did have some emotional punch. The bulk of the story involved the new characters. McKenna Grace (who is best known for her roles in the movie Gifted and the series Designated Survivor and Young Sheldon) was really the star of the movie, but all of the cast members, both main and supporting, did a great job. Paul Rudd was awesome as a teacher at the elementary school in Summerville who was not really interested in teaching, Logan Kim was equally awesome as Podcast, and Celeste O'Connor did a very good job as Lucky Domingo). The rest of the supporting cast included Oliva Wilde, Josh Gad, Bokeem Woodbine, and J.K. Simmons in a small role. Not only does the movie provide a lot of nostalgia for those of us who were kids when the original movie came out, but it tells a good story of its own. There are mid and post-credits scenes, one that plays for comedic effect and the other that sets up the possibility of further movies. If you are a fan of the original movie this is a must-watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2 (2-Movie Ultimate Edition)

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor spoiler from the previous movie and book. So, if you have not seen or read "The Half-Blood Prince", proceed with caution. ++++

This is the Ultimate Edition of the last two Harry Potter movies, which split the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, into two movies. In the first movie, Harry, Hermonie, and Ron, try to track down the remaining Horcruxes (with a bit of help from items that Dumbledore bequeathed to them in his will), while trying to evade the death eaters. The second movie is the showdown between Harry and Voldemort which takes place at Hogwarts. I will not spend a ton of time reviewing the movies themselves as most people who are likely to read this by now have seen the movies and/or read the books multiple times. However, as you can imagine, not every character makes it out unscathed, and more characters, including major ones, die in the movie. The movies do deviate some from the books. I would say that Part I follows the story from the book's first half closer than Part II follows the book's second half. I do think that the final battle (and the setup to it) at Hogwarts, including everything involving Snape and the Harry v. Voldemort confrontation, is done better in the movie than it was in the book.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray transfer was great. The parts of the movie where the scenes were visually dark (and there are a lot of them) are very dark in the transfer, but in the portions where it was not, the colors really pop, and it shows off the great cinematography. And, the special effects look nearly seamless. Where the set really shines is in all the extras and bonus material you get. First, there are two physical extras in the package. A set of lenticular image cards and a hardcover book with images from all the different movies showing how the actors literally grew up during the course of filming the movies. As for the discs, there are six in all, each movie on a Blu-Ray disc and a DVD disc, and then two Blu-Rays with extras/bonus features, one for each movie.

Each movie allows you to play them in Maximum Movie Mode, in which picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes material pops up during scenes as well as sidebar "focus points" that have some interactive material while you watch the movie. For extras, each movie has over two hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes (11-minutes for part 1, and 7-minutes for part 2), then there is an almost hour-long conversation between J.K Rowling and Daniel Radcliff, a preview of the Pottermore website, the trailers, and more. So, if you like going through extras, there is a TON there for you, all of it very good.

Overall, the set is really for the most hardcore Harry Potter fans, because you are going to be paying much more than just getting the individual movies, but you get a lot more. My only real quibble is that unlike the Ultimate Edition sets for the first couple of movies in which the deleted scenes were incorporated into the movies in an extended edition of the movie, on this one (as well as I believe movies 3-6) there is no extended edition. You can only watch the deleted scenes separately and not see how they would have been incorporated into the movies. It is only a small nitpicky point about an otherwise perfect set, and not worth dropping it down a star, but it would have been nice if both the theatrical versions and extended versions of the movies were included. But, if you are a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, this is well worth the pickup.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

 

The Incredible Hulk was the second movie released in what would become the massive MCU. Iron Man had been a big hit, but it was not at all clear that the MCU would evolve into the huge franchise that it ultimately become. This movie, both in tone and in terms of the cast feels very disconnected from the rest of the MCU. This movie starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/The Hulk and co-starred Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (who would be the only actor from the cast to be included in the rest of the MCU), and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky a commando that General Ross brings in to capture Banner. The movie eschews that typical origin story, showing everything the audience needs to know about the set-up in the opening credits. Then we see Bruce hiding in Brazil trying to find a way to cure himself of The Hulk. I will not spoil the rest of the movie for anyone who has not seen it, but it is a good blend of action and drama and ends in a huge monster fight at the end of the movie.

