Reviewed by Rich Depping
Warner Home Video – 575 minutes – 2002 – Unrated – 1080p 1.33:1 – Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio – English SDH – Three Discs

After having wrapped up several other successful DC superhero cartoon series’ (Batman: TAS, Superman: TAS, Batman Beyond), the crew at Warner Animation decided to take a crack at the whole shebang – The Justice League. Why settle for one superhero when you can have a whole team of classic heros?

THE SERIES

The series begins with a 3 part episode – man finally visits Mars, and something seems to have gone awry underground, when an astronaut pries open a vault. Upon his triumphant return, the astronaut, now a US senator, announces the world is too fragile, and rallies the nations to disarm their nuclear stockpiles at the U.N.-like World Assembly. Resistance is all but nullified when Superman arrives to voice his support for the plan, offering his assistance in disabling the warheads. Meanwhile Batman has been investigating sabotage and explosions at varying WayneCorp  deep space radar installations, with minimal success. After being attacked during one adventure, his old pal Superman shows up to assist, but is overcome with strange visions, and the strange shape-shifting scientists escape after destroying another dish. Superman gives Batman another one of his emergency communicator watches (outputs a audio frequency so high only Clark can hear it) and returns to Metropolis to continue the disarmament. While Supes smashes nukes, Batman tracks down the shapeshifting scientists to an abandoned Star Labs facility on the outskirts of Metropolis. After breaking in he finds humans in strange cocoons, which he attempts to open and rescue the folks inside. He’s caught in the act and attacked by the shapeshifters, who reveal themselves to being aliens. Batman is incapacitated and trapped, but not before he can signal Superman for help. Superman digs Bruce out of the rubble and flys him back to downtown Metropolis for medical attention – right as the aliens begin landing an invasion party. Without their nuclear arsenal, the planet struggles in vain to fend off these attackers. While fighting off a giant monster, Superman is besieged by another vision, which he suddenly realises is no vision. Bolting from the battlefield, the recovered Batman is confused and follows after him.

Finding Superman smashing his way into a restricted military base, Batman questions the noble do-gooder’s sudden turn to crime. Superman then rips the door off a massive vault, revealing the source of his ‘visions’ to be scrambled attempts at telepathic communications from a strange green creature, inhibited by a stasis field. After being liberated he introduces himself – J’onn J’onzz, the last surviving Martian. The creatures now attacking Earth had conquored and enslaved Mars a millenium ago, until J’onn led one last desperate attack on the invaders, placing them in hibernation, but not until after they had felled all the other remaining Martians. As the last of his kind, he had stood watch over the frozen marauders until the astronaut had accidentally released them from their slumber. J’onn came to Earth to warn humanity, but was caught and imprisoned by the US military. Heading outside, the trio find themselves surrounded by the military, refusing to let Superman leave with the extraterrestial. After several pleas from Superman, the troops reveal themselves to be shapeshifters and attack the 3 heros. Just then, they calvary arrives – Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, The Flash, and Wonder Woman swoop in and help rout the (bad) aliens. J’onn explains he reached out to these heros to help ward off the invaders. An alliance is formed, and they attempt to eliminate 3 primary installations of the aliens, with mixed results. As they slowly learn to work together to succeed, as the heros, of course, they save the day in the end.

Afterwards, Batman & Superman realise the need for unity and Bruce reveals a massive orbiting space station, the Justice Tower, financed by some accounting finagling in WayneCorp R&D. Superman proposes to everyone that their allegiance should become a permanent one, so they can protect the whole planet from harm and evil. ‘As what, like Super Friends?’ jokes The Flash. “No, more like, a Justice League” replies a smiling Superman.

The league then sets off for all sorts of adventures, from Superman & J’onn being kidnapped and forced to fight, Roman gladiator style, on the War World planet, to GL, Hawkgirl and The Flash being sucked into an alternate dimension where clean-as-a-whistle comic heros from the 50’s still fight crime (with the strangest line from the whole series [“You’re a credit to your people, son”]), to attempting to correct an altered timeline where Hitler is put on ice and a madman from our time brings the Nazis technology allowing them to easily conquer Europe, before the rest of the world.

The rogue’s gallery of villians they encounter stretches the DC universe, from Grod, the superintelligent ape to classics animated standbys like The Joker, Solomon Grundy and Lex Luthor.

The stories are very well written, and the character interactions, as they learn to rely on each other in battle and day to day life, progresses beautifully. What struck me the most is the realistic feeling given to them – Batman, as the only member without superpowers, quite often pushes himself above and beyond his own limits to contribute, frequently injuring himself in the process. Lex Luthor, after years of exposure to kryptonite in one harebrained scheme or another to kill Superman, has contracted a terminal cancer and must wear a life support vest built for him by Ultrahumanoid. Diana, princess of the Amazons, having lived for milleniums in isolation amongst the other Amazonians, has no idea how to react to the comments or advances of men, other than with violence towards the more aggressive ones. I honestly don’t recall hearing either J’onn or Diana referred to as the Martian Manhunter or Wonder Woman, respectively. It’s these touches that keep these adventures from seeming, well, like a comic book.

VIDEO

I was sort of shocked when the first disc started up, and I was greeted by Warner Animation logo (Bugs chomping down on a carrot in a tux) suddenly dropping to 4:3 – hey, didn’t they broadcast the ‘encore’ versions of each episode in widescreen?? So I did a bit of research… The first season was produced in standard television 4:3 / 1:33 / SD / whatever you want to call it, and cropped to 1:1.78 for the encore showings. So technically, the widescreen versions were the inferior cut (as content was lost) but it still would have been nice to see on here…

The remastered episodes are breathtaking in 1080p – crisp inklines, background elements I never recall seeing before, enviromental textures (brick walls look like brick walls, etc). The best thing I’ve seen in HD to date as of this writing is the wholly unrelated Justice League: New Frontier home release on HD-DVD, and I was very curious how the tv series would stack up visually. There is a severel dearth of high definition (non-CGI) animation, and I was not dissapointed.

Occasionally though, the HD treatment betrays the source material – some scenes the matte painting backgrounds will stand out garishly, people will be seen talking without mouths, computer rendered storefront signs, and other animation shortcuts that aren’t as glaring on standard cable sneak up on you and slowly tap you on the shoulder when you notice them.

AUDIO

Your basic 5.1 cartoon mix. Nothing special. It does seem to be alot more bass-heavy then I recall on TV, but that was 6-plus years ago…

EXTRAS

Sadly, next to nil – there’s commentary on only 3 out of 26 half-hour episodes, and a few segments that had been produced for the original DVD box set released 3 years ago, which are mostly comprised of roundtable discussions with producers and writers and filler clips of the series, all in 480p still. Each disc is only 15-20GB – surely they could either have tossed in some more goodies for this upgraded release, or turned up the bitrate on the episodes to fill out the discs?

