Starring: Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton, Michael Angarano, Michael Fassbender
Director: Steven Soderbergh

MMA fighter Gina Carano makes her acting debut (no, I do not count her bit role in Blood and Bone!) in the new Steven Soderbergh film, Haywire, as Mallory Kane, a freelance covert operative on the run after handler, Kenneth (McGregor), tries to have her killed on assignment in Dublin. With no one to trust, Mallory goes on a one-woman rampage from Europe to New Mexico, and South America, to get to the truth and clear her name.

One thing I loved about Haywire was the pacing. Soderbergh isn’t trying to make an all-out action film that’s just gonna pass through your system in 90 minutes with nothing for the audience to digest. There’s a genuine interest in crafting subtle, quite moments throughout the film, helped along with some great dialogue(minimal as it may have been), and a fantastic score, reminiscent of a classic 70s crime caper.

And it’s this subdued approach that makes the action in the film that much more effective. Mallory is clearly meant to be portrayed as an exceptionally well-trained operative, but she’s not a superwoman. Some opponents are easier than others, but especially in the case of Paul (Fassbender), it’s a three-minute, knockdown, drag-out fight for survival (apparently, Michael Fassbender actually knocked Carano unconscious during the scene), and you feel every kick, punch, and slam against every wall.

Time will tell of Carano can prove herself as a capable actress when she’s not kicking dudes in the face, but I’d be more than happy to see her in a bigger action production. She manages to hold her own with the likes of McGregor, Douglas, and Banderas, all of them playing their parts well enough, with only the most basic of character sketches. McGregor, in particular, I’d love to see in more villain roles. I also loved Bill Paxton’s small part as Mallory’s father. At the end of the day, Haywire is a solid, well-paced film, with the right amount of action and intrigue. Certainly worth checking out.

Final Verdict: B+

I’m a sucker for Greek mythology films but I will be the very first person to step up and admit that I had some serious skepticism after watching trailers for Immortals. With the hugest of advertising tag lines saying ‘from the producers of 300‘, it wasn’t beyond reason to suspect that this movie could be nothing more than a shallow cash cow. As a movie following on the heels of Jason And The Argonauts, Clash of The Titans and 300, does Immortals have a leg to stand on as its own established film and not a clone?

Walking out of the theater, I can say that Immortals exceeded all of my expectations. The movie was spectacular in its execution and delivered a story that’s just as captivating as it is entertaining. Director Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) brings his visual style to the forefront with accurate colors and tones associated with mythological tales along with some of the most visually striking (if not gory) action and fight scenes that have become the hallmark of the genre. Immortals isn’t just another spartan/gladiator tale, it’s damn near a masterpiece.

If there’s one thing Immortals does well compared to other films of the genre, it’s that it doesn’t lay it on thick with the special effects. Watch enough Spartacus and you’ll know what I mean. Amid all the blood, gore and sometimes raw carnage, Immortals never comes off as over dramatic with the effects. Coming off very stylish, the movie never strayed into the realm of being over the top. Maybe it’s because instead of going the typical super-sized monster route, Immortals took a more old school approach by having classic man versus man, legion versus legion fights. It’s truly epic when you see it all coming together in front of your eyes. The script is excellent and the pacing is perfect. There was never a moment where it felt like Immortals was dragging along or delivering up filler content.

The fantasy genre always boasts on thing: huge fight scenes. In Immortals, the fight scenes are truly breathtaking. With all of the fast pacing and adrenaline inducing action, you get exactly what you paid for in this mythological tale. The best of them all is the fight between the Titans and the Gods. As the fight goes down, you see the true evolution of action cinematography. Watching the Olympians dealing out damage to the Titans you see how really bad ass the Gods can be — especially when the action slow-mos so you can see them go to work. The mixture of live action and CGI blend together seamlessly and despite obvious CGI blood, if you don’t find yourself wrapped up in the action, this obviously isn’t your movie.

The Gods themselves are terrifically represented and portrayed uncharacteristically as younger men and women as opposed to old, white haired spirits as most modern films like to depict. It makes for a better connection to have beautiful men and women portraying powerful and fierce deities especially since the fight scenes meet the demands of having young people in the fight.

Henry Cavill’s depiction of the title role of Theseus will surely get you ready for his upcoming role as The Man of Steel. Theseus evolves from simple peasant to leader of an army and Cavill sells the role completely. Mickey Rourke as King Hyperion is very well acted and Rourke is well suited for the role of a bloodthirsty ruler bent on punishing the Gods. Frieda Pinto, Stephen Dorff, John Hurt, Luke Evans and Kellan Lutz loan their talents to the support characters and round out the cast.

Presented in 3D, Immortals does an okay job with the 3D aspects. I’m not the biggest fan of 3D, but honestly speaking, what was rendered in 3D for the film does little to emphasize the action. Remove the 3D element from the film and it’s just as good.

Here’s the film’s synopsis just to give you an idea of what Immortals is all about:

The brutal and bloodthirsty King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his murderous Heraklion army rampage across Greece in search of the long lost Bow of Epirus. With the invincible Bow, the king will be able to overthrow the Gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of his world. With ruthless efficiency, Hyperion and his legions destroy everything in their wake, and it seems nothing will stop the evil king’s mission.

As village after village is obliterated, a stonemason named Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge his mother, who was killed in one of Hyperion’s brutal raids. When Theseus meets the Sybelline Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), her disturbing visions of the young man’s future convince her he is the key to stopping the destruction. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final, desperate battle for the future of humanity. Immortals is produced by Gianni Nunnari (300), Mark Canton (300) and Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter).

The 2011 remake of the vampire flick Fright Night is in theaters and bringing with it a fresh take on the extremely campy 1985 original. Modernizing the story about a teenager discovering that evil lives next door to him into something more contemporary, this horror film is definitely less B-movie keeping the storyline to the basics but adding new and deeper plot twists. No complaints though — this movie retains that hilarious funny appeal that made the original an instant classic.

Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) really can’t have it any better than he does right now. He’s one of the popular kids and is dating the hottest girl in high school. The only thing that’s probably holding him back is his not-so-cool childhood best friend, Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). So, after trying to avoid Ed, it’s only natural that Ed bribes Charley to go out with him on a search after a rash of students in their class start to go missing.

After he and Ed finish their investigation, Charley heads back home where he meets his new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) having a conversation with his mom (Toni Collette). Jerry is an extremely handsome jack-of-all-trades handyman that seems to have Charley’s girlfriend (Imogen Poots) and mother both smitten with his charms. It isn’t until after witnessing some very unusual activity that Charley comes to one frightening conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood. When all options run out for him, Charley seeks out the help of Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to find a way to get rid of the blood-sucker.

If you’re familiar with the original 1985 Fright Night, there’s a few points in the remake that follow with that movie (I won’t spoil them here). Director Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock, United States of Tara) literally reworks the film from the ground up and tells a much more solid story. A round of applause is deserved for Gillespie’s knack for keeping the plot’s comedic roots intact while crafting a truly edgy horror film. The plot for Fright Night revolves mainly around Yelchin and a gym-buffed Farrell’s portrayal of Charley and Jerry. Both actors sell their roles dead-on as they play out a serious tug-of-war with Charley on one side trying to keep his mother and girlfriend safe and Jerry on the other executing a far more insidious scheme for everyone around him. Peter Vincent’s role seems minor at first but the vampire hunter takes on an extremely important role as the second half of the movie pans out.

Fright Night is featured in 3D, but the 3D elements are minor and don’t do a whole lot to contribute to the experience of the film. The real meat and potatoes of Fright Night is in the storytelling and the action that is a sheer rollercoaster ride. If you’re a fan of the original film and are wondering exactly how the vampire effects come off, don’t fret. The CG effects for the vampires closely mimics that of the original with the wide mouths and the grotesquely jagged teeth. The transformations from human to vampire is very impressive and almost believable (if vampires were real).

Fright Night isn’t your typical vampire tale. You won’t find any sluttish telepathic faeries, roided-out tattooed werewolves or angsty sparkly-skinned teenage vamps here. What you’ll get is a very sexy blood-sucking good time with enough chills, thrills and laughs to separate Fright Night from the apparent norm of vampire storytelling.

If you are looking for a good horror flick to keep your summer going strong, head out to theaters and check out Fright Night. This is one movie that should definitely NOT get lost in the shuffle of this summer’s rush of blockbusters.

If you are an avid comic reader, as myself, then you know the story of scrawny yet full of heart Steve Rogers.  A sickly man from Brooklyn who is transformed into Captain America to help the war effort. To revitalize this point The First Avenger delves deeper into the selection process of how Rogers was chosen for the Super Soldier project. Much emphasis is placed on the type of man Rogers’ is prior to receiving the serum, the fact that it’s his heart and determination that’s his true power. A little sappy I know but it comes across more inspiring than preachy.

Chris Evans gives a stellar performance as the good captain and I was only too happy, not to see a hint of Evans’ portrayal of the Human Torch show up. Evans played Captain America through and through and wasn’t anywhere near as one dimensional as some of the other actors portraying more than one type of comic character. Tommy Lee Jones’ Chester Phillips added a heavy dose of legitimacy to the war scenes to insure that the spandex wouldn’t overrun the movie. Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull came across as a little flat and nowhere near as terrifying as I thought the Skull should be. Of course what would a Marvel movie be if it wasn’t loaded with Easter eggs. Long time fans will recognize the Howling commandos, Uncle Stan and plenty more cameos and references.

With all comic properties a certain amount of changes can be expected when being translated to film, some good, some bad, and others just awful. The changes made to the First Avenger actually accentuate the story and the death (or lack there of) of two major players hint at the possibilities that we as fans can only hope for in future installments. Lastly Captain America satirized the country’s ability to hero worship in making him the pitchman for war bonds by the government where he knocked out a phony Hitler from city to city which lead to recruitment posters, movie rolls and even, dare I say it comics.

If you think you’ve had your fill of this superhero summer then you will miss out on an impressively solid film, that doesn’t fall into the cliché of other superhero films. Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Captain America: The First Avenger premiered in Hollywood on July 19, 2011 and is scheduled for general release on July 22, 2011.

B+

LaTwan Holland was a writer for a local under ground newspaper, The Spinner Rack that covered comics, video games, anime and related movies and is currently the Producer of the DIRECT EDITION. To find out the latest that’s happening with LaTwan and the Direct Edition check them out at the DIRECT EDITION podcast, blog and you tube site.