For those who get the 4k disc, the movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. It is a definite upgrade from the regular Blu-Ray version. The cinematography really pops, especially the landscape in Brazil, in the UHD format. This is a two-disc set. The UHD disc just has the movie, which can be played with the commentary track with director Louis Leterrier and Tim Roth. The commentary is pretty good, but Leterrier and Roth do tend to go off on a lot of tangents. The rest of the extras are on the regular Blu-Ray disc, and those include an alternate opening sequence, about 40-minutes worth of deleted and extended scenes, a 30-minute making-of documentary, and four other featurettes that range from just over six minutes to just under thirty minutes. There are also several u-control interactive features. So, if you like going through bonus features, this gives you a lot.

While the movie does get shit on a lot, it is much better than it gets credit for. I personally like it better than the Ang Lee version of The Hulk, which had only been released a handful of years prior to this one. The CGI had come a long way since that movie, and the CGI Hulk looked a lot more realistic. Of course, there was still a debate going on whether they should CGI The Hulk or use a real actor, a-la Lou Ferrigno from the TV series. Using a CGI Hulk works a lot better (in my opinion) because they can actually make him nine feet tall and do not have to shoot him from below or with a special lens to make the actor look bigger as they did with Ferrigno. The movie has a lot of easter eggs that reference the TV series from the Danger sign, the "lonely man" theme, a reference to David Banner, and more. Lou Ferrigno had a small cameo (as well as being able to voice The Hulk, which he did not do in the TV series), and they found a way to include Bill Bixby (who of course had passed away by the time the movie was made) for a split second. 

Marvel was definitely still finding its legs with this movie. There was not a post-credits scene, but the final scene of the movie did act to further the MCU storyline. If you watch the movies in chronological order, this is actually the fifth movie in the sequence behind, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Iron Man 2. In release order, this was the second movie that was released later the same year as Iron Man, and it was not a foregone conclusion that The Avengers story arc would ever pan out. Personally, I like Norton's portrayal of Banner more than I like Ruffalo in the role. Not that Ruffalo is bad, but I just think Norton's version is better. Rumors have it that Norton was a huge pain in the ass during the production of the movie, including insisting on making his own re-writes, which ultimately led to him being replaced. Obviously, the MCU survived without him, but I would have liked him to stay in the role. The movie was clearly setting up a sequel that never panned out, and at this point probably never will. But, if you have seen the trailer for She-Hulk, you know Tim Roth is being brought back in some capacity, so it is possible that more characters can be brought back. It is probably the most overlooked MCU movie, but it is very good and worth watching.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

 

This movie, as the title suggests, is a take on the Brother's Grimm fairy tale of Hanel and Gretel. After escaping the witch, the two grew up to become witch hunters (really any kind of demon) exacting revenge on any witches they come across. The movie stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Atherton as the brother and sister duo who take out the bad guys with shotguns and crossbows (while still being set in rustic woodland villages). The movie does not take itself too seriously and really does not expect the viewers to do so either. It is definitely a gory shoot-em-up action movie that has a lot of over-the-top violence. There is not much sexual content aside from one scene in which you kind of get a glimpse of part of Gemma Arterton's breast. It is a mix of action, horror, and comedy. The movie has a strong supporting cast made of up of both known and relatively unknown actors including Famke Janssen as Muriel, an evil grand witch who rules over a coven of dark witches, Peter Stormare as Sheriff Berringer, Thomas Mann, Derek Mears, and Pihla Viitala.

The movie looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray. The extras are somewhat sparse, however. These include a 15-minute making-of documentary, a 10-minute feature on how the witch story was adapted from the fairy tale to the movie, and a 5-minute feature on Edward the troll.

Overall, the movie is good if you take it for what it is. If you are expecting an award winner, you will be sorely disappointed. If you are expecting an action movie that mixes in some humor and knows the whole premise of the movie is absurd, you will probably enjoy it. It is very violent and gory (especially in the unrated version) and there is a lot of swearing, so if that turns you off to a movie, then do not even bother. If however, you are looking for a fun action movie with great visuals and a lot of good special effects, this is a good one to check out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Zero Dark Thirty

 

