Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron

 

Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the 2015 entries into the MCU. It brings back cast members Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Hemsworth as Iron Man, Captain America, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Black Widow, Hawke, and Thor, respectively. The additions to the cast in this movie are Aaron Taylor Johson and Elizabeth Olson, playing Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, and James Spader voicing Ultron. Paul Bettany is used in live-action as Vision as well as continuing to voice Jarvis, Tony Stark's AI assistant. 

This movie continues the storylines that played out in the first Avengers Movie and Captain America Winter Soldier. It starts out with them mopping up the Hydra forces and trying to find Loki's scepter. In the process, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner start messing around with Artificial Intelligence in the hope of creating a force that can replace the team of Avengers, and end up creating Ultron, who is played brilliantly by James Spader. As noted above, the other main additions to the cast are Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olson. They were in the teaser scene at the end of The Winter Soldier's credits, and while most probably already know the role they play in the movie, I will not spoil it for those who have not yet seen the film. But they both do a very good job playing what are ultimately conflicted characters.

As most know, everything in the Marvel Universe (aside from the X-Men and Fantastic 4 franchises and the previous Spider-Man movies) tells one long, continuous, intricate story leading up to the Avengers Infinity Wars movies. The movies tell the main story, and TV Shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, and Daredevil are either filling in some of the gaps or are just on the fringe of the larger story. One thing I really liked about this movie is it gave Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye a storyline and more to do. Instead of being the "other one" like he was for much of the first movie, he plays a large part in this one and has some great sarcastic one-liners. It also sets up a transition in the Avengers lineup with some characters taking a back seat by the end of the movie (seemingly anyway) and is definitely setting up the movies that are yet to come.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is again outstanding. The bonus material includes deleted scenes, a few behind-the-scenes features, a blooper reel, and a director's commentary track. Given what has come out about what a jackass Joss Whedon was, I did not bother listening to it, but it is there for anyone who wants to. There is also a code included for more web-based extras, should you want to look at those. There is not a ton, but it is good for what is there for those who like to go through the bonus material.

All in all, you pretty much know what you are getting with these movies. If you are into the story and do not have superhero fatigue, then you will likely enjoy this. If you are not all that into action/superhero movies then this one is not really going to do anything to change your mind. While all of the actors did a great job in their respective roles, Spader and Olson were the standouts in the movie to me, dominating most of the scenes they were in. So, if you have liked the MCU movies up to this point, this one is worth the time to watch. It advances the overall storyline very well and tells a good self-contained story.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: The Abyss

 

The Abyss is a 1989 Sci-Fi/Adventure movie written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn, along with numerous recognizable character actors. The basic plot is that a top-secret nuclear submarine is hit with something akin to an electromagnetic pulse. The Soviets are moving toward the sub as a hurricane enters the area. The Navy sends a team of Seals to a Deep Core underwater oil rig (run by Harris' character Bud Brigman) that is located where the sub went down along with the designer of the oil rig, Lindsey Bergman (played by Mastrantonio), who is also Bud's estranged wife) to launch a mission to find the sub and try to recover the sub and find any survivors. As the movie goes along, the crew discovers that the sub was sunk by a race of aliens that have been living in the oceans, referred to in the movie as NTIs (short for Non-Terrestrial Intelligence). The Seals plan to use a nuke to attack the NTIs, which leads to a confrontation between the Seals and the crew of the rig.

The 4K set is a three-disc set with one UHD disc and two regular Blu-Ray discs. The UHD and the first Blu-Ray disc contain both versions of the movie: the two-hour and twenty-minute theatrical version and the two-hour and fifty-minute extended edition. The extended edition includes more of a US vs. Soviet Union storyline and a threat from the aliens to unleash mega-tsunamis against humans if they humans do not change their ways. Both versions of the movie look and sound great in the UHD format. Cameron's 4K remasters are the subject of much controversy as he prefers to remove the film grain and make the movies look like they were shot on today's digital cameras. Because of that, the movie does look like it could have been shot today, but some of the special effects look a bit cheesy because the limitations of late 1980s CGI are readily apparent in the UHD format. 

The third disc has special features, including a recent interview with Cameron in which he discusses the chaotic filing process that runs about 30 minutes, a featurette on the legacy of the movie that runs about 25 minutes, an hour-long making-of featurette that has archival behind the scenes footage and interviews with members of the cast and crew made in 1993, and a text and stills gallery divided into multiple chapters. The bonus material goes into just how crazy the filming of the movie was (almost the entire movie was shot in a huge water tank), with nearly all the scenes shot underwater. You can tell that most of the cast members hated the process but loved the story they were telling. Harris, who nearly drowned a couple different times filming the movie absolutely seemed to hate the process of making the movie but was proud of what they created.

Ultimately, while the movie is not perfect, it is very good, and the UHD release is wonderful. The movie has a great blend of action, drama, and suspense. You can see elements from many of Cameron's other movies, including Aliens (which was made before this one), Titanic, and Avatar (both of which were made after this one) in this movie. It is absolutely worth the time to watch and add to a physical media collection.  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Homeland: Season 4

 

++WARNING: This will contain spoilers from the prior seasons and hints, but no major giveaways from season 4. If you have not seen the prior seasons, skip past the first paragraph. +++

The 4th season of Homeland included 12 episodes that aired during the fall and winter of 2014. This season, the main cast includes Claire Danes, Rupert Friend, Nazanin Boniadi, Laila Robins, Tracy Letts, and Mandy Patinkin. 