Inside Justice League: Creator’s Discussion Panel
Storyboards: The Blueprint for Justice
The Look of the League: Character Design
Justice League: The First Mission (never before seen promo*)
The Blackhawk Theme music video

* this is a version created for Kids WB!, as opposed to a Cartoon Network version alluded to in comments of having been an easter egg in the DVD set – sadly I did not see the CN cut on any of the discs

BOTTOM LINE

If you love animation in any capacity, you owe it to yourself to pick up this set. Gorgeous visuals, superb writing, stellar voice acting, you name it, Justice League has it. And just think – if the bigwigs see this release as a success, they might just see fit to greenlight the original Batman and Superman series’ for this HD makeover treatment as well as the other 4 seasons of Justice League…

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

BBC VIDEO – 230 minutes – 2007 – Unrated –Widescreen 1.78:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Audio – Two Discs

 When Planet Earth was released on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray it was huge seller for the formats, even with its $100 price tag, because it’s superior image quality was the ultimate show off material. The BBC followed up with the success of Planet Earth with a new series called Earth: The Biography, which plays more like the kid brother to Planet Earth, but does offer some impressive information, as well as awesome visuals that you come to expect from these nature documentaries. Earth: The Biography, while not as big of a package as Planet Earth, is available on Blu-ray care of BBC Video.

THE MOVIE

Earth: The Biography is divided into five segments that about 45 minutes each, titled ‘Volcanoes,’ ‘Atmosphere,’ ‘Ice,’ ‘Oceans,’ and ‘Rare Planet.’ Hosted by Scottish geologist Dr. Iain Stewart, the documentaries are a visual feast that will make you feel so small on the planet, but at the same time will make you appreciate everything about the Earth. The one thing you will take away from these series is that from the day the Earth began forming, it has never taken a day of rest and billions of years later is still in production to keep itself as well as the life forms that live on it alive.

There are plenty of amazing images of the earth from around the world, and with the assistance of computer graphics, we can get a look at such things as the Earth’s core to see what makes volcanoes erupt and the seas flow. After years of watching science fiction movies that showcased planets from the far reaches of the universe, watching Earth: The Biography will make you realize that your home world is just as amazing, and in the average person’s lifetime they will never have the opportunity to see it all.

‘Volcanoes’ looks at these massive natural furnaces that can pose a great threat, but also helps the planet by allowing it to let off some steam that would do more harm if it didn’t come out. Think of it like an old steam engine that constantly needs to be feed coal to keep functioning. Luckily, nature makes it’s own energy to keep it’s motor running, but the warning is there that one day it will run out.

‘Atmosphere’ takes a look at the planet’s weather showing how it can go from a beautiful sunny day, to a fierce storm that can cause tremendous damage and wipe out many lives. This segment demonstrates how even though the weather on Earth can get crazy at times, it’s nothing compared to the destructible conditions that strike the planet Mars.

‘Ice’ discuses how like the lava that spits out of volcanoes, ice can be just as deadly and at one point in history almost wiped out every living thing on Earth. The current situation with global warming and the melting polar ice caps is looked at, again warning us that actions we take now can change what may be a deadly fate.

‘Oceans’ discusses the huge body of waters that cover the Earth and bring life to all parts of it. We get a look at the world beneath the sea, which to this day scientist are still learning new things. The most important thing that is emphasized in this segment is that without water, there is no life. And even though it seems like the oceans will never die, a planet like Mars once had mighty oceans as well, that eventually were reduced to dust.

‘Rare Planet’ talks about the theory that even though there are an uncountable number of planets out there, how many actually have life. What if our Earth is so unique that it is the only one to possess intelligent life to document its birth and eventual demise? If this is true (and we all hope that it isn’t), we as the human race seriously need to think about how important we are, not only to the planet, but to the universe as well.

While Earth: The Biography is not as detailed and epic as the previous Planet Earth documentary, it does stand on its own and offers some fascinating insight. It bangs it in your head that the Earth is not just a structure or vessel like a building, plane, or boat. It is alive, just like we are, and it needs us to help it to do its job. With the current trend of people going ‘Green’ it demonstrates that we have a better understanding the planet’s needs and are trying to make an effort to not harm it any more than we have over the last few centuries. This documentary would make for an excellent tool in the classroom, because the young minds that care for the Earth will be the ones who grow to discover new ways to save it.

VIDEO

What else would you expect from a documentary that features the Earth? Visually this is an amazing Blu-ray with so much eye candy you’ll be glued to the screen, but it must be noted that this transfer only goes as high as 1080i, so the image may not as smooth in places because it’s not progressive. Realistically you probably will never notice, because when you see the masses of molten lava soaring out of a volcano, or underwater sea life that looks like you’re actually viewing it from Aquaman’s point of view, you’ll be hooked. Colors are perfectly accurate from the blue skies to the red ladybug that crawls across a bright green leaf; but the archival footage that is used to fill in gaps doesn’t match the sharp images seen in the majority of the documentary. Overall, while not on the flawless level of Planet Earth, this Blu-ray does offer some amazing visuals.

AUDIO

The only track offered is a basic DTS HD 5.1 audio mix, which is satisfactory because this is a documentary, not Batman, so none of the sounds have been enhanced. The environmental ambient sounds such as the cracking ice and the eruption of the volcano place you in the scenery; none of this will give your speakers a workout, but it’s effective. The only small issue is that there are times when it’s kind of hard to make out what the narrator Iain Stewart is saying because of his thick Scottish accent, but that’s what the subtitles are for.

EXTRAS

Being that this is a two-disc set, you’d expect there to be some nice bonus features added, but alas there is nothing at all. Not even a look at upcoming BBC titles. Which makes you think instead of using two 25 single layer Blu-ray discs, why wasn’t this documentary just placed on one 50 gig dual layer Blu-ray? Wouldn’t that require using fewer materials, thus helping the planet out?

BOTTOM LINE

Our Earth is an amazing planet that we are still discovering more about each day. The series, Earth: The Biography just touches on various topics and you’re encouraged to learn more information about them. This Blu-ray has some incredible scenes that are sure to amaze you, but unfortunately most will still see it as a diet version of Planet Earth. If you are an Earth lover (and shouldn’t we all be?) this Blu-ray should be added to your collection.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 0.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Twentieth Century Fox – 122 minutes – 1991 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio  

“One hundred percent pure adrenaline,” was the tagline for the 1991 action film, Point Break starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Point Break was not a box office hit when it was released, but found a huge audience on home video and is now often referred to as one of the best action 90’s films. Anyone who has seen the film Hot Fuzz, will totally understand all the Point Break in-jokes, like screaming and firing shots up into the air. Point Break makes its high-definition debut on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment ready to give you “100%.”

THE MOVIE

Keanu Reeves stars as Johnny Utah, a rookie FBI agent who is paired with an older renegade partner (Gary Busey), and together they must solve a case involving bank robbers who dress up as former Presidents. When clues indicate that they must be surfers (because the robberies only occur during surf season), Utah goes undercover as a surfer to infiltrate the suspects. Utah latches onto the leader of a pack of surfers, Bodhi, played by Patrick Swayze, and the men bond. But when Bodhi discovers that Utah is an undercover officer, Utah has to decide whether to arrest the man he’s befriended, jeopardizing his job or just walk away. What ensues is a series of action scenes on the ground and in the air, putting the ‘E’ in extreme and 100% pure adrenaline.

Why does a film with such a silly premise still have a hold on audiences almost 17 years later? Because it’s so damn fun, that’s why. The dialogue is bad, the action is over the top, and there’s not one believable moment in it. Directed by Katheryn Bigelow, this film would have been un-watchable if it were not for the way she handled the pacing and the situations. Being that she is one of the only female action directors around, she pulls so many tricks out of her hat that you want to watch the film again and again. The film had such an impact that the idea was borrowed again ten years later with the original Fast and the Furious movie, which is EXACTLY the same premise, substituting street racers for surfers, and Vin Diesel playing the leader of the pact, while Paul Walker plays the cop attempting to infiltrate them.

