I’ll be furiously watching and writing this weekend as I continue to play catch-up.
After the jump check out reviews for a bunch of great and a few not so great releases.
Fire up your queues and Amazon shopping cart.
The Raid: Redemption
Sony / Released 8/14/12
Gareth Edward’s sensation is a martial arts
tour de force that is a must see for action fans. A rookie member of an
elite special forces team finds himself outnumbered as a raid on a
criminal headquarters goes bad as the boss offers lifetime sanctuary to
any criminal who takes down the special forces team. Story and
characterization are virtually non-existent as the kinetic action
sequences offer plenty of gore, violence and inspired choreography.
Unfortunately, at times, the film’s pace lags as the fairly redundant
plotline offers little more than a bare-bones skeleton to hang an awful
lot of violence on. Extra features include commentary, video blogs,
interviews, featurettes, and trailers. The Raid: Redemption is a solid
recommendation for action fans, but for those looking for more, it’s
likely not for you.
Spaceballs: The 25th Anniversary Edition
20th Century Fox / Released 8/7/12
The beginning of the end of Mel Brooks’ reign as
the king of parody, Spaceballs was dated when it was released, and
twenty five years certainly hasn’t made the film any better. Brooks’
take on Star Wars and period sci-fi films in general is miscast with
talent not generally known for humor (Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga) and
unfortunately, misdirected performances from Rick Moranis, John Candy
and Brooks’ himself. Spaceballs does succeed with it’s visual effects
which are as comparable to pretty much anything else at the time. The
Blu-ray itself is gorgeous, with amazing picture and sound and features a
plentiful supply of extras including commentary, featurettes, image
galleries, storyboard to film comparisons and trailers. I have friends
who swear by Spaceballs, but the film pales in comparison to Brooks’
better films; but for both Star Wars fans unfamiliar with Spaceballs or
fans of Spaceballs, itself, this release is a likely must have.
Jaws
Universal / Released 8/14/12
First off, Jaws is my favorite film of all time. It’s
inherently watchable, flawlessly constructed and perfectly executed. If
I come across it on television I usually stop and watch it from
whatever point it’s at. It’s quotable beyond belief, the more obscure
lines being the most quotable (“Beaches Closed – No Swimming. By the
Order of the Amity PD. And let Polly do the printing.”; “What’s wrong
with my printing?”; “Let Polly do the printing…”). My excitement for
this Blu-ray release is only equaled by the fact that it is among one of
the best Blu-ray’s ever released. Universal’s restoration is amazing
as are the supplements including two feature length documentaries, The
Shark is Still Working and The Making of Jaws, featurettes, deleted
scenes, trailers and more. For people ready to dismiss the film on the
notion that the shark looks fake, I dare you to watch the film and go
for a swim in the ocean. Jaws is a must own and a necessary addition to
every Blu–ray collection. Highest recommendation.
Glee: The Complete Third Season
20th Century Fox / Released 8/14/12
The students and characters of McKinley High School are
back, improving from it’s sophomore slump. Although season three is
full of stunt tribute episodes and excessive guest stars, it’s best
moments are the small ones, from the sweet moments between Kurt and his
father in the finale, to the long overdue humanization of Jane Lynch’s
Sue Sylvester (a character that on more than one occasion was more
caricature than human being) to dealing with real issues such as spousal
abuse, suicide, sexual identity, the uncertainty of one’s future and
coming to terms with the realization that a parent makes mistakes and
aren’t always as infallible as they seem. The season does a great job
transitioning several of the characters from seniors through their
graduation and in several cases uncertain futures. The cast is
uniformly good and as always Heather Morris steals every scene she’s in
as the inimitable Brittany. Extras include deleted/extended scenes,
featurettes, and the Glee jukebox feature, which indexes and allows you
to find every song performed. Glee is a fantastic series and regular
viewers as well as Gleeks who were disappointed with the second season
have no reason not to add this great season into their collection. If
you haven’t seen the series, do yourself a favor and start with season 1
and tear through all three before the fall premiere. Highly
recommended.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One Volume One
Shout! Factory / Released 8/21/12
I was in college when the MMPR
launched and never really saw much of it until now. I always liked the
concept, tried unsuccessfully to get into their first film, and now,
almost twenty years after their debut consider myself a fan. Season One
Part One is certainly a bit cheesy and dated, but extremely
entertaining, reminding me of the original Batman television series
mixed with H.R. Pufnstuf. This set contains 30 episodes of over the top
heroes and villains, action and characters and stories and dinosaur
inspired robots. Extras are non-existent. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Season One Volume One is an easy recommendation for nostalgiac fans of
the series and a worthwhile risk for curious genre fans who dismissed
the series when it was originally released. Recommended.