It certainly isn’t easy being green. Between the prospect of John Stewart’s Green Lantern being part of a Justice League film that never came to fruition, and the property coming close to being a screwball comedy starring Jack Black, the road to bringing the Emerald Knight to the big screen has been more than just a little bumpy. At the end of the journey, we find Martin Campbell in the director’s chair and Ryan Reynolds in the starring role, as we discover how a cocky test pilot became the Green Lantern of Sector 2814.

One of the frustrating things about Green Lantern as a film is how it manages to have so many of the right pieces, but does little with them. Outside of Blake Lively (why does Warner Bros. insist on casting women who can’t be taken seriously as adults as love interests in their comic book movies?!), the cast is certainly impressive enough. Reynolds shines as Hal Jordan and Green Lantern, but as the main character, it’s not surprising that he gets the lion’s share of character development. Mark Strong handles what little he’s given as Sinestro brilliantly, but given the significance of the character within the comics, it’s a shame we didn’t see him have a more defined dramatic arc. To say nothing of seeing very little from other prominent Green Lantern Corps members like Kilowog and Tomar Re (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan and Geoffrey Rush, respectively). It’s actually surprising how many missed opportunities there are in the film where these characters could have been explored in more detail. Angela Bassett is especially wasted as Amanda Waller. You know you’re in trouble when Smallville does a better representation of the character.

Story-wise, Green Lantern has a good enough starting point, but the problem is that it doesn’t seem to reach the finish line. There’s a good combination of elements that are touched upon, but few of them are taken as far as they could be. We’re introduced to the Green Lantern Corps, but not nearly enough time is spent on any member of the corps outside of Hal to believe them to be such a powerful force in the universe. We’re given a few brief glimpses of the Green Lantern planet, Oa, but very little of it is explored beyond the giant assembly hall (that’s really just a big-ass cave) and the training bridge.

The film’s handling of the government’s discovery of Abin Sur, the alien whom Hal received his Green Lantern ring from, is used as a set-up for Dr. Hector Hammond being infected by the film’s villain Parallax, but nothing else becomes of whatever research he gathered before turning evil, nor are any of the implications of this alien’s biology or technology explored. Even once Hal appears as Green Lantern to the public, it’s rather implausible that there isn’t further investigation into what all this might mean for the planet Earth. What would have been a strengthening subplot becomes a distraction for a film that can’t balance itself between the events on Earth, and the sprawling space opera fans expect Green Lantern to be.

Not a total loss, Green Lantern’s best moments come from Reynolds’ earnest performance, as well as some impressive effects. The motion-capture/CG approach for the Green Lantern costume was surprisingly well-executed, and the 3D was especially impressive. What little action there is in the film was, at the very least, competently staged, showcasing Green Lantern’s powers in exciting fashion. It’s just a shame the filmmakers couldn’t push some of the good ideas they genuinely had further.

Verdict: C+

Taking place in the 1960s, X-Men: First Class introduces us to a world that knows nothing about mutants. Powerful telepath Charles Xavier has just graduated from Oxford, while master of magnetism Erik Lensherr (aka “Magneto”) is a man on a mission, determined to hunt down the Nazi scientist that experimented on him as a child during the Holocaust. When the efforts of said scientist, now proprietor of the Hellfire Club, Sebastian Shaw, become of interest to the CIA, the two men are recruited to help avert a potential nuclear war, assembling a team of their own to do it.

One of X-Men: First Class’ biggest strengths is how much attention is paid to creating the world and using it effectively to tell the story. Incorporating the Cuban Missile Crisis in the film was a novel idea, showcasing the conflict between two nations, and how it relates to the fear of conflict between humanity and a whole new species. The shift in time also harkens back to the comic’s roots, the X-Men having been created during the early years of the civil rights movement. The young mutants in First Class are faced with similar issues, and the film captures this exceptionally. Seeing them train and learn to use their powers feeds into this, as Charles and Erik both strive to teach them not to be ashamed of who they are.

The 60s setting also serves to emulate the style, both visually and thematically, of a Connery-era Bond film. From the train of women wearing nothing but lingerie as they’re led into the exclusive Hellfire Club, to the inclusion of the CIA and nameless spies, such as Oliver Platt as “The Man In Black”, to the motivations and actions villains like Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost, who represent the Hellfire Club’s inner circle. However, it’s impressive to see it played with a noticeable degree of subtlety, balanced with the more stereotypically comic-bookish elements in the film, of which there are many. Either way, the film makes a strong case for Michael Fassbender to be placed on a shortlist of candidates to take over the role whenever Daniel Craig calls it quits!

Ultimately, it’s the characters that make X-Men: First Class as satisfying as it is. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Charles and Erik are nothing short of brilliant. Neither character is perfect, but cases can be made for both of them in regards to their opposing views on the future of mutantkind. With everything that Erik had gone through at the hands of the Nazis, sympathizing with him isn’t difficult, even when measure against his more extreme actions. Charles, meanwhile, believes that helping humanity on a grand scale would eventually lead to acceptance. It’s this question of faith versus experience that the film manages to ask in a very organic and believable fashion. This is in part due to Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Mystique. Her struggle to find a place in the world is that much more difficult than other characters, given her true appearance. Of all the X-films, this is the first time we’re truly seeing Mystique as a fully-realized character. Even with solid performances from the likes of Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Zoe Kravitz, and Lucas Till, First Class would be nothing without McCavoy, Fassbender, and Lawrence.

All things considered, Matthew Vaughn and Bryan Singer have created something special with X-Men First Class. Despite its lengthy run time (approximately 2 hrs and 20 mins) and slow pacing, the film fills every bit of screen time with something engaging for the audience, without ever overburdening them. Its insistence on playing rather fast and loose with the continuities of both the comics and the preceding films eventually becomes irrelevant when measured against the overall story that’s presented, and ultimately giving the audience an X-Men film that is truer to the ideas, themes, and aesthetics of the comics than any of the films that came before.

Verdict: A-

Going into The Hangover Part II, any measure of apprehension some might feel is perfectly warranted. This time around, Stu is the groom to be, and rightfully opposed to any bachelor party plans. Already dealing with his fiancee’s disapproving father, and being forced to invite Alan to the wedding in Thailand, he’s under more than enough pressure. Things only get worse, however, when Stu, Alan, and Phil wake up in a seedy hotel in Bankok. Once again with no memory of the night before. This time, they’ve lost Stu’s future brother-in-law, Teddy, while gaining a monkey and an elderly monk who’s taken a vow of silence. And while Stu manages to keep all his teeth, he’s got a face tattoo similar to Mike Tyson’s.

Working on the logic that what worked so well the first time is bound to work again, The Hangover Part II goes out of its way to repeat itself almost beat for beat, while amping up the outlandish situations these three friends get themselves into. From a narrative standpoint, this kind of repetition can grate on the audience, but I was genuinely surprised at how funny the film manages to be in spite of itself. The change of scenery certainly helps. Vegas can only get so crazy, even once you get off the strip, so moving the action to Bangkok, Thailand can only increase the levels of ridiculousness to a point where one has no choice but to laugh. As the trio search for Stu’s future brother-in-law, they’re repeatedly told by random citizens that “Bangkok has him now.”, as if the city itself was one giant, mustache-twirling psycho-villain (that would be played by Gary Oldman). It’s the combination of shock and subsequent alleviation, and context that feeds into the humor of the film, most evident when Phil takes a bullet from Russian drug dealers who get the drop on the guys to steal back their monkey. Seeing a character get shot certainly shouldn’t be taken likely, but between ultimately being just a graze, the fact that a monkey was involved, and Stu’s exaggeratedly girlish reaction, it makes for quite the hilarious scene. There’s also something gratifying about seeing a monk beating the trio senseless, before they realize that they’re disrespecting a temple’s time of silence. Joining other monks in their silence gives the film a much-needed breather, even as it leads to Alan having rather bizarre visions to help him remember the night before(Seeing a ten year-old as Phil, punching out a grown man in the bar was most certainly the highlight of that vision for me!).

There are still great comedic performances from Ed Helms, and Zack Galifianakis, as well as the inclusion of Ken Jeong who returns as Mr. Chow, and a brief appearance from Paul Giamitti. Helms as Stu, specifically, proves himself to truly be the core of the franchise, as both films demonstrate that he’ll always have the most to lose (and ultimately gain) from these experiences, and he’ll always be the one that can figure out whatever the main problem might be. For all his frenzied hysterics and bouts of crying (of which there are many!), Stu’s confidence and resolve will ultimately shine through. It’s a rough start for Alan as the film begins, but it’s not long before he’s back to being the lovable, albeit difficult manchild he was in the first film. There’s still that charm to him that distracts you from the likelihood that someone will eventually have to do him like George did Lenny at the end of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, later in life. Bradley Cooper is still the laid-back straight man of the group as Phil, and one of the things I credit the film for is how it reminds the audience of the cliche that Phil is not. He has the personality and swagger of the archetypal “douchebag/ladies’ man” character, but he’s actually the responsible husband and parent of the group. Having had another child since the first film, it’s hilarious and endearing to see him wear a pink baby-caddy with a slight sense of pride when it takes his newborn daughter with him to meet with Doug and Stu for breakfast to discuss his wedding early in the film.

The Hangover Part II definitely loses a few points for some of the more needless moments of repetition, but the cast and filmmakers still manage to make most of it feel fresh and exciting, the humor still sharp enough that even when you know where a joke is going, there’s still a level of shock and surprise that knocks you off-guard. I’m already wondering where the Wolfpack will wake up next.

Verdict: B+

There was a time when you try to say everything you can in three movies and get off the stage. Anything left over, goes straight to video, or DVD, or Blu-Ray, or On Demand. I can’t keep up. Yes there were transcendent franchises like James Bond and Rocky. Now Hollywood is busting down the fourth wall of trilogies with regularity. We’re already at five Fast and the Furious films, and counting. Harry Potter will have six, and I’ve lost count with the Saw movies. The problem with most of these “fourth” installments is that they’re ill conceived because they’re add-ons. They’re the culmination of the ideas that didn’t make original trilogy and made to work. Or at least most seem that way. See the last Indiana Jones to see what I mean. Which brings us to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

It’s not a surprise to see On Stranger Tides get made. The second and third films lowered the bar so low that it could just step over them–and it did–but that’s not exactly a crowning achievement. They stripped away some of the unnecessary actors and characters like Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly, boiled off director Gore Verbinski and replaced him with Rob Marshall (Chicago), and reduced the running time to a relatively brisk 140 minutes. They brought back the essentials in Johnny Depp (The Tourist) as Jack Sparrow, Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) as Hector Barbossa , Kevin McNally as Gibbs and even Keith Richards as Jack’s Father, Captain Teague.The dial on the supernatural elements has been turned down considerably and that too may lure those scorned back. A Pirates re-booty if you will.