The adrenaline hook is what makes you forgive anything in this film that is outrageous. From start to finish the film keeps moving, and doesn’t stop. In it’s two hour running time you get bank robberies, car chases, foot chases, shoot outs, sky diving, and of course lots of surfing. Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze have a good chemistry together on screen. You actually like these guys, which is another enticing thing about the film. The supporting cast that includes Lori Petty as a tomboy surfer, and John C. McGinley as an FBI agent also perform their parts well in that action film ‘background character’ way that adds to the mix.

Yeah, most people laugh when they think about Point Break, but everyone has seen it for some reason or another, which says a lot about the staying power of the film. There are always rumors about a possible sequel to the film with both Reeves and Swayze reprising their roles, and if this were to occur there would definitely be an audience for it. Point Break is not the best buddy action film, but it is the coolest. All action fans will add this Blu-ray to their collection without question, and those seeing Point Break for the first time may be converted.

VIDEO

Point Break is presented in full 1080p with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and though it looks good, it’s not a major leap over the DVD version. There is a lot of grain on the disc, particularly in the night scenes. The daylight scenes look sharp, but the colors are not as bright as they could have been. This is in no way Blu-ray show off material, because for some reason the transfer looks dated. It’s acceptable, but lacks that extra eye candy you’d expect.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 audio mix makes up for its image quality, giving you the explosives sounds you’d expect from an action film. Dialogue (even though it’s corny) is mastered nicely to stand out over the background effects, and you can hear the surfboards cutting through the waves in the surfing scenes. During the parachute sequence with Utah and Bodhi, just listen to how the wind whips your speakers as they descend. It won’t hold up against the sound mix for a current film, but for a 17 year old movie, you will not be disappointed.

EXTRAS

The features from the special edition DVD have been ported over to the Blu-ray and are all in standard definition. There’s really nothing special about the features, but it’s better a little than nothing at all. But it would have been great if an audio commentary by Kathryn Bigelow were also included.

‘It’s Make or Break’ runs about 25 minutes discussing the origins of the movie, and how the script floated around for a while with the title Johnny Utah, and how various stars were attached before Keanu Reeves, including Johnny Depp. Interviews with the stars (mainly archival) and the filmmakers are included, and though it’s short, it sells the movie.

‘Ride the Wave’ is 6 minutes, and mainly talks about how the stars learned to surf for the movie.

‘Adrenaline Junkies’ also 6 minutes, goes into the films major action sequences on land, sea, and air.

‘On Location: Malibu’ is an 8 minute piece showing the spots Point Break was filmed.

There are ten minutes of deleted scenes, which are actually extended scenes from what was seen in the film. There’s nothing much to see here.

Trailers for the film as well as some stills fill out the rest of the extras, but overall none of these features are worth a second look.

BOTTOM LINE

Point Break is a guilty pleasure for those of us who understand the genius of Keanu Reeve’s acting style. Long before he uttered “whoa” in The Matrix, and hung under a bus in Speed, Point Break was the first film that Keanu flexed his action muscles. As a Blu-ray it will not stand out as a must have in terms of its high-definition image, but if you’re a fan of this film, you’re going to get it anyway. Maybe strong Blu-ray sales will spark new interest for a Point Break sequel, but with Keanu in his mid 40’s and Swayze in his mid 50’s, would they still be able to give us 100% full adrenaline?

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.5

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.5

Reviewed by Rich Depping

NEW LINE CINEMA / CJ ENTERTAINMENT – 116 MIN – 2005 – RATED R
WIDESCREEN 2.35:1 – DTS 5.1 SURROUND, DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 5.1, STEREO
KOREAN LANGUAGE ONLY W/ ENGLISH OR SPANISH SUBTITLES

It’s refreshing, for a change, to see these epic martial arts & swords type films from places other than China and Hong Kong get an American release, especially when picked up by a major studio like New Line Cinema. For every Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there are likely 3 films of the same caliber as Shadowless Sword languishing in obscurity.

THE MOVIE

The story takes place in the early 900AD period in the Korean peninsular region. The warring Georan have decimated the previous ruling Balhae kingdom, and have torn the region asunder. The elite battalion of the Georan, the Killer Blade Army, have been systematically tracking down and eliminating the remaining male members of the Balhae royal bloodline, with the opening scene leading to the execution of the last known prince by the alluring Mae, and the oddly costumed and coiffed Kun, who bares more than a passing resemblance to John Travolta’s middle management occupying alien character in Battlefield Earth. As news of the last prince’s demise makes its way across the remnants of the Balhae kingdom, the remaining loyalist generals hold council to decide their actions from here.

One makes mention of an exiled prince, who fled to a far away province 14 years earlier. It is decided to send Officer Soha, a highly skilled swordswoman, to seek out the prince in his last known whereabouts. When she arrives in the village, she finds Prince Jung-Hyun running a “fencing” operation out of a brothel under an assumed identity. Assuming Soha to be an assassin for knowing his royal lineage (as well as possessing a very special sword), he lures her outside and into a back alley to a trap set by a local gang.

After dispatching the thugs, Soha returns to the prince to reiterate their need to return to Balhae, and her intentions to guard him along the way. He still refuses to believe her claims of being a herald for his return to the kingdom and ascension to the throne, as “nobody would still want me alive unless all the other princes are dead”. After being explained this exact fact, Jung panics and attempts to flee on his own, where he is quickly caught by the local gang, who have now determined his real identity and plan to extort a fortune from him or the Georan. Within seconds of Soha showing up to rescue the prince, the Killer Blade Army arrives, demanding Jung’s head. After Mae kills the gang leader for mouthing off to her, the now enraged hoodlums rush the KBA, and Soha uses this chance to escape with the prince. Some crazy wirework, hand to hand & swordfighting, and 5 minutes later, they manage to escape into the nearby woods.

Along the journey Jung attempts to flee from Soha numerous times, using scumbag tactics he picked up in his years of exile (one of the more amusing methods being smashing a gang’s jug of soju, telling them it was on his ‘boss’ Soha’s orders, and asking if their leader had died of exertion with a prostitute, and fleeing during all the angry posturing) before coming to terms with his need to become king not for himself, but to unite his people, and free the kingdom from occupation. There are some epic and entertaining battles and encounters with the Killer Blade Army before Soha delivers the prince to her stepfather, a General who had served under the prince in his military past.

An epic good vs. evil battle caps off the film, which I will not spoil for the prospective viewer. Just be sure to stick around for the credits, as there are some extra scenes spliced in that help explain the plot a bit more.

I noticed quite a few plot points and story lines seemed underdeveloped, but I attribute that more to the translating and subtitling angling the film to be more action oriented than historical drama. Still would be nice to learn WHY the prince was exiled in the first place, and why he thought there might be assassins after him before he knew of Georan’s intentions for him

THE VIDEO

It’s a shame the transfer for such an epic film is so terrible. There are some outdoor scenes of brilliance, but a good deal of pervasive artifacting alternating with smudged muddying motion, even during action sequences, brings the whole thing down. I tried it on a few different players with connections varying from HDMI to Component to VGA, and even S-Video, no improvement. I have a sneaking suspicion the transfer was taken from another territories’ DVD release, with a quick menu reauthoring done for North America. Even the menu system has a slight washout effect to it when in motion… The worst part of all are the blinding English subtitles, which seem to be in a large Apple ][e font at enormous size and retina-frying white intensity. I am baffled by the choice of fonts, as switching to the Spanish subtitles gives a more pleasing, almost Arial or Times New Roman aesthetic.