Zero Dark Thirty is a dramatization of the hunt for, and the subsequent raid to kill Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Quaeda, and the money behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The movie stars Jessica Chastain as Maya, a young CIA analyst working for the unit that was tasked with Hunting down Bin Laden. The character is based on a real person but is kind of an amalgamation of all of the women who worked in that unit. Maya is singularly focused on tracking down a lead regarding the courier whose name was given up by a tortured detainee, and after following many dead ends, ends up panning out. The movie is directed by Kathryn Bigelow who also directed The Hurt Locker. The movie gets an undeserved bad rap as glamorizing torture. I never got the impression that the movie was glamorizing it in any way. I looked at it as acknowledging that the government did torture detainees and not skirting around or whitewashing that fact. Whether the actual information that resulted in the courier's name being given up came about as a result or torture or was dramatized for the movie does not, in my opinion, take away from the quality.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. There are not a ton of extras, but what was included is good. These include a making-of documentary, a featurette on the building of a duplicate of bin Laden's stronghold, a piece about training the actors playing SEALs, and a featurette with Jessica Chastain discussing her character.

Overall, the movie is well-written and very well-acted. Chastain is a tour de force in this movie, bringing intensity and passion to every scene. She definitely earned and deserved her academy award nomination. The movie is not a straight-up documentary and does dramatize some events and material, but includes a lot of real events in the story (such as the bombing at the base that killed several military personnel and CIA officers) and gave a detailed account of how the actual raid went down. It is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

 

Silver Linings Playbook is a combination of a romantic comedy and a drama. It stars Bradley Cooper as Pat Solitano, a bipolar man who has spent eight months in a psychiatric hospital after beating up the man with whom his wife was having an affair. He moves back in with his parents (played wonderfully by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and makes it his mission (against the advice of everyone) to win his wife back. Pat is invited to dinner by his best friend Ronnie, played by John Ortiz, and meets Ronnie's widowed sister-in-law with mental issues of her own, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Tiffany agrees to help Pat win his ex-wife back on the condition that he enter a dance competition with her as her partner. From there, the typical will-they, won't-they get-together storyline plays out.

The Blu-Ray extras are okay, but not extensive. There are deleted scenes, a relatively short making-of-featurette, a Q&A session featuring the director and some of the cast members after a screening of the movie, and a couple of featurettes on the dance numbers.

Overall, the movie is very good. Cooper does a great job alternating between depressed and manic, basically acting like he is on speed. He has great chemistry with Lawrence (who is a large source of the film's humor, although De Niro and Copper have some very funny moments too) as well as with De Niro. De Niro himself is great as Pat's football-obsessed father who is trying to help his son but really does not know how to do so. The biggest scene-stealer of the movie is Chris Tucker (of Rush Hour fame). He is only in a handful of scenes as Danny, another patient at the hospital who is embroiled in a fight with the hospital about whether they can keep him committed. He keeps managing to get out only to be hauled back by the cops. It's a small role that is not integral to the rest of the movie, but funny nonetheless. Personally, I like that the comedy in the movie is a bit darker than it is in most romantic comedies. It is a movie that is very well-written and acted and is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Skyfall

 

This is, of course, the third Bond movie with Daniel Craig starring in the titular role. It is unique in a couple of ways. First, the opening sequence diverges a lot from the opening sequences of many of the prior Bond movies where Bond manages to successfully capture or kill someone, or execute some mission that he is on, usually separate from the main story. I have not seen every Bond movie, but the ones I have seen have all opened like that. Second, this movie, unlike Quantum of Solace, is not tied into the storyline from Casino Royale. Of course, anyone who has seen the rest of the Bond films knows that there is a return to that story arc after this movie. The story in this movie revolves as much around M (played brilliantly by Judi Dench) than it does Bond, and Javier Bardem is awesome as the main villain Raoul Silva, in a much different role than his other iconic villain character from No Country for Old Men.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is awesome, and the cinematography really pops in the HD. format. The extras include two separate commentary tracks on the film, one with the director Sam Mendes, and the other with the producers of the movie. Then there is an hour-long making-of documentary that is split into several parts that can be watched individually or all at once. Then there is a short feature on the world premiere of the movie, the theatrical trailer, and trailers for other movies. So, a lot of good material if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the movie is very good. Daniel Craig has really solidified his role as Bond and by this point all the griping and complaining about him as the lead had pretty much stopped. The movie balances the action scenes with the dramatic scenes very well, and the acting is spectacular. I have not seen all of the Bond movies, but of the ones that I have, it is definitely one of my favorites and well worth watching.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Django Unchained

 

Django Unchained is a movie you will know within the first few minutes whether you will love or hate. It is set shortly before the Civil War. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a former doctor turned bounty hunter seeking to buy a slave named Django (played by Jamie Foxx) to get his help in tracking three outlaw brothers who were overseers at a plantation on which Django was enslaved. In return, Schultz offers Django his freedom and agrees to help him find his wife Hildi, played by Kerry Washington who was sold away from Django as punishment. The movie is definitely inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of the past infused with Quentin Tarantino's over-the-top brand of violence and humor. It has a strong supporting cast including Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio whom both shine in their roles, as do Waltz, Foxx, and Washington.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in the HD format. There is a little over half an hour worth of making-of featurettes and the trailers. Unfortunately, there is no commentary track on the movie, which would have been nice to have. But, what was included was great.