Captain Jack Sparrow hit the high seas once again, but it took some time to set sail. Someone has been tarnishing his name, far more than he can do himself. It got Gibbs in a boiling pot and the film opens up with Sparrow disguised as a judge of the British courts to save him from being hung. A seemingly good escape plan lands them in London instead where Sparrow comes face to face with Barbossa who now works for the British Army. They want Sparrow to help them find the Fountain of Youth and as expected he declines and an derring-do escape gets him back in the saloons to gather a crew of his own to find the Fountain.

His search for a boat leads him to his imposter who winds up being his former lover, Angelica (Penelope Cruz, Volver). Knowing that Sparrow knows the whereabouts of the Fountain, Angelica brings him onto her boat, which is actually belongs to her father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane, Deadwood). A prophecy has told Blackbeard will die at the hands of a one-legged man (who we surmise to be Barbossa) in a fortnight. Forced against his will Sparrow has no choice but to help Blackbeard beat Barbossa and the British Army to the Fountain, oh and then there’s also those damn Spainards to contend with. Blackbeard practices the mystic arts, voodoo, and his sword gives him powers that make him very persuasive.

Sparrow and Blackbeard’s journey eventually hits land where before docking, they must retrieve a tear from a mermaid. Legend has it that a tear must be placed in one silver chalices from Ponce De Leon’s treasure. Each chalice must be filled with the fountain’s water and be drunk by two people. The one who drinks the chalice with the tear will steal the years of the other person. Seems plausible enough.

The mermaids are a savvy bunch, seductive but when provoked, and hungry, they turn into rabid piranhas. A colossal battle with them bags them one prize, Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), a mermaid with porcelain skin and hair that flows long enough to cover… well you know. Her tears will not keep through the long journey so they must bring her with them. She is treated like a slave until her honor is kept by a cleric (Sam Claflin) who too is held against his will. It all builds to a finale where the Blackbeard, the British, and the Spanish converge at the fountain.

At times On Stranger Tides reminds me of the fun I had back in 2003 when Curse of the Black Pearl came out. A few fun moments cancel out the incredibly absurd ones. Johnny Depp, who is said to have grown bored of playing Sparrow, doesn’t show it. He’s as lively and playful as ever. And Rush? Well he’s never bad. Ever. McShane’s Blackbeard is on the money. Stephen Graham is also quite enjoyable as Scrum, playing his trademark slimy sidekick role, crooked smile and all.

It is difficult to buy Cruz as the master swordswoman we’re introduced to. We never do see that kind of skill from her character ever again since she’s reduced to the damsel in distress once she’s found out as Jack’s imposter. It’s more difficult to warm up to her when she speaks English. It’s a strange phenomenon with Cruz because she is riveting when she acts in her native tongue. Still, halfway through she and Depp ignite when they’re on camera together, topping each other in whoever can be more over-the-top. And their final scene is well, one of the higher moments of the film.

Unfortunately, the story within On Stranger Tides is awfully predictable and will induce plenty of eye-rolling moments. At times Jack appears as Superman-like, where nothing can harm him or put him at any great risk. The great swash-buckling sword fights are fought in the dark, masking what little face-to-face action there is and the big mermaid set is almost laughable. The love between the righteous cleric and the doe-eyed mermaid is a lazy convention, even by Bruckheimer’s standards but the most interesting relationship is between Angelica and Blackbeard. She loves him but clearly wants him to stop his murderous ways, save his soul yet her devotion to Jack is troubling hers. Is it enough to save this film? Not quite. On Stranger Tides hobbles along like Rush with a peg leg, stumbles a few times but gets back up and mercifully ends before the any inkling to check the watch sets in. It’s hard to see Marshall’s direction or influence. He’s used to high production movie musicals and stage shows, bright and vivid, visually stunning art design. There was none of that here. Too many low-lit scenes make it hard to see most of the action sequences or distinguish similarly clothed characters. It needed a great deal more of Marshall’s razzle-dazzle that’s for sure.

Massive crowds will flock to see if Pirates makes a comeback, and the changes made a noticeable difference; they might even convince many that the franchise is indeed saved. Others though may find this story as uninspiring and unnecessary as your typical add-on accessory, amusing at first but unlikely to be useful to you after the novelty has worn off. Do stay until after the credits though, at least you’ll leave with a smile.

Grade: C

THOR
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenplay: Askley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne
Story: J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: May 6, 2011

It’s the biggest summer for super hero films and Thor will test the mainstream waters to see how much of the Marvel Universe they’re able to take and accept. Thor opens the Marvel Universe beyond the major cities of America. Radioactive spider, gamma rays? Plausible. People can buy the story of nerds to heroes and Iron Man remains the high bar, a B-grade character that captured the imagination of audiences with slick special effects and even slicker actor beneath the armor. The box office proved Iron Man was a hit, but was rooted in this world.

Thor however, is a challenge. He is larger than what a mortal can comprehend; he is the god of thunder, and Stan Lee, Larry Leiber and Jack Kirby based him from Norse mythology. He talks like he’s been to one too many Shakespeare festivals and he lives in a floating paradise in a galaxy far, far away. There’s magic, science fiction, and fantastic worlds beyond our own. Still, despite all of these leaps of faith, Thor is entertaining enough to overcome these obstacles with incredible action pieces and a tragic story of a bond broken between a father and his two sons.

In a welcomed change, Thor is not an origin story of the title character but instead an introduction of his character to the Marvel Film Universe. After being banished to Earth the story starts by flashing back to how the god of thunder came to land in New Mexico, directly in the path of Jane Foster’s truck.

A brief history lesson told by the god of gods, Odin (Anthony Hopkins, Silence of the Lambs) and his rule over the Nine Realms acquaints audiences with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, led by Laufey (Colm Feore, The Borgias). A war between Asgard and Jotunheim has been waged for thousands of years and many of the battles took place on Earth where Odin and his army eventually seized control of their frost powers by obtaining a magical artifact called the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Back in the present day, a coronation begins in Asgard where a cocky and reckless Thor (Chris Hemsworth, Star Trek) saunters up to the throne, playing to the Asgardians who cheer him on. Suddenly Asgard is infiltrated by the Frost Giants, attempting to steal back the Casket. Thor marks this as an act of war and against Odin’s request to stand down, he assembles an assault team with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleton, Archipelago), Sif (Jamie Alexander, Nurse Jackie), and the Warriors Three: Hogun (Todanabu Asano, Mongol), Fandral (Joshua Dallas) and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson, Kill the Irishman). They beg Heimdall (Idris Elba, Luther) the all-seeing and all-hearing soldier of Odin to provide them a transport to Jotunheim where an incredible battle ensues, mostly by Thor. Odin intervenes and rescues Thor and his team before any more blood is shed.

Thor and Odin have vicious words for each other back in Asgard, like Thor says, “You so old, you knew Jesus.” Then Odin says, “You so stupid, you stole free bread.” No, not really. In fact it was an emotionally charged moment–the best dare I say in any Marvel movie–where Hemsworth stood eyes to eye with Hopkins. In a lesson of humility, Odin casts Thor to Earth, stripping him of his powers amongst mortals. He is separated from his trusted weapon, the magical hammer Mjolnir who Odin blesses by saying that the only one who can pick it up be worthy of its power and the story picks up from the opening scene.

Now on Earth he must find a way to reunite with Mjolnir and get back to Asgard. With the help of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Black Swan), an astrophysicist and her research partner Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard, Mamma Mia) and helper Darcy (Kat Dennings, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) Thor begins to acclimate to Earth while Jane and her friends believe him to be a homeless lunatic. Meanwhile Loki finds out a secret and does his best to ruin the reputation of Thor and Odin, and take the crown for himself.

Thor is the first Marvel film to integrate S.H.I.E.L.D. naturally into the story as opposed to IM 2 where much of it felt shoehorned to (excuse the pun) hammer home the progression towards The Avengers. S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers Mjolnir after an Excalibur-like moment, where everyone tries to yank the hammer out of the ground with no success. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg, Iron Man 2) arrives and put an end to all the fun and builds a lab around the hammer. Jane helps Thor get to the fall site after all of her research and equipment is taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. and she is left with no purpose but to help and fall hopelessly for Thor. He makes short work of the security only to find he cannot pick up Mjolnir, setting up the third act.

As a comics reader, my biggest fear of Thor was alleviated by how well the balance was maintained between the three realms. Thor does a fine job explaining Asgard and how Earth fits into the Nine Realms to Jane, and it should even clear up questions by the most casual comic book reader.

Director Kenneth Branagh does an exceptional job making the archaic and clumsy aspects of Thor more palatable and seductive than repelling. Most of all he was loyal to the characters. Thor’s arrogance is plainly seen as his weakness, while Loki’s elaborate ways to destroy Thor always seem to turn on him and assist his brother in the end. Portman works although it’s not so easy to believe she’s a scientific shut-in and Dennings delivers most of Thor’s moments of levity.

But Thor isn’t Iron Man perfect. It has its flaws, well, nitpicks really. They don’t take away from the enjoyment of the film, but they do hang above it like a storm cloud.

At one point in the movie, everything comes to a halt. Loki sets an elaborate albeit slightly confusing plan of deception and instructs Laufey on how to kill Odin. Thor has accepted his punishment and tries his best to integrate amongst the mortals. It’s not until the Warriors Three and Sif decide to be proactive and rescue Thor that the film begins to pick up the momentum it dropped, prompting Loki to summon the Destroyer to Earth. Branagh managed to tell a story with no real villains, which was both an accomplishment and a contributing factor as to why the story was left floated before the third act began. If felt as if either Thor or someone with pure evil intent needed to drive it home. Loki could be seen as more misunderstood than anything.