THE AUDIO

Very crisp and clear, to contrast the varying video quality I imagine. I was remarking to myself about the deep bass resonance during one of the early battles, then noticed I had forgot to turn on my sub woofer when the receiver was clicked on. Be forewarned tho; all 3 audio tracks are Korean only.

EXTRAS

The bonus clips just further my thoughts of this being a quick reauthoring/repackaging job for North America – everything apart from the trailer seems to have been produced for the Korean market, with more eye gougingly bad English subtitles. The kick in the pants is that the trailer has beautiful, well positioned, and reasonably sized English subtitles. Why not keep those for the DVD, fellas? Eh? Eh?

Character introduction – 17:45
Behind the scenes – 6:30
Picture gallery – 1:30
Music video – 3:45
International Trailer – 2:10

BOTTOM LINE

Legend of the Shadowless Sword is a really entertaining historical fantasy piece, with action and comedy and rediculous acrobatic martial arts sequences, marred by the video production values. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys these swordplay films, and doesn’t mind them starring people not from China or Japan for a change.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.5
Video: 2.5
Sound: 4.0
Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Warner Premiere – 76 mins – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85: 1 – Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio

Batman is the most popular guy on the planet at the moment, with The Dark Knight in theaters breaking every record to date; Bat-mania has taken over once again. Since it will probably be several months until The Dark Knight shows up on Blu-ray, to keep fans desiring to see the man in black happy, Warner Bros. has finally released Batman Begins on Blu-ray, and to act as a side dish, a collection of animated stories related to Christopher Nolan’s vision is also available. Batman: Gotham Knight may remind many of The Animatrix, and just like that compilation, Gotham Knight touches on some interesting points about Batman, and if you’re a fan it’s worth checking out.

THE MOVIE

Batman: Gotham Knight is a collection of six animated shorts directed by some of the top Japanese animators, each having its own art style. Though none of the stories are connected, the only link that holds them together is that Kevin Conroy, who provided the voice of Batman for the animated TV show, lends his talent for all of the stories.

‘Have I Got a Story for You’ is directed by Shojirou Nishimi and written by Josh Olsen has a group of kids telling their interpretation of Batman doing battle with one of his foes as they saw it. Each kids tale shows Batman in a different form, going from a complete bat to more of a shadow figure. This segment is actually the slowest paced, and is something that has been done before in various Batman comics. The art style doesn’t jump out at you like some of the others in the compilation, but it does stick with the tone of making Batman mysterious.

‘Crossfire’ directed by Futoshi Higashide and written by Greg Rucka centers of two of Gotham City officers on Lt. Gordon’s task force, Allen and Ramirez, who both have different opinions on Batman’s presence in the city, but end up in the middle of a mob gang war, where the Bat himself shows up to save them. This is one of the better stories in the collection, because it plays like a side story from Batman Begins. The art style is also more favorable, coming close to the Batman animated series.

‘Field Test’ directed by Hiroshi Morioka and written by Jordan Goldberg shows Batman testing out a new piece of gear created by Lucius Fox that deflects bullets, but when he takes the device out in battle he realizes that it does more damage than good. This is one of the shortest stories, but it works because it’ll remind you of the scenes in Batman Begins when Bruce Wayne is testing out the memory fabric that is cape is made of and created the bat-a-rangs. The art style is well done, going for what we’ve seen in certain comic book tales.

‘In Darkness Dwells’ directed by Yasuhiro Aoki and written by the co-writer of Batman Begins, David Goyer pits the Bat against two of his comic book foes, Killer Croc and the Scarecrow. This story offers the biggest thrill of all the stories because it has plenty of action, and paces itself like the movie. The art style is fast and dark, giving you everything you’d expect from a Batman adventure.

‘Working Through Pain’ directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka and written by Brian Azzarello is one of the most interesting stories, centering around Batman, who has been seriously wounded in a fight, and is trying to get to the meeting spot where Alfred waits to help him. During this he has a flashback to his early days when he was in India, and a spiritual Indian woman shows him the secrets to fighting extreme pain. Both the pacing and the art style of this story are very effective, because as in Batman Begins it demonstrates that Bruce Wayne is just a man, he has no super powers but his will to stay alive.

‘Deadshot’ dierected by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and written by Alan Burnett, has the caped crusader going up against one of his deadliest rivals, the assassin named Deadshot. This was a nice way to end the compilation, and while Deadshot is not on the plateau of villainous Joker, he still poses a threat to the dark knight, keeping him up on his game. This one is a classic kick-ass Batman tale that we love to see, and the animation on is solid and satisfying.

Batman: Gotham Knight is not as stylized as the Animatrix, but it’s a great tribute, especially because of the talented Japanese animation directors attached the project. These six tales are short, but each has something to offer to fit into the current vision of Batman. It would be interesting to see some other DC characters such as Superman, Green Lantern, or The Flash have their own similar compilation, but it’s obvious why Batman was the top choice. If you’re a hardcore Bat-nut this Blu-ray is obviously going to be placed on your shelf.

VIDEO

Offering a 1080p image and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Batman: Gotham Knight is sort of a mixed bag. The different art styles of the six shorts make it a challenge for the image quality to be consistent. Some of the stories such as ‘In Darkness Dwells’ looks flat, whereas ‘Deadshot’ has a better visual flair because of its color style. There is plenty of grain in certain stories, but you’d have to assume that most of it was highlighted by choice to set the mood of this dark world. After watching other animated movies on Blu-ray, seeing Gotham: Dark Knight is a bit disappointing because the quality of the image is on the level of a standard DVD. But since this is not a feature, and more of a homage, it’s not something that holds back enjoying the material.

AUDIO

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix is decent, providing crisp dialogue and good sound effects, but it can’t compete with what most Blu-ray’s out there have to offer. Each story attempts to play with sound differently, particularly ‘Deadshot,’ that flourishes many audio effects as Batman and his foe battle. Just listen to how the bullets Deadshot fires swoop towards their target. Basically the sound design matches what you would hear on a standard DVD, and that’s acceptable, but it would have been sweet if they went the extra mile to offer a TrueHD sound mix. After hearing how great the sound was on the Batman Begins Blu-ray, it’s easy to get spoiled.

EXTRAS

For Bat-fans there are plenty of extras on this Blu-ray to make the purchase worth it, with the icing on the cake being the four complete episodes from the Batman animated TV series. It would have been great of there was a behind the scenes featurette to talk with the Japanese directors about their concepts, but even without that there’s still plenty of goodies in the basket.

This is quite an interesting trio chosen to do the audio commentary track, featuring Gregory Noveck (DC Comics Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs), Dennis O’Neil (former Batman comic editor), and the voice of the animated Batman himself, Kevin Conroy. These guys are very passionate about Batman and have a lot to say about the character’s growth in the comics as well as on screen. For those of you who live, eat, and sleep in your Bat-jammies, this commentary was made for you.