Overall, the movie is wonderful. It is well-written and very well-acted. Yes, it does include the n-word a lot, shows slaves being beaten, and everything. But, keep in mind, that the is set in the south during the 1800s and does not at all sugarcoat what life, and the people were like. It is not telling a "Gone WIth the Wind" type love story between members of the ruling class, the perspective from which the story is told is much different, and includes all the gory details. If that makes you uncomfortable, that may be a good thing. Certainly, Quentin Tarantino's movies are not for everyone, and this is no exception. But, if you are generally a fan of his work, this is definitely worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Iron Man

 

While, by 2008, there had been other superhero movies like Spiderman and the original Fantastic Four movies made and relatively successful, this is the first movie in what would become a 20+ movie and counting franchise of movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has dominated not only the superhero movie genre but really the movie landscape as a whole for more than a decade.

The movie is the origin story of Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his superhero alter-ego, Iron Man. Stark is an ultra-rich, ultra-smart, and sometimes too smooth for his own good, tech genius. He is the head of Stark Industries which is basically a weapons developer that makes weapons for the military and anyone who is the highest bidder. After a demonstration of his newest missile technology for the military in a fictitious middle-eastern country, the convoy he is in is attacked and he is taken, prisoner and forced to make a missile for a group of terrorists. Instead of making them a missile, he develops the first Iron Man suit, breaks out, and upon being rescued, he determines to take the company in a new direction and develop a better suit that he can use to fight bad guys.

The movie has a great supporting cast including Gweneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Tony's assistant and potential love interest, Terrance Howard as James Rhodes, Tony's friend and military liaison, Jon Favreau whom both directed the movie and played Happy Hogan, Tony's driver, Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, a partner in Stark Industries, Leslie Bibb as reported Christine Everhart, Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis, Tony's artificially intelligent assistant, and Clark Gregg, as Phil Coulson.

For those who get the 4k Disc, the movie looks very good in the UHD format, but it does not get as good a video upgrade as some of the other movies have. It is probably not something you would likely notice unless you are a big-time A/V wonk, but it is not a giant video upgrade over the Blu-Ray disc. The audio upgrade to Dolby Atmos is wonderful and the movie sounds great even if you have a modest sound system. For extras, they are somewhat sparse. There is a Hall of Armor interactive gallery with details about the different versions of the Iron Man suits in the movie, about 23 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, and a six different featurettes under the title "The Invincible Iron Man" that can be played all together at one time, that is essentially an hour-long documentary on the history of the character in the comics. It is important to note, that when the movie was originally released on Blu-Ray, it was released in various retailer exclusives that had different bonus content. None of that exclusive content was brought over to this one, so if you have a retailer exclusive Blu-Ray then you will want to keep that one as well (if the extras are important to you).

Overall, the movie is great. Had the movie not worked, there probably never would have been an MCU, and at the time, casting Robert Downey Jr. as essentially in the lead role of not only this movie but the leader of many of the movies that would come after that was a huge risk given his history of drug abuse.. You can tell that he took the role (and the movie) very seriously, and was perfectly cast for the role of Tony Stark. But really, all of the actors did a wonderful job in their roles, whether large or small. I highly recommend the movie if you are a fan of action and/or superhero movies. Whether it is worth the double-dip to upgrade from the Blu-Ray (assuming you purchased the Blu-Ray when it was first released on disc) is hard to say. If you have a great home-theater setup (or plan to build one) then it probably is. If not, the regular Blu-Ray is probably fine.

4KUHD/Movie Review: The Batman

 

The Batman is yet another live-action take on Batman, yet one that is much different than what has come before. This film forgoes doing the origin story that has been done multiple times and jumps into Batman's second year as a vigilante. He is working with Lieutenant Gordon who brings him in to investigate a series of murders involving high-ranking Gotham officials, with the killer leaving riddles for Batman at the scene of each kill. The story is much more of an origin story for the rogue's gallery of villains and is adapted heavily from the year one and year two comics.