The season starts off months after the events of season 3. Carrie is still dealing with the death of Brody and being a mother. Most of this season's story is set in Pakistan and plays off the very real-world scenario of they do not trust us, and we do not trust them, and it mainly involves a Taliban leader's grab for power. After the Pakistan CIA station chief is killed, Carrie ends up stepping in for him and begins making dubious decisions. Quinn really steps up to the number two character this season. Saul's role is somewhat reduced, especially since he works in the private sector. While he is still involved in major parts of the story (especially toward the middle to end of the season), he is on the sidelines a lot. Carrie calls many of the shots this season despite being unwell, and Quinn sometimes helps her and sometimes on his own. There is a very good storyline within the season of Quinn trying to get out of the CIA but finding himself drawn back. Because of Brody's death in season 3, we do not see any of his family this season. Although they did find a way to get a nice Damien Lewis cameo in one of the episodes.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc set that includes the episodes and a handful of extras. The A/V quality is very good, and the shows look and sound great in the HD format. The discs have a season-play mode that allows you to stop in the middle of an episode and pick up where you left off. The extras include deleted scenes for some episodes, a few script-to-screen features that detail specific scenes during the season and how they were done, and character profiles. It's good for what is there, but not extensive. Ultimately, the season is good. It is not as good as the first season, but better than the third season. The show definitely had to pivot with the end of the Brody storyline, but that had really played itself out by the end of season three. Even though it could not recapture the feel of season one, it is still worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

 

On Stranger Tides is the fourth and probably final movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It was directed by Rob Marshall and stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffry Rush, Sam Claflin, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, and Kevin McNally. Depp, Rush, and McNally, of course, were reprising their roles as Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbossa, and Gibbs from the original trilogy.  This movie was obviously set up by the final couple of scenes of At World's End when the Fountain Of Youth story was teased. This picks up at some point after the end of the prior movie with Jack and Gibbs in London, running into Barbossa, who now works for the crown. They all end up in a race with Blackbeard and the Spanish to find the Fountain. Intertwined in the story is Penelope Cruz's character, who has a past with both Jack and Blackbeard. Much of the cast from the original trilogy is not present in this movie (including Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly). The main "supernatural" characters in this movie come in the form of mermaids, who appear about halfway in.

The movie has more of the darker tones from the second and third movies of the "main" trilogy, but does incorporate humor here and there, especially between Rush and Depp. While it does have some humorous and lighthearted moments, they are not as frequent as in The Curse of the Black Pearl. There are, of course, a lot of action sequences and CGI work. The CGI in the film looks great, but it does seem that they did what they could to build real sets, so not everything was computer-generated. There was probably more suggested sexual innuendo in this movie (although nothing overt) than in all the others. Thankfully, the running time was kept to just over 2hrs, and it did not feel like it was dragging like Dead Man's Chest and At World's End seemed to.

While the A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is great, this release is the lightest on extras of all of the physical media releases for the movies in the franchise. There is no separate disc with bonus features. Everything is included on the movie disc. The "big" extra is the ability to play the movie with the in-movie experience that pops up windows throughout the movie that allows you to get a deeper insight into the film. Then, there is a blooper reel, a few deleted scenes, and a few behind-the-scenes featurettes. If you are a big fan of all the Pirates movies, then this will be worth adding to your collection. If you fall into the camp where you liked the first movie and started to get sick of them by the third movie, then you are probably not going to like this enough to buy it. There is not a ton of character development throughout the film, save for the few new characters that show up, but it mostly relies on the assumption you know who everyone is. The story is good but not as good or fun as in Curse of the Black Pearl. If that is the only movie in the series you really liked, then you may want to limit yourself to just having this on in the background or skip it altogether. Ultimately, the story was okay but nothing to write home about and while the movie is entertaining, I would not say that it really needed to be made. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

 

At World's End is the 2007 entry into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and was the final film in the original Pirates trilogy. The movie was directed by Gore Verbinski (who directed the first two movies) and brought back the main cast members, including Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, and Orlando Bloom, and sees the return of Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa. This movie is set a few months after the events of Dead Man's Chest, with the group trying to find a way to rescue Jack from Davy Jones' Locker and then take down Lord Cutler Beckett and Davy Jones.

This seems to be the movie in the franchise that people either love or hate. I happen to be one of the (seemingly) few people in the middle. I do agree that the film is way too long. At just under 3 hrs, it takes much longer to get where it ultimately went than needed. That said, like all the movies, the visuals were stunning, the special effects even more seamless than in the first two movies, and the final battle between the Royal Navy, The Black Pearl, and the Flying Dutchman was awesome. Some of the humor of the first movie was sprinkled into this one, but on the whole, it had pretty much the same darker tone as Dead Man's Chest. Depp and Geoffrey Rush played off each other well, which provided most of the comedy.

The A/V quality of the movie on Blu-Ray is again outstanding. The extras are similar to what was included for the others. There are lots of making-of and behind-the-scenes features, a gag reel, and some deleted scenes. There are not as many deleted scenes for this movie's release as there were for the first two movies.  At this point, you will likely know how you feel about the movie (and the franchise in general). While the movie could have easily been cut down by about 20-30 minutes, it brings the original story to a satisfying conclusion and has a good blend of action and humor. If you like the films and want the extras, then the Blu-ray is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

 

Dead Man's Chest is the 2006 sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl. The movie is again directed by Gore Vabinski and sees the main cast of Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightly return to their roles as Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann, respectively. This is the movie where the Pirates movies took a darker, more serious tone. It lost a lot of the humor that was in the first movie, which I think made that one so good. Not that there was no humor in this one, it was just darker humor, and while Curse of the Black Pearl did not really take itself ultra seriously, this one did. This movie also felt like it took a long time to get through. Like the wheel fight gag, while humorous and fun at first, took like it took forever to pay off. The big additions to the cast in this movie are Bill Nighy as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgard as Bootstrap Bill. 