‘A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City’ is a 35 minute featurette that looks at the heart of Batman’s world, the villains. Characters such as The Joker, Two Face, The Riddler and Catwoman are spotlighted, detailing how each has affected Batman’s life. This is good stuff is worth multiple viewings.

‘Batman and Me, A Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story’ runs about 40 minutes and focuses on the man who brought life one of the greatest heroes in pop culture. Interviews featuring various comic book artist and Batman experts tell the story of how Bob Kane turned his vision into a multi-million dollar empire that has graced all mediums successfully. This is worth the price of the Blu-ray alone.

There’s a 10 minute sneak peak at the new Wonder Woman animated movie that will soon be available. Interviews with the talent involved in the project focus on how Wonder Woman is being re-invented for a new generation. This looks like it could turn out to be a solid presentation that will lure in those who are not normally into the character.

One nice perk is that for those of loved the Batman animated series, there are four great episodes included as a bonus. The episodes are: ‘Legends of the Dark Knight,’ ‘Over the Edge,’ I Am the Night,’ and ‘Heart of Ice.’

BOTTOM LINE

Batman: Gotham Knight is a smart move for Warner Bros., because right now Batman is a goldmine and fans of the Bat are going to gobble this disc up. With six stories about the Bat, you can’t go wrong; and topping that with a nice batch of extras is the cherry on top. Along with Batman Begins, Batman: Gotham Knight should definitely be added to your collection as you eagerly await The Dark Knight to come out on Blu-ray.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 4.5

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 1 hr 32 mins – 2002 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

Riding on the success of the The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Universal gave the go ahead to expand on the franchise with a spin-off movie based around The Scorpion King, a character introduced in The Mummy’s sequel. Stephen Sommers, who directed the Mummy films passed the torch to Chuck Russell, hoping to keep the world he introduced fresh, and while The Scorpion King is not a classic, it is a fun film that keeps in pace with the Brendan Fraser flicks. The Scorpion King is finally available as on Blu-ray hi-definition from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and just as long as you don’t take it seriously at all, you’ll have a good time with it.

THE MOVIE

The Scorpion King stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in his first starring role, hoping to be the big man on screen now that Arnold Schwarzenegger has put down his sword to conquer California politics instead. The Scorpion King’s storyline takes place many centuries before the Mummy, when steel was the only weapon of choice. The Rock plays an Arkkadian assassin named Mathayus who is sent on a mission to kill a sorceress named Cassandra (played by the very hot Kelly Hu), who is the personal foreseer to King Memnon (Stephen Brand), the man responsible for the death of Mathayus’ brother. Seeking revenge, Mathayus kidnaps Cassandra instead of killing her, knowing that King Memnon will come looking for her. With the help of various characters, including his rival Bathazar (Michael Clarke Duncan), Mathayus sets a plan of action to eliminate King Memnon’s reign and save his own people from peril.

Like the Mummy films, The Scorpion King’s storyline is simple, focusing on action and comedy, staying away from the hardcore violence of Conan the Barbarian. It’s actually like watching a big budget episode of Xena: The Warrior Princess, where everything is all in fun and escapism. The reason why the film works is because of The Rock; he’s got great screen presence that he learned from the WWF, so he knows how to work the crowd. Whenever there’s a scene that does not involve him, you really don’t care. You’re just waiting for him to say some smart-ass line and beat the hell out of somebody. The Rock knows that he’s not doing Shakespeare, so he’s having fun with the role. Whereas Brendan Fraser was desperately attempting to be as cool as Indiana Jones, The Rock knows his limits and never goes beyond what his fans expect him to do.

Director Chuck Russell, who’s biggest film prior was Jim Carrey’s The Mask does all he can to make the film entertaining, but at the same time he never takes any risks, constantly copying action scenes from ever other movie from Indiana Jones to obviously Conan the Barbarian. He never pushes the PG-13 to the limit because this film was designed to be a summer blockbuster that you can bring the kids to. If the tone of the film was darker it would have added something to the mix, but again this movie was meant to follow in the footsteps of the Mummy movies, and there’s nothing risky about them neither.

Overall, if you enjoyed the Mummy movies, you’ll feel the same about The Scorpion King because it’s cut from the same cloth. You’ll never be bored because there’s plenty of action, and no one ever makes any speeches or attempts to teach any lessons. Sure this film is silly, but look at the title, what else would you expect? For those of you looking for a decent popcorn film on a rainy weekend, or are big fans of The Rock, then this Blu-ray is the one for you.

VIDEO

This movie looks fantastic in hi-definition with its 1080p resolution and 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Scorpion King is absolute show off material. Being that there are so many bright scenes in the desert and the night scenes are lit to give everything a glowing illumination, you can see every detail perfectly. This film is barely six years old but it looks as if it were made only a few months ago, offering a crystal clear image that will sell HDTV’s. The sharp image allows you to see a lot of the film’s visual flaws, such as The Rock’s hairpiece that looks like it’s glued on his head, and the fire ants effects that wouldn’t even have been acceptable in a videogame. There are some moments that have grain and instances of soft fuzziness, but overall this is a Blu-ray winner.

AUDIO

With its DTS HD 5.1 surround audio mix, the sound compliments the video quality, and is a must for home theater sound enthusiast. From the clanging swords, the marching ants, and the desert storm, the sound will keep you immersed as it blasts your speakers on all sides. Dialogue sounds crisps, but The Scorpion King is not a thespian ensemble to learn new monologues, you’re watching this movie to see and hear things move fast and furiously, and on that end it totally delivers. Again, this flick is another winner for Blu-ray.

EXTRAS

Here is where things get weird; because when The Scorpion King was previously released on HD-DVD it included a whole batch of extras to match what was in the special edition DVD. But for some reason most of this stuff has been omitted from the Blu-ray or condensed into the U-Control feature. What happened? Will the Blu-ray generation never be able to see the Godsmack video “I Stand Alone” from The Scorpion King that was on the DVD?

The audio commentary from director Chuck Russell managed to survive the move from HD-DVD to Blu-ray, but he sort of sounds like he’s phoning it in. There are a couple of interesting spots, but it’s hard to listen to the whole thing without fast forwarding.

Universal has brought the U-Control feature that originated on HD-DVD to Blu-ray, allowing an icon to sit on the lower right side of your screen, and when activated you can open up a Picture-in-Picture box to see behind the scenes clips and interviews as the movie plays. Most of the stuff in the PIP is material from the DVD extras that has been squeezed together, but there are still a lot of good things missing. It’s good that U-Control is now offered for Blu-ray, but there’s no excuse for making it the only source of extras for this movie.

BOTTOM LINE

The Scorpion King is entertaining as long as you don’t take it too seriously and the Blu-ray’s image and sound quality are worth the price alone. Including all of the extras from the previous HD-DVD and DVD would have been the icing on the cake, but overall this Blu-ray is a keeper. The Rock may never be on the level as the former big muscle man of the silver screen, Schwarzenegger, but he is likeable and can carry a movie with the right material. If you’ve already picked up the Blu-ray’s for The Mummy and The Mummy Returns on Blu-ray, it’s a no-brainer that you need to grab this one was well.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 2 hrs 10 mins – 2001 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

After The Mummy racked up over $400 million worldwide at the box office in 1999, you had to know there was going to be a sequel. Well two years later the gang from the first film returned in the follow-up appropriately titled, The Mummy Returns. It’s a sequel that plays it safe by getting back everyone from the first film and making the effects shots grander so you know that they were given a bigger budget this time around. The Mummy Returns is now available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and while a good portion of the film is a set-up for The Scorpion King spin-off movie, there’s still plenty of popcorn thrills to keep you entertained.