The casting of the movie was (as always) controversial with Robert Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoe Kravits playing Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano playing The Riddler, Collin Farrell playing Penguin, Jeffrey Wright playing Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis playing Alfred, and John Turturro playing Carmine Falcone. Of course, Pattinson's casting was a subject of much debate (as has most every casting choice for Batman since Keaton landed the role in the late 1980s). Pattinson was best known for his roles in the Twilight series (which even he admits were not that good) and as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. I think most people complaining about his casting either were not aware of his other work, in which he has shown his acting chops or just liked to complain. But, he, and the rest of the cast, did a great job with their characters. Farrell was unrecognizable both in look and voice as Penguin (he was really just a secondary character in the movie) and Dano, who to this point was probably best known as a side character in the movie Girl Next Door and from his role in There Will be Blood, was awesome as The Riddler. And, Barry Keoghan was great in his minute or so at the end clearly playing an early version of The Joker (but credited as being the unseen Arkham inmate).

The movie looks and sounds great in UHD. The 4K set is actually a three-disc set. The UHD disc and one of the regular Blu-Ray discs just has the movie itself, and the second regular Blu-Ray disc has all the special features and extras. The extras include several short behind-the-scenes featurettes that range from a couple of minutes to about 10 minutes in length. The main feature is an almost hour-long making-of documentary which spans pretty much the entire filming process and shows how the covid pandemic really impacted how the film was made. Then there are a couple of deleted scenes that you can watch with or without director commentary.

Overall, the movie is great. I do think it is a bit long and could have been cut down for time. That said, I think most of the scenes that did end up in the final cut of the film worked, so aside from a couple of scenes at the very end of the film, I think it would have been hard to pick what to remove. I like the fact that Batman is not yet fully formed in this movie and he is still trying to figure out how to be Batman, without really caring about being Bruce Wayne. It is also interesting to see him operate out in the daylight while literally carrying the Batsuit around in a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The movie has a feel that is much more similar to Nolan's trilogy of movies than it does to the Burton or Schumacher movies, without being a carbon copy of what Nolan did with his. The movie has an old-school film noir crime/detective story feel to it and is extremely well-acted. Definitely worth watching and investing in the disc for those who still get the physical discs.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Love & Other Drugs

 

Love and Other Drugs is a romantic comedy about a pharmaceutical salesman played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who is on the verge of getting fired until Viagra comes along and reignites his career. One day while pushing Viagra at a clinic, he meets and falls for Anne Hathaway's character and they start in what is supposed to be an NSA relationship, mainly because she has Parkinson's and does not want to get into a long-term relationship. Of course, feelings develop and the two have to figure out what they want. It has a strong supporting cast including Judy Greer, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, and Josh Gad.

For those who get the blu-ray, the A/V quality is very good, and it has a handful of extras, including deleted scenes, character profiles of Maggie (Hathaway) and Jamie (Gyllenhaal), a feature on Jamie Reidy, the real salesman on whose book the movie is based, the theatrical trailer, and a BD live feature on Gyllenhaal's favorite scene.

Overall, the movie is good, but not without its flaws. The movie does at times seem like a schill for big Phrama, with Pfizer getting a ton of product placement, and just kind of glossing over many issues that the drug companies create (which could easily be more of a theme, because of the character of Maggie and her predicament). There is a lot of sex and nudity in the movie, moreso than in other rom-coms. While it does follow some of the traditional rom-com formulaic notes, it does diverge from that at times. While it is definitely not a family-friendly movie, it is worth watching if you are looking for an adult rom-com.

DVD/Movie Review: The Limits of Control

 

The Limits of Control is an indie movie written and directed by Jim Jarmusch starring Isaach De Bankolé as "The Lone Man" a character who says almost nothing the entire movie and receives instructions from a bunch of oddball characters including Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, and the hot, yet seemingly batshit crazy Paz De La Huerta (check out her social media pages) whose character The Nude Woman is, as is pretty obvious, is naked every time she is on the screen. She is, honestly, the best part of the movie. There is a plot in there somewhere, but it is really incomprehensible what is going on until the end. I think the movie tries so hard to be edgy and offbeat that it goes too far and just comes across as weird and boring.