Community: The Complete Third Season
Sony / Released 8/14/12
What appears to be an ordinary situation comedy on the surface, Community is
anything but. Creator Dan Harmon’s work on this season can be
incredibly frustrating. As the show flirts with meta and self
awareness, it sometimes finds itself torn between the most cliche
episodes and others which rank as some of the best episodes of
television ever produced. At times it’s hard to process whether or not
if even the mundane moments on the show are intentionally crafted to be
just that. This season features a number of guest stars including John
Hodgman Michael K. Williams, Jeff
Garlin, Luis Guzmán, Martin Starr, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Giancarlo
Esposito and John Goodman, but unlike other shows (I’m looking at you,
30 Rock), these appearances never take away from the series itself and
only add to the complicated mythology of Greendale. Extras include
commentary on every episode, featurettes, gag reels, and deleted
scenes. Community: The Complete Third Season is a must have and it’s brilliance is
worth revisiting again and again. Pop, pop!
Black Hand
Warner Archive / Released 7/10/12
Gene Kelly makes a rare dramatic performance playing Johnny Colombo in
this pretty solid revenge thriller. Kelly’s father is killed by the mob
when he was a child and his mother moves him back to Italy. Years
later, he returns, switchblade in hand, swearing vengeance on the
terrifically named Black Hand. Going to the authorities only makes the
situation worse and Colombo is forced to assemble a gang to fight the
mobsters. Previously having only seen Kelly in musicals, I was more
than pleasantly surprised by his performance. Black Hand is a familiar
tale, and certainly earns it’s place as a noir/gangster film
worth checking out. Recommended.
Devil Makes Three
Warner Archive / Released 7/10/12
Gene Kelly makes another, albeit less successful, foray into drama in
this predictable film where Kelly portrays a United States Army captain
who is forced to help some Nazi smugglers with a nightclub hostess (Pier
Angeli). Technically, this film is beautifully shot on location in
West Germany, and it’s certainly a watchable film, just not a
particularly memorable or must see effort. Performances are solid, but
the characters have so little in common, it’s hard to connect with them
as a couple. No extras, but for a Gene Kelly fan or old movie buff,
it’s worth renting before a purchase. Mildly recommended.
Heidi’s Song
Warner Archive / Released 7/31/12
A decade after Charlotte’s Web, Will Hanna and Joseph Barbera returned
to feature animation with this extremely dated and loose adaptation of
Johanna Spyri’s book; emphasizing plenty of slapstick, the addition of
various creatures, cute animals and trippy dream sequences straight out
of Scooby-Doo. There are songs aplenty (none of them particularly
memorable) and solid voice work all around (with special mention of
Lorne Greene and Sammy Davis, Jr, as well as voice over legends Janet
Waldo, Peter Cullen and Frank Welker). Heidi’s Song is definitely geared
toward a young girl audience, but it’s simple minded and sticky sweet
execution might only service the youngest viewers. Animation is
mediocre, and the print is fairly dirty and spotty. For parents hoping
to introduce the story to their children, they might be better serviced
with the more charming 1937 Shirley Temple version.
Grimm: Season One
Universal / Released 8/7/12
In Portland, Oregon, a police detective learns his familial legacy that he is a Grimm, a human with the powers to perceive Wesen, various creatures that have been dismissed by the world as the stuff of children’s fairy tales. But that’s not all, he’s also a guardian, protecting the innocent and hunting and killing the monsters that lurk, hidden from mainstream society by human forms. Plus, there’s good Wesen and bad Wesen, which also can complicate things. With the majority of the first season playing like a monster-of-the-week procedural mashed with familiar genre tropes like Buffy and Supernatural, many of the episodes feel redundant. But, thankfully, the series finds it’s footing and by season’s end, the mythology is pretty well established. And it’s pretty damned fun. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, gag reel and audition tapes. Grimm is fairly standard stuff, albeit entertaining. Stick with it, though and by the end, you’ll be clamoring for more. Recommended.
