Blu-ray Movie Reviews

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Special Edition
uavKrissy Rushing  |  Jan 11, 2005  |  First Published: Jan 12, 2005  | 

<I>Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Reta Shaw, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Reginald Owen. Directed by Robert Stevenson. Music by Richard and Robert Sherman. Aspect ratio: 1.66:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 140 minutes. 1964. Buena Vista Home Video 31167. G. $29.99</I>

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 04, 2004  | 

<I>Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany. Directed by Peter Weir. Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 (anamorphic). DTS (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround (Spanish). Two discs. 138 minutes. 2003. 20th Century Fox Home Video. PG-13. $39.98.</I>

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  May 22, 2008  | 
Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3/5
I've been in the Navy for 13 years now and I've been to sea on several occasions during that time. Fortunately for me that time was spent under the water as I am a proud submariner. Peter Weir's Naval epic may not show the life of a modern submariner, but I think it is a testament to enduring life at sea and the comradely that blooms from it. The tale pits an English boat captain against a faster and more capable French ship, but the day to day struggle of the ship's crew is really the focus of this masterful film. The production values are stunning and I'm actually shocked we haven't seen more films like this since after seeing how well they executed it this time around. Here's hoping for more!
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Max Payne—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jan 31, 2009  | 
Video: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Max Payne is a maverick cop with little regard for rules and nothing left to lose. Hell-bent on revenge, he's determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murder of his family, but his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmarish journey where dark fantasy collides with stark reality. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world...and face an unthinkable betrayal that will drive him to the edge of his own sanity.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mean Girls—Paramount Pictures (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Apr 05, 2009  | 
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.75/5
Raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents, Cady thinks she knows all about the "survival of the fittest." But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 15-year-old enters public high school for the first time. Trying to find her place among jocks, mathletes and other subcultures, Cady crosses the meanest species of all - the Queen Bee, aka the cool and calculating Regina, leader of the school's most fashionable clique, The Plastics. When Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend, though, the Queen Bee is stung - and she schemes to ruin Cady's social future. Cady's own claws soon come out as she leaps into a hilarious "Girl World" war that has the whole school running for cover.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Meet Dave—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Dec 07, 2008  | 
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 3/5
Seeking a way to save their doomed world, a crew of tiny, human-looking aliens arrives on earth in the perfect disguise - a spaceship shaped like Eddie Murphy, the ship's captain. While trying to save their planet, the aliens encounter problems, as their ship becomes smitten with an Earth woman.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Megamind—Dreamworks Animation
Kris Deering  |  Feb 21, 2011  | 
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5
Megamind is the most brilliant super-villain the world has ever known... and the least successful. Over the years, he has tried to conquer Metro City in every imaginable way. Each attempt, a colossal failure thanks to the caped superhero known as "Metro Man," until the day Megamind actually defeats him in the throes of one of his botched evil plans. Suddenly, the fate of Metro City is threatened when a new villain arrives and chaos runs rampant, leaving everyone to wonder: Can the world's biggest "mind" actually be the one to save the day.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Memento—Lionsgate
Kris Deering  |  Feb 13, 2011  | 
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Guy Pearce stars as Leonard, a man with a bizarre disorder: the inability to form new memories. Ever since that fateful night when his wife was murdered, anyone Leonard has met, or anything he has done, simply vanishes from his mind. Who are his friends? Who are his enemies? What is the truth? The answers change from second to second as Leonard seeks vengeance for his wife's murder... and sinks into an abyss of uncertainty and danger.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Men In Black II
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 22, 2003  | 

<I>Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson, Tony Shaloub, Patrick Warburton, Jack Kehler, Rip Torn. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1. Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French). Two discs. 88 minutes. 2002. Columbia TriStar Home Video 39940. PG-13. $28.96.</I>

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Men In Black—Columbia Pictures (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jun 09, 2008  | 
Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.75/5
I can't count how many times Men In Black was released on DVD in one form or the other, but based on this presentation we shouldn't see it released on Blu-ray again. Sony has brought their popular sci-fi catalog favorite to the new format but surprisingly they didn't opt for the sequel as well. I'm not going to get into a big descriptor of the plot since I don't think there are many out there that have missed this one but I will say this film is just as much fun now as it was when it was first released.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mesrine: Killer Instinct—Music Box
Kris Deering  |  Feb 27, 2011  | 
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 1/5
"Mesrine: Killer Instinct" introduces us to Jacques Mesrine, a loyal son and dedicated soldier back home and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder. After pulling off an audacious heist he and his lover Jeanne flee to Canada where the opportunity of one big payout lures him out of hiding and propels his towards international notoriety.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mesrine: Public Enemy #1—Music Box Films
Kris Deering  |  Mar 28, 2011  | 
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 1/5
The true story of one of Europe's most infamous and charismatic criminals comes to a close in this drama based on the life and crimes of Jacques Mesrine. Picking up where Killer Instinct left off, Public Enemy # 1 begins as Mesrine returns to France after an exile in Canada. Teaming up with gunman Michel Ardouin, Mesrine masterminds a series of armed robberies, and while he's able to stay one step ahead of the law most of the time, eventually he finds himself back in prison, where he makes friends with the clever François. With François' help, Mesrine breaks out of prison and becomes something of a celebrity, penning an autobiography, hob-nobbing with the wealthy and trying to paint himself as a political radical with the help of leftist spokesman Charlie. Mesrine also renews his relationship with his girlfriend, Sylvia, but he also turns his back on some of his old friends and underestimates the determination of the French police to stop him once and for all.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Miami Vice: The Director’s Cut—Universal (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Aug 11, 2008  | 
Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.75/5
When detectives Ricardo Tubbs and Sonny Crockett are asked to investigate the brutal murders of two federal agents, they find themselves pulled into the lethal world of drug traffickers.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Miami Vice—Universal (HD DVD)
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 01, 2007  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2007  | 
Video: 3
Audio: 4
Extras: 4
They made a Miami Vice movie with no pastel colors or Jan Hammer? I’m sorry, you lost me. At least there is a Ferrari (a gray one). Michael Mann fashioned this movie like his “gritty” past few movies, such as Heat and Collateral, enough so that it has very little in common with the TV show (at least the good years). Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell do passable jobs as Rico and Sonny, but they can’t save this movie. After 20 minutes, I had no idea what was going on, and not in the way that would make me want to watch more.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Michael Clayton—Warner Bros. (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Feb 27, 2008  | 
Video: 4/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 2/5
I really wanted to see this one during its theatrical run but missed the opportunity. After it was nominated for a bunch of awards this year, my interest peaked even more. I actually sat down to watch it while the Academy Awards was airing. I must say I'm surprised that this one was up for Best Picture. I thought it was a very good film, with really strong performances, but not quite Best Picture material. The film follows Michael Clayton, a big law firm bagman who does crisis management. This time around one of their top lawyers goes crazy during a meeting and jeopardizes a case involving a major agriculture company. The film never lost my interest and I was impressed with the level of suspense a legal thriller could sustain. While I might not agree with the Academy completely about the film, it is definitely worth a look for fans of the genre.
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