The story this time centers around Jack trying to outmaneuver Davy Jones and the Kracken that he unleashes on those that owe him a debt (and really anyone who gets in his way), and Will finding out what happened to his father. Jack Davenport returns as Commodore Norrington, still acting as a foil to Jack and the crew, but this time in a much different capacity. While Geoffrey Rush was the standout in the first movie, I think Davenport was the standout in this one, stealing most of the scenes he was in.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is again top-notch. The special effects are even better in this one, and the "monster-like" characters in this one are even less fake-looking than the undead pirates in the first movie. In fact, the only spot you can really tell that the shot was against a green screen is one of the shots with the Kracken toward the end of the movie. Other than that, everything looks seamless. There are tons of extras on the blu-ray as well. Much more than (although pretty much the same type as) were included in the extras for the first movie.  The extras include several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a gag reel, a movie showcase, and more. The is well over three hours' worth of material for those who like to go through the bonus features.

The movie is not perfect. This is the movie where a lot of people who liked the first movie but ended up hating the franchise seemed to take a turn. While Curse of the Black Pearl could have really been one stand-alone, great movie, I do think this one gets more of a bad rep than it deserves. Liking or disliking a movie like this is very subjective, but if you go into it knowing that it may not live up to what the first one was, and is not a carbon copy of the first one (which would not have worked either) then I think you can find this enjoyable. It has a very good blend of action, comedy/humor, and drama and is worth the time to watch. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is the original movie in the Pirates franchise from 2003. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and starred Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, and Jack Davenport. The supporting cast included Kevin McNally, Zoe Saldana, Mackenzie Crook, and Lee Arenberg (among others). The movie was the breakout role for Knightly (as a lead), who was just 17 years old when the movie was filmed, the second big franchise appearance for Bloom (who had made the first two Lord of the Rings movies), and was a career resurgence for Depp, who starred in what is clearly his signature role, Captain Jack Sparrow. The movie involves a group of Pirates (led by Rush's character, Captain Barbossa) trying to track down the final pieces of stolen Aztec gold that caused a curse to be placed on those who stole the gold. They plan to return the gold in order to lift the curse and in the process, end up kidnapping Knightly's character, Elizabeth Swann. Bloom, who plays an apprentice blacksmith named Will Turner, teams up with Sparrow (who has his own agenda) to rescue her. 

Chances are, by now, most know enough of the movies to know what they are and are not. Curse of the Black Pearl was obviously the first in the chain of "Pirates" movies, based on the ride at the Disney Theme Parks. The movie takes elements from the rides and weaves them into the story. It has the most basic and probably least bloated storyline of the entire series of movies. And, it is probably the one that does not seem like it takes 2+ hours to sit through because the story is fun, and the pacing is so good.

The movie centers around the three characters, Captain Jack Sparrow (played wonderfully by Johnny Depp), Will Turner (played by Orlando Bloom), and Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightly). Apart from the main three, there is a huge ensemble cast made up mainly of character actors, all of whom play much larger roles in the movie than in any other movies they have appeared in. As good and original as Depp was in the movie, Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa stole every scene he was in. The scenes with Rush and Depp together were the best part of the movie, in my opinion. 

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is awesome. The picture quality of the movie was the one that prompted me to start investing in Blu-Ray. The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray was, at the time the movie was released, reference quality. The extras include a ton of behind-the-scenes and making-of features, as well as deleted scenes and a blooper reel. It also includes the TV special about the making of the ride that aired in the 1960s. All in all, you get a good 2 plus hours of material.  Ultimately, it is a very good action-adventure movie. It had the perfect blend of action, mystery, thrills, and humor. It definitely did not take itself too seriously, something that cannot necessarily be said for the sequels, and really wrapped up its part of the story by the end. You can, however, see the seeds they were sewing for the subsequent movies by leaving Will's background a mystery. It is absolutely worth the time to watch, and you definitely will not be disappointed with the picture and sound.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Passengers (2008)

 

Passengers is a 2008 movie starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson (not to be confused with the 2016 movie starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence). This was one of the movies that Hathaway used to distance herself from the Disney role that launched her to fame as it took on a much more adult theme. She still was not as big a star when this movie came out as she is now (although she had done Devil Wears Prada, Brokeback Mountain, and Get Smart by the time this was released, so she was certainly on the rise and headed toward A-List stardom), which I think helped the film overall. It had a relatively small ensemble cast of mainly character actors, including David Morse, Clea DuVall, and Andre Braugher, and the two leads (Hathaway and Wilson) who were not megastars. As a result, I think the relationships between the various felt authentic.

The story involves Hathway's character, Claire, acting as a grief counselor for the survivors of an airplane crash. It starts with her trying to help them through the trauma and then turns into a thriller where she is trying to uncover the truth about the events surrounding the crash and whether the airline was covering it up and killing off the remaining survivors. Along the way, Hathaway and Wilson's characters end up in a relationship, crossing the ethical boundaries of her role as a therapist. The story has quite a few twists and turns that you may or may not see coming.

For those who get the Blu-ray, the movie looks and sounds great. For extras, there are a couple making-of featurettes and a few deleted scenes. There is also a commentary track on the movie with the director, Rodrigo Garcia, and Patrick Wilson. While there is not a ton of bonus content, what was included is good. While the movie was not a blockbuster and is not very well known, it is definitely worth checking out and makes for an enjoyable hour and a half.