THE MOVIE

Director Stephen Sommers is back at the helm with Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Oder Fehr, and Arnold Vosloo, all jumping back into action. The Mummy Returns takes place several years after the first film, where Rick and Evelyn are now married and have a son (Freddie Boath) who loves to get into mischievous adventures like his folks. This leads them to the discovery of a golden bracelet that was once worn by the mighty Scorpion King himself (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), a feared warrior who was out to conquer the world. They soon discover that the mummy they eliminated in the first film has been resurrected and is out for revenge, and to double the trouble the Scorpion King wants in on the action leading to a big bang for your buck conclusion.

If you’ve seen the first film, you pretty much know what to expect here; it’s the same movie with a couple of new tricks in the bag, but it’s still a lot of fun. The action is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the special effects are more over the top than anything from the original film. It all works because the actors are comfortable with their roles and are playing them to their fullest, particularly Fraser who goes into full action-hero movie mode, and looks like he spent a lot of time in the gym to look the part. And where Rachel Weisz looked more like a librarian in the last film, here she’s allowed to let down her hair and be more of a hottie, which pays off in her on-screen cat fight with the Mummy’s lady, Patricia Velasquez.

If the first Mummy seemed like a sugar coated Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Mummy Returns plays itself out like a wilder Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They even have a little kid as a sidekick just like Indy did. And like the Indy sequel (or should I say prequel), The Mummy Returns has so many special effects shots that it’ll make you dizzy if you try to focus on them all. Some are great such as army of CGI mummies, but the finale, which features a computer-generated Scorpion King looks so phony that you may laugh rather than get the thrill that was intended.

This is one of those popcorn sequels that does all the work for you so all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Just like the first film, suspend all logic and just have fun with it. If you have the original Mummy film on Blu-ray, you must have this sequel as well; otherwise it would be like owning only one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. These are the kinds of movies that show of hi-definition so unless these movies are just not your thing, the Mummy films definitely belong in your collection.

VIDEO

Just like the first Mummy Blu-ray, the sequel also has the same 1080p picture quality and 2.35:1 aspect ratio, so if you play them back-to-back the look is identical. The special effects again are the highlight that will stand out on your screen. The skin tones and black levels are solid, and all the daylight sequences look incredible. Grain surfaces in places, but things move so fast in this film that if you blink you’ll miss it.

AUDIO

The same DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 audio mix that made the first Mummy sound so good is used just as well here. The opening battle scene that introduces the Scorpion King will blow you away if you have a home theater set-up to exploit it, and the gunshots will echo all round your room. This is an excellent use of sound with even dialogue tones that never become blended into other audio effects during the big action scenes; and the music score by Alan Silvestri seals the deal.

EXTRAS

All of the extras that filled the HD-DVD are also available on the Blu-ray version, and obviously everything is in standard definition to match the specs of the original DVD.

Just as with The Mummy, director Stephen Sommers and editor Bob Ducsay return to discuss The Mummy Returns. This is a very informative track because both men are very passionate about the film, so those interested are sure to get something out of it.

‘An Army to Rule the World, Part 2’ runs about six minutes and talks about the CGI work that went into the movie, including the Scorpion King battle at the end.

‘Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy’ is the same eight minute piece that was on The Mummy disc, talking about the classic 1930’s movie and how it’s been updated for today’s movie-goers.

‘Spotlight on Location’ is a twenty minute promotional featurette that shows a behind the scenes look at The Mummy sequel, that includes interviews with the cast and filmmakers. This is basic fluff stuff that we’ve all seen before.

‘Visual and Special Effects Formation’ shows four different effects scenes from the movie and allows you to view them in different stages from the first raw pass, to the final effects shot that was used in the film. This is cool stuff, but the CGI of The Rock as the Scorpion King still looks fake.

The music video for ‘Forever May Not Be Long Enough’ by the group Live is included. So if you’re a fan, woo hoo!

The U-Control feature that originated on HD-DVD is now here on Blu-ray, allowing an icon to sit on the lower right side of your screen, and when activated you can open up a Picture-in-Picture box to see behind the scenes clips and interviews as the movie plays. Most of the stuff in the PIP is material already seen in the standard extras, but here it’s neatly assembled so you can watch them along with the film.

If you already picked up The Mummy on Blu-ray the same promotional feature for the new film,’ The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ is on this disc as well with a behind the scenes glimpse, as well as mini- interviews Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, and the director Rob Cohen.

BOTTOM LINE

Like most sequels, The Mummy Returns is not as good as the first, but it remains in the same spirit, offering a fun filled adventure and a chance to revisit the characters again. This Blu-ray offers the same solid image and audio quality as the first film, so both movies will look good side-by-side in your collection. If you’re a big fan of the Mummy films you will not be disappointed and have probably already made your purchase.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 2 hrs 5 mins – 1999 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

Universal owns the rights to several classic movie monsters, so it’s always good to dust one off and revive it for a new audience, which is exactly the case with 1999’s re-vision of The Mummy. Director Stephen Sommers does nothing to hide that he was attempting to make a special-effect-filled, rambunctious, action-figure-ready, summer popcorn film that emulates a live action video game. Previously only available on HD-DVD, The Mummy is now available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and while it will never be considered a classic piece of cinema, it’s a total roller coaster ride, requiring you to fasten your seatbelt before you press play.

THE MOVIE

The Mummy stars Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell an American adventure seeker in 1930’s Egypt who pairs up with an historian named Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and her clumsy brother Jonathan (John Hannah), who have discovered a map that they believe will lead them to the lost city of Humunaptra, and ultimately fortune and glory. But things turn out for the worst when they unleash the wrath of the infamous mummy called Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who has returned to resurrect his lost love from the dead (Patricia Velasquez), and crush anyone who gets in his way.

The plot of the film is simple enough to be spoon-fed to a child, the dialogue is silly, and the acting is from the school of William Shatner; so all you have to keep you going is the non-stop action and special effects galore. Fortunately Brendan Fraser, while no Harrison Ford, is likable enough to keep your attention. His boyish charm, and goofy style makes you root for him, because he’s like a frat boy stuck in the 1930’s. Rachel Weisz and John Hannah play well against him, and when the three of them are on screen, there is plenty of humor and hijinx.

One of the biggest complaints with Stephen Sommers’ Mummy movies is that they rely too much on CGI effects, making all the actors look like props. Yes, there are an uncountable number of visual effects in this movie, but it’s no different from the Star Wars prequels, where all the actors are wooden and the world they interact with was created in a computer. Basically with the Mummy films you know what you’re getting into before the opening title fades on, so if you’re expecting Oscar caliber material, you need to rethink things before you slide this disc in your player.

The success of the Indiana Jones films has paved the way for The Mummy, because there are so many instances when you’ll be reminded of Indy because it’s burnt into pop culture. The Mummy actually does a good job of attempting to stand separate from the Spielberg films by adding a lot more humor and toning down the violence to the level of a Road Runner cartoon. Ironically the latest Indiana Jones flick, The Temple of the Crystal Skull, feels more like a Mummy film now rather than being the one that set the tone for the genre.