There also wasn’t enough of the other Asgardians. Early they seemed to be placed in the film to satisfy the diehards so that they could say, ‘See, Marvel included everyone.’ I wanted more of the Warriors Three in action and in conversation, especially Volstagg. Also severely underused was Frigga (Rene Russo, Ransom)–let’s just say that this is the easiest paycheck she’ll ever make. She may have had fewer lines than Halle Berry in the first X-Men. Seriously. Not surprisingly either is the legion of Asgardians–who we are introduced to in the beginning of the film and see in Thor’s coronation–vanish when Asgard needs them the most.

There were a few fantastic elements that took me out of the moment like when Thor would swing Mjolnir in a circular motion and creatively come up with different ways to use it, but the speed at which he twirled the hammer as compared to what happens as a result don’t match up and no it wasn’t my 3D glasses playing tricks on me. Speaking of which, I do not recommend watching this film in 3D. It was converted, and poorly at that. Scenes were not composed as such and it fails in providing a better experience. This is and always should be, a 2D film.

Thor still manages to work on the big screen well, and he even looks good on camera. Rather than fill the screen with garish color, the costumes sold Asgard as much as the performances under the armor. For example Odin and Loki’s armor looked like gold or silver pieces and then a turn of the body would reveal a green or blue-ish tint. Heimdall especially is one character where the golden armor did the heavy lifting.

Other things that exceeded expectations was the way the rainbow bridge looked and became an integral part of the story, Heimdall’s gateway transportation to the other realms, Hiddleston’s performance as Loki, and Hemsworth is more than worthy to wield Mjolnir. The tug-of-war between gods, mortals and monsters, the lesson of humility, and the genuine mind-blowing visuals are reminiscent of the stories told by Lee, Lieber and Kirby, yet subsequent eras of the mythos work their way into the film, as do cameos and Easter eggs for the eagle eyes in the audience.

Of all of the super hero films slated for release in 2011, Thor was one I had looked forward to the least but I’ve since come away feeling very good about Thor and its potential for a sequel. I am especially looking forward to seeing what happens next (and after the credits) and how that rolls into The Avengers. Word is that Captain America: The First Avenger might even better than Thor–this will be a Marvelous summer indeed.

B+

Vin Diesel and Blond Keanu, I mean Paul Walker, are back for another ride with Fast Five, having since realized that this franchise may very well define their entire acting careers. This time around, Dominic Toretto (Diesel), his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), and Brian O’Connor (Walker) are hiding out in Brazil, after breaking Dom out of a prison transport. Things start to heat up for the trio, however, when a bad car heist puts them in the cross hairs of Reyes (Joaquim De Almeida), the biggest crime lord in the country, as well as a relentless federal agent named Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). If they hope to get free of both of them, they’ll need help from a few old friends.

One has to admit, this is certainly a rare case as far as Hollywood is concerned. For a film that was essentially “Point Break with Cars”, who would have thought that it would spawn one of the most enduring film franchises of the last decade? It’s not a slasher film series. It’s not based on a series of fantasy novels or a comic book, and quite honestly, everything about the whole concept seemed to make it destined to only continue in the realm of straight-to-DVD sequels, ESPECIALLY Tokyo Drift. Which makes Justin Lin being the director to breathe new life into the franchise all the stranger. True, the return of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker was a major factor, but Lin has proven himself as a director with a sharp eye for action, story, and characters, so to the point that the films have almost gone from just being guilty pleasures, to being genuinely well-crafted action films. From the elaborate car heist involving a train and a ravine, to the climactic chase through the streets of Rio with Dom and Brian dragging a two-ton safe behind them, what these scenes may lack in physics (and regard for human life!), they make up for in excitement. There’s a fair degree of “wink-nudge” ridiculousness to some of these scenes, but Lin directs them in just the right way to make viewers believe in them, because they are rather fun concepts.

However, it’s the whole “Ocean’s Eleven” quality brought into the film that is the major selling point. With the return of several Fast and Furious players including Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, and Matt Schultze, we have a concept that could have gone very wrong, but ultimately worked out brilliantly. Certain characters are naturally paired off to play off of one another, and as a result, we learn even more about certain characters than one would think. From Han (Kang) and reformed henchwoman, Gisele (Gadot), sizing each other up while conducting surveillance on Reyes, to Roman (Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) trading verbal barbs. The re-introduction of Vince (Schultze) also serves as a necessary subplot, as there are still a number of unresolved issues between him, Dom, and Brian. It gives the film a necessary amount of dramatic weight to undercut some of the overall silliness we’ve come to expect from the franchise.

We’ve also got the wildcard casting of Dwayne Johnson. With a number of family-geared duds to his credit, this is exactly the rebound he needed, and he most certainly does not waste the opportunity. Between looking like he’s been drinking ‘roid shakes two out three meals (meal number three must have been a whole horse for dinner) a day for the past year, and limiting his “smile quotient” to one at the very end of the film, Johnson makes a good case for being the next big action star we hoped he would become five years ago. As Agent Hobbs, he’s an absolute cartoon, but more like a Hard R-Rated anime character. Seeing him crash through one window after the next in his pursuit of Toretto, your mind is imagining speed lines and a ten-foot staff with a giant axe blade at the end of it, in his hands! When it finally comes to blows (not a word!) between the two bald, racially ambiguous muscle-heads deliver in spades.

Giving credit where credit’s due, Fast Five has gone out of its way to not only be a film as enjoyable as previous installments, it makes a genuine effort to be better in every way possible. There’s a level of care and attention to detail that is beyond admirable. After five movies, it’s a surprise they haven’t tried to jump on the 3D bandwagon. How can you not admire that kind of integrity!

Verdict: B+

“So, you want something to Believe in?” Rango, the animated tale of a chameleon that aspires to be a swaggering swashbuckling hero is a good place to start. In the film, Johnny Depp stars as the title character along with other anthropomorphic creatures in the town of Dirt. A stellar cast falls short of stealing the movie out from under Depp, which includes Isla Fisher who gives voice to Rango’s lizard love interest Beans. Alfred Molina presents us with a drop-dead performance as Roadkill and Bill Nighy slithers away with our attention as the outlaw for hire Rattlesnake Jake.

With the film being directed by Gore Verbinski who helmed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean’s we get an entertaining jaunt as we follow Rango on his path to self-discovery. The story is very straightforward without any surprising twist or underlying themes that would have only took away from the film rather than helped it out in any way. Rango has lived a very conservative life in his terrarium and longs to become the hero he has thought himself to be. He gets his chance when a literal speed bump is thrown into his life and he wanders into the dried out town of Dirt.

Rango serves to reinvent himself into the sheriff of Dirt, who unbeknownst to Rango maintains a cemetery full of his past predecessors. Rango serves to win them over with his fantastically created tales of heroics wrangling filthy lawbreakers. Rango steps up to help the town of Dirt with their current water crisis and battle a posse of badgers who may have had a hand in it. Just when Rango is starting to believe his own hype, in comes the very dangerous, very real threat of Rattlesnake Jake who causes Rango to question everything about himself.

A little known company handled the animation by the name of Industrial Light & Magic (“ILM”) that was founded in 1975 and owned by George Lucas (yes, THE George Lucas)…okay kidding about the little known company part. As ILM is used to doing the CGI effects for major films this is the first time in over 35 years that they will be handling the entire film themselves. ILM really put their stamp on the effects as we get very detailed renditions of the desert creatures dressed in western garb from the town of Dirt. The characteristics given to these beasts are so gorgeously animated, that midway through the film you loose sight of their animal features and began to see their very human appearance. Bottom line, you wont be disappointed by Rango.

Rating: A-

In the case of the latter, having to follow-up the near-perfect comic-to-screen suit from Raimi’s films was an obvious hurdle to overcome, but it’s immediately recognizable as Spider-Man, with some subtle yet dynamic changes. And hey, it looks like he might even have mechanical web-shooters!!! So that right there is one thing some of y’all can’t bitch about like last time!!!

Film/Feature: C+

With Disney’s big push to get most if not all of its animated films on blu-ray, James and the Giant Peach was next to get the digital treatment, a hybrid film that was part animation, and part live-action. It’s also the second collaboration between directors Henry Selick and Tim Burton, the first being Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton acts as a producer on this 1996 film that used similar stop-motion animation techniques that was used on Nightmare. It’s a beautiful technique that immediately casts an antique, nostalgic feel to the film. The style has this haunting, almost hollow eeriness, resembling something that would come out of the crooked minds of Selick and Burton.

The story is based on a Roald Dahl novel, VERY loosely I might add, and swirls around an orphan boy named James (Paul Terry) who has been forced to live with his evil aunts, Spiker and Sponge (Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes). He is approached by an old man who offers him a way out, gives him a sack of crocodile tongues that have been brewed all sorts of nasty ways to become the key to his escape. On his way home, James spills the tongues onto the ground by an old peach tree, which suddenly bears one fruit, one large, and continuously growing peach.

It’s as if Jack and the Beanstalk grew through the ears and mind of Dahl and Burton alike. You can see the similar arc though in Dahl’s stories, a sense of wonder overcoming a poor boy, down on his luck. And in this wonderland askew, the boy realizes lessons in life.

Here, the Peach stops swelling, and James’ aunts pounce on the peach for a money-scam but James visits the Peach at night and takes a bite of it, while one of the magical tongues enter the piece he’s eating. The enchanted piece transforms the large peach through which James crawls into where he meets a handful of insects: Grasshopper (Simon Callow), Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss), Earthworm (David Thewlis), Miss Spider (Susan Darandon), and Ladybug (Jame Leeves) and they are set forth to an adventure over the Atlantic Ocean from London to New York, the place his parents told him they’d visit one day. Tying some of Miss Spider’s webbing to seagulls, they lift off above the ocean on what they hope is a one-way flight to the Big Apple, but it doesn’t work out that way.

It’s a tale of dreaming, and believing, but never limiting yourself to your surroundings. If someone made this film today, perhaps it would have been named King James and his Giant Ego. Burton and Selick unfortunately can’t work the magic they created in Nightmare Before Christmas. Two things hold the film from pushing the boundaries of what could have been.

