“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.
Superherohype gives fans new photos for two upcoming Marvel films, with our first shot of Chris Evans in full Captain America garb, but the bigger news will arguably be the first official shot of Andrew Garfield in costume as Spider-Man.
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!!!
Year: 1996
Running Time: 79 Minutes
Rated: PG
SRP: $ 39.99
Studio(s): Disney Studios
Release Date: August 3, 2010
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.
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?
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.
Originally Posted At Because I Said So!
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).
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.
|
 |
|
