Reviewed by Johnny McNair

20^th Century Fox – 105 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

The original 1968 Planet of the Apes movie, is without question one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the last fifty years, and opened the doors of imagination to the science fiction genre. It even paved the way for 20^th Century Fox to consider future blockbusters such as Star Wars and Alien. In 2001 director Tim Burton attempted to remake the movie, but failed, stalling any interest in he subject for another ten years. Finally the Hollywood machine realized this was a film that audiences would reject if it attempted to remake it, so they decided to re-imagine it as a prequel. The result is Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a movie that is actually well thought out and provides a unique vision for the “Ape” movies without stepping on the toes of the original.

THE MOVIE

The key element that makes Rise of the Planet of the Apes work is that it doesn’t attempt to insult you. It stays in the real world so that anyone can relate to either the characters or the situation. Coming of his recent Academy Award nomination for 127 Hours, James Franco plays Will Rodman, a scientist who is obsessed with finding a cure for Alzheimer’s in hopes of helping his father Charles Rodman (played by John Lithgow) who is suffering form the disease.

A wonder drug called ALZ-112, which is being experimented on chimpanzees, may be the solution, but when the program is terminated, all the animals are put to death, except for the one hidden baby chimp whose mother was a prime test subject. Fearing that this newborn will be terminated as well, Will brings the chimp home and raises it in his home, calling him Caesar.

Caesar becomes a member of the family, staying in his own hidden environment for years. The drug has made him smarter than other chimps, and his thoughts and actions match those of a human. His curiosity and human-like aggression gets him in trouble and Will is forced to send him to a shelter for apes, where he is caged a treated badly by the human guardian. He is forced to adapt to the environment and uses his human intelligence to form an alliance. Getting possession of more ALZ-112, Caesar exposes the drug to the other apes and they unite to escape the grip of the humans.

Note to all filmmakers, this movies greatest accomplishment is that from frame one you care about the hero, Caesar, and you want him to win. Many bigger films out there with an A-list actor in the lead can’t draw among most of the emotions that are displayed by Caser. The man behind his performance is Andy Serkis, who was also responsible for the Golem character in the Lord of the Rings films and the lead in King Kong. His motion capture skills will one day be the subject of motion picture history, because he has made it an art.

Much credit should also go to director Rupert Wyatt and screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who have opened up the world of the Planet of the Apes to a whole new generation, who have either never seen the original films, or saw the hacked-up versions on TV. Most re-makes or re-imagined movie series are not worth the effort that went into them, but there are a few that were well executed such as the new James Bond and Star Trek. Rise of the Planet of the Apes should definitely be added to this list, and will hopefully be the inspiration to how to do it correctly.

VIDEO

This Blu-ray delivers a beautiful 1080p image in a 2:25:1 aspect ratio that will keep your eyes locked to your TV screen. Details are crisp, especially aspects such as the Caesar and the other apes, that will convince you that you’re not even watching an effect, but an actual animal. Colors are vibrant and darks are balanced nicely. Overall, this is a great transfer that is worth it.

AUDIO

The audio compliments the video offering a 5.1 DTS-HD digital track that makes the experience that much better. Whether it is the sounds of a busy lab, the clam of a neighborhood street, the apes speaking in their own language, or a battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, the audio was well mastered. Patrick Doyle’s music score is the glue that seals it all in place, so if you have a home theater system, it is the only way to experience the movie.

EXTRAS

There are a decent amount of extras included on this blu-ray that includes a second DVD version of the movie and a Digital Copy.

There are two audio commentary tracks, one form director Rupert Wyatt and another from screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. They are both very informative and display that this trio was very passionate about the project.

Mythology of the Apes is a brief look at the original movies and how they broke ground for this re-imagined vision.

There are twelve deleted scenes, most of which have no finished effects, so you can see Andy Serkis in action doing the motion capture.

The Genius of Andy Serkis is exactly how it sounds. If you don’t know anything about him, you’ll appreciate it even more.

Composing the Score is an inside look at Patrick Doyle’s music set piece for Caesar’s adventure.

The Great Apes is a look at the different species of apes in the movie.