First, Randy Newman’s music, which is appropriate most of the time, really grates in this film. It just takes you out of the creepy and dark mood the production design worked so hard to establish. Instead when the film breaks into musical numbers, it gets this “gee golly, aww shucks” piano bar feel to it. Secondly, the live action beginning and end to the film were just unnecessary. The aunts looked scary but could have been scarier had they been animated. The film went far, but not far enough and the ending felt like every clichéd Disney movie almost derailing the wickedly fun middle section of the film.

James and the Giant Peach has this strange mixture of animation and live action that places it alongside other older films that haven’t aged particularly well. It could have been better had the live segments worked, but they were too over-the-top, and too corny. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. Selick wanted there to be this separation of the “magic” world and the real world, which is noted, but when the two come together at the end, it’s to put it lightly, rough. The aunts catch up to the James in New York, setting up for a finale that tries too hard to remind you the magic’s gone.

What the film does manage to do is recharge the curiosity in Dahl’s children’s novel, and his work in particular which has gone on to other mediums such as film and TV, like Gremlins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Where those succeeded and this falls short lies in the dark, insidious fun that can be read in Dahl’s work can be felt in those other adaptations. The Giant Peach is almost like wax fruit; looks right, feels right, but you know the difference once you bite into it.

Video: C+

James and the Giant Peach is an imperfect 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.66:1 aspect ratio. As a fan of film grain, I’m glad Disney didn’t scrub it clean of all of its original integrity since there’s plenty of grain, a comfortable level to my eye, but consumers who think everything in high definition needs to look like a 2010 film, is misguided as to what blu-ray is supposed to provide. To those who want to generalize what blu-rays are supposed to look like, the colors will probably leave those uneducated disappointed at the films intended subtle color palette. It’s supposed to be on the de-saturated side.

Now what isn’t acceptable is the inconsistency in the picture like the wavering contrast throughout. Black crush is also rampant too; sometimes the picture is way too dark to see any of the intricate detail of the set designs. It’s a real shame. Details are much more noticeable in the live action sequences from the glittery costumes of the aunts, to the pores on actors’ faces can all be seen, however the pink-orange skintones in nearly everyone’s faces shows that this is not Disney’s best effort. In the live action ending, on the streets of New York, again, too much information is lost in darkness.

Audio: B

Even though the video needed a lot more work, the 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track is remarkable when it needs to be. Dialogue is stable and clear in every scene, while the large action scenes like when things get rough on the water in Chapter 16, burst through your living room with plenty of thunder and crashes for your subwoofer. Sound in the front, left to right is fabulous, though rear channels don’t get much I’m afraid. Don’t get too down on the blu-ray, for its visual shortcomings; it’s not all bad. Other audio selections include: French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD DTS Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:D
The only new and exclusive extras to the blu-ray are the Games and Activities

Spike the Aunts Game is a lame interactive game that I think even kids would get bored of quickly.

Production Featurette SD (4:34) is a very basic ‘making of’ that fares in comparison to the behind the scene extras we see in today’s films.

Good News Music Video by Randy Newman HD (2:29) I’m a fan of Randy Newman but his music just seems like a mismatch with this film. The music video here is a blend of standard definition footage of Newman but all of the film clips are now in high def.

Still Frame Gallery SD a gallery of the concept art, puppets, behind the scenes and live action stills.

Original Theatrical Trailer SD (1:27) SD I’m really let down the lack of effort to give us a high definition trailer. It’s doubtful anyone will revisit this after one viewing.

James and the Giant Peach DVD the film and its original extras are on this DVD which is a great win for parents with players in their vehicles or who have portable players for traveling.

Overall Shock Value: C–

In its time James and the Giant Peach was a great trip back to when there were more stop-motion animated films. Since then we’ve seen Coraline, the Fantastic Mr. Fox, and all of the great Wallace and Gromitt shorts which have raised the bar and have since made James and the Giant Peach look somewhat outdated. The blu-ray release could have shown some more consistency in the video transfer/mastering, but the new audio soundtrack makes the film come alive. Subpar extras and a lack of effort to provide anything new or imaginative makes this Peach lacking in lasting flavor.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP: $ 29.95
Studio(s): Touchstone Pictures
Release Date: Jun 15, 2010

Film/Feature: C–
I’ll admit it, I reviewed this movie because I’m still hung up on Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars, and yes, I’ve known to dabble in the occasional “rom-com” every now and then; listen, it’s not bad to tune into a film where your expectations are low every now and then. Since her cult-favorite television show ended, I think many had hoped Bell would land somewhere she could let loose her sarcastic, witty, and at times adorably cute charm loose. Unfortunately she joined the Heroes cast when that began to suck, she’s voiced Lucy Stillman on the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, which led to her lead voice role in the latest Astro Boy movie and video game. She’s been mining us fanboys for years now, and even starred in a film that went straight to DVD, Fanboys (2008) where she toyed with our fantasies (Slave Leia) Other than that, she’s played minor roles in this latest tidal wave of rated-R comedies in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010) and Couples Retreat (2009). So who can blame Bell for trying to branch out to a new audience?

Bell plays Beth, a curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York who travels to Rome, Italy to see her sister’s sudden wedding. Beth is a career woman who has always put her job in front of her personal life and has not held men for a long time. So she takes a risk when she meets the best man, Nick (Josh Duhamel) but sees him kissing face with another woman and so we have our hapless, attractive and romantic gal who can’t find a good guy who steps into the Fountain of Love (a lower fi version of the Trevi Fountain) and steals a handful of coins sitting in the bottom meant for wishes of love and instantly becomes the woman of desire of four men: Antonio (Will Arnett) a starving artist, Lance (Jon Heder) a street magician, an over-zealous widower Al (Danny Devito) and Nick. And this is the hook; lots of these romantic comedies have them. A fantasy gimmick that takes you out of reality and into what’s supposed to be the fun part of the movie and the comedy ensues. Beth spends the rest of the film trying to find a way to reverse the curse and get the men to realize they’ve been tricked into liking her and wrestles with her conscience to let Nick off the hook.

When in Rome has a few spots where you might bust out louder than you really should or smile where you’re supposed to be guffawing, but you hang in there, for Bell. Well, that’s why I hung in there. I hope someone gives Bell another chance to star in her own film, because she has the talent to shine in a feature role; it’s just not When in Rome. I’m crossing my fingers that Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) is available to do another love story after Spider-Man.

I’d like to blame director Mark Steven Johnson whose gone on to destroy Daredevil, Ghost Rider and Elektra on the big screen. (Thank goodness the Preacher project died.) It seems his magic of mediocrity has spread here, too. It’s not the hook or the actors per se. Devito, Arnett, Heder, Anjelica Huston and Don Johnson along with Bell try their best, but too many parts have been borrowed from other movies of this ilk. 13 Going on 30 surprisingly works, Devil Wears Prada is flawless, but both of those have parts chopped and blended into When in Rome, along with every other successful romantic comedy. It’s complete with the awful pop music, the canned supporting cast and recycled jokes that make this Kristen Bell vehicle an average paint-by-numbers rom-com instead of its own original film.

Oh Kristen, the fanboys will always take you back.

Video:B
Seeing Rome and New York in high definition never gets old and every ornate piece of architecture or piece of art can be seen clearly in this1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but it’s a romantic comedy, not a cinephile’s dream, so there’s not too many spots to gush over great photography here. Flesh tones are generally warm, rolling a bit too much in the oranges and yellow colors. Things look a bit drab and flat as far as textures and depth. There’s not a lot to anchor your eyes and that’s a bit sad for blu-ray.

Audio: B+
Hear Will Arnett speak terrible Italian in this 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track, a chatty, dialogue-driven film. The center channel will do most of the mild lifting in When in Rome, but the music does get amped a bit. Levels are balanced, and there’s a fair amount of atmospheric surround that helps place the viewer in the middle of crowd scenes or outdoors. The most lively your theater will get is when the storm clouds begin to collect with the impending thunder and lightning crackle across the screen. Anything else would be overkill to be honest. Other audio selections include: English 2.0, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Even Napoleon Dynamite can save this film

Extras: C–
What’s here is a collection of various cut scenes, alternative cuts, and light promotional affair. None of it really enhances the film any, nor makes it any worse but one viewing is more than enough on most of the selections.

Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From the Set HD (12:28) an EPK running down the comedic cast members as they make light of being on the set. This is exclusive to the blu-ray release.

Alternative Opening and Ending HD (7:17) let’s just say the editors made the right decision when it came to using these scenes. This is exclusive to the blu-ray release.

Extended Pain with the Suitors HD (2:39) Three cut scenes with the suitors making their last attempt at Beth at the Guggenheim. I thought these scenes could have been kept in because the appeared to cross the line that the film at times tries way too hard to avoid. And this is the last exclusive extra to the blu-ray release.

Kerplunk! Bloopers from Rome HD (3:07) cast members flub lines and act goofy.

Deleted Scenes HD (7:00) eight more scenes that didn’t make the cut and are a mixed bag of parts that dragged the pace, and bits that told too much.

Music Videos SD (6:47) “Starstruck” by 3Oh!3 featuring Katy Perry and “Stupid Love Letter” by Friday Night Boys. These are two fairly annoying overproduced pop songs with both of them playing on the movie’s gimmick. I will say though, if you are a Katy Perry fan, and who isn’t, you’ll like that first one.

Overall Shock Value:C–
I knew what I was getting into with this film and it didn’t surprise me one bit and that’s when a film disappoints. When in Rome gives your mind a vacation, with a simple but sweet romantic spin, but be prepared for the cheese and corn. It’s a technically fine disc, that leaves much to be desired on the extras, but this probably isn’t a film that you expect to be immersed long after the 90-minute feature. It’s nice to see Kristen Bell branch out and appeal more to the ladies instead of the fanboys for a change, but I think even the most arduous of romantic comedy fans would recommend When in Rome with a Rent It at the very best.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $ 39.99
Studio(s): Disney
Release Date: June 1, 2010

Film/Feature: C+
This Alice in Wonderland is a reaches a bit to be a “sequel” of sorts, but doesn’t do much to deviate from the conventional structure of what alice is about, except this time she’s older, more independent, sharper and has a nasty wit about her. Alice (Mia Wasikoawska) is free thinker in her day and she’d be cast as an outsider trying to fight the system of arranged marriages and all that is Jane Austen. Spurred by a marriage proposal, Alice has visions of another world, but are they dreams or memories? She follows a rabbit from her dreams down a fifty-story drop in the forest only to be confronted by the “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” concoctions that will make her fit into the spastic world of Lewis Carroll.