Book Review: Star Wars: Red Harvest

 

Red Harvest is a Star Wars Legends Novel written by Joe Schreiber and published in 2010. It is definitely a different kind of Star Wars novel. It does tie into the Sith vs Jedi conflict (before the rule of two was instituted by Darth Bane) to some extent, with almost all the action taking place at one of the Sith Academies. Without giving away too much, it basically involves a Sith's quest for immortality (that they all seemingly have) gone wrong and gets very out of control. A couple of Jedi end up at the academy, trying not only to get off the planet but also to keep the threat from getting out.

The hardcover version of the book is relatively short. It is around 270 pages and reads pretty quickly. Like most of the novels that predate Episode I, a stand-alone novel that does not really tie into the other Old Republic storylines. None of the characters from the other novels cross over, and it is, of course, prior to Darth Bane and his whole rule of two philosophy in which only two Sith existed and stayed hidden. Before the action gets going, the book does include some of the Sith infighting that is always hinted at in the Old Republic-era novels, which destroyed most of the order. Otherwise, it is really its own self-contained story that does not tie into the other Old Republic-era novels. It is a unique and enjoyable read, with quite a bit of suspense and unlikely alliances. While I would not say that this is one of the must-read novels, it is worth the time to read.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Omen (2006)

 

The Omen is a 2006 horror movie starring Julia Stiles, Liev Schrieber, Seamus Davy-Fitzpatrick, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete Postlehwaite, and Michael Gambon. As most people probably know, this is a remake of the 1976 movie of the same name. I have never seen the original movie, so I really have nothing to compare it to. Against that backdrop, I think this one is okay but not great. It is not extremely scary aside from a couple moments that make you jump and a couple gory scenes. The kid that plays Damien (Davy-Fitzpatrick) does not really have a creepy vibe to him aside from a couple times. Most of the creepiness comes from Mia Farrow and the dogs that are guarding Damien. Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles are okay in their roles as the parents of Damien, but neither was what I would call spectacular. 

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is good. It has some very nice location shots that look great in HD. For extras, there is a commentary track on the film by the director, John Moore, and a couple of the producers, a short documentary about the meaning of 666, a short feature on the score, and some extended scenes. The bonus content is not bad, but nothing to write home about, either. The movie is enjoyable enough as a B-level horror/suspense movie (or B+ level, given the star quality of the main actors). It is not, however, something that you will be necessarily glued to the TV every second watching nor is it a movie that I would say is a must-see. It is fine to have it on in the background and you will not miss anything spectacular.

DVD/TV Series Review: Modern Family Season 5

 

The fifth season of Modern Family aired during the 2014-2014 TV season and included 24 episodes. All of the series regulars were brought back this season, and the show continued its format as a procedural sitcom that has one or two longer arcs that span multiple episodes. In season five that was a Cam and Mitchell engagement-to-wedding story arc that ran throughout the season. As has been the case in prior seasons, there were on-location episodes. This season, they did one episode in Vegas and one in Australia. The final two episodes of the season focused on Cam and Mitchell's wedding and had somewhat predictable disasters that almost ruined the day. Of course, everything ended up being okay in the end. They did get a little over the top and repetitive with the storylines during the season about almost canceling and moving the wedding, but by the end, it was a funny and touching episode.

For those who actually get the discs, the quality is very subpar. First of all, after making the first 4 seasons available on blu-ray, the studio completely went the cheap route and made it only available on DVD, which many of the non-CGI heavy shows are doing. Although Modern Family is still popular enough that it should have still been available on blu-ray. Then, to add insult to injury, the DVD transfer is horrible. Unfortunately, FOX has focused far more on streaming their shows and made the physical media almost an afterthought. On top of all that, there are very few extras. There are scenes on disc 2, then a couple of behind-the-scenes features on the location episodes, a couple featurettes on the wedding episode, and a gag reel. Okay, for what is there, but not as much or as much quality as in the past. The show itself is still great and very funny. The writers do a good job of giving all the characters good storylines throughout the season, and giving the actors great material to work with. There are definitely some episodes, however, in which the kids were kind of relegated to the background, with the storylines for the adults being given precedence. The shitty DVD quality aside, the writing and acting on the show continue to be top-notch, and it is worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: The Rundown

 

The Rundown is a 2003 movie directed by Peter Berg and starring The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, and Rosario Dawson. The story involves the Rock's character, Beck, who is basically a bounty hunter for a rich loan shark (played by William Lucking). Beck is tasked with tracking down the boss' son (played by Scott in his most "un-Stifler like role yet) in Brazil as his final job, after which he will be paid enough to open a restaurant and pursue his real passion as a chef. Along the way he crosses paths with the head of a strip mining operation played wonderfully (albeit in an almost over-the-top "more cowbell" SNL parody of himself) Christopher Walken. Rosario Dawson plays a member of the local resistance, trying to get the mining company out of town.

This is the movie that, in my opinion, proved The Rock had some bona fide acting chops and acting range. That, of course, is not always a given for pro wrestlers turned actors (see Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura for the laughably bad end of the spectrum). This was just his third overall movie (after The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King) and only his second in a leading role. It was a role that allowed him to be the action hero everyone thought he would be coming from the pro wrestling world, show off his sometimes underrated comedic side, and even allowed him to make fun of himself a little. It is certainly not an overly complicated plot, nor does it take much thought or energy to watch. That said, it is more than just a "shoot 'em up" kind of action movie, although there is plenty of that. If you are a fan of The Rock or just a fan of action movies, it is definitely worth checking out and makes for a good way to kill a couple hours.

