Kris Deering

Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.75/5
Extras: 4.25/5
Stallone is definitely doing his best to defy the odds. I never thought that Rocky Balboa would be a good film but I was pleasantly surprised. I thought he may be pushing his luck with Rambo but instead he delivered what I feel to be the best installment in the series since the first film. This is a no hold bar action film that not only turns up the body count and gore, but delivers the best production design and tone of the sequels. Rambo has turned hard in his later years and when a group of activists that he delivered into war torn Burma turn up missing, he joins a group of mercenaries to get them out. The story is simplistic in nature and doesn't try to get too political, but it does shed light on the unfortunate events of that volatile region. Stallone proves that he is still every bit of the action star he used to be and rumor has it another Rambo film is in the works.

Video: 4.75/5
Audio: 4.25/5
Extras: 3/5
I'm always a fan of period drama and despite the rather lackluster reviews, The Other Boleyn Girl was quite entertaining. The film is based on the true story of two sisters who started quite the scandal with King Henry VIII after his queen fails to give him a male heir. Anne Boleyn is propositioned as a mistress for the King to give him an heir but he becomes captivated with her married sister, Mary. From there a downward spiral commences as the King is pulled from one to the other which eventually tears the kingdom apart resulting in the annulment of his marriage with the queen, a separation from the Catholic Church and a string of failed marriages. It was these events that set things in motion for Queen Elizabeth and the feud between the Protestant Queen and the Catholics. If I had to complain I would say the PG-13 rating seemed to tone down the film a bit more than it needed to be. This film focuses on very adult themes that would have been better served with an adult rating in my opinion.

Video: 3.75/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5
V for Vendetta was different than I expected. Its tones on fear and controlling population through it touch the nerve of a lot going on in our own country, though probably not quite to the extent of what is portrayed here. It is a theme that has been in more and more media lately including an excellent book I just read from Michael Crichton.

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!