Pale as a frequent blood donor, Alice believes “Underland” is a dream, while the everyone she meets is skeptical that she is their savior. There’s the Tweedle twins (Matt Lucas), the March Hare (Paul Whitehouse), the Absolem (Alan Rickman) and the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry). Her reluctance and failure to remember this world goes against the Oraculum a prophecy scroll that shows what’s to come, and Alice is depicted killing the menacing Jaberwocky with the Vorpal Sword; thus resolving the land of the war between the kingdom’s patriarchal sisters: The hot-headed (and bulbous) Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) who has stolen the crown from her younger sibling, the aloof pacifist, White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The creatures of Underland need Alice to remember who she is and grow some courage quick. Once she does, she can steal the sword from the Bandersnatch, find the White Queen and lead an all out attack of the Red Army. That’s not too much to ask from someone who appears to be suffering from amnesia, is it?

While many waited to see Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, it’s been too soon since Sweeney Todd and even Depp played a deranged and spaced out Hatter isn’t as special as it could be. Depp played up the mad angle since many hatters back in the day went crazy from the glue used in the industry. Wasikowska is a surprise treat, portraying such naïvety and sweetness and is contrasted by the vitriolic Carter as the Red Queen stealing every scene she’s in. Hathaway is too bohemian, but Crispin Glover as the Red Queen’s Knave is just right.

The problem with Alice, well actually Wonderland, is that it’s not bizarre enough. Gothic, yes, but such dark and twisted re-imaginings have become run-of-the-mill for Burton, and truth be told, it’s almost mainstream these days. It’s a byproduct of Burton’s success and long tenure as a filmmaker. With Emily the Strange and Twilight gone mainstream, Burton’s goth have become like a passé. It’s odd, I know. Burton walks the fine line of what I consider style over substance. One film he’s just off, the other he’s just on. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney it was just enough Burton, too much in Planet of the Apes and Sleepy Hollow; but it’s so perfect in Ed Wood, Big Fish, and Nightmare Before Christmas so he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.

On a visual and technical level, I have no problems with Alice, I only wish Underland and the darker concepts were taken further and deeper story-wise. Some of the visuals will be permanently etched in such insidious ways, like the Red Queen’s moat. But I should catch myself, since this is a Disney, PG film, so we’re not going to see them go crazy. If only the story had a much more luxurious travel to the end perhaps I wouldn’t have been so content with Alice ‘s decision at the end. It all just felt a bit rushed, like they were trying not to be late to the tea party. If Alice’s adventure was supposed to be like a dream then it worked, just like the dreams where you wake up way too early.

Video: A+
I’ve seen my fair share of blu-rays this year and few can boast a better transfer than Alice in Wonderland’s 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Close ups reveal detail of the white, caked makeup on Johnny Depp’s face. Every strand of the Cheshire cat can be plucked if only you could reach into your screen. One impressive scene of note is the tea party when Alice reunites with the Mad Hatter. There’s layers upon layers of fog billowing in and out each frame and the depth perception is phenomenal. There is a wide scope of colors of eye-bursting hues like the orange in Mad Hatter’s hair, the blood crimson of the Red Army, and there’s a wide spectrum within the range of grays and browns too. In between are clothes with a pastel color palette. It’s stunning that there’s this level of detail, texture, shadow delineation and atmosphere considering most of the film was shot in front of a green screen. It should be interesting to see just how well this picture holds up when the eventual 3D version comes out for the new televisions.

Audio:A+
Not to be overshadowed is the blissful 6.1 English DTS-HD audio track, an active and at times knockout soundtrack that is full of swirling sound effects, a Danny Elfman score and just the right amount of bass during the action scenes to help make you feel as if you were standing next to Alice fighting dragons. Dialogue holds true in each scene, is clear and is never too faint to hear. Disney knows how to Other audio selections include: 2.0 English Descriptive Video, and 5.1 French and Spanish Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras: C
Blu-Ray Exclusive: Living Menus This is no extraordinary extra but it is a cool detail piece. I’ve always felt that blu-ray menus have taken a step back compared to DVD menus in the early 2000′s. The menus here connect to BD Live: and upon loading up, you’ll see your local weather as well as be greeted by a part of the Oraculum that mirrors your local weather. I was able to sample this on a cloudy day and sunny day and confirm these do change with the weather. Readers out there with snowy or rainy weather feel free to post comments if you see different images. I won’t get too many chances in California.

Wonderland Characters HD (27:56) features a selection of characters and their quirks Finding Alice, The Mad Hatter, The Futterwacken, The Red Queen, Time Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen, The White Queen.

Making Wonderland HD (19:29) is a general making-of extra that focuses on primarily the post-production part of Alice in Wonderland including Scoring Wonderland, Effecting Wonderland, Stunts of Wonderland, Making the Proper Size, Cakes of Wonderland, and Tea Party Props. I’m a sucker for anything that involves scoring films, but the bits about the effects and Alice’s changing proportions could have been longer. The cakes and props featurettes are fun too.

DVD Copy a great option for those with DVD players in their cars or portable players for the vacation trips.

Digital Copy another option for those who can stomach watching full-length feature films on tiny mobile devices or on their computer and is compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player.

Overall Shock Value:B–
Alice in Wonderland pushed the edges of Lewis Carroll’s story but it could have been shoved much further. It’s not to take away from the film’s success, but it’s just knowing there was potential for meatier story that keeps it from being a landmark film. What one has to remember is that it set out to be a family film first, and I think it achieved that well enough. The extras department was underwhelming considering the artistry and craft in Alice; it’s certainly one of the most visually memorable films of 2010 so far and a cargo full of supplemental material would have supported that. Despite those shortcomings, this is a visual show-stopper, and the sound is splendid. I’m going to recommend Alice in Wonderland with a Rent It stamp of approval, but it might be a keeper for film students and parents of gothic children who want to see a fairy tale they can stand behind.

And please check out Ernie’s other Alice in Wonderland articles including a lengthy Q/A interview with Ken Ralston and David Schaub, two of the wizards behind the visual effects of Alice in Wonderland, and a two roundtable interviews with costume designer Colleen Atwood and conceptual artist Dermot Power.

Year: 2010
Running Time: 137 Minutes
Rated: R
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): Paramount
Release Date: June 8, 2010

Film/Feature: B–
Shutter Island explores 1954 when the world of psychology and psychiatry came at a crossroads. Three methods of treatment to those deemed insane were being widely debated. Psycho-surgery (AKA lobotomy), talk therapy and the advent of pharma-therapy, a method some say is being abused today. This psychological thriller is based on the book written by Dennis Lehane novel of the same name is set in this time period.

Set on an isolated island in Boston Harbor, Ashecliff Hospital is known to hold the worst of the worst criminally insane patients with only one way in and one way out. It’s a prison and hospital at the same time. Dr. Cawley (Sir Ben Kingsley) is trying to pioneer new methods in treating his patients with more talk therapy instead of methods of lobotomy, which even in its time, was just beginning to be considered barbaric. He hopes that through alternative methods, he can reach patients easier and leave drugs and psycho-surgery as last resorts. Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow) represents the other side of psychiatry who would rather lobotomize all of the patients and save the time and effort that feels is being wasted on cases so far gone who can’t be reached, when the mind has completely taken over the body.

Our story begins when two U.S. marshals, Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), arrive to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), a patient who is thought to have vanished from her locked quarters. She allegedly killed her three young children and is a widow thanks to World War II. Teddy leads an all-out interrogation of staff and patients while feeling very close to Solando’s case and is haunted by his own history. Just as he is about to break the case open, he is blocked by the hospital to pursue his intuitions and that’s when he becomes suspicious of those in charge at Ashecliff. But this story is just a front for a much larger story; an emotionally-cleansing journey for the U.S. marshall. To find out the truth, Teddy must look within, and confront his secrets and lies before it’s too late.

Lehane’s novels have inspired two other heavily talked-about films, Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, and as in those stories, Shutter Island presents odd folk, trapped in a precarious situation. There is something sinister and ominous here, helped by stark, atmospheric settings, peculiar characters and good old-fashioned camera work. It won’t take long to begin suspecting what’s at play, but it’s how the film evolves from this inauspicious point is what ignites conversation between viewers, not the twist. Only when Shutter Island is fully revealed, does one see the complexity of Shutter Island. It’s a successful translation with the direction of Scorsese, and screenwriter, Laeta Kalogridis whose task was to adapt this narrative for the big screen.

An inevitable second viewing allows the viewer redemption to properly soak in Scorsese’s tapestry. Once again, DiCaprio is dominant in every scene he is in, but Michelle Williams who plays Teddy’s wife Dolores, is equally moving (and tragic); while character contributions by Kinglsey, Ruffalo, Jackie Earle Haley, and von Sydow hit the mark.

If you’re expecting a classic, violent Scorsese film, Shutter Island won’t meet those expectations. Nor will it satisfy those looking for a large supernatural element that could be expected from what I feel were misleading trailers. It’s instead a search and rescue film, of a character disparately needing help. In the backdrop, is the world of psychiatry, during its questionable infancy and is the apt villain as Teddy’s traverse into his lower depths while trying to solve his case.

Shutter Island is a wolf in sheep’s clothing; masquerading as one thing but being something different. Its slow spots restrain the film from being something magnificent, and its secret is thinly shrouded, but the eventual resolution will undoubtedly challenge the audience, but most notably, the rest of the film that precedes it.

Video: A
Paramount put out a fine 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio reflecting the film’s classicism and noir roots. In period pieces, art direction and set production are what makes a story of this kind believable, and shortcuts and shoddy work can be detected in high definition, but this is a Scorsese film, and this film looks near flawless. Whether it was rain-drenched wool or the tweed of a two piece suit, textures look highly accurate and colors are full-bodied, rich, and warm. With such a level of detail, depth perception is tremendous in crane and aerial shots. Also, DiCaprio on a closer look, is no longer the smooth-skinned young man in Titanic. Wrinkles, freckles, and stubble on his face, Ruffalo’s, and other cast members cannot hide from the picture clarity. The drab, real world colors stabilize each scene with the exception of an occasional sunny, outdoor shot that display the lush greens and gardens of the Ashecliff compound. Blacks are extremely solid and stable, with no glaring signs of crush, and are especially impressive when Teddy enters Ward C, that’s full of darkness and prison bars that create artful, shadowed stills with each frame. It’s so nice to see a classic director shoot wide, and capture so much information and spotlight the set designs.