A film like The Mummy goes with hi-definition like popcorn and butter; they were made for each other. After seeing this movie is perfect HD there’s just no going back. The Mummy films have been released and re-released multiple times on DVD because they are easy sells, so once the new Mummy film that’s in theaters makes it way to Blu-ray, there will probably be another super-duper edition for the trilogy. Basically if you have a Blu-ray player and an HDTV you’re going to buy The Mummy just for the eye candy alone. It’s a harmless and fun film, and every now and then we need that to block out the cold and cruel world we live in.

VIDEO

For a film that’s just about a decade old, it still looks fresh in beautiful hi-definition, with a 1080p image and 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The daylight shots are crystal clear sharp, and the night scenes, like both The Mummy films are lit so that there’s a nice soft glow. Rachel Weisz is photographed in the old style Hollywood way with a filter for her close-ups to make her look more angelic, and Brendan Fraser is soaked with a harder style of lighting to make him look tough and roguish. The CGI effects are the selling point of the movie, and while some look too cartoon-ish, others look great and will leap off your screen. Grain does show up in spots, but overall this is a very nice transfer.

AUDIO

To match it’s visual style, The Mummy’s DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 sound mix is very impressive, right down to the flesh eating bugs that are poured into the Mummy’s tomb. This is one of the films that keeps you watching because there’s so many sounds going on at once, particularly in the action scenes that you’re drawn in. No question about it, if you’ve got the sound system to support it, you’re in for a good time.

EXTRAS

Fans will be happy to know that all of the bonus material from the previous HD-DVD has safely made it over to the Blu-ray. All of the supplements are in standard definition transferred from the original DVD, so now you can pack that old copy in storage or ebay it.

There are three audio commentaries offered for the film making it seem like it Lawrence of Arabia or something; so if you want to know all there is about The Mummy, there’s enough available to make your ears bleed. The first audio commentary, and the best one, is by director Stephen Sommers who brings the film’s editor Bob Ducsay along for the ride. Sommers loves his job and he has a lot to say about the process, so if you’re a fan this is good stuff.

The second commentary track features a solo run with the star of the film, Brendan Fraser, who seems to be having a ball with funny tid-bits. The final commentary track has co-stars Oded Fehr, Arnold Vosloo, and Kevin J. O’Connor mixing it up with Mummy stories, so if there’s something you always wanted to know about the film, one of these three tracks should fill the void.

Since the release of the Mummy films on Blu-ray coincides with the current run of the third film that is now in theaters, what better tool would there be to advertise it than this? The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a sneak peek at the new film that stars Brendan Fraser and Jet Li, including clips of the action scenes and mini-interviews with the director and cast.

The nearly an hour long documentary ‘Building a Better Mummy’ is a good featurette that dives into what got Universal into re-vamping the franchise for a new generation and how Stephen Sommers worked to make it happen. Interviews with the cast and special effects team highlights this piece that sells the project.

‘An Army to Rule the World, Part 1’ is a four minute spot that looks at the films complicated CGI effects.

‘Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy’ runs eight minutes goes back to the classic 1930’s movie and shows how it’s been updated for today’s audiences.

Three different scenes are given the storyboard-to-screen comparison to show how it was pulled off.

There are two minutes of deleted scenes, but nothing here will change what was in the theatrical version.

Universal has brought the U-Control feature that originated on HD-DVD to Blu-ray, allowing an icon to sit on the lower right side of your screen, and when activated you can open up a Picture-in-Picture box to see behind the scenes clips and interviews as the movie plays. Most of the stuff in the PIP is material already seen in the standard extras, but here it’s neatly assembled so you can watch them along with the film. This was a good feature on HD-DVD and it works just as well on Blu-ray.

BOTTOM LINE

The Mummy will in no way ever be on the level of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it is a fun filled action adventure tale that fits the tradition of the Saturday morning serials that inspired it. It’s great to have this movie finally available on Blu-ray, offering excellent picture, audio, and bonus features. Any fans of the Mummy franchise must definitely add this disc to their collection, because movies like this are what high-definition was made for.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Warner Home Video – 109 minutes – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

It’s very hard to watch the film 10,000 BC and not wonder if the filmmakers were serious or is this some sort of spoof. Roland Emmerich, the director of 1998’s disastrous Godzilla movie now attempts make cavemen the bad-ass heroes of his latest adventure film, but ends up making a flick that resembles something out of Mystery Science Theater 2000. Joke or not, 10,000 BC roped in over $250 million worldwide at the box office, so if this was a prank Emmerich is laughing all the way to the bank. For those of you who are curious, 10,000 BC is available from Warner Home Video on hi-definition Blu-ray, and if you ever wondered what a pack of CGI woolly mammoths would look like, this is the flick for you.

THE MOVIE

10,000 BC obviously takes place many, many, many, many years ago when the invention of fire was just as big as the Internet is for us today. A tribe of cavemen, (ok, to be politically correct, cave people) believe that a foretelling saying that a mighty warrior and his mate will save all of them all from ultimate annihilation will soon become true. Right on cue, they are then attacked by an enemy tribe; triggering the foreseen warrior, D’Leh (Steven Strait) to take action and fight. The plot thickens when D’Leh’s woman Evolet, (Camilla Belle), is taken prisoner by the enemy, sending him on a quest to rescue her and defeat the enemy. And of course D’Leh and Evolet save their tribe because the prophecy in the opening scene already told us this.

If you seen Mel Gibson’s film Apocalypto, then you’ve already seen a better version of this film, which though different in terms of history, does share similar plot structures. The main problem with 10,000 BC that separates it from Apocalypto is that it’s filled with inaccuracies. Instead of sticking with basic historical elements about pre-historic man, 10,000 BC plays out like a big budget episode of the Krofft Super Show from the 70’s. Hey, I’m no historian, but I’m pretty sure that during this timeline people of different ethnicities didn’t all hang out together in a tribe, or for that matter were even aware the others existed.

Director Roland Emmerich has already demonstrated through his past films (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) that action is much more important than characters and realistic situations. Having the cave woman, Evolet, wearing lipstick and a form fitted outfit to show off her curves proves this. But in his favor, if you’re just desiring to see an film with cave people kicking ass, then there’s a lot of well done action scenes to keep you going.

Emmerich’s films usually always have flashy special effects, and 10,000 BC follows the mold. Some of the effects are great and will act as show off material to be played at your local Best Buy to get you to purchase HDTV’s and Blu-ray players. The pack of mammoths marching across the screen, and the action packed finale will keep your attention, but when it’s over, as the saying goes “out of sight….out of mind.” There’s nothing original or memorable, because the film is just a montage of scenes that we’ve seen in a dozen other movies from The Road Warrior to Return of the Jedi.

With its PG-13 rating, though there are acts of violence, it’s kid friendly; so if you’re pumped up on sugary snacks, the little ones who watch this may have a blast. But besides the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, no film has ever really done the pre-historic man story well. Just look at examples like Quest for Fire and Clan of the Cave Bear; this is not an easy genre to make audiences accept it. Overall, 10,000 BC has its moments, but then are parts that are so silly that it really becomes hard to digest. If you’ve haven’t seen it in the theater, rent it first to see if it’s tolerable. If not may I recommend the 80’s Neanderthal comedy starring Ringo Star called Caveman. Unlike 10,000 BC, Caveman’s laughs are intentional.