For those who get the DVD, the movie does have great cinematography, and even on DVD that looks great. It is set in different locations around Europe and some of those location shots really do pop, especially if you have a large screen TV. As far as extras, there is an almost hour-long making-of documentary that shows a lot of the filming process but is not all that insightful. Then there is a short feature on some of the cinematography shots which is worth watching.

I can definitely not say that everyone will like this movie. If you are a fan of offbeat indie films it is probably right in your wheelhouse. However, I think it could be a lot better, especially given the acting talent the movie did have available.

Blu-Ray Set Review: Forever Marilyn Collection

 

I have been a fan of Marilyn Monroe since seeing clips of her in the music video for Elton John's live version of Candle in the Wind. This is far from a complete collection but includes seven of her very well-known movies. The movies included are Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, River of No Return, There's No Business Like Show Business, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like it Hot, and The Misfits. For me, the best movies on the set are The Misfits and Some Like it Hot. The Misfits (and River of No Return) really showed her acting range, and that she could play more than just a ditzy blonde, a gold-digging blonde, or a gold-digging ditzy blonde. Obviously, being a gorgeous blonde in the 1950s and 1960s limited the roles she could get (especially early in her career), but the variety of movies do at least give you some idea of her range as an actress.

As many have noted, the packaging is pretty bad. The collection comes in a very thin cardboard slip case that's only thicker than a standard Blu-ray jewel case. Inside, you'll find two fold-out "books," with the discs. There are four in the first book, and three in the second book. The discs are inserted into scalloped slits in each book. None of my discs slipped out of the slits during shipping, but it is very easy for them to do so. The movies did get very good A/V transfers, and the extras vary from disc to disc. Most of them have trailers for the movie you are watching and some of her other movies. The Seven Year itch has a commentary track on the film by a biographer and a picture-in-picture version of the movie that pops up information and video clips that are basically about how the movie got around the censors of the time. Then there are a few featurettes, an interactive timeline of Marilyn's career, and a stills gallery. Some Like it Hot also has a commentary track, a making-of feature that included interviews with Director Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis, an interview between Leonard Maltin and Tony Curtis, and a couple of other featurettes. There are no extras specific to this set, however, just what was included with the individual movie releases.

Overall, it is a good set if you are a fan of Marilyn. Some of the films hold up very well even years down the line from their release. Others would definitely not be made today the way they were back in the 50s. The extras on Some Like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch are great, but sparse (to say the least) for the other movies, and the packaging could be a lot better. That said, it is still a great set that is worth picking up.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

 

This movie was a mostly failed attempt to expand the Bourne universe beyond Matt Damon's character when Damon did not want to return for another movie. Of course, Damon eventually came back to the character and the spin-off was pretty much relegated to the dust bin of history.

The Bourne Legacy takes place at the same time as the previous film, The Bourne Ultimatum. Jeremey Renner stars as Aaron Cross who is a member of a black ops program called Operation Outcome whose subjects are genetically enhanced. Cross is stationed in a remote outpost in Alaska, and after the Treadstone operation is burned by Bourne, the government starts eliminating all traces of it and Operation Outcome, which means trying to take Cross out. Of course, that does not go to plan and what follows from there is pretty similar to the prior installments of the franchise.

Opinions on the quality of the movie seem to vary a lot. I think it was pretty good, but not great. It kept faithful to the original movies, yet was not totally derivative. That said, the chases and the whole feel of the government trying to track down a rogue agent were very much the same as the prior movies. It did have a great cast including Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, and Oscar Isaac, and had clips of Damon, Albert Finney, and Joan Allen.

The movie looks and sounds very good in the HD format and there are a lot of extras. Those include a commentary track on the movies by the directors and members of the production crew. Then there are deleted scenes and several featurettes that run from just under two minutes to almost eight minutes. All in all, about an hour's worth of extras (give or take) separate from the commentary track.

Overall, the movie was a good attempt at expanding the Bourne Universe. I think Renner, Weisz, and Norton did a good job as the leads and would have liked to have seen additional movies with their involvement, even with Cross and Bourne teaming up. Chances are, that is not going to come to pass and this is going to be a one-off movie, even if Damon decides to do another movie after "Jason Bourne" which is becoming more unlikely as time goes by.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

 

This is the third and final movie in the Nolan Batman trilogy. The movie is set years down the line from the events of The Dark Knight. Batman has essentially disappeared and Bruce Wayne has become a crippled shut-in, hobbled by injuries from years as Batman. Of course, those two things do not seem to correlate as (seemingly) nobody has any idea who Batman is. However, Gordon who knows (and carries with him an admission) of Batman's innocence in the killings that Two-Face committed, is not exactly looking to track Batman down. When a new threat in the form of Bane (played by Tom Hardy, who got absolutely jacked for the movie) emerges and threatens the city, Bruce must yet again don the cape and cowl. The movie also includes Catwoman/Selena Kyle, played wonderfully by Anne Hathaway, but much differently than how Michelle Pfeiffer played the role in Batman Returns.

