Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Penned over 400 years ago, Hamlet is the tale of a young Prince (Kenneth Branagh) who's approached by his father's ghost describing in intimate detail how he was murdered by Claudius (Derek Jacobi), Hamlet's uncle. Filled with rage, Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death and won't rest until he fulfills his pledge.

Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and actor/director Branagh's adaptation doesn't compromise any of the text. The result is a four hour marathon that virtually flies by, if you're a fan of Shakespeare. I had the pleasure of studying Hamlet three times throughout high school and college and was surprised how much of the text I remembered all these years later. Branagh transports the story from twelfth-century Denmark to the nineteenth, which may raise some eyebrows, but the result is magnificent given the lavish sets and all-star cast.

A young boys life is turned upside down when his parents pass away and he's sent to live as a virtual slave with his two witch-like aunts. One evening he risks life and limb in order to save a spider and in the process gains possession of some magic crocodile tongues from a mysterious man. When he spills them in the garden a humongous magical peach grows on a dead tree that turns out to be his ticket to freedom.

Inspired by Roald Dahl's children's book and brought to the screen by producer Tim Burton and director Henry Selick, James and the Giant Peach was a box office bomb but has found a cult-like following on home video. I had caught portions of the movie over the years but this was my first time watching it in full and I'm not that impressed. The stop motion animation is good, but slow pacing and dreary visuals didn't impress me.

As the right hand man to mob boss Joe Rooney (Paul Newman), Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) struggles with balancing his family life and the guilt he carries with his career choice. Unbeknownst to Sullivan, his son Tyler Hoechlin) stows away on a business trip and witnesses a shootout that eventually leads to the death of his sibling and mother. Now father and son must go on the run and in the process form a unique bond.

Director Sam Mendes adaptation of Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Raynar's graphic novel features beautiful cinematography but the story lacks heart. It's hard to root for Hanks' flawed character given his past and the scenes he shares with his onscreen son aren't very compelling.

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.

Movie: 3.5/5 Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 2.5/5

Movies: 2.5/5 Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 2/5

Jake (Randy Wayne) and Roger (Robert Bailey Jr.) were best friends up until the ninth grade and the two drifted apart. Jake became the star of the basketball team and landed the hottest girl in school and Roger didn't fit in with his new group of friends. Three years later Jake's world crashes down around him when Roger enters the school with a handgun and takes his own life. Wracked with guilt, Jake begins to question his life choices and wonders if there was anything he could have done to save his childhood friend.

Calling a film "religious" will ultimately alienate a large portion of the population, but as long as the script isn't too preachy, I can usually enjoy them. That's certainly the case here where the message being spoken—care about thy neighbor—is commendable, especially to the targeted teen audience. The script certainly has a Christian slant to it, which isn't too distracting, but the story is very melodramatic and runs about 20 longer than it should.