Kris Deering

Video: 5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3/5
I was a bit reluctant going into this one. The Rock has impressed me with his choices acting wise, but the trailers for this did nothing for me. The first act of the film didn't do me any favors. There are a lot of gag bits that weren’t that funny and honestly I felt like I'd seen this too many times before. The second act brought it back though and I started to feel like I wasn't wasting my time. The film started developing some honest emotion points and laid off on the prank jokes. By the time the film was over I thought it was pretty good. I don't really know who this film was aimed at though. Younger kids may get a kick out of some of the laughs, but it didn't really play to the kid audience. On the other hand it didn't play to the adults either. While this is wholesome family entertainment, there are a lot of other films almost just like it.

Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 1/5
In "The Girl Who Played With Fire" - the second installment in the "Millennium" trilogy following "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" - Mikael Blomkvist is about to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society. On the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander.

Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3/5
Set in the weeks leading up to the 2008 presidential election, "The Girlfriend Experience" is five days in the life of Chelsea, an ultra high-end Manhattan call girl who offers more than sex to her clients, but companionship and conversation - "the girlfriend experience." Chelsea thinks she has her life totally under control - she feels her future is secure because she runs her own business her own way, makes $2000 an hour, and has a devoted boyfriend who accepts her lifestyle. But when you're in the business of meeting people, you never know who you're going to meet...

Video: 4.75/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4/5
New Line's epic gamble from last Christmas finds its way to Blu-ray in stunning 2-disc form. The Golden Compass is the first of three stories in the His Dark Materials trilogy, a rather popular set of young adult stories. The film was met with mixed enthusiasm and a subtle amount of controversy because of "religious overtones". Frankly, I don't see what all the fuss was about. The story has a very wide arc and excellent character work. As far as fantasy films go, this one was solid from start to finish. The production values were superb and I really hope we see a continuation of the trilogy since this one leaves off on a high note that almost demands a sequel.