VIDEO

What 10,000 BC lacks in storytelling, it makes up for tenfold with its image quality. Offering a 1080p picture and 2.40:1 aspect ration, this movie shines on an HDTV, mainly because it’s a new movie and it’s flowered with CGI effects. The picture is so razor sharp that in some scenes it’s as if you’re staring out of a window. The flesh tones have been perfectly tweaked, and the blacks are solid with very little grain. The only issue that with the image is that it’s so sharp that some of the visual effects look more cartoon-ish than photo-realistic, but if you’re 8 years old you really won’t care.

SOUND

This film is gold for audio lovers who demand only the best pumping out of their speakers. With a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless sound mix, you’ll feel every giant step of the mammoths in your room, so turn up those subwoofers. Some may think that the movie sounds more like a videogame than a film, but with its simplistic plot and un-memorable characters, you will appreciate the great sound that covers up all the flaws. This is a loud movie, especially during the climax, so if you’ve got the sound system to show it off, 10,000 BC delivers.

EXTRAS

The selection of extras leaves a lot to be desired, not even offering an audio commentary. And for some reason, all of the bonus features are in standard definition. Maybe Warner is planning to double dip?

‘Inspiring an Epic’ is a 12 minute piece that talks about the origins of 10,000 BC, including works that inspired it, such as Graham Hancock’s book.

‘A Wild and Wooly Ride’ runs 13 minutes and takes a look at the visual effects that were created for the film. This is a simple segment that just shows you a few tricks and it’s over.

Ten deleted scenes also pad the disc out for another 15 minutes, including an alternative ending. Like most deleted scenes it’s obvious why most of this stuff was omitted, and the alternative ending will be forgotten as soon as it ends.

For those of you who want to see this caveman epic on the go, a digital copy is included to show off on your fancy new iPhone’s.

BOTTOM LINE

10,000 BC was trying to be the next big thing, but collapses like a wounded woolly mammoth after being struck in the head with a spear. It’s only true entertainment value is its unintentional laughs and inaccuracies that you can play a drinking game while picking out. As a Blu-ray it stands strong with superb picture and sound quality, but slaps that in the face with paper-thin bonus features. Basically, unless you saw this film in the theater and it changed your life, it’s only a rental for everyone else.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Twentieth Century Fox – 89 minutes – 2008 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio

Have you ever received your vacation or other pictures from back from a lab and noticed an odd ghostly image in one or more shots? Well this is the whole premise of the film Shutter, another lame American remake of an Asian horror film, hoping to be the next “The Ring.” Fox Home entertainment has released Shutter on Blu-ray, but unless you’re the type of person who’s afraid of there own shadow, you really won’t get any chills from this one.

THE MOVIE

Shutter stars Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek) as Benjamin Shaw, a photographer who has just married Jane Shaw (Rachel Taylor) and they have gone to Japan for their Honeymoon. While driving, Jane sees a young Japanese woman run out on the road and hits her, causing their car to go off-road. But after the accident, there is no body present and Benjamin convinces her that its just stress and she should relax. After viewing various photos of their wedding, as well as current photos taken, Jane notices strange images that that appear to be ghost. Her curiosity gets to her leading her to the awareness of a cult belief known as ‘Spirit Photography,’ which is a way for the dead to make their presence known and contact the living via photographs. Realizing that the spirit in the photographs is the woman she hit with her car, Jane wants to unlock the truth of what this woman is trying to tell her. What Jane didn’t realize is that the path to the truth leads to her husband, and the dark secret he has been holding back from her.

The main problem with Shutter is that it unfolds like a typical straight-to video movie that you rent at Blockbuster because they didn’t have any more copies of Hairspray. Directed by Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai, Shutter doesn’t offer the creepy atmosphere it’s trying so hard to emulate. Asian horror films work because they don’t go for the gore are cheap cat-jumping-into-the-frame gimmicks that western films do; in Asian horror movies it’s all about making you feel so uncomfortable with what you’re seeing and exposed to that you’re always alert. Shutter instead uses the recycled elements from all of these films and tries to make it look fresh, but fails.

The leads characters are so boring that it’s as if they’re just pretending to be the cast of Friends, but in a horror movie. Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor just don’t have any on-screen chemistry, so you don’t feel involved with their turmoil. And the supporting cast is completely wooden, but it’s not the cast that’s to blame, it’s the material that is so watered down it couldn’t scare a little girl locked up in a dark room.

The subject of spirit photography is actually very interesting and has been around since picture taking was created; and maybe if handled with more care it would work as a horror film, but unfortunately Shutter is not that movie. Shutter is by no means a terrible movie, it’s just bland, and that’s not what you want in a film that’s attempting to scare the hell out of you. Shutter is not the Blu-ray experience that we’ve come to expect from hi-def titles; at most it’s only a rental.

VIDEO

Offering a 1080p image and a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Shutter has an acceptable image, but it will not blow you away. Some of the character’s close-ups look great, displaying plenty of details in their faces; and the exteriors of Tokyo look picture perfect. But then there are scenes that look completely flat like a standard DVD. There are plenty of sequences that take place in the dark, and for the most part they look fine with limited grain. You would think that a film based around photographs would have a supreme image, but Shutter just gives you the basics.

SOUND

A horror flick must have excellent sound quality, but someone forgot to tell the guys who did the audio for Shutter that. With its DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 audio track, Shutter’s sound design leaves a lot to be desired. You even need to turn on your surround sound system for this one, because the TV’s built in speakers barely even get a workout. There are some moments in the film when sound really would have added something to immersing you, but like the picture it just sticks with the basics.

EXTRAS

Shutter’s bonus material is pretty bland, which matches the overall tone of the movie. All the features are in standard definition and after you scan through them once, they’re forgotten.

There’s an audio commentary, which has to be one of the worst ones out there, mainly because it does not include the director. Masayuki Ochiai does not speak English, but hey that’s what subtitles are for. Instead actress Rachel Taylor, writer Luke Dawson and producer Alex Sundell talk a lot of miscellaneous, boring you within minutes.

There are five featurettes lumped together that run about 20 minutes, detailing the production of the film. ‘Ghost in the Lens,’ ‘Shooting in Japan,’ ‘A conversation with Screenwriter Luke Dawson,’ ‘The Director: Masayuki Ochiai,’ and ‘A History of Spirit Photography,’ are all basic spots that try to make this film sound better than it actually is. The only featurette that’s somewhat interesting the one that spotlights Spirit Photography, but it’s barely 5 minutes and by the time you get into it, it’s over.

Eleven deleted scenes and an alternate ending are accessible, but after watching through them it’s pretty clear why they were removed from the final version of the film.

‘Create Your Own Phantom Photo’ is a 5 minute segment that demonstrates how to make your own spirit photo; a trick that anyone who knows Photoshop can do with their eyes closed.

BOTTOM LINE

Shutter is another western version of an Asian horror film that really never needed to be re-made, falling into the category of One Missed Call. And for an Unrated version, there’s really nothing here that would make the censors look twice. Offering only basic image and sound quality, this Blu-ray is not worth the $39.98 retail price Fox is asking for it, and can only recommended as a rental for those geeky Dawson Creek fans who still think that Joshua Jackson is cute.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 2.5

Sound: 2.5

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 2.5