The DVD bonus materials include two different commentary tracks on the movie. One includes The Rock and director Peter Berg, and the other is by a couple of producers. Then, there are about 45 minutes or so worth of behind-the-scenes, making-of features, and deleted scenes. It is definitely not a movie that will appeal to everyone. It would not ever win an Academy Award, but it is a good action movie that does not take itself too seriously. It is definitely worth a look.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Godzilla

 

This version of Godzilla from 2014 was directed by Gareth Edwards and starred Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olson, Bryan Cranston, and Ken Watanabe. I cannot say I am an aficionado of all the Godzilla films that have existed throughout history. What I liked about this version is that when it boiled down to it, the film was really about a battle of monsters, with humans being largely irrelevant to the monsters and just caught in the middle. The film does a great job doing a slow reveal of Godzilla and sets up the modern-day events with tie-ins to events in the 1950s and the 1990s, but once everything is revealed, it makes for a very fun action movie.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good, especially if you have a big-screen TV or projector and even a low-end soundbar. The more extensive setup you have, the better the movie looks and sounds. As for extras, there are several featurettes ranging from about 5 minutes to 20 or so minutes. Some are kind of add-ons to the movie, and others are behind-the-scenes and making-of material. There is definitely quite a bit there for those who like to go through the bonus content. Overall, this is a fun summer action movie with a good story and very good acting. It is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Homeland Season 3

 

+++WARNING This will contain spoilers from the prior seasons and some hints, but no major giveaways about season 3.+++

Season 3 of Homeland included 12 episodes that aired during the fall and winter of 2103. In this season Rupert Friend and F. Murray Abraham were promoted to series regulars, and Tracy Letts was brought on as a power-hungry senator named Andrew Lockhart. The third season is good but kind of disjointed. The plot lines seem to jump around until you get toward the end of the season where everything comes together. The first half of the season was really about the aftermath of the CIA bombing at the end of Season 2 that was pinned on Brody. An elaborate plan between Carrie and Saul was hatched to get the person responsible out in the open, but if you think about it too hard it was a plan hatched to catch someone they did not really know was involved with 100% certainly, relied on information they did not have when the plan was set in motion, or that the bait would be taken. So it takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to buy into the whole thing. If you can put that aside, however, the rest of the season is compelling and dramatic, much like the prior seasons were.

The other main point this season was the wrap-up of Brody's storyline. For much of the first part of the season, Brody was not even around or only appeared for most of 1 episode and a few minutes in a few others. Then his story converged on the other storyline. The one unfortunate part of ending that story is that the great story surrounding Dana's response to finding out her dad was a terrorist was also wrapped up, and it was pretty clear that his family will not have a large role in the show anymore. That said, it was definitely time to bring that story, as good as it was for the first season and a half to a close.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set, with the episodes and extras spread across the three discs. As far as extras go, there is a behind-the-scenes feature on filming the final episodes, deleted scenes, commentary on the final episode, and a feature on Brody's story from the first part of the season. Not a ton, but okay for what is there. All in all, it is not as good as the prior seasons, but does an adequate job of resolving some storylines and moving the show forward.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

 

Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the MCU movies released in 2014. It was directed by James Gunn and starred Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillian, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, and Lee Pace. This movie could have been very good or very bad, depending on whether it was done right. Fortunately, it was, and the result was a very fun and funny action movie.
The story involves the formation of Marvel's "B Team" of heroes, or as the Honest Trailer calls them, Space Avengers. It is set in the Marvel Universe, so while superheroes exist, none of the guardians have powers. The closest is Groot, who is a 7-foot-plus tall tree-looking thing. There is some cross-over with the other films as well. Thanos, who was last seen in the end credits to Avengers, plays another background bad guy in this one, and the collector who was in Thor 2 also makes an appearance.

The main plot involves an orb that is more powerful than most know. It is, in fact, another infinity stone that can destroy almost anything (or anyone) who touches it. Chris Pratt's character, Star-Lord/Peter Quill, is a thief hired to steal the orb. This sets off a huge galactic chase leading to the end battle with Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace. Quill ends up becoming the leader of the group the group of misfit heroes. What makes these characters interesting is that even the good guys are not all good. And they all have very different motives. Drax is after Ronan on a mission of revenge, Gamora (Saldana) is an assassin for Thanos wanting to get away from him, and Rocket, Groot, and Quill are basically all bounty hunters who will do almost anything for money. But what separates them from everyone else is when they need to do the right thing to save each other and stop the bad guy, they do.

Like I said in the beginning, this was totally a movie that could have bombed. Considering 2 of the main characters were totally CGI, and one was an ex-wrestler who was never known to have what passes for good acting skills even in the world of pro wrestling, it could have gone bad quickly. Luckily they wrote Drax's lines totally deadpan and made his character so monotone and serious that Bautista really did not have to do much other than be big and scary. And the animators did so well with the CGI characters that, unlike how they would have looked back at the beginning of the CGI craze, they did not look fake or out of place at all. Bradley Cooper brought great life to a wisecracking smart-a** raccoon and the animators did such a great job giving Groot a personality, it ended up being Vin Diesel's best acting performance yet despite him only repeating the same line over and over.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is outstanding and the movie looks and sounds great, especially if you have a big screen and even a decent sound system. I did not watch the 3D version of the movie, but the regular version was flawless (at least to someone who is not an A/V wonk). As far as extras go, they pretty well mirror what was on Thor 2 and Captain America 2 releases. There are a couple behind-the-scenes and making-of features, deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, and a short look at the making of Avengers 2.