Audio: A
Shutter Island doesn’t resort to predictable music and effects cues to get you out of your seat, but it does have a strong, 5.1 English DTS-HD audio track that serves as the driving force of the audio of the film. Music, sound effects like thunder, are sent to the rear channels, while flashbacks to concentration camps are full of bullets spraying all around you. The movement of sound is accurate and flawless no matter the direction, and the dialogue is balanced at a comfortable level with the rest of the audio. Nothing too booming or bombastic from the LFE .1 channel, it’s just right where it needs to be but the sound design had room to be more dynamic. The score, not originally composed, was rather selected parts of composed pieces, and is heard throughout all five channels. Other audio selections include: 5.1 French, Spanish, Portuguese Dolby Digital tracks and subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: C
There are only two featurettes to explore after the film, so I can’t give Shutter Island a high grade for an abundant amount of supplement material. The film is in of itself, an extra because you will want to see the film on repeat viewings. But what extras are on the disc, do explain enough about the film that doesn’t take away from the experience, and avoid redundant information that can come with repeating similar EPK interview pieces. Both featurettes are in high definition and stereo sound.

Behind the Shutters HD (17:10)
Author and Executive Producer of Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Kingsley waxes poetic about the cast and their qualities
Scorsese shares how he and Robbie Robertson used composed musical pieces and strategically place parts of them in the film.

Into the Lighthouse HD (21:11) is the best extra of the two and talks about being both violent and mentally ill. Dr. James Gilligan served as a psychiatric consultant to the film and was the director of psychiatry at the former Bridgewater prison mental hospital which the model for the film. Gilligan talks about his efforts to transition Bridgewater into more humanistic and humane methods over the primitive and horrifying practices of old school psychiatry. Lehane also explains further why he picked 1954 as the setting and the pivotal time in psychiatry.

Overall Shock Value: B–
Shutter Island is slow to get to where it’s really interesting, but the film finds its direction about 45 minutes in. This is a film that should inspire some debate or discussion amongst friends and for that alone, it’s worth the overall gloomy experience. Technically, Paramount put out a strong blu-ray disc with a near spotless transfer that preserves the Scorsese’s artful eye and a sound stage that should take a bow. Shutter Island should easily get two or three viewings, and with just two extras on the entire blu-ray, that’s just enough to get a solid Rent It recommendation while Scorsese fans may just want to add it to their expanding library.

For a while now, I’ve been coming to terms with the idea that Uwe Boll might not be the irredeemable hack we’d all like to think he is. Even beyond his taking advantage of a tax loophole that would actually benefit his investors when his films failed to make a profit, many of his actions behind and away from the camera seem to suggest that he’s playing an ongoing practical joke on filmgoers, and shining a harsh spotlight on Hollywood pretentions. That his best means of playing this joke so happen to be video game movies, I believe, is no accident. And with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, I can only imagine that somewhere in the world, Mr. (I’m Sorry, “Dr.”) Boll is laughing his ass off.

In arguably the most ambitious attempt to bring a video game property to the big screen, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time follows the brave warrior prince, Dastan (Gyllenhaal), who discovers a sacred dagger that can turn back time. When warned of its destructive power by Princess Tamina (Arterton), the two set out on a quest to hide the dagger from the forces of evil.

One of the lasting impressions I got from Prince of Persia was that the filmmakers and the studio genuinely believe that their target audience suffers from short-term memory loss. Especially in video game movies, it seems that we cannot, and should not, be trusted to remember the title of the film. This is evidenced in countless instances of characters referring to Dastan as the “Prince of Persia”, every instance more forced and meaningless than the one that preceded it. Not only is this insulting, it also serves to remind us of how woefully miscast Jake Gyllenhaal is. Getting past how some people might believe a person of Persian descent should look, the bigger issue is arguably his ridiculous quasi-British accent. It’s one thing if the rest of the major cast hails from the UK, but why force an American to speak like them, when it’s abundantly clear that he can’t? It may seem like a minor distraction, but it’s a distraction that makes almost every line of dialogue from the character feel rather disingenuous. This might not have been such an issue had the action been more competently composed. As it stands, most of the fights scenes are little more than incomprehensible flashes of body parts.

As for the rest of the cast, it’s a shame to have so many talented actors, only to waste most of them. Ben Kingsley is the same generic villain he always plays when he doesn’t feel like working too hard in a film. Richard Coyle and Tobey Kebel are severely underutilized as Dastan’s brothers, Tus and Garvis. Meanwhile, Gemma Arterton is essentially playing the same character she played in Clash of the Titans. The only difference is that being a princess predictably calls for her to have at least one scene (involving a large animal and getting dirty, no less) where she exhibits spoiled and obnoxious behavior. It also doesn’t help that her chemistry with Gyllenhaal is spotty, at best. Some much needed levity, however, is provided by Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar. For all the film’s tiresome cliches, his cliché of a leader of thieves, justifying their actions under the auspices of providing a service to the people, makes for some of the more enjoyable moments in the film.

The biggest crime the film commits, however, is indecisiveness. Clearly, Jerry Bruckheimer was hoping for lightning to strike again, like it did with Pirates of the Caribbean, but Prince Of Persia doesn’t know what kind of film it wants to be, and lacks the overall charm of films it draws influence from. It takes whole elements from films like the aforementioned Pirates, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and 300, without putting any real thought into how those elements should mesh. Any attempt at capturing the pulp hero whimsy of an Indiana Jones or Mummy film is undercut by the need to showcase action that’s been stylized within an inch of its life. But so much of that action is so poorly constructed that it doesn’t succeed in what it inadvertently sacrifices its other influences for. We also have the tiresome plot of “getting the sacred object to the sacred location”, and nothing new is done with it. The Sands of Time dagger is certainly one of the flashier “sacred objects” to come along in film recently, but it also gives you an idea of how the film’s going to end, and it’s as unsatisfying as you might imagine.

While I hesitate to put Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time into the category of video game movies where the filmmakers genuinely couldn’t give a rat’s ass whether the film turns out to be good or not, its best moments are few and far between.

Rating: C-

Year: 2009
Running Time: 162 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 23, 2010

Film/Feature: C+
In case you haven’t heard, there’s this film called Avatar, and it’s kind of a big deal because it made more money than Hollywood could ever imagine and now we have 100 3-D films in the pipeline as a result. I’m kidding of course, sort of, and in the same way the Matrix sold DVD players, Avatar will do the same for blu-ray. Both successful and controversial, Avatar quickly comes to consumers in this stripped down movie-only release and is sure add to director James Cameron’s legacy of money-making blockbusters.

Avatar is about a paraplegic Marine veteran named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who enlists in the Avatar Program and infiltrates the Na’vi a sentient race of giant blue-skinned warriors who are connected with everything that lives on the moon Pandora in the Alpha Centauri star system. Pandora is full of hostile creatures but also beautiful things humans can only dream of. It is also full of rich resources like unobtanium that can be mined out and be worth millions back on Earth. Jake is serving two purposes, one for the science exploration and understanding of the Na’vi and the military strategic angle because underneath their home base, Hometree, is the largest known mineral deposit of unobtanium.

Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) leads the Avatar Program and has been trying to bridge a peaceful truce with the Na’vi to learn of their culture and Pandora’s ecosystem. It is under her command that Jake is taken in by the Na’vi, and is the first human to truly be accepted into the Omaticaya clan of the Na’vi. What she doesn’t know is that Jake is gathering information for Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) in exchange for treatment that will restore mobility in his legs. Selfridge is leading the mining expedition, is unsympathetic to the lives they’re trampling on with their mining machines. Jake gets in with the Na’vi under the tutelage of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and is of course suspected by others in the tribe to be trouble as all outsiders are and Jake must prove to them that he is indeed true of his word. Once it is discovered that there is no way the Omaticaya clan will work with the humans or desire anything they can offer, Quaritch and Selfridge decide to take the area by force.

To get it out of the way, let me just say that Avatar is not an original story. I’ve heard all the comparisons to Dances with Wolves. Personally, it reminds me of the wonderful but sad 1986 Rolad Joffé film, The Mission starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons, about peaceful Jesuit missionaries trying to save South American tribes from being enslaved and forced out of their lands by of Portuguese and Spanish plantation owners. That film was based on the events revolving around the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, Avatar is undeniably influenced by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s invasion of Iraq as well as humans’ assault on mother Earth with industrialization and pollution.

Avatar’s pop culture significance stems from our current environmentally consciousness (hence its release on Earth Day), paying respect to few remaining indigenous tribes still left on this planet (and those that have been wiped out completely), and showing the crime of razing native civilizations from their land for the extraction of natural resources for capital gain. The fact that this story remains relevant, shows that no one has learned the lessons of it being told before, again and again. We have gotten to a point where we have forgotten the past sins. It’s no more “white guilt” as some have called it, than it is human history. One group of people trying to impose their will on the other for no other reason than personal gain and to exercise power.

Does that make it a good film, or more importantly an enjoyable film? That’s debatable and left to be discussed by film buffs, James Cameron-ites, and those who come out to see a film three times a year. I’d have loved to have seen Cameron not rest so much Avatar on what he’s done in the past; echoes of Aliens ring throughout from Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Augustine character resembling Ripley, Michelle Rodgriguez’s Trudy Chácon to Jeanette Goldstein’s Vasquez, and Ribisi’s slimy Selfridge to Paul Reiser’s equally despicable Burke. If not for the awesome and creative world that was put before us by the countless animators and artists, the story of Avatar would leave you wanting much more. A special nod goes to Zoe Saldana for giving one of the most convincing and emotional performances as an animated character in recent years. By the end of the film, I cared about what was happening to these overgrown smurfs.

It’s not what you tell, but how you tell it, as they say, and Cameron keeps finding new ways to get us into theaters. Based on the box offices, and the recent numbers on Blu-Ray and DVD sales, Avatar appeals to the masses and I’m not here to convert anyone into liking the film; you either do or you don’t. (I did, but recognize it’s trite shortcomings.) I am here to tell you that it looks fantastic on blu-ray, which brings me to the analysis of the disc.

