Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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David Vaughn  |  Sep 13, 2010
With one week until retirement the last thing detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) needs is a serial killer on the loose in his city, but life isn't fair. Teamed with a young detective (Brad Pitt), the pair discover the killer is out to murder people he feels are guilty of committing one of the seven deadly sins—gluttony, lust, envy, pride, sloth, greed, and wrath. Can they get their man before Somerset turns in his badge?

David Fincher's resume includes many notable films like Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but Se7en may be his best. His villain feels justified to mete out his vengeance as he sees fit given the sad state of society and Freeman's character shares many of his views but doesn't agree with his methods.

David Vaughn  |  Sep 11, 2010
Based on the novel by Phillip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly is set seven years in the future when much of society is hooked on the drug Substance D. Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover narcotics agent leading a double life as both an enforcer and breaker of the law. In his private time he associates with a group of junkies who have no idea that he's a narc.

While I love the style of animation and story, most of the voice acting is atrocious. Both Reeves and Winona Ryder are flat and wooden, but Robert Downy Jr. steals every scene with his superior acting talent. The film features prolific drug use, so if you're turned off by this sort of thing, don't tune in.

David Vaughn  |  Sep 09, 2010
Captain John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) leads a crew of 18 to the planet Altair to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some settlers. Upon arrival, the crew is warned not to land (which they ignore) and are greeted by Robby the Robot. The only two survivors left on the planet are Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his beautiful daughter Altaira (Anne Francis), but what happened to the rest?

While the special effects are nothing special and the pacing is on the slow side, I found the story is entertaining. You can see how Gene Roddenberry was influenced by this and many other 1950s sci-fi films for Star Trek. While the human actors do an admirable job, Robby the Robot steals the show and went on to become one of the most famous robots in movie history appearing in an additional 20 movies and TV shows over the past 50 years.

David Vaughn  |  Sep 07, 2010
After The Matrix had a huge box office and became the first title to sell over 1 million DVDs, the brothers Wachowski and Warner decided it was time to cash in on the franchise and create a trilogy (it's the Hollywood thing to do). The second of the three films debuted on May 15, 2003 and went on to earn over $280 million at the box office.

The first film is a classic due to its impeccably shot action sequences and philosophical dialog. Unfortunately, the second is filled with senseless ramblings from Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) although like its predecessor the stunts are fabulous, especially the highway chase scene that runs for over 15 minutes.

David Vaughn  |  Sep 05, 2010
As a Green Beret, Navy Seal, and Army Ranger, MacGruber (Will Forte) was awarded 16 Purple Hearts, three Congressional medals of honor, and seven presidential medals of bravery. Vowing never to take up arms after losing his fiancé 10 years earlier, duty calls when his mortal enemy, Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), gets his hands on a nuclear warhead.

Trailers can be so deceiving and such is the case with MacGruber. I could have a pretty good lawsuit against the producers for false advertising since I didn't laugh once during the excruciating 91 minutes of the theatrical cut (there's an extended unrated cut included) and even the action segments weren't very good. Really folks, it's that bad.

David Vaughn  |  Sep 03, 2010
In the English countryside resides a small village bordering a mystical land which can only be reached by climbing through a wall. Young Tristan (Charlie Cox) crosses through in order to capture a falling star as a gift for a local hottie (Sienna Miller). Unbeknownst to him, in the parallel world the star is a corporeal being (Claire Danes) who's also smokin' hot. Soon thereafter Tristan learns his true destiny that will forever alter his life.

While the first act takes a little while to pick up steam this is a very entertaining movie. It reminds me of The Princess Bride because of the cute romance, adventure, and humor and in many ways is a superior film to the cult classic. The all star cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Peter O'Toole in important supporting roles. Surprisingly the film didn't receive a lot of press when it hit theaters in 2007 but holds up well on repeat viewings.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 30, 2010
Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is San Diego's top-rated news anchorman and isn't the biggest fan of a diversified workplace. When Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) arrives on the scene, Ron feels the heat after the hot young reporter aims for his prestigious job and a battle of the sexes ensues.

In many ways the production feels like an overly long skit on Saturday Night Live, which isn't surprising given director Adam McKay's pedigree. Ferrell's portrayal is mostly over the top but there are plenty of laughs to be had as long as you don't take things too seriously.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 28, 2010
Mr. Browning (Colin Firth) has seven children he's trying to raise by himself and they need some serious discipline. When the latest nanny quits the job because of their malfeasance, the frustrated father hears a mysterious voice telling him he needs to hire Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) whose magical ways will set the kids on the proper path and strange things start to happen whenever they make the proper choice.

Writer/star Thompson does an admirable job in both jobs, although the film isn't in the same league as Mary Poppins. I liked the message but the story falls apart midway through the second act with its slapstick humor and I began to lose my patience.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 26, 2010
After five long years the fate of Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Jim (Daniel Dae Kim), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Claire (Emile de Ravin) is finally revealed. These survivors of Oceanic flight 815 didn't land in a tropical paradise. Awaiting rescue they discovered polar bears, a smoke monster roaming the jungle, and the "Others" led by Ben Linus (Michael Emerson). Has it all been a dream? Did they all die in the crash and there in some sort of twisted version of hell? Who started the Darma initiative in the first place? Is it just me, or do all of these questions give you a headache?

Ending a popular show is a difficult under the best of circumstances, but when you take a show like Lost with its large ensemble cast, complicated story, and many unanswered questions. Is there a way to please everyone? Not a chance.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 25, 2010
As a war rages between men and kings and kings and god, the battle amongst the gods is the one that could ultimately destroy the world. Hope rests with Perseus (Sam Worthington), son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), who was raised as a man and sets off on a hazardous journey deep into forbidden worlds to avenge the death of his family and defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth.

With only a 29% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I had extremely low expectations. While I wouldn't consider the movie a classic, it's a hell of a lot of fun and features adequate acting, a compelling story (revenge is a dish best served cold), and tons of action, especially compared to the slow-paced original from 1981. There's an occasional line of cringe-inducing dialog, but the positives far outweigh any negatives.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 24, 2010
Escaping the monotony of a loveless marriage, Raymond Yale (David Roberts) becomes entangled in an affair with Carla (Claire van der Bloom). His moral limits are tested when she presents him with the proceeds of her husband's latest crime and the two hatch a plan to start a new life. What could go wrong?

The first act sets the story on the right path but Raymond's actions become more absurd and unbelievable as the film progresses. Furthermore, what does Carla see in the middle-aged man in the first place? Granted, her boyfriend is no looker but a girl with her assets could land a respectable guy closer to her own age.

David Vaughn  |  Aug 24, 2010
Banished by their mother (Kelly Preston) to spend the summer with their father (Greg Kinnear) in Georgia, Veronica (Miley Cyrus) and her younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) get a chance to reconnect with him since their parents divorced a few years earlier. Before the split, Veronica would spend countless hours together at the piano and since he left she has refused to play despite receiving a scholarship offer to Julliard. Can a summer with her father rekindle her desire to play or will other circumstances alter her life?

Written by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), The Last Song certainly caters to a female audience but I can't say I didn't enjoy certain aspects of the production. The screenplay is very melodramatic with pitfalls lurking behind every corner, although I felt the performances by Kinnear as the loving father was genuine and young Coleman steals the show with some great one-liners. Cyrus has improved as an actress, but still has quite a ways to go to graduate to more adult productions.

Kris Deering  |  Aug 22, 2010
Movie: 3/5 Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Kris Deering  |  Aug 22, 2010
Movies: 3.5/5 Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Kris Deering  |  Aug 21, 2010
Movie: 3.5/5 Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 2.5/5

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