The movie does have a Star Wars meets Marvel Universe feel to it—or, more appropriately, a Spaceballs meets Marvel Universe feel. It is as much a comedy as it is an action/adventure movie, and both aspects work very well. If you are a fan of the other Marvel movies and are in any way on the fence about this one, I definitely think it is worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the 2014 entries in the MCU collection of movies. It stars Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Emily VanCamp, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford. It is both a follow-up to The original Avengers movie (the events of which are lightly touched on in this movie) and to the first Captain America movie, The First Avenger. It is, not surprisingly, more of a follow-up to the latter than the former. In the movie, Steve Rodgers (played by Evans) is still trying to adjust to living in this century after having "died" in the 1940s. It also continues the S.H.E.I.L.D/Hydra battle that started during the events of the first movie when it was assumed Hydra was defeated. To say much more would be to give away too much of the plot, but Hydra uses their own super soldier (The Winter Soldier) who ties back to the first movie as well. And, of course, for those who follow The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D series, the fallout from the events of this movie is also continued there.

There are multiple physical media releases for the movie now. The single-disc blu-ray includes a few short featurettes, some deleted scenes, and a gag reel. There is also a commentary track for the film by directors Anthony and Joe Russo. It's not a ton of material, but it's fine for what there is. Of course, the movie looks and sounds great on blu-ray.

The movie is very well written and acted. Some of the familiar notables (Black Widow, Agent Hill, Nick Fury), all play roles in the movie. It also introduces the character of Falcon (Mackie) into the movie. Scarlett Johansson probably has the biggest supporting role in the movie as Black Widow, and she and Evans have pretty good chemistry playing the straight-laced Rodgers against the not-so-straight-laced Black Widow. There are 2 scenes after the movie, one mid-credits scene and one post-credits that will set up the inevitable Captain America 3. All in all, if you are a fan of the Marvel movies, this one is one of the better stand-alone movies and sets up some of the larger storylines. If you liked the first Captain America movie then you will probably like this one as well.

DVD/TV Series Review: The O.C. Season 4

 

+++Fair Warning this will contain the major season 3 spoiler and some hints, but nothing major from the final season. If you have not yet seen the third season (which is unlikely by now) avoid the first couple of paragraphs.+++

The fourth and final season of The OC was the shortest season (just 16 episodes) of the series and aired during the fall of 2006 into the winter of 2007. The season rebounded nicely from the messier season 3.  The first half of the season was all about Ryan (and Julie) coping with the death of Marissa, who was revealed to have died in the car accident at the end of the third season. Julie essentially recruits Ryan to go after Volchuck to exact revenge, which, of course, Ryan is all too willing to do, While Sandy, Seth, and Kirsten try to get him to stop pursuing Volchuck and come home. Once that part of the story ends, the focus is really on wrapping up the series and the lingering storylines. The various character relationships are tested again, but luckily not by unlikable characters as in past seasons. The focus is kept (as it should be) on the remaining core characters, with a few ancillary characters (including an appearance by Ryan's father) mixed in.

The DVD set is a five-disc set. The extras include commentary tracks on a couple episodes and a few featurettes on the 5th disc. The focus is on the evolution of Christmakah and the evolution of Summer as a character. There is not a ton of bonus material, but what is included is good. The final episode gives a nice glimpse back at the series as well as a flash into the future to see where the characters ultimately end up. While it is not really a show that requires everything to be tied up in a little bow at the end, I think the writers did a good job of wrapping up the series. While this season is still not as good as the first two seasons, it is still worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: The O.C. Season 3

 

+++Fair warning, this will contain spoilers from season 2, but no major season 3 giveaways. Chances are, after all this time, anyone reading will know how season 2 ends, but just in case, skip the first couple of paragraphs.+++

Season 3 of The OC included 25 episodes that aired during the 2005-2006 TV season. The third season is much darker than the others. The season continues the fallout over Caleb's death, Kirsten going off to rehab for alcoholism, and Marissa's shooting of Trey. The cast shuffle continues this season with the departure of Tate Donovan (the show uses Jimmy's continued money woes to write the character off and introduces a bunch of ancillary characters to stir up relationship issues (mainly the Ryan/Marissa relationship). Personally, I think the best addition to the cast is Autumn Reeser, who plays Taylor Townsend. At first, she is kind of a villain for the younger characters and ends up being (almost) one of the group. She has great comedic chops and brings what little comedy there is during the season. Willa Holland also joins the show this year, taking over the role of Marissa's younger sister, Kaitlin.

The rest of the season is really about the characters spiraling off the rails. Sandy takes over the Newport Group and becomes more and more like Caleb than he or anyone else wants. Seth goes through a "troubled" phase, which is fairly tame considering but threatens his relationship with Summer. Marissa continues the tailspin she never really got out of, which leads Ryan to have to choose whether to try and protect her or let her go. Like in the other seasons, they jam-pack a lot of storylines into the season. Some play themselves out within a few weeks, and others linger throughout the season. I don't necessarily think trying to take the characters in a different direction (which they were clearly trying to do, at least to some extent) always worked very well this season. I think the show would have been better off putting a heavier focus on a few of the storylines and not trying to jam as much in. The season does end on a massive cliffhanger that will definitely have reverberations in season four.