Video: A+
This will be the most high scrutinized part of the blu-ray because everyone who saw this in the theater will attach their 3-D experience to the film. There’s no possible way this looks good on 2-D, right? Wrong. The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks damn impressive with brilliant colors and loads of high-detailed depth. That high definition in conjunction with the depth in many scenes makes it appear almost three dimensional. There’s not that polarized or stereoscopic three-dimensional feel, but all I can say is that it is a completely different experience and I mean that in a good way. Look, I enjoyed the 3-D moments as much as the next person and when this gets its eventual 3-D release I will understand the need to recreate that original experience but this blu-ray release shows how magnificent a high definition 2-D image can benefit a film that was intended to be seen in 3-D. I could truly ramble on about this at great lengths, but just know that the depth on this film is as good as I’ve seen on any film and is in now way a lesser experience. The size and quality of your television, however, may lessen the visual impact, but everything else is golden. Blacks are immensely deep, primary and neon colors explode on the screen. There are no moments of digital artifacts, halos, or moments when the picture breaks down despite the high speed action. Textures remain true and stable and the gradual swirl of colors in the skin of the Na’vi are reproduced wonderfully. The detail in reflections, strands of hair, the vines of the Tree of Souls, and any scenes where the living plants show their neon colors/energy make for dazzling light show that will light a fire in your senses. I had a feeling it would look good, but not this good.

Audio: A
I can see Avatar being many folks’ first experience into blu-ray. Who knows, maybe it will inspire people to step up to a surround sound set up and for the first time in their lives, experience high definition audio as well. If so, they’ll be greeted to a 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. This soundtrack is aggressive and full of home theater audio moments where front-to-rear and side-to-side sound effects will turn heads all around. It has a punchy bass but I’ve heard films that go to the extremely far end of trying to blast your family room apart. Avatar won’t do that. In some instances I think it holds back. I was expecting a resounding thud when Hometree topples to the ground. There was another scene early when machine guns are spraying bullets and instead of being a directional sound moment, it got pushed to the center channel. Dialogue is distinctive, clear, and easy to understand. It sounds good where it needs to sound good, but I’d be lying if I said it was perfect. Other audio selections include: 5.1 English Dolby Digital, 2.0 English Descriptive Audio, and French, Spanish, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: D

Avatar DVD Avatar in standard definition. Yeah that about sums up the extras. But this does allow you to easily take Avatar on the go, in your van, and on your portable DVD player. I must point out the differences in the two formats because it’s hard to explain unless people have both formats available to compare with.

So here’s a quick run down of the DVD experience. It’s like night and day. With the added clarity of the blu-ray there’s not much that separates the foreground and the background. That’s why even on a 2D level, the blu-ray at times gives the perception that a 3D image is still there.

All of that is absent in the DVD. You still get the story, and some of the technical wonder, but it’s a noticeable step down. And you can live with that with a movie shot on traditional film stock and then transferred, where there’s that acceptable level of grain we’ve all come to love. Avatar though, is rich with technical and visual wonder, extreme color and levels of detail that you want as clean an image as you can get. Should you bring this home, you’ll be able to see the difference.

Now, this is not a shot at DVD, because that technology is great. For this instance though, the experience between DVD and blu-ray is incredible. This disparity is magnified by the type of film visually, that Avatar sets out to be. That gap may be much closer with a film that’s not designed to be as clean, and as detailed, one with much more intended grain. That variance in film to film, transfer to transfer is why I tell people that blu-ray maintains the intended look of the film, preserving how the film was meant to be seen.

There’s also a $25 coupon for Panasonic Blu-Ray disc players or entertainment systems to be used in conjunction with the purchase of the Avatar Blu-Ray or DVD.

Overall Shock Value: B
Avatar is one of those films that achieves such delight on a technical level that it overcomes the been-there-done-that story. There’s going to be a lot of speculation at how the Avatar experience is going to translate at home. I’m here to say that it translates beautifully. I can’t endorse how the film looks on DVD, because this is one of those films where the high definition experience needs to be preserved as close to the original as possible. If it the capacity of one entire blu-ray was needed for the film alone, then that effort was not wasted.

With only the movie and no extras, I’d say it’s hard to be completely immersed into Pandora outside of the nearly two and half hour running time. If you want to wait for extras, then you’ll have to wait this November. They are pricing this release as an affordable purchase for those who want to take the Avatar experience home ASAP, and for those who have been missing out, with a new blu-ray player and see what all the buzz is about.

So whether it’s an impulse buy or just to hold you over until the fall, Avatar on blu-ray is worth a Buy It recommendation if you can score a great sale, or if all you want is the film. Otherwise, plan for the collector’s release this Thanksgiving.

This summer is looking to be the battle of “elite special forces soldiers gone rogue” action flicks, and The Losers hopes to draw first blood. Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book, the film follows a covert ops team, thought dead and hiding out in Bolivia after a mission goes south. When team leader Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is approached (rather violently!) by the mysterious Aisha (Zoe Saldana), she convinces him and the rest of the Losers that she can get them close to the man who set them up, Max (Jason Patric).

Casting is always key with films like these, as they’re rarely ever truly about the plot. Boasting the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Jason Patric, Columbus Short, and Chris Evans, The Losers proves to be quite a treat. From the time the team is introduced, there’s a clear chemistry between the characters, a fraternal bond that serves the film well. Every character is unique, from the rugged veteran Clay (perfectly suited for Morgan), to the wisecrackers Pooch and Jensen. As expected, Chris Evans shines as Jensen, a perfect combination of nerd and jock, and getting a lion’s share of the funniest moments in the film. A running gag involving his support of his niece’s soccer team is especially chuckle-worthy. Pooch, by comparison, has more of a serious side underneath his humor, hoping that successfully taking down Max will allow him to reunite with his pregnant wife. Much like Rock N’ Rolla, Idris Elba is the wildcard of the group, fitting comfortably into the “right hand man” role of Roque. He has every reason not to trust Aisha, and that forces a wedge between him and Clay. Him and Morgan play out this dynamic superbly. Speaking of which, Zoe Saldana is clearly having too much fun, equal parts sexy and dangerous (did I mention she fires a rocket launcher in the film?) as Aisha. Even relative unknown Oscar Jaenada shines as Cougar, silent for most of the film, letting his sniper rifle speak for him. On the villains side, Jason Patric is inspired as Max. While we don’t learn much about him, he proves to be hilariously satisfying as a casual, smarmy psychopath. My only gripe would probably be the film missing the perfect opportunity to make a Lost Boys reference.

It’s hard to believe that The Losers comes courtesy of the director of such straight-to-video “gems” Trois 3 and I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, but Sylvain White definitely makes his case to join the big leagues here. He’s still learning the ropes in terms of action, but there are plenty of well-constructed set pieces, and the whole look of the film is certainly comic-inspired, between strategic uses of slow-motion and a striking color palette. To say nothing of the in-film character intros and end credits sequence illustrated by Losers comic artist Jock. Music selection also helps to set the tone, as the inclusion of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” (its post-Sopranos ubiquity still infuriates me, though) in one scene serves as arguably the funniest moment in the film. Later on, the intro to the Amel Larrieux song “Sweet Misery” perfectly punctuates Aisha and Clay’s slow-motion stroll to join the rest of the team after a night of intimacy.

For a film that clocks in just over the ninety-minute mark, The Losers packs in healthy doses of action, intrigue, and comedy. The entire cast is pitch-perfect, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in any of the roles. This is a fun film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but even at it’s most ridiculous (Max wants to buy a superweapon that can disintegrate small islands, for crying out loud!), still feels grounded and real at times. It’s a bit of an underdog film, what with The A-Team and The Expendables coming out later this summer, but I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people.

Rating = B+

Bottom line, Kick Ass is a great movie. Yes I know that is very bland first sentence but it’s true. Kick Ass is the first real super hero action comedy that uses all the troupes and clichés of the genre and turns them on their head. I call it a comedy because even with its serious moments, it still doesn’t take itself too seriously. Much of this due to the fact that the hero of the movie is tweenage girl in a domino mask holding handguns blazing like Chow Yun Fat in Hard Boiled. Based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., the movie centers around Dave Lizewski, a teenage comic book fan who wonders why no one has ever tried to be a real life super hero. So Dave, without any training makes a costume and proceeds to go and be a hero, which he fails at miserably at first. But he keeps trying, and after one fateful night where he kinda succeeds at protecting someone, he becomes famous through YouTube. This sets off a chain of events that takes Dave through this crazy world of Violent Dynamic Duos, mob bosses, treacherous allies, and a jetpack (because, why not?!).

A lot of credit for this should go to director Matthew Vaughn. He helped craft a fine script and took what he felt didn’t work in the comic and what did work, and made a movie that really feels like the first half of the first Spider-man film. The movie doesn’t feel too far fetched and all the music cues works. You understand Dave’s world and his friends. I really enjoyed Aaron Johnson who plays Dave. He’s not as goofy or nerdy as the comic made him look, but it helps sell that Dave isn’t a total loser. He’s just a teen that’s in a awkward phase, which makes him that much more easier to relate to. The other main character in this is Hit-Girl, and man-o-man does Chloë Moretz do a fantastic job as this little terror in a domino mask. This may be Dave’s story, but Hit-Girl is the hero of it. She’s like a little John McClane in this. She’s funny, tough and sweet in a weird way. Every time Chloë is on screen is a treat. And you can’t speak on Hit-Girl without talking about Big Daddy. Nick Cage plays Big Daddy and this might be my favorite Nick Cage performance in years. Big Daddy is like daddy knows best, but his lessons are in killing. When he’s in costume it really hits home that Big Daddy’s greatest inspiration is the 60s Adam West Batman tv show. I almost fell out of my seat the first time I heard his line delivery in costume. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is what you expect of him if you have enjoyed him in his other movies. His J-Pop/Korean Pop star style costume is pretty hilarious in action. His interaction with his mod boss dad played by Mark Strong is more like his role in Role Models in that it’s more subdued in comparison to his costumed identity’s McLovin style banter and prat falls. Another cool thing about the movie is that they use art by the artist of the comic, John Romita Jr. in the actual film as Big Daddy’s art. That guy deserves all the shine there is to get.

In the end this a great start to the big movie season and a fine first salvo of this year’s comic property based movies line up.

Rating B+