Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Sort By: Post DateTitle Publish Date
Josef Krebs  |  May 14, 2015  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
In films like La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, and The Messenger, director Luc Besson presents the mysterious transformation of unthinking, undeveloped, unambitious girls into educated, sophisticated, strong females. He also includes large dollops of action, striking visuals, and sound that deliver boffo home theater.
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 28, 2006  |  First Published: Dec 29, 2006  | 

M:i:III may not be the best entry in the Mission Impossible franchise (my vote goes to the first), but it will do as a reasonably entertaining entry in that deliriously implausible, action packed franchise until the inevitable IV comes along.

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.

Chris Chiarella  |  Nov 25, 2013  | 
It’s been 34 years since the world was introduced to Max Rockatansky, a good cop in a bad world. For reasons not explained in 1979’s Mad Max, society “a few years from now” is crumbling, and the law is losing the battle to keep it safe from violent gangs. When Max (a very young Mel Gibson) runs down a murderer with vengeful chums, his contented life is torn asunder, sending him off into the wasteland with a bleak, uncertain future.
Chris Chiarella  |  Nov 13, 2015  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
After the gasoline (and almost everything else) has dried up, only the baddest of badasses have managed to survive in the barren future of Mad Max: Fury Road. And surviving is enough for Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy stepping into Mel Gibson’s well-worn leather), a former cop with but one stubborn shred of decency remaining. He’s a handsome enough actor, but he finds himself behind another Bane-like mask for much of his screen time: Captured, used as an unwilling blood donor, and thrust into the center of a deadly pursuit by three rival warlords, he unexpectedly finds himself protecting a cargo more precious than “juice,” with a long and furious road ahead.
David Vaughn  |  Feb 19, 2009  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/madagascar2.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer), and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) prepare to head home to Manhattan in a rickety aircraft piloted by the inventive penguins. But when they crash land in the African savannah, things get interesting when Alex has a surprise family reunion.

Michael Antonoff  |  Feb 23, 2003  | 
To address concerns over violence, sex, and profanity in popular films, a number of companies have emerged that create "sanitized" versions of VHS tapes or DVDs for a fee.
Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 29, 2015  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Has the iconic villainess of Sleeping Beauty gotten a bum rap all these years? In this grand live-action reimagining of the classic tale, we learn of the longstanding hatred between a human kingdom and a nearby realm of magical beings. Maleficent, the most powerful fairy and their de facto leader, begins life full of wonder, but after she is bitterly betrayed by the only human she ever cared for, she becomes the angry, formidable opponent we thought we knew.
David Vaughn  |  Dec 15, 2008  |  First Published: Dec 16, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mammamia.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Meryl Streep) is about to see her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) get married. Hoping to have her father walk her down the aisle&#151;but not knowing which of Donna's three lovers from 20 years ago it might be&#151;Sophie secretly invites all three: American businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), English banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and free-spirited author Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard).

David Vaughn  |  Dec 07, 2018  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Both a prequel and a sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again tells two stories: the first set in the present day as Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) prepares for the grand reopening of her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) hotel, and the second when the young Donna (Lily James) first arrives on the island in 1979. Sophie learns about her mother’s fun-filled adventures with the young Dynamos, Tanya and Rosie, and how she first met her three possible dads, Harry, Bill, and Sam, all those years ago.
David Vaughn  |  Nov 08, 2009  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mommamia2.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Meryl Streep) is about to see her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) get married. Hoping to have her father walk her down the aisle&#151;but not knowing which of Donna's three lovers from 20 years ago it might be&#151;Sophie secretly invites all three: American businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), English banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and free-spirited author Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard).

Chris Chiarella  |  Mar 05, 2014  | 
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Whenever you dramatize one of the most beloved characters in all of popular culture, you’re going to elicit a lot of strong opinions. Many folks seem to either love or loathe Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder and producer/co-writer Christopher Nolan’s major reboot of the Superman franchise. The basic story is recognizable to even the most casual fans, yet much has changed, so it doesn’t feel like a rehash of any version we’ve seen before.
Josef Krebs  |  Jul 28, 2017  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea is a story of ordinary folk who are sideswiped by life. Lee is a stiff working as a janitor-handyman in Boston, his inexpressive, glum detachment occasionally interrupted by outbursts of anger or self-punishing bar fighting. After his brother, Joe, dies due to a heart condition, Lee travels back to his hometown of Manchester to break the news to Joe’s teenage son, Patrick. While awaiting the funeral—which cannot take place until the ground thaws in the spring enough to allow the grave to be dug—Lee discovers that Joe has named him as Patrick’s legal guardian.
Corey Gunnestad  |  Aug 18, 2015  | 
Picture
Sound
Fame, wealth, power, and success are the enviable goals of most people in Hollywood. Once achieved, the struggle and pressure to maintain them are unrelenting and will drive some to drastic lengths to ensure their survival.

Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) is an actress in the twilight of her career who still lives in the shadow of her more famous deceased mother. Constantly plagued by jealously, insecurity, and personal demons, she is desperate to keep her star status active while the delicate balance of her life and sanity rapidly unravel.

Tom Norton  |  Apr 09, 2007  | 

Thanks to two remarkable films, I've learned more about penguins in the past few weeks than I ever thought I needed to know. The first, <I>March of the Penguins</I> was a surprising hit when it played theatrically in 2005, winning an Oscar that year as the best documentary feature. The second, <I>Happy Feet</I> (review following), won an Oscar as the best animated feature of 2006.

Pages

X