The DVD set is a seven-disc set, and the extras include a few behind-the-scenes featurettes and a gag reel. While there are no episode commentary tracks, there is a feature with commentary/interviews about specific scenes.  The acting in the show was still very good despite some lackluster material to work with. Autumn Reeser pretty much stole every scene she was in, especially toward the end of the season. The recasting of Kaitlin Cooper with Willa Holland was okay, but they never really gave the character much to do besides being a trouble-making brat. There was not as much of the main cast interaction that made the first couple of seasons of the show really good, and the show did fall off some as a result. I am not in the camp of people who totally despise this season, but I did think it was more lackluster than the first two seasons. Even so, it is still worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: The O.C. Season 2

 

+++Fair warning, this will contain some spoilers from season 1 and plot lines (but no major spoilers) from the second season.+++

The second season of The OC included 24 episodes that aired during the 2004-2005 TV season. This season was all about the relationships between the various characters and how they were strained after the events at the end of the first season played out. At the start of the season, Ryan is back in Chino with a pregnant Theresa, and Seth has run away, sailing off into the sunset. While those storylines were brought (somewhat) to a conclusion after the first episode of the season, the repercussions play out for the teenage characters and the adults all throughout the season. The basic stories around the teenager relationships were the will-they/wont-they get back together for Ryan-Marissa and Seth-Summer. A couple new characters get thrown into that mix, including Olivia Wilde joining the cast as a major recurring character for most of the season. The adult relationships are also strained throughout the season. Sandy and Kirsten are both tempted to stray and cheat on each other, and there is a Julie/Caleb/Jimmy triangle for part of the season.

Overall the second season has less jumping from storyline to storyline than season one did. There is still some of that, but it is clear what the focus of the season is. The show also benefited from paring down some of the cast. Although more recurring characters did appear throughout the season, you did not have as many episodes where someone would totally disappear or have nothing to do, as was the case in the first season. The show kept its blend of witty comedy, family drama, and trashy soap opera going this season. I thought the show really found its footing this season and even made fun of itself a little.

Toward the end of the season, they put a twist on the initial season one storyline when they brought back Ryan's brother Trey (recast and played by Logan Marshall-Green). Trey's storyline is kind of a doppelganger-like version of Ryan's story from season one and plays on the differences between the two characters. The season also dealt with issues like infidelity, alcoholism, same-sex relationships, rape, and drug use. The show did not dive into the deeper stories all the time, but when it did I think they were well done. Like in the first season, it is enjoyable enough to watch as an adult outside the "target" age group of those who were in high school or college when the show aired.

The DVD set is a seven-disc set. Most of the bonus content is on the final disc in the set. The bonus content includes gag reels from season 1 and season 2, a half-hour retrospective on the first season and the wild popularity the show had right out of the gate, and then a 12-minute feature on the style and fashions on the show. There are also commentary tracks on select episodes and a few deleted scenes spread throughout the other discs. All in all, enough to make the people who like going through the bonus material happy. If you are a fan of the first season, the show continues to evolve and get better in season 2, and is definitely worth the time to watch.

DVD/TV Series Review: The O.C. Season 1

 

The O.C. was the latest in a line of teen-centric nighttime soap operas that sprang up in the early-mid 2000s. The first season consisted of 27 episodes and aired during the 2003-2004 TV season. The show was created by Josh Schwartz and starred Ben McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody, Melina Clarke, Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Tate Donovan, and Chris Carmack. It was what I would describe as a mini "it-show" in that it was very popular out of the gate and had some mainstream exposure. It was not necessarily a show that you could not miss on a weekly basis, but it was talked about a lot. The easy comparisons are to shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson's Creek, etc, and there are certainly similar elements from those shows and pretty much every other show in the genre that got incorporated into this one. But unlike some of those, the OC also made the stories with the adults interesting enough that you did not have to be in (or recently graduated from) high school at the time to appreciate and enjoy it.

The first season had a lot of episodes (27 in all) and as a result, the storylines were kind of all over the place. It had a very large ensemble cast (some of whom would eventually be weeded out), and there was a lot going on with all the characters. The main story revolved around Ryan Atwood (played by McKenzie), who was a good kid from Chino but who had a bad family situation and was starting to follow his brother into a life of crime. His public defender, Sandy Cohen (Gallagher), ends up taking him in (initially for the weekend), much to the chagrin of his wife (Rowan). The first part of the season really plays on Ryan adjusting to life in the rich, glitzy Newport Beach as he falls for the girl next door, Marissa (played by Barton), befriends the Cohen's teenage son Seth (played wonderfully by Adam Brody) and is always teetering on the edge of going back to juvie.

The adult stories center around the Cohen's, the next-door neighbors, the Coopers, and Kirsten Cohen's rich real estate mogul Caleb (played by Alan Dale). The standout from that story, in my opinion, was Julie Cooper, played by Melinda Clarke, who plays a great "bad guy" character. At the beginning of the series, she is almost an over-the-top caricature of the rich, snobby housewife who only cares about money, gossip, and how she looks. Clarke stole almost every scene she was in, especially when her character was basically the butt of a joke. Over the course of the season (and the series), she became more and more central to the story, and she was one of the best-developed characters on the show.

The first season almost suffered from doing too much too soon. They were jamming so many stories into the first season that the storylines seemed to jump all over the place. They honestly probably had enough material in the Ryan "crossing the tracks" story and developing that to get through the season without introducing Kirsten's sister, some of the other Chino characters, etc, until season 2. That said, the show did a good enough job of juggling it all, ending a couple of the storylines (even though it meant getting rid of a couple of the characters), and making things flow well enough that it did not get too hard to follow.