There are a ton of Blu-Ray extras. There is a screen app integration that is kind of like a picture-in-picture track that can be played with the movie that acts kind of like a commentary track and kind of like a behind-the-scenes look at making the film. But it is very clunky to use. On the second Blu-Ray disc, which just has extras, there is a feature on ending the trilogy that is split into three main parts, each part having several individual sections. All of the material is very interesting and well worth watching, and in total is probably as long (or longer) in running time than the movie itself.

Overall, the trilogy was wrapped up very well. The ending was a bit forced for me, and takes a lot of suspension of disbelief, beyond what you already have to have for a movie like this. It was very well-acted and had tie-ins to the first movie. Caine's role as Alfred and Freeman's role as Fox was reduced in this movie, but Oldman did a great job playing a guilt-riddled Jim Gordon. I know that some people felt the reveal at the end of who was working with Bane was forced but did not mind it. While it was not, in my opinion, as good as The Dark Knight, I think it provided a fitting end to the trilogy and is definitely worth the pickup on Blu-Ray (or on 4K UHD now that it is available in that format).

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Bound (1996)

 

Bound is a mid-1990s erotic thriller written and directed by the Wachowskis, before they made The Matrix. It is kind of an independent darling movie that stars Gina Gershon as Corky, an ex-con hired to renovate an apartment in an upscale apartment building, and Jennifer Tilly as Violet, the girlfriend of a money-launderer for the mob named Ceasar (played by Joe Pantoliano). The first part of the movie basically builds the sexual tension between Tilly and Gershon, and then the second part involves the two trying to steal a bunch of money from Ceasar (and hence the mob). The movie was fairly controversial when it was released mainly due to the sex scene between Tilly and Gershon, which would not be a big deal at all today.

The Blu-Ray itself is very bare-bones. It just has the two versions of the movie (the R-Rated cut and the unrated cut (which shows a bit more of the main sex scene). There are no extras like the commentary track and featurettes that were released on older DVD editions of the movie.

Overall, the movie is good, but not great. It is definitely predictable in parts and aside from the fact that the two main characters were women, there was nothing all that unique about the story. It does have a mix of drama and suspense with a bit of humor mixed in. The acting was okay. Pantoliano really carries the heavy acting load in the movie, as Tilly pretty much did the breathy thing she does in every movie (and had her tits pushed up to her chin most of the time), and while Gershon did a good job with her role, hers was not written all that well. I would not describe the movie as a must-see, but it is worth watching if you are looking for something in the dramatic thriller genre.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Clone

 

Clone, which was also released under the name Womb, is a different, and frankly kind of weird movie starring Eva Green (the first Bond Girl in the Daniel Craig Bond movie Casino Royale and the star of the series Penny Dreadful) and Matt Smith (from Doctor Who).

The plot of the movie is not overly complicated. Green and Smith play Rebecca and Thomas, a young couple in love. When he is killed in an accident, she decides to use his DNA to create a cloned embryo and carry him to term and raise the clone as her child. Then the movie basically spans a twenty-year time frame as the clone grows up and yet Rebecca never ages.

I will not say anything more to avoid spoiling the movie for those who have not seen it. I will say that while not everything in the movie made a lot of sense, and it could be slowly paced in spots (which is something for a movie that is just over an hour and a half long), Green does a great acting job. There are times in the movie when there is not a lot of dialogue and Green pretty much carries the movie via her facial expressions. It most definitely has the feel of a small-budget independent movie, but it is mostly well-written, and very well acted. I do think it could have spent a bit more time on Thomas and Rebecca's relationship before his death and which would have provided a bit more depth to the end of the movie.

The movie looks very good on Blu-Ray, with great cinematography of the locations in Germany. There are not much in the way of extras, just a few trailers, no making-of or behind-the-scenes material. I have not seen the movie streaming on any of the major streaming services, however, so if you want it the DVD or Blu-Ray is probably your best bet.