BOTTOM LINE

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not only a well-executed re-boot but also a technological achievement in cinema. You will remember Caesar long after the credits roll and will want to know what happens for him next. This blu-ray offers excellent picture and sound quality and a fair amount of bonus features to keep you satisfied. Even if you’re not a fan of the original movies, Rise of the Planet of the Apes will win you over and should be added to your Blu-ray collection.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer – 111 minutes – 1993 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix

Back in 1991 in the wave of the black filmmaker explosion, one movie that stood out from the bunch was the urban crime thriller New Jack City, directed by actor Mario Van Peebles (the son of legendary black filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles). It got people interested in Peebles and temporarily pushed him to the A-list in Hollywood. Peebles would follow-up with 1993’s black cowboy film Posse, but made the mistake of making himself the star of the movie, and making you think it should have been called “Peebles” instead of Posse. Available for the first time in the high definition format, Posse is comes to Blu-ray from MGM.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Echo Bridge Entertainment – 94 minutes – 1999 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix

The first From Dusk Till Dawn movie became a cult film thanks to the names behind it, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez. The straight to video sequel, Texas Blood Money, did not have the cool factor of the original, but that didn’t stop anyone from making a third film. The latest film in the trilogy, which is actually a prequel, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter comes to Blu-ray from Echo Bridge Entertainment. If you though the second film was a bad, just wait until you see this one.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

20^th Century Fox – 105 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13/Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

Most people have probably wished they could just take a pill and it would make them better. Not make the pain go away better, we’re talking a more superior human being. This is the premise for the thriller Limitless that dares to show you what could happen if the average person who only uses a small portion of their brain could unlock the rest of it. Limitless is available on Blu-ray from 20^th Century Fox, and dares you to be better than everyone around you.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Magnolia – 90 minutes – 2011 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS 7.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

It’s hard not to watch Vanishing on 7^th Street and not think it’s an M. Night Shyamalan movie. It does have similarities in the way it’s set up and how the characters are outlined, and even stars one of the actors from a previous Shyamalan film. Mr. Shyamalan has nothing to do with this production, so whether or not you like it or hate it, remove him from your thoughts. The dark thriller Vanishing on 7^th Street comes to Blu-ray from Magnolia, hoping to creep you out in all the right places, and in some ways it’s effective, but you may also feel that you’ve seen it all before.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures – 103 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix

Like most I am a huge fan of horror movies, but it is the hardest genre to please me because The Exorcist is still in my opinion the best horror/supernatural film ever made, and everything else is far down on the list. So when I see any film being compared to the mighty Exorcist I will proceed with caution, because that’s an impossible mission to accomplish. The latest horror movie trying to take out the king is Insidious made by the creators of the Saw series, and now available on Blu-ray from Sony.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures – 116 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix – DVD Copy

There are quite a few movies about alien invasions coming out of Hollywood lately. Are they trying to tell us something? Or just cash in on a trend? And why is Los Angeles a prime target? First there was Skyline, which had extraterrestrials attacking the City of Angles, and barely a few months later a new crop of aliens from another world have put LA in their death target in Battle Los Angeles. It must suck to be in a city with a fault line that can collapse at any minute being hit with constant explosions, but California is tougher than it looks. Battle Los Angeles hits Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures, and though it may sound like a B-Movie, this one is actually works better than most.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Starz/Anchor Bay – 104 minutes – 2010 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.78:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix

The American economy is suffering, and at this time there is no relief in sight. Everyday we see stories in the news about families losing their homes because people have loss their jobs and can’t get themselves back on track because companies have downsized. The stories usually focus on the lower and middle classes of America, but even the households making over $150,000 a year have also taken a hit. This is the topic that the movie The Company Men focuses on. If you’re a person who only made $30,000 a year and lost your job, you probably could care less if some Jr. CEO making four-times more lost his gig, but the film tries to show how both ends are effected. The Company Men comes to Blu-ray from Starz/Anchor Bay attempting to give a look at the sign of the times.

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Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Summit Entertainment  – 104 minutes – 2011 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.78:1 – Dolby DTS HD 5.1 Audio Mix – 2D and 3D versions

What the hell happened to Nicolas Cage’s career? I used to love this guy because he could pull off action, comedy, and drama, play the good guy or the bad guy and you still root for him. Sure he’s having some financial troubles and his most recent batch of films haven’t exactly had folks lining up at the box office, (though he was awesome in Kick Ass). His latest film, Drive Angry, is a spin on the gritty Grindhouse style 70’s films, with the added feature of being shot in 3D. Drive Angry comes to Blu-ray 3D from Summit Entertainment, but viewers beware, this is one bumpy and ugly ride.

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From Dusk Till Dawn / From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Echo Bridge Entertainment – 195 minutes – 1996-1999 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.78:1 – DTS 5.1 / DTS-HD 2.0 Audio Mix

There are two types of people; those who think the Robert Rodriguez / Quentin Tarantino team up From Dusk Till Dawn is complete crap, and then there are those who think the film is brilliant. Which side of the fence you stand on can either win you friends or enemies, but the fight will be interesting. The 1996 cult film From Dusk Till Dawn has been released as a solo Blu-ray, as well as being lumped together in a combo pack with the awful straight to video sequel From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, distributed by a company called Echo Bridge Entertainment. Up front you should know that if you love From Dusk Till Dawn, you are going to hate this Blu-ray.

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