Overall, the show was very good and entertaining. It was, at times, somewhat formulaic, given the genre. The themes mirrored many other similar shows but threw in a Westside Story vibe and made it unique enough that it did not just seem like a carbon copy of other shows. The writing and acting were very good. The Ryan-Seth relationship (and all the things that stemmed from that, like the Seth-Summer-Anna love triangle) made the teen part of the show work, and Peter Gallagher, who was involved in almost all the storylines set around the adults, made everything else work. It definitely had the guilty pleasure soap opera elements to it. Lots of skin (especially early on) and the will they/won't they bounce with the Ryan-Marissa relationship, but it also focused on more serious subjects like physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, homosexuality, abortion, and the seemingly required adult-teenager sexual relationship.

The DVD set is a seven-disc set with the episodes and the extras spread throughout the discs. As far as extras go, there are a few making of and behind-the-scenes features on the last disc, as well as some deleted scenes. There are also commentary tracks on select episodes that usually include Schwartz and one or two cast members. There are definitely a lot of decent extras for those who like to watch the bonus material. The show is (and especially the first season) very good. It could appeal to people who were in high school in the early 2000s as well as people who were in their mid-20s and into their 30s and 40s. It is certainly not a show that will appeal to everyone. If you only watch documentaries and high-brow dramas, this is probably not going to be your cup of tea. But it is a show that blended comedy and drama and touched on enough serious subject matter that if you are a fan of coming-of-age shows and movies, then it is worth the time to watch.

DVD/Movie Review: Road Trip

 

Road Trip is a comedy from 2000 directed by Todd Phillips and starring Amy Smart, Breckin Meyer, Sean William Scott, DJ Qualls, Tom Green, Rachel Blanchard, and Paulo Costanzo. This was one of the movies that tried to capture what American Pie had, including casting Sean William Scott in a "Stifler lite" role. The premise is pretty basic. A guy going to college in NY (Meyer) is in a long-distance relationship with a girl in TX (Blanchard). He cheats on her with a girl at his school (Smart) and tapes it. The tape is accidentally sent to his girlfriend in Texas, so he and his friends drive to Texas to intercept the tape. Along the way, pretty much everything that could go wrong does.

For those who get the DVD, there are a few extras, but nothing special. The extras include about 10 minutes of deleted scenes, cast bios, trailers, and a behind-the-scenes feature with Tom Green. Nothing that would really make the DVD a must-have over just streaming it. Ultimately, the movie is okay, with a handful of really funny moments along with a lot of stupid moments (mostly involving Green). Like many of the comedies from the late 1990s forward, it has drug jokes, sex jokes, and gross-out humor. DJ Qualls plays the awkward nerdy kid to perfection and is really the highlight of the movie. It is not the greatest movie by any means, but it is a funny way to kill an hour and a half if you are into the genre.

DVD/Movie Review: The Ring 2

 

The Ring Two is the 2005 sequel to 2002's horror/thriller, The Ring. The movie is directed by Hideo Nakata and brings back Naomi Watts and David Dorfman from the original movie. Kelly Stables takes over the role of Samara, but they do use archived footage of Daveigh Chase, who played Samara in the first movie. The movie also includes Simon Baker, Sissy Spacek, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Elizabeth Perkins, Gary Cole, and Emily Van Camp. The movie is set about six months after the events of the first movie, in which Rachel (played by Naomi Watts) made a copy of the tape in order to keep her son Aiden alive. Rachel then relocates to Oregon with Aiden to start a new life. However, the tape is still out there, and through a murder at the beginning of the movie, Samara discovers their whereabouts and takes over Aiden's body. The rest of the movie revolves around Rachel trying to free Aiden from Samara's influence.

The DVD extras include a few behind-the-scenes featurettes, and the short film called Rings, which was meant to bridge the gap between the two movies. It shows the consequences of the tape's continued existence and how teenagers were forming rings to see how many of the 7 days they could hold out before making a copy for another person to watch. All in all, there is enough there that if you like to go through the extra materials you will be satisfied. The movie, as most horror/thriller movie sequels are, is not great. It does, however, bring the story to a stronger conclusion, given how the first movie was left somewhat open (although another movie has been made without Watt's involvement). The acting was about on par with the first movie, and Naomi Watts, as the movie's lead, was good at playing Rachel. The overall story was just weaker, there was far less of a puzzle to put together, and the 7-day time frame element (and thus, much of the suspense) from the first movie was missing from this one. While it is not as good as the first movie, it is still worth the time to watch if you enjoyed the first movie (or just generally like non-slasher horror movies or psychological thrillers). 

Book Review: Black List (Scot Harvath Series #11)

 

Black List, published in 2012, is the 11th book in Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series of action-thrillers. The book picks up immediately after the end of the prior novel, Full Black when Scot and Riley are attacked at the safe house overseas. Harvath learns that he and the members of The Carlton Group (the private intelligence and security agency Scot has been working for since he left his government job) were put on a kill list. There are a couple of plotlines in the book that mostly stay parallel until the end. One involves Harvath trying to get back to the US and then teaming with Nicholas to figure out the plot (and dodging assassins). The second involves Reed Carlton (aka, The Old Man) trying to figure out the plot (and also dodging assassins) in the Washington DC area believing that Scot has been killed along with the rest of the team. The book deeply ties into the revelation that the US government spies on American citizens and discusses some of the technology that is used to do so.

The hardcover version of the book is about 370 pages long. The style and tone are similar to those of the prior novels in the series, with a good blend of action, suspense, and drama. Although there are a few new characters in the book, many of the characters have appeared in the prior novels (including members of The Athena Project). The book tells a good story and allows for the subsequent books to go in a lot of different directions. So, if you are a fan of the prior novels, this one is worth the time to read.