With the holidays next week (or if you don’t celebrate, an extra day off), here are some possible diversions to keep you entertained.
After the jump check out reviews for:
- Total Recall
- Premium Rush
- Looper
- Futurama: Volume 7
- The Simpsons: The Fifteenth Season
- Dick Tracy
- Trouble With The Curve
- 10 Years
- Shameless: The Complete Second Season
- The Frozen
Fire up those queues and clear out that shopping cart.
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| Sony / Released December 18th, 2012 |
Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story and director Paul Verhoven’s original adaptