Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 99 mins – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Master 5.1 Audio

 In its 33 years on the air, Saturday Night Live has launched the careers of many guys, such as Eddie Murphy, Bull Murray, John Belushi, Mike Myers, Will Ferrel, and Adam Sandler, just to name a few; but the women of SNL have never really had a chance to shine. Things seem to be changing with this generation’s Saturday Night Live, thanks to the female duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Both of them leaped over the boys and took the spotlight on TV, and now they’re hoping to transition that energy on the big screen with Baby Mama. With the current explosion of frat boy comedies from the Judd Apatow entourage, Baby Mama goes the other way and sticks to the PG-13 formula, going after the female audience. Universal Studios Home Entertainment gives birth to Baby Mama on Blu-ray, and while it’s not perfect, it does have its funny moments.

THE MOVIE

Tina Fey stars as Kate Holbrook a hardcore businesswoman who has had no time to start a family or maintain a steady relationship; but now that her biological clock is ticking, and after learning it may be difficult for her to have her own child, she decides to seek a surrogate. Through an agency she is paired with Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler), a non-achieving epitome of trailer trash and her sidekick husband played by Dax Shepard, who are only doing this to get some fast cash. Even though these women share nothing in common, the unborn child is the one thing that bonds them to build a friendship. But certain discovered events change the way the plan should go, making the women learn more about themselves and the changes that need to be made in their lives.

Baby Mama has a good cast, and obviously the teaming of Fey and Poehler is the standout; but the supporting cast of familiar faces that include Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, and a shinning performance from Steve Martin as Fey’s free spirit boss, who is a cross between Donald Trump and Rick Rubin. As you would expect from the Fey/Poehler pairing, Fey obviously plays the straight-man (uh, person), allowing Poehler to do her thing. Poehler has demonstrated her comedic talents for years on SNL, so you those who have seen her will know what to expect from her wide range of antics. She is very funny in this film, and you can see how the other actors just stand aside and let her take the stage.

Even though the film has high points, these all occur in the first half of the movie, because by the time the film reaches its finale, it becomes loaded with predictable clichés that may leave you somewhat disappointed. It’s surprising that Tina Fey didn’t have any involvement with the screenplay. Being that she was the head writer for SNL and wrote Mean Girls, it would have been interesting if she did a rewrite of the screenplay herself. Director Michael McCullers handles the material well, but he doesn’t take any risks, making the film feel like watching a 99-minute sitcom. The way the film concludes is too neat and it would have been interesting if they went for a more edgy ending.

Overall, Baby Mama will make you laugh at times, mainly because of Poehler, but it’s a one shot film with no real reason to re-watch it again. This is blatantly a “chick flick,” but after more edgy films aimed at women like Sex and the City, Baby Mama feels very flat. It would be good to have Fey and Poehler re-team in another film, because they do work well together, but if this were to happen Fey herself should write the script because she knows how to draw her own style as well as Poehler’s. Baby Mama is worth a look, but unless you’re trying to impress a girl on a first date, or be nice to your mother by watching it with her, there’s really not much here for the guys.

VIDEO

Baby Momma offers full 1080p resolution with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and though it’s acceptable it will not blow you away. There are a lot of brightly colored scenes, so this is a benefit to the transfer. Skin tones look even and blacks are decent enough, but even though I haven’t seen the DVD version, I can’t imagine the difference being enough to make you buy the more expensive Blu-ray. Baby Mama’s image quality doesn’t offer any splash and dazzle, but it fine for what it is.

AUDIO

With a DTS-HD Master 5.1 audio track, Baby Mama sounds fine, with a steady level of dialogue and sound effects. Rear speakers are used well for crowd scenes, but other than that everything else sounds basic. There’s not much too complain or comment about, because the sound is acceptable, without overdoing it.

EXTRAS

Baby Mama is very limited in the extras department, there’s an audio commentary track with director Michael McCullers, producer Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The ladies do say some funny things, but there’s really nothing to keep you fully entertained.

Universal’s U-Control allows you to enable Picture-in-Picture features to get a look at some behind the scenes footage, interviews, etc.

BOTTOM LINE

Baby Mama falls into the cute category, but if something else distracts you, you would instantly look elsewhere. The Blu-ray itself has good image and sound quality, but the bonus features are lame. If you’re a fan of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, you will most likely enjoy this film. But if you’re expecting something above the level of a sitcom, you may want to give this one a rent first.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment– 109 minutes – 2008 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio

The 2001 film Training Day was a huge hit, not only because it tackled the issue of police corruption in LA, but mainly because of Denzel Washington’s standout performance as a dirty cop with no control of his demons. Hoping that lightning would strike twice, David Ayer, who wrote Training Day, this time steps behind the camera to direct Street Kings, based on a screenplay by James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential), where the subject is once again is corruption in the LA police department. Street Kings is now available on Blu-ray high-definition from Fox Home Entertainment, but those expecting the same fire that made Training Day ignite, may be somewhat disappointed because something went wrong this time.

THE MOVIE

Street Kings, stars Keanu Reeves Detective Tom Ludlow, a cop with a pile of skeletons in his closet, but he’s not as corrupt as most of the other cops in his circle. Ludlow becomes a hero when he rescues some kids who were abducted, but as he is being praised for his efforts, his past comes back to haunt him when he learns that his former partner, Detective Washington (Terry Crews), is about to talk to Internal Affairs about some things he didn’t want getting out. Ludlow turns to Captain Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker), who tells him to just lay low and he’ll handle the situation. But Ludlow takes matters in his own hands to face Washington himself, only to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, as Washington is gunned down by masked thugs, and Ludlow is stuck right in the middle of it.

Captain Wander assists Ludlow by giving him the disc from the convenience store that recorded Washington’s death and tells him to destroy it while he fixes the situation. Stubborn, Ludlow takes it upon himself to find out who killed his ex-partner, and teams up with a homicide officer, Detective Diskant (Chris Evans), who both dive into the shady world of LA’s gang-bangers and dirty cops, looking to find some answers that will finally bring justice to the crime.

On the surface the plot of Street Kings sounds like it has the settings for a solid story, but it’s in the execution that things begin to fall apart piece by piece. The main issue is the very odd casting, such as Keanu Reeves. Hey, I like Keanu, and he was perfect in Speed, Point Break, and The Matrix, but he doesn’t have the edge it takes to take on a role like this. He’s just too much of a nice guy and you could never see him doing the wrong thing. Going back to Training Day, Denzel Washington was believable because his character was so maniacal that every crazy thing he did was acceptable (and let’s face it, Denzel is a better actor). Reeves is trying hard, and maybe if this film was made by a more seasoned director, they would have pushed a better performance out of him. As he is portrayed in the movie, Reeve’s character would never make it on the streets of LA, because they would eat him alive.

Forest Whitaker as Captain Wander also seems to be miscast, because we all know that Whitaker can act and has an Oscar to prove it, but in this movie he seems to be phoning it in. He’s literally just saying his lines on queue with no real passion that he normally inserts into his performances. And being that all films nowadays have to include a comedian and some rappers, Street Kings has Cedric the Entertainer as a fast-talking hustler; while Common and The Game play lethal criminals. The only two performances that actually work are Chris Evans as Detective Diskant, because he plays the role as a naïve cop who hasn’t seen much action, and Hugh Laurie (from the TV show House), as and Internal Affairs officer who is seeking out corrupt police.

There are set-ups for what could have been various good scenes, but when the spark is introduced the fire never erupts; instead there are just a bunch of exaggerated shoot-outs that attempt to be shocking and graphic, but are just there to cover up plot holes. After watching movies about police corruption like The Departed, or even the HBO show The Wire, Street Kings just doesn’t deliver the goods. It makes for a decent rental, but after the credits roll you most likely won’t have any desire to re-watch it, and no scene or performance will stay with you. I’m just curious what this film would have evolved into if another director was behind it, because all the ingredients are there, it just wasn’t cooked correctly.

VIDEO

Street Kings is a very L.A. film, right down to its photography style. This Blu-ray offers a 1080p resolution with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio that looks great. In many ways it may remind you of the look many action films set in L.A. during the 80’s had, such as the original Lethal Weapon. The heat of the beaming sun is always emphasized both as a look as well as a metaphor for the tension the characters are faced with. Skin tones look good and stay even in both day and night scenes. There are hints of grain present in darker areas, but overall this is a solid transfer.

AUDIO

Pumping out a DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 audio mix, Street Kings will make it seem like gang-bangers are in your house. Even though the film attempts to be more of a drama than an action film, whenever the action scenes occur just listen to how the gunshots have been enhanced so that a handgun sounds like a cannon has been fired. Dialogue sounds clear even when characters are talking over each other; and the ambient tones of the city of L.A. sound authentic enough to draw you in. As far as sound goes, this one is a winner.

EXTRAS

There’s a basic offering of bonus features on the disc (audio commentary, making of, deleted scenes, etc) and a Digital Copy is available to download for your portable device.

Director David Ayer’s audio commentary goes into a lot of details, such as adapting James Ellroy’s story for the screen, getting the ensemble cast and trying to make the film authentic to the LA street scene.

There are fifteen deleted scenes that run about twenty minutes. There’s nothing here that changes the film in any way, but you have the option to hear David Ayer’s comments on why the scenes were removed.

‘City of Fallen Angels’ is your basic HBO First Look segment that sets the film up to be the best thing since sliced bread.

‘L.A. Bete Noir: Writing Street Kings’ is a quick five minute look at how the script for Street Kings was originally written, and compares it the final version.

‘Street Cred’ is a five-minute segment that goes into the real world of crime of the streets of L.A.

There are various behind the scenes clips that go into training the actors how to look like cops, bullets hits with squibs, and various other elements that were squeezed together to give you a sense of what it was like on the set.

‘Street Rules: Rolling with David Ayer and Jaime Fitzsimmons is a twenty minute guided tour of the streets of L.A. with the director and one of the stars of the film. This is kind of interesting because they show you how things used to be and how much has changed in the world of cops vs. gang-bangers.

‘Under Surveillance: Inside the World of Street Kings’ is a Picture-In-Picture feature that basically allows interviews and behind the scenes clips to play as your watching the film. Most of the stuff can be viewed in the regular bonus materials, but if you’re Blu-ray player is profile 1.1 enabled, why not take advantage of it.

A Digital Copy is provided so you can download the film and play it on your portable device. It’s a nice extra for those of you who are always on the go.

BOTTOM LINE

Street Kings is not a bad film; it’s just not as hard and edgy as it thinks it is. The Blu-ray offers good picture quality and great sound, and the batch of extras; such as the digital copy, make it worth a look. Street Kings will not have the longevity of films like The Departed or Heat, but if you’re into police dramas Street Kings may have something you’ll like; all others may want to rent it first before deciding if it’s worthy of your collection.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

October 23, 2008

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released 9/19/08

1hr. 47 min.

R

Howard Deutch/Lions Gate

Dane Cook

Kate Hudson

Jason Biggs

Alec Baldwin

Here’s why I’m intrigued by Dane Cook movies:

1.) No one can overcome a bad screenplay

2.) Dane Cook picks bad screenplays and tries to overcome them

Think of the last three Dane Cook vehicles. Employee of the Month. Good Luck Chuck. My Best Friend’s Girl. Now compare those three films with his other two recent films– films in which he was not the lead. Mr. Brooks. Dan in Real Life. Two things are different here…

One. Dane Cook is not, as of now, a leading man. Dane is a comedian, and a comedian best enjoyed in small doses. Witness his best moments on stage or even in the often hilarious “Crank Yankers” and you can see his appeal. Place him in a film, like My Best Friend’s Girl, and you simply get too much of a good thing. Dane is not the only comedian to struggle with this issue. Anyone who has seen Robin Williams’ RV or Man of the Year knows that comedians struggle to find the right balance when improvising on film.

Two. Bad screenplays make bad films. Dan in Real Life was a great film (even if under-appreciated) not simply because Dane Cook was in the background, but because it was written by a real-life screenwriter named Peter Hedges (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, About A Boy).

My Best Friend’s Girl was written by first-timer Jordan Cahan. Rumor has it that director Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful) asked Dane and his cohorts to improvise– and improvise they did. The screenplay is, in fact, little more than a pastiche of the romantic comedy genre. It is so blatant that references to When Harry Met Sally, Nora Ephron, the “meet-cute,” and “rom-coms” are made every fifteen minutes. Absent a writer with anything original to say, we are left with Dane Cook working on the fly. The result is banal, and insulting.

The problem is that it is insulting in the wrong way. Cook is in so far over his head, as are Cahan and Deutch, that his potty-mouthed flailings are insulting to anyone who spent their time and money on this film. The people running the craft service table probably felt insulted. Yes, it is that bad. Howard Deutch, who has been languishing in TV, video, and sequel limbo, truly should have known better than to let a 45 million dollar movie rest on Dane Cook’s stand-up laurels.

Other folks are at fault as well. Alec Baldwin is bordering on the edge of becoming a caricature. Here, he is again cast in the role of a lech, only to be outdone by the casting of Jason Biggs in the role of, once again, the quirky, do-goody American Pie character he’s been vamping since 1999. And what has become of the promise once held by Kate Hudson? Is this not the same Oscar nominated actress from Almost Famous?

Everyone involved in My Best Friend’s Girl deserves better. Especially the moviegoer.

Bottom Line: 2.0/5.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released 9/26/08

1 hr. 29 min.

R

Clark Gregg/ Fox Searchlight

Sam Rockwell

Anjelica Huston

Kelly Macdonald

Brad William Henke

Clark Gregg

There are some good things working in Choke: too many. There is some absolute dare in this screenplay: too much. Whereas Fight Club (the other Chuck Palahniuk novel-turned-film) was unflinching in its single-mindedness–fighting in but not talking about Fight Club– Choke meanders through a web of six movies worth of material in a scant 89 minutes.

The film centers around Victor Mancini, played interestingly enough by the capable Sam Rockwell. Victor is a drop-out who is oddly connected to the world through sexual intercourse, and caustic sarcasm. Victor is a sex addict. Addicted he says, because sex releases endorphins and endorphins kill pain. And Victor, one would surmise, seems to be in one enormous truckload of pain.

His partners are willing, even a woman who asks him to fake rape her–only to instruct him that it needs to be done on the floor, not the bed, and not on the rug, but on a towel she has neatly laid out. But that’s the kind of world Vincent lives in. His is a world of extreme disconnect.

Vincent and his pal Denny (Brad William Henke) work in an 18^th century re-creation village where they are continually hastled by Lord High Charlie (Clark Gregg) to stay “in character.” No matter, for Vincent apparently has no character. Vincent, it would seem, also has no true connection to his mother. With trepidation, he continually goes to see her in the mental institution–even though she believes he is only her lawyer. A kind doctor (Kelly MacDonald in her usual, understated role), who Vincent keeps trying to impregnate (it’s a long story), provides him some refuge until she turns out to be a mental patient herself.

It is in these scenes with Vincent’s mother, played beautifully by Anjelica Huston, that the movie works best. There is one particular restaurant scene where the young Victor, in flashback, sees himself on a milk carton and helplessly tries showing it to the waitress. It would seem that Victor’s mother is not really his mother after all. In fact, Victor is told by the “doctor” who befriends him that his mother’s diary–written in Italian and translated by the same good “doctor”–asserts that Victor is a half-clone of Jesus Christ (an even longer story…).

And herein lies the problem. I have only scratched the surface of the eccentric goings-on of this Royal Tenenbaums like movie, and yet all of this occurs in under 90 minutes. Funny scenes are cut disturbingly short, random edits destroy the building pathos, and a general lack of direction dooms the film to be more about its parts than its whole.

One can only wonder how good this film might have been if it had not short-changed the 300 plus page novel. First time director Clark Gregg is a wonderful television and film actor, and these characters do seem to have something to say. If only Gregg had allowed Choke more room, more time, as David Fincher allowed Fight Club (139 minutes yet 224 novel pages), we would have more to talk about, and would know exactly what not to talk about.

Bottom Line: 3.0/5.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released: 9/19/08
1 hr. 27 min.
PG 
Tony Leondis / MGM

John Cusack
Steve Buscemi
Eddie Izzard
Sean Hayes
Molly Shannon

It isn’t that Igor is a complete failure, but it is as if Igor were a sequel to a far superior part one. The director of Igor, in fact, is Anthony Leondis, a man whose career writing/animation credits include several inferior sequels including The Emperor’s New Groove 2, The Lion King 2, and Lilo & Stitch 2.

But it is the copycat, cliched nature of Chris McKenna’s (American Dad!) Screenplay that dooms Igor to this fate. A hunchback named Igor (in this film, all hunches are named Igor) attempts to create a Frankenstein’s monster, which really irks the evil science community. Eventually, “Eva,” the monster Igor created, wins the “evil contest” only to be turned kind again by Igor.Mercilessly, the cliches don’t end there. Somehow the producers have mistaken copying for post-modernism. Whereas the Pixar films take great pains to integrate–sometimes humorously, sometimes poignantly–elements of cinematic history (witness Toy Story 2 and Woody as he “drunkenly” swings open the toy-box flaps and announces “I’m the sheriff in this town”), Igor is incapable of such seamless exchanges.

Igor, at its animated core, is trying extremely hard to be Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Many of the characters in Igor are drawn in imitation of Burton’s world, but come off closer to Willy Wonka’s Violet Beauregarde after the three-course gum or stick-like,  A Bug’s Life caterpillars in Victorian stage costumes. Burton’s world was indeed vivid, astonishing, and fifteen years junior in animation technology. Igor is, by contrast, a bland mix of 2D, 3D animatics, and CG that occasionally resembles a 1940’s Disney cartoon.

The voice acting is also sketchy at times, though fans of Eddie Izzard won’t be disappointed. In fact, it is his characterization of the aptly named Dr. Schadenfreude that almost saves the movie. He even seems to be drawn better. The problem is that even as Izzard is working hard to lift this movie, we are assaulted with copycat references to films like A Clockwork Orange and Sunset Boulevard–all of which might be better suited to American Dad! Or Family Guy.

The film, at scarcely 80 plus minutes, is laggard at times. Perhaps that is to be expected from a film whose script gives us lines such as “Everyone has an evil bone in their body–but we choose whether to use it.” Or “There’s an Igor entering the killoseum. Don’t worry, he’ll be dead soon.” Not to mention the closing musical number “I Can See Clearly Now” sung by a dozen blind orphans. Ouch.

Bottom Line: 2.0/5.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Warner Home Video – 394 minutes – 2008 – Not Rated – 1080p Widescreen 1.78:1 – Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio Mix

When the original Terminator film came out in 1984, it made Arnold Schwarzenegger a box office contender, put James Cameron on the map as bankable Hollywood director, and created the catch phrase, “I’ll be back.” Since then we have seen the Terminator return twice in the superior Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the yawn-fest Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Pop culture has kept the Terminator alive in comics and videogames, and there’s also a new film in the works for next summer, but TV up until now was still an open battleground. The Sarah Connor Chronicles hopes to conquer this territory, and for those of you who missed it, season one is now available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video.

THE SERIES

The Sarah Connor Chronicles takes place directly after the events of Terminator 2, where Sarah (Lena Headley) has saved the world from future annihilation, and kept the T-1000 from killing her son John Connor (Thomas Dekker), who is the hope of mankind. Now Sarah discovers that the machines still have a chance to take over, and the only way to stop them is to travel back to the point where the Skynet Company began to stop them once and for all. The resistance has sent another Terminator to the past to protect John Connor, but this one has a lot more curves than the Schwarzenegger model, in the form of a young woman named Cameron (Summer Glau). Sarah, John, and Cameron are constantly on the run, not only from the enemy terminators that track them down, but from a determined FBI agent named Ellison who is searching for Sarah for previous criminal incidents.

The series is ambitious, but because we know what happens to Sarah Connor in the storyline for Terminator 3, it helps if you just forgot that film existed. Lena Headley tries to bring as much of herself to the character as she can, but Linda Hamilton is a tough act to follow, because she ruled in T2. Headley seems stiff in earlier episodes, but seems to be getting more into the groove towards the middle episodes. Thomas Dekker is very flat as John Connor, looking like he’s trying to make the cut for Gossip Girl, but just like the movies, even though he is the savior, it’s the other characters around him who are focused on more.

Summer Glau gets the most attention, not only because she is the eye candy of the show, but also because she is just trying to “fit in” and it’s fun at times watching her trying to be just a girl. Given a few more seasons, it would be interesting to see how her character will further develop to make her more human, as another sci-fi show, Star Trek: The Next Generation did with the robot character Data.

There are only nine episodes in season one, most like because they wanted to test the waters to see if there was an audience for the show, but a lot goes in per episode building a good amount of momentum to keep you watching. Toward the later episodes a new character is introduced who is a familiar face to TV goers; Brian Austin Green plays Derek Reese, and yes all Terminator fans will know that name means he’s related to a pivotal character in the Terminator movie timeline. Brian Austin Green may have been an annoying pimply-faced kid on Beverly Hills 90210, but here he is a lot more likeable, and does a good job in the role.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles will need another season before it finds its footing, but it’s on the right track, and with the proper care from the team behind it, the show can gain the “must watch” status with the same TV audience that tunes in for Battlestar Gallactica and Heroes. The nine episodes are easy to swallow and can be knocked out in a weekend, and because there’s so much motion in each episode with the characters on the run, it is a good follow-up to the movies. If you are a Terminator fan, and didn’t catch the episodes when they aired, definitely give this Blu-ray set a look.

VIDEO

Featuring a full 1080p image and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, The Sarah Connor Chronicles offers a very sharp image that really highlights the color scheme of each episode. Skin tones particularly benefit from the style the episodes are shot, which are focused more on warmer tones. Close ups of the character’s faces show strong details, and being that most episodes involve them running, sweating, and bleeding, all these elements are highlighted. Summer Glau is the “babe” of the show and it seems as if a lot of care went into how she was filmed, giving her that cute side, but when the time for her to kick ass unfolds, the lighting changes to give her more of an edge. The CGI effects are handled well for TV, but there are some shots in certain episodes that looked rushed, lacking detail, while other effects, such as what’s in the pilot are more polished. The Sarah Connor Chronicles overall style doesn’t look like what we saw in the Terminator movies, but as a TV show, it’s quality is acceptable for the material.

AUDIO

This Blu-ray offers a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix and while it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a big feature film, for a TV show it’s effective. Dialogue is well balanced with the background ambience of scenes, and when the action heats up, audio is separated amongst the five main speakers. The subwoofer isn’t given much to do, except for that occasional moment when the familiar heavy bass Terminator theme is heard. There’s nothing groundbreaking about the sound, it is simply designed to do the job, and on that note it succeeds.

EXTRAS

The Sarah Connor Chronicles offers a decent amount of bonus features in this three disc set, but it’s a letdown that only one featurette is in HD while the rest are standard definition, ported over from the regular DVD.

There are three different audio commentary tracks featured; one for the Pilot, the second is for the episode The Turk, and the third is for the What He Beheld episode. The Pilot features writer/producer Josh Friedman, producer James Middleton, director David Nutter, and the shows star, Summer Glau. The Turk episode commentary features Josh Friedman, with writer John Wirth and actors Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker. What he Beheld’s commentary again has Josh Friedman, but this time joined by writer Ian Goldberg, and the show’s actors Summer Glau and Brian Austin Green. All the commentaries are flooded with information about the episodes; at times the actors overlap each other, but overall there are some interesting tidbits offered.

‘Creating the Chronicles’ runs forty minutes and is the only documentary presented in HD. It’s divided into three sections, and goes deep into show, discussing what the direction the filmmakers wanted to go to fill in the gaps between Terminator II and III. There’s some good stuff in here, and if you enjoy the show this is the first place to start.

The audition tapes for the show’s stars, actors Lena Headey, Thomas Decker, and Richard T. Jones are featured, given you a glimpse at how casting decisions were made.

There are nine deleted scenes, totaling twenty minutes, selected from multiple episodes. Mainly it’s dialogue related and adds or subtracts nothing from the episodes, but it’s worth a look.

There’s an odd extra featuring Summer Glau doing ballet. If you enjoy seeing her twirl around, this one is for you.

A storyboard animatic shows the sketches created to show the school attack sequence from the opening episode.

And of course no Blu-ray would be complete without a gag reel. You know the deal.

BOTTOM LINE

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is still in it’s freshman stage, but with a lot more structuring the season to come could be great because even though we all know the fate of the future and John Connor’s role in it, seeing it all unfold is still quite a ride. This three-disc Blu-ray set is a must for fans of the show, with good picture and sound quality and a solid selection of bonus features. With the next Terminator movie coming the big screen in 2009, The Sarah Connor Chronicles should fill the void for now, and hopefully as the next season progresses, more interesting storylines will unfold.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Series: 4.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.5

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Alexsays

Released: 9/12/08
1 hr. 35 min.
R
Coen Brothers/ Focus Features

George Clooney
Brad Pitt
Frances McDormand
John Malkovich

Anyone who is remotely familiar with the satirical comedy style of the brothers Coen will not be too disappointed by their new offering, Burn after Reading. Pitt plays the role of a totally empty headed gym employee, who along with McDormand (a personal trainer at the same gym), comes upon a computer disc containing what appears to be government information. (Do they try to locate the owner and return it? Are you kidding, this is a Coen movie.) These two half brains decide that this disc is the key to their future happiness. Poor McDormand wants body sculpting by lipo to achieve perfection and Pitt wants what she wants.

They are immediately drawn to the idea of using this disc to blackmail the owner into coughing up some serious cash. McDormand is overly desperate for liposuction to help her create her body beautiful which will solve all the problems of the world, at least in her own mind. She and Pitt are going to use some of the blackmail money for this worthy cause. In a true case of what they don’t know will hurt them, they do not realize that the disc contains information that was already stolen. The file that the information was lifted from belongs to a CIA employee, played by John Malkovich.

This theft was perpetrated by his wife who is planning to make good use of it as a pre-emptive strike in her plan for a divorce. Once Malkovich uncovers both of these plots he puts his own more ruthlessly designed plans in gear. Keep in mind that with all of the Coen films, there are always parallel and perpendicular plots to keep track of as well as trying to follow the main storyline.

The wife is hoping to divorce quickly and hook up with her boyfriend, played by George Clooney. Clooney’s character works for the Treasury department and he is a conniving Don Juan who is loyal to no one, especially the many women in his life. Clooney’s character is not only married, but he is also romancing McDormand’s character in addition to dangling Malkovich’s wife on a string. Viewers are all quick to note that this not so romantic triangle is going to play heavily in the movie. There are some great moments of satire and comedy to be found in how Clooney handles some of the more romantic moments with his harem.

Viewers will have to stay focused in order to follow the devious and somewhat twisted storyline that often strays a bit too far off target in this film, and at times the attempts at comedy become too forced and heavy handed. There are a few moments of absolute comedic genius involving Pitt who is excellent as he delivers his great “blonde” moments. If you understand how the Coen brothers operate you should have little problem keeping pace with the wacky and often frantic action.

By the end of the movie you are wondering if the Coen duo should offer lessons in duplicity and treachery to the CIA and Treasury department. Some of the reasoning and actions by the characters can only leave fans slightly confused because there are more than a few moments which seem to be completely disjointed from the rest of the film.
Chalk it up to artistic license, overlook some of the more tiresome and contorted conversations and enjoy a few laughs.

Bottom Line: 3.5/5.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 125 mins – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40: 1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1

 

Comic book movies are like a flip of the coin; sometimes the get it so right (Spider-man, X-men), and sometimes they really screw them up, (Daredevil, The Punisher). But when they’re done correctly, it’s a thing of beauty. This summer’s hit film Iron Man could have easily been a disaster, but instead it not only turned out to be a good comic book adaptation, but just a damn good movie in general, holding it’s own against the force of The Dark Night, taking in over $500 million worldwide. Iron Man is now ready to take flight in glorious high-definition Blu-ray, courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment, and it is one sweet ride. 

THE MOVIE

Robert Downy, Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire playboy who runs Stark Industries, a company that creates weapons of war, and a business that allows him to live a lifestyle coated with hot girls, fast cars, and access to pretty much anything he wants. Tony Stark is arrogant, conceited, and puts only one thing first…Tony Stark. When Stark gets caught in an ambush behind enemy lines, he becomes the target of his own weapon, leaving him left for dead with a chest full of shrapnel. His life is saved by an Afghanistan engineer, (Shaun Toub), who is also being held captive. Together they plan an escape by secretly building a suit of armor; Stark makes it out of the death camp, because the engineer sacrifices his own life to help him, thus changing Stark’s outlook on the weapons his company builds.

Stark returns to America a new man, and creates a super magnet to insert into his chest to keep the shrapnel from entering his heart and killing him. Reuniting with his team that includes his trusted assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), ace pilot and close friend Rhodey (Terrence Howard), and his business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), Stark decides that his company will discontinue making weapons of mass destruction. He also has another secret agenda, which leads him to build a new armor suit, this time with a hint of ‘hot rod red,’ to become Iron Man, a hi-tech superhero. And like all superheroes there, must be some badass villain to smack him around a little, in this case it turns out to be his partner who has betrayed him and has had an armor battle suit for himself to become Iron Monger.

There are two reasons why this film works so well, the first is the director Jon Favreau, who even though he has never handled anything on this scale, was obviously so passionate about the character that he put 100% of himself into it to deliver a stellar movie. The second reason this film rock is defined in three words Robert – Downy – Jr.; who becomes everything you envisioned Tony Stark would be. Downey has been in the movie industry for several decades and has played various characters, and anyone looking at his performance in this movie can see that he is having a ball with it. He is so good that when the CGI Iron Man takes the spotlight, you really miss Tony Stark’s charm.

Iron Man is a film made for people who just love to escape the world for two hours and have fun. There’s no underlying message or statement, it’s just a good popcorn film that will stand the test of time, especially in terms of superhero movies. Just like The Dark Knight, Iron Man was able to win the praise of both audiences and critics, which is rare with this genre. Iron Man’s script keeps the source as pure as possible without diving into the simplistic plot pacing that last year’s Transformers did. You never feel like you’re watching a kiddie film, and even if you never thought much of Robert Downy, Jr. you will after this, because I can’t imagine anyone else who would have been this likeable in the role. If you’ve seen this movie in theaters, you’ve already got this on your list of Blu-rays to buy. If you’ve held off on seeing it, or feel that this is just not your thing, I suggest that you give it a look and I’m confident many of you will be won over. “Yeah, I can fly.”

VIDEO

Iron Man is presented in full 1080p with a 2.40:1 aspect ratio and to say that the film looks incredible is an understatement. The benefit of new films is that the source material used is so pure that if you have top of the line TV, it looks even more crisps than the way you saw it in the movie theater. Unlike The Dark Knight, Iron Man actually likes being out under the bright sun, so scenes like the opening desert ambush, or Iron Man’s first test flight look spectacular. When Tony Stark slips on the Mach II body armor, the red and gold stand out to the fullest, and even though some of Iron Man’s GGI looks to ‘computer generated’ at times giving him a high cartoon-ish gloss, it works in this case giving Iron Man a 3-D effect that makes it seem like he’s floated off the screen. Skin tones are also very well balanced, and night scenes are filtered to give everything a blue-ish tint that looks perfect for the setting. This one is definite show off and brag material to all those suckers who only have a DVD and a standard definition TV.

AUDIO

Crank up those speakers, because Iron Man’s TrueHD 5.1 surround audio mix delivers the goods. This is the epitome of what a summer popcorn movie should sound like, with explosions, gunshots, machinery, and high-powered repulsor rays, the sound design is top notch. Just listen to how you can hear Iron Man soars from your left and right speakers as he races to avoid being hit by lock-on missiles in the fighter jet sequence; or how the use of sound is implemented when Tony Stark attempts to escape from his captors in the prototype suit as he fights to get out of the cave. When this year’s Oscar nominations are announced, Iron Man should be on the list for sound design. Nothing at all to complain about here, so turn it up to level ten.

EXTRAS

Iron Man has so many HD goodies that a second disc had to be added to include them all. The only thing missing is a director’s audio commentary, which is a let down because it would have been cool to hear Jon Favreau’s take on making the movie.

On disc one, besides the feature film you’ll also get a documentary, ‘The Invincible Iron Man’ a fifty-minute piece divided into six chapters, ‘Origins,’ ‘Friends and Foes,’ ‘Definitive Iron Man,’ ‘Demon in a Bottle,’ ‘Extremis and Beyond,’ and ‘Ultimate Iron Man.’ This one is for the comic geeks, going into the entire history of Iron Man, featuring interviews from comic book writers who know the character inside and out, and of course Stan Lee himself.

There are eleven deleted scenes that are mainly extended dialogue clips. It’s good that it’s been thrown in, but realistically it’s obvious why these scenes were removed.

‘Hail of Armor’ is a pretty cool feature that allows you to see three-dimensional views of Iron Man and Iron Monger’s body armor, allowing you to zoom in and out to see every detail of them. Geeks unite!

Disc two has one of the best features, “I am Iron Man’ a nearly two-hour long documentary that goes deep into the making of the film. Divided into seven parts, “The Journey Begins,’ ‘The Suit that makes Iron Man,’ ‘The Walk of Destruction,’ ‘Grounded in Reality,’ Beneath the Armor,’ It’s All in the Details,’ and ‘A Good Story, Well Told,’ has interviews with the cast, filmmakers, and the team over at Marvel. This doc is worth the price of the Blu-ray alone, because everything you need to know about the making of Iron Man has been compiled in a entertaining manner that is worth repeat viewing.

‘Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man,’ is a half hour look at the visual effects of the movie, and includes shots of Downey’s practical costume used to match the shots. For special effects junkies, this is some cool stuff.

‘Rehearsal Footage’ is an interesting piece that actually includes Robert Downey, Jr’s screen test, and after seeing it you’ll understand why he’s the only man worthy of wearing the armor.

A nice still gallery as well as three trailers for Iron Man is also included.

Iron Man is BD-Live enabled, so PS3 and Blu-ray player owners that have the 2.0 profile can access the trivia feature, ‘Iron Man IQ,’ that allows you to answer questions based on your knowledge of the man in armor. 

 

BOTTOM LINE

Iron Man was a good movie and this two-disc edition Blu-ray only compliments it more. Featuring excellent picture and sound quality, as well as a nice list of bonus features, I cannot recommend this disc enough, and it’s sure to be a huge seller for Paramount. Iron Man 2 is set for release for the summer of 2010, so until then there’s plenty here to keep you juiced up. Buy it now!

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie:          4.5

Video:                    4.0

Sound:                   4.5

Extras:                   4.5

Bottom Line:        4.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

New Line Home Entertainment– 111 minutes – 1998 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 7.1 Lossless Audio

 

When it was released in theaters in 1998, Dark City came and went before you could blink; but for the last decade the film has received a huge cult following, and because of its style still stands out in the cinema world. For ten years the only way to see Dark City was on the lame standard DVD, with an image quality that made it look like you were watching the film through a dirty glass. Well now we live in the hi-def era, and Dark City is finally available on Blu-ray from New Line Home Entertainment. So if you’ve never seen Dark City, you’re getting both the theatrical and director’s cut on one disc, so enjoy the experience because it’s a unique one.

THE MOVIE

The best thing about Dark City’s story is that it doesn’t fall into the basic Hollywood plot outline. Yes, it’s sci-fi/fantasy, but it’s also a noir crime thriller. Rufus Sewell stars as a man who has lost his memory and becomes the prime suspect for the murder of a hooker. Not only is he being hunted by a cop, (William Hurt), but also a group of pale-skinned horrific beings that are trying to kill him. The only people who are attempting to help him piece together why this is all happening are his wife, (Jennifer Connelly), and an odd doctor by the name of Schreber, (Keifer Sutherland from the TV show 24).

Directed by Alex Proyas, who helmed the brilliant comic book film The Crow, Dark City is a visual masterpiece on the level of Blade Runner, but many film enthusiasts often compare it to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. The film is not fast paced, and even the action is tame compared to what we’re used to seeing, but you get instantly caught up the world because you are trying to solve the mystery along with the lead character. Also, this movie sets up a creepy mood that reels you in because you literally never know what’s going to happen next, something that’s hard to do with today’s audiences.

In a world set somewhere between the 1950’s and the distant future, Dark City offers so many dark visuals that you may wonder what the current Batman films would have looked like if Proyas directed them. You’re given such visual feats as an entire city transforming into another environment, vampire-toned men in black trench coats and fedoras wandering hauntingly around the city, and the oddities of a place called Shell Beach, just to name a few events. The performances are wooden, but they are meant to feel this way to emulate the classic noir films where the world and the situation itself overshadow the performers.

This Blu-ray gives you the chance to see both the theatrical release, as well as the new director’s cut, which is the version many fans of the film have been desiring to see for years. And while the director’s cut does offer some interesting spots, the theatrical version still stands on its own. But which one is the better version is something that will be debated by fan boys on the web forever. Either way if you’re getting the best of both worlds.

Dark City should be seen by anyone who is looking for something different, and particularly those who enjoy dark-themed movies. Alex Proyas is underrated as a director, and hopefully anyone who sees Dark City and enjoys it will look at some of his other films, such as The Crow and I, Robot. This Blu-ray is highly recommended in all categories because it delivers everything you expect from high-definition home entertainment. Just make sure you watch this movie in the dark to get the full experience that it offers.

VIDEO

With full 1080p resolution and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio this is a definite step in the right direction, and is the only way to watch Dark City to get the full impact of it’s visual style. Obviously with “Dark” in the title, this film tells its story during the night with dimly lit exteriors and interiors. For those of you who appreciate film noir, this movie will be on the top of your list as Blu-ray show off material. Blacks stand out strong, even though at times there is noticeable grain, but keep in mind look at the standard DVD and this hi-def version side-by-side and you’ll toss that old DVD into a storage box. Skin tones look very good, especially Jennifer Connelly who is usually filmed with a filter to give her an old styled angelic look. There’s very little to complain about in terms of Dark City’s image quality, so compliments to New Line for putting care into the transfer.

AUDIO

Dark City will completely immerse you with its kick ass DTS HD Master 7.1 audio track. Because of its style, this film is a wonderland of sound effects, from its violent action, to the scenes when the city literally transforms before your eyes. The sound design has managed to maintain a creepy mood that is better than most thriller/horror films that attempt to do the same. The reason why the sound design is so effective is because it doesn’t try to imitate what you’ve heard before, so you really never know what’s going to be thrown at you next. For sound aficionados, this is the one to crank up the speakers for.

EXTRAS

Dark City is loaded with bonus material, featuring more audio commentaries for a single film that I can recall to date. They might as well have given the film’s caterer a commentary track. Being that all the featurettes are from the original DVD, they are all presented in standard definition.

Three new and expanded audio commentaries were done for the director’s cut, one featuring a director Alex Proyas, another track features the film’s screenwriters, David S. Goyer and Lem Dobbs, and finally a track from film critic Roger Ebert who praised this film when it was released a decade ago. If you loved this film there’s enough information provided in these commentaries to last you for several days. 

In addition, the commentary tracks featured on the original DVD are provided for the theatrical version of the film. The first track features Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, and director of photography Dariusz Wolski. And for those of you who are purist, Roger Ebert’s original audio commentary from the DVD is also available.

Both director Alex Proyas and film critic Roger Ebert provide a separate introduction to the movie, giving their insights for the film, and defining why it has become a cult classic.

‘Architecture of Dreams’ runs thirty-five minutes and dives into the art design for Dark City, including set design, wardrobe, and set design.

‘Memories of Shell Beach’ is forty-five minute look at the overall production of Dark City, going into the conception of the story, casting, and the look of the film. Various interviews with the cast and filmmakers highlight what went into making the film, and although most of the material is a decade old it’s still effective.

Over 80 stills from the film can be viewed via the production gallery, but it’s too bad that they’re not in HD.

One nice feature is that you can watch the director’s cut of the film and enable a pop-up track that will highlight the difference between the original theatrical version and the director’s final vision.

Those of you who like the complimentary digital copies of the Blu-rays that are packed in with some titles may be disappointed to learn that for some reason New Line doesn’t allow Mac users to get access to this feature. So ipod/iphone users, (which is a massive chunk of folks) will miss out on this luxury. As a Mac user myself, I hope that this is something the gang over at New Line doesn’t make mandatory. For this round it looks like the Zune owners win.

BOTTOM LINE

Dark City is a must own for anyone who loved this movie and had to settle for the grainy DVD all these years. Now that it’s on Blu-ray you are treated to both the theatrical and the director’s cut, as well as a new batch of audio commentaries. It would have been the icing on the cake if a new retrospective featurette was done to mark the 10^th anniversary of the film, but without a doubt this is a definite upgrade. There aren’t many original films made that can be compared with Dark City, so if you’ve never seen it and are looking for something different, this is a must see and must own.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie:          4.5

Video:                    4.5

Sound:                   5.0

Extras:                 4.0

Bottom Line:       4.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

U-571 can be purchased on Blu-ray individually or as a part of Universal’s “Action Starter Pack,” which includes three movies: Miami Vice, U-571 and End of Days for the retail price of $59.98.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 117 mins – 2000 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

There was a short period in Hollywood when submarine films were hot, mainly because of the success of films like The Hunt For Red October, and Crimson Tide. By the time the submarine thriller U-571 submerged, the interest in a bunch of seamen running around in a metallic phallic symbol had diminished, but the film still manage to make of $100 million worldwide. U-571 is now available from Universal Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, and while not as well crafted as Crimson Tide or The Hunt For Red October it is a decent WWII adventure that offers some solid thrills.

THE MOVIE

U-571 attempts to be an old-fashioned war film with an ensemble cast of characters, including Mathew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel, Bill Paxton, David Keith, and yes…Jon Bon Jovi. Taking place during the battle of World War II, the film begins with the Americans learning that a German U-boat has been crippled by depth charges underwater, and an encryption-coding machine known as an Enigma is within it. This device will allow the U.S. to track the locations of German subs, giving them a big advantage, so a mission is devised to get a team onto that submarine to seize it before the Germans can get there first.

Mathew McConaughey as Lt. Andrew Tyler, is the central character, who when introduced is turned down for the duty of commanding his own vessel, because he is told he lacks true Marine leadership abilities. But when the mission’s leader (Bill Paxton) is killed, Tyler is automatically shifted into the leadership role, and must convince the other team members who don’t believe in him, that they can retrieve the Enigma machine and survive before time runs out.

Written and directed by Jonathan Mostow, who helmed the dreadful Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, U-571 is not trying to be a realistic war movie, instead focusing on escapism, and this is why the film works. Yes, it is silly in spots, such as the odd casting, (Jon Bon Jovi and Harvey Keitel in a movie together…who would have thought that?), and the Germans who all sound like guys from New Jersey faking an accent; but the from beginning to end the film never stops moving or drags on background characters that no one cares about. Once the action begins, and the Americans are pitted against the Germans while locked in an enclosed space, it’s a cat and mouse game with the clock ticking, which amps up the adrenaline.

The finale of U-571, with its superb depth charge sequence is worth watching the film all by itself. Whether you like McConaughey’s character are not, you’re rooting for him to win. If U-571 were more on the lines of Saving Private Ryan, the depth charge sequence would have been very different; a lot more serious and technical, but as it’s presented here when the submarine is taking constant hits from the explosions and the crew is trying to desperately avoid the final blow, you will be immersed. The sound editing on from this sequence earned the film an Academy Award, and while most may say it would have been impossible for them to survive this, all action films rely on characters escaping impossible situations. While not a perfect film, U-571 is entertaining, and because it’s a period war film, it will not seem dated as most action films do from a decade ago. If you like films related to World War II, and a good dose of action, give U-571 a try if you’ve never seen it before.

VIDEO

With a 1080p HD image and a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, U-571 looks sharp and clean, with strong colors and even flesh tones. For a film that has limited exterior shots and most of the scenes are beneath the sea, the transfer maintains its visual quality. The level of detail is also smooth, just look at the close-ups on the faces of the actors and you’ll see sweat rolling down their stubble, and every age line on Harvey Keitel’s face. There are times when grain is noticeable, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Overall, without nitpicking, there’s very little to complain about and viewers should be satisfied with the image.

AUDIO

Talk about bells and whistles, with its DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 mix, U-571 is the film for people who like to show off their surround sound systems. Dialogue and ambience is well mixed and the score by Richard Marvin shines, but the two words that steal the show are “depth charges.” The submarine escape sequence will blow you out of your seat, and the sound team went all out to ensure that the underwater explosions sounded realistic. Just listen to the sounds of the torpedoes locking into the launch tubes and being fired, or all the sounds that are occurring at once in the submarine, from water pushing into the damaged hull to the boots running clanging on the metal floors as the crew races back and forth. If you’re not watching this film with the surround sound pumped up, you’re missing out on a whole lot.

EXTRAS

Director Jonathan Mostow provides two types of commentary tracks for this Blu-ray, one is the conventional audio commentary and the other is via Universal U-Control Picture-in-Picture, which requires a profile 1.1 player.

The director’s commentary track is somewhat slow, but Mostow demonstrates that he was making this movie to salute the heroes of WWII, whom had to subdue extreme conditions in their fight against the Germans.

The PIP commentary provides a lot of similar information found on the standard track, but many behind the scenes shots that where shown as extras on the regular DVD can be viewed as the scenes play, as well as segments on the real U-boats of WWII and the Enigma code machine. You’ll also get to see some interviews with the cast, including Mathew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel and Bill Paxton.

The only issue is that you can only watch these extras in the PIP format and don’t have the option to watch them on their own on a full screen. Being that all those extras were in standard definition there is plenty of room on the Blu-ray to include that option, because many people prefer to watch the features this way.

BOTTOM LINE

As an action film based in WWII, U-571 works; as an accurate historic tale of war, it’s not even close. But then again, neither was Top Gun, so just as long as you accept that it’s only an adventure film, you’ll enjoy U-571. The Blu-ray offers solid image quality and some of the best sound you’re going to hear. Universal put a lot of care into making this film a top of the line Blu-ray and for those that liked this movie and are ready to put their standard DVD copy in storage, this version makes a for a perfect upgrade.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie:           3.0

Video:                   4.0

Sound:                   5.0

Extras:                3.0

Bottom Line:        3.5