Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Sort By: Post DateTitle Publish Date
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Captain Underpants
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 05, 2018  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Based on a series of twelve children’s books, Captain Underpants: The Original Superhero is the story of Best Friends Forever George and Harold. To stay sane in their suffocating grammar school, they write comics starring their imagined superhero, Captain Underpants. They also engage in elaborate pranks, to the dismay of their insufferable, warden-like principal, Mr. Krupp.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cars 2 3D
David Vaughn  |  Nov 02, 2011  | 
Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) heads overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car, and his quirky friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) is along for the ride. While attending the pre-race party, Mater is mistaken for a secret agent by the master British super spy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and his partner, Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). Can the redneck tow truck help his best friend win the Grand Prix while fighting the forces of evil?

I've pretty much loved everything Pixar has released, but I have to admit that Cars was my least favorite of its movies. Maybe it's because I'm not a grease monkey or a NASCAR fan, but I never really connected with the story. After hearing the negative reviews of Cars 2, I didn't exactly have high hopes for this one. While it isn't a great movie, I did find myself entertained, and the spectacular 3D visuals certainly helped. Furthermore, the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack features everything you want from a Pixar title—great sound design, plenty of dynamic range, and a plethora of discrete effects.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cars 3
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 23, 2018  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
In the original Cars, from 2006, hotshot racecar Lightning McQueen learned to be a gracious winner but a winner nonetheless. In Cars 2, Pixar learned that they could produce a less than sparkling sequel. Now, in Cars 3, the second Disney-Pixar property to produce a threequel (after Toy Story 3), McQueen is getting older, losing his edge, and suffering both losses and trash talk from newer, sleeker, faster racers. But he goes back into training, gets up to speed (so to speak), and is on the verge of motoring back to the top when….OK, you don’t expect spoilers, do you?
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casablanca
David Vaughn  |  Dec 01, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/casablanca.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>During World War II, Casablanca served as an exit point for many Europeans seeking to leave escape the gripping hand of the Nazi's. American Eexpatriate American Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), owner of Rick's Caf, isn't what you would call a people person. When Still, when Rick's ex-lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), arrives in town with European resistance fighter, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), they seek out Rick's help in obtaining papers to escape Casablanca.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casablanca
Ralph Potts  |  Dec 16, 2022  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
As a film enthusiast and writer, I often find myself involved in discussions revolving around what are my favorite films, and what I consider to be The Best Film of All Time. Neither question can be simply answered, however there is no doubt that Casablanca will always be a part of the conversation.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Edition
David Vaughn  |  Aug 02, 2012  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
During World War II, Casablanca served as an exit point for many Europeans seeking to escape the gripping hand of the Nazis. American expatriate Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), owner of Rick’s Café Américain, isn’t what you would call a people person. When Rick’s ex-lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), arrives in town with European resistance fighter Victor Laszlo, they seek out Rick’s help in obtaining papers to escape Casablanca. Can the man who refuses to “stick his neck out for nobody” set his cynicism aside and do the right thing?
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casanova (Blu-ray)
Tom Norton  |  Apr 09, 2007  | 

Another box-office disappointment here, but its failure was undeserved. This is a delightful romantic comedy. While the title appears to reveal all you need to know about the subject, the R-rating here is very soft. Apart from a few minutes near the beginning, this more of a costume farce than a sex-romp. Perhaps that's why it failed in theaters; it wasn't what the audience expected.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Case 39 (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Dec 31, 2010  | 
A family-services social worker (Renée Zellweger) fights to save a little girl with a haunted past, only to find out that this mysterious new case turns into a nightmare she may never survive.

Originally made in 2007, this stinker didn't hit American theaters until 2010, and for good reason. To call the screenplay unoriginal would be an insult to other unoriginal screenplays—yes, it's that bad. Its only saving grace is the cast, which also includes Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane, who along with Zellweger do their best to take the clichéd-laden script and attempt to make it suspenseful.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casino Royale (Blu-ray)
Shane Buettner  |  Apr 14, 2007  | 

Bond is back, and he's a bad man. Yes, 007 has blond hair and blue eyes for the first time, but it's his character that takes on much darker tones here. His license to kill is his primary occupation, not a smart-ass tagline and Daniel Craig is almost feral under the cool veneer of James Bond. This remarkable and gritty new entry takes the series out of the realm of gadgets (no Q anywhere to be found) and special effects, and back into the realm of hard, breathtaking physical stunts, which is something director Martin Campbell, of <I>Mask of Zorro</I> fame, excels at. Even the theme song is grungy, being sung by former Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell. And it's exhilirating from the opening foot chase to the finale. Not only is Bond back, I can't wait for him to return!

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Casino Royale—Collector's Edition Casino Royale—Collector's Edition
David Vaughn  |  Oct 25, 2008  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/casinoroyale.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Before he can be licensed to kill, James Bond (Daniel Craig) must earn his stripes. With two quick professional assassinations, he is elevated to "00" status and M (Judi Dench) sends him on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas, and eventually Montenegro to face Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a ruthless terrorist financier, in high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cat People
Josef Krebs  |  Apr 24, 2014  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Slightly campy, with oodles of gratuitous nudity and violence, writer-director Paul Schrader’s remake of the 1942 Val Lawton classic tells of Irena (Nastassja Kinski), a beautiful young woman who goes to New Orleans to stay with her sinister minister brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell). Irena represses her sexuality, fearing that animal lust will loose the beast and transform her—into a panther. When she falls in love, though, her desire makes her gradually embrace her nature.
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Catch Me If You Can
Shane Buettner  |  Jun 05, 2013  | 
Picture
Sound
Extras
Master director Steven Spielberg has made enduring classics in horror, sci-fi, adventure, and historical drama. 2002’s Catch Me if You Can is just his second screwball comedy (the first being the box-office disaster and cult classic 1941), and even if it’s not a classic, it’s his hippest and most outrageously fun film to date. Strap yourself in for the unbelievable true story of one Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Nov 21, 2010  |  First Published: Nov 22, 2010  | 
When a former elite agent goes rogue with plans to unleash a device that will bring down her canine enemies, cats and dogs must join forces for the first time to prevent a global catastrophe.

My kids simply loved the original Cats and Dogs, especially my daughter, but no one in the family was particularly interested in watching this sequel due to bad word of mouth and uninteresting trailers. So when our expectations were extremely low and although it's flawed in numerous ways, there was enough laughter to keep us interested. My wife and I especially loved the references to other movies (any Bond film and Silence of the Lambs). The first act is horrible but if you resist the urge to eject the disc it get better as you get to know the characters.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
CD Review Roundup: José González, Iron and Wine, Devendra Banhart
Rob O'Connor  |  Sep 30, 2007  | 

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Changeling
David Vaughn  |  Feb 19, 2009  | 

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/changeling.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In 1928 Los Angeles, a single mother, Christina Collins (Angelina Jolie), leaves for work on a Saturday, leaving her 9-year-old son at home without any supervision. Upon her return home that night, he has vanished without a trace. Five months later, the LAPD inform her they've found her son in the Midwest and he's on his way home. Regrettably, the boy isn't her son, though the police refuse to believe her and are convinced she's just in shock. Driven by her quest for the truth, she exposes corruption in the LAPD and captivates the people of Los Angeles with her horrific tale.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X