Once Upon A Time: The Complete First Season
WDHV / Released 8/28/12
With impeccable timing, ABC’s Once Upon a Time debuted just as the fairy
tale reimagining trend began. The series takes place in Storybrooke
where fairy tale characters live in the modern world, frozen in time and
unaware of their actual identities. The series runs two parallel
storylines, one in Storybrooke and the other in the fairy tale land
where the characters and their mythologies intertwine. One of the
things that sets this show apart is that ABC is owned by Disney allowing
live action versions of their iconic animated characters to be included
within. The cast is uniformly great and the mythology is extremely
engaging. Extras include featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes,
bloopers and Easter Eggs. Once Upon a Time: Season One succeeds not
only because of it’s concept, but also thanks to it’s spectacular
execution. Highly recommended.
Mike & Molly: The Complete Second Season
Warner Bros. / Released 8/21/12
The second season of Mike &
Molly focuses on an overall arc leading to it’s title characters’
nuptials. What was refreshing about the second season is they didn’t
waste time separating the couple and creating the illusion of change.
The story is about Mike & Molly and their life is far more
interesting together than it was apart and the characters are certainly
self aware of this. The strongest element of the series is the cast and
their chemistry with one another. Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy
are fantastic and the supporting cast which includes Swoosie Kurtz, Katy
Mixon, Reno Wilson, Cleo King, Rondi Reed, Nyambi Nyambi, Louis
Mustillo, and Holly Robinson Peete. The second season set includes 23
episodes, a gag reel and a Wedding video featurette. Mike & Molly
doesn’t break any new ground, but doesn’t have to. It’s a charming, fun
sitcom with a likeable cast and solid storylines and is the perfect
distraction for a weekend vegging out on the couch. Recommended.
Lockout: Unrated
Sony / Released 7/17/2012
Tremendously entertaining, Lockout is a throwback to sci-fi films of the
eighties. This low budget effort starring Guy Pierce is an Escape From
New York homage that offers non stop action and over the top silliness
that deserves a watch. In the future, Snow (Pierce) is the anti-hero
with chip on his shoulder who after being convicted of a crime he claims
he didn’t commit, is given a chance for freedom when the President’s
daughter (Maggie Grace) is stuck on a satellite during a riot at an
“escape-proof-prison” and needs a rescue. So it’s up to Swan to save
the day; which he does of course. Extras include two
featurettes. Lockout was largely ignored theatrically and deserves a
wide audience, especially if your taste is tongue-in-cheek escapism.
Highly recommended.
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
Warner Bros. / Released 8/21/12
Now, almost forgotten, Tiny Toon Adventures was one of the early
nineties’ best ideas. Under the eye of Steven Spielberg, Warner Bros.
introduced a new, younger generation of cartoon characters. The
youngsters attended Acme Looniversity where many of the original Looney
Toons characters appeared as instructors. Tiny Toon Adventures: How I
Spent My Vacation was a 1992 direct to video original movie release (a
rarity at the time), which focused on the summer vacation adventures of
main characters Buster and Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig,
and Elmyra Duff. The twenty year old film is extremely pop culture
savvy (if it were 1992, with appearances and/or references to Roseanne
Barr, Johnny Carson, The Little Mermaid, Arsenio Hall, David Letterman,
Deliverance, Jay Leno, Superman, Oprah Winfrey, and Sylvester Stallone.
Being a direct to video release, the animation quality wasn’t any
better than the series itself, which is fine, but there’s little
incentive for any new viewers to check this out (it might have been
served better as a bonus in a season release if they ever continued to
do so). I remember liking this just fine back in the day (a Superman
cameo used to go a long way), but watching it now, it’s not nearly as
clever or charming as I once remembered it. Watching Tiny Toon
Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation is like sitting through someone’s
vacation photos; you recognize the players but it’s more of a chore.
Extras are limited to a trailer. Unless you grew up in the nineties and
feeling nostalgiac, this release might be better left as a fond
memory.
