Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Road to Perdition (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Aug 03, 2010
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.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin Hood (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Sep 21, 2010
Following the death of King Richard in France, Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) and his gang are heading home to England when they encounter the dying Robert of Locksley who was tasked with bringing the King's crown back to London. Robin promises the dying man to return his sword to his father in Nottingham. When he arrives in Nottingham, his life takes a precarious turn as he assumes the identity of Robert of Locksley and helps the new King defend the country against a French invasion.

Reimaging a classic hero is a daunting task and unfortunately the screenplay from Brian Helgeland doesn't impress. With Crowe and director Ridley Scott reuniting I expected to be blown away by the production but I felt like I was watching Gladiator 2 instead of a prequel of Robin Hood. Furthermore, the first act is confusing as hell and I felt no emotional connection with any of the main characters.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 03, 2009  |  First Published: Jun 04, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/robinhoodpot.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT><i>Kevin Costner triumphs as the legendary Sherwood Forest outlaw leader in this epic adventure bringing a 12th-century medieval world to spectacular screen life. Enhancing the fun are 12 added minutes of footage not seen in theatres, especially more juicy malevolence of Robin Hood's archenemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio also star in this lavish production lensed in Britain and France, where historic structures, majestic forests, and vividly realistic recreations of Olde England combined to create a world at once ancient and ageless.</i>

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin of Sherwood (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 08, 2011
Shot entirely on location in England's castles and countryside, this modernization of the classic Robin Hood tale combines elements of history, myth, and magic with plenty of action thrown into the mix. The ensemble cast includes Michael Praed as Robin of Loxley, Ray Winstone as Will Scarlet, and Nickolas Grace as the conniving Sheriff of Nottingham.

Broadcast on PBS and Showtime in the 1980s, this British series certainly shows its age with the outdated music, 1.33:1 framed image, and campy production value. The series has a cult-like following and I don't mean to insult the fans, but I don't get it. My wife and I did our best to get through all 13 episodes, but couldn't make it to the end.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
RoboCop
Chris Chiarella  |  May 07, 2014
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There are many reasons to enjoy RoboCop, still beloved (and now remade) after 27 years. If you don’t like the brilliantly executed action, there’s the biting statement about ’80s greed in America. If you don’t appreciate the scathing satire, there’s the poignant struggle of a good man trying to regain his identity.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robocop (2014)
Josef Krebs  |  Oct 15, 2014
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What makes a man a man and not a robot? This is the question at the heart of RoboCop. People can feel, preventing them from hurting a child, where a robot won’t care. But the manufacturer of all this equipment, OmniCorp, argues that humans can also feel fear, anger, despair, and disillusion—and can be corrupted. The way OmniCorp decides to circumvent the law is to combine the body of a robot with the brain of a man.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rock of Ages
David Vaughn  |  Mar 20, 2013
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If you aren’t a fan of 1980s rock music or musicals, stop reading right now and save yourself a few minutes because you’ll absolutely hate this movie otherwise. For those of you who have stuck around, you’ll absolutely love this movie—as long as you aren’t turned off by actors bursting out in song in the middle of a scene.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rock the Kasbah
Anthony Chiarella  |  Jun 02, 2016
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Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) is a rock ’n’ roll casualty, a down-and-out band promoter who leaps at the chance to join a USO tour to Afghanistan. Before the first show, however, Richie’s client, assistant, and possible paramour Ronnie Smiler (Zooey Deschanel) flees the country, leaving him broke, stranded, and $1,000 in debt to a trigger-happy mercenary (Bruce Willis). To the rescue come two hapless arms dealers who hire Richie to deliver munitions to a remote village.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rocky Balboa (Blu-ray)
Joel Brinkley  |  Apr 17, 2007

From the time it was first announced all the way through the previews, reviewers and the general public alike roundly derided the idea of another Rocky movie. Stallone, now 60, still boxing on-screen?

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Nov 08, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rocky.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An unknown boxer (Sylvester Stallone) scores a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world (Carl Weathers) when the champ comes to Philadelphia and gives the chump an opportunity to be the champ.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Avi Greengart  |  Jul 28, 2017
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The opening scroll of the original Star Wars states, “Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.” If you ever thought, “Hey, I’d like to see a movie version of those 17 words,” Rogue One is for you. There’s plenty of plot-driven action, minimal character development, and ample fan service. It’s certainly entertaining. Wisecracking droid K-2SO in particular is terrific. However, the movie is anchored by the serious theme of sacrifice. If you’re looking for a jaunty kiddie flick, try a different Disney movie.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Role Models
David Vaughn  |  Mar 17, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rolemodels.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Two energy-drink salesmen, Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott), are sentenced to 150 hours of community service mentoring young kids after an unfortunate traffic accident. After one day on the job, Danny thinks spending 30 days in jail would be the better alternative when he's assigned to a 16-year-old boy, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who has an obsession with medieval role playing. Meanwhile, Wheeler's youngling is a foul-mouthed fifth-grader named Ronnie (Bobb'e Thompson) who's just looking for respect.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Rome: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Nov 16, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/rome.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The story begins 50 years before the dawn of Christianity, when Rome was the wealthiest city in the world and the epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any one man from seizing absolute control. But as the ruling class became wealthier, that foundation began to crumble and old values went by the wayside. Along came modern politics with infighting, corruption, and the drawing of party lines.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ronin
Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Oct 27, 2017
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Ronin is director John Frankenheimer’s 1998 crime thriller, with a script co-written by David Mamet (under a pen name) and featuring an all-star cast headlined by Robert De Niro and Jean Reno. This gritty film borrows heavily from classic genre predecessors such as The French Connection, Le Cercle Rouge, and Bullitt. It follows a former U.S. intelligence agent (De Niro) working with a group of mercenaries trying to track down a package being pursued by both Irish and Russian interests.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Room
Anthony Chiarella  |  Jul 22, 2016
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Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) fifth birthday is typical: He says good morning to the various objects in his home, brushes his teeth, then exercises with Ma (Brie Larson). Gradually, however, we realize that Ma was kidnapped seven years earlier by a sexual predator, and her son’s knowledge of the world extends no further than the inner walls of the tiny, locked shed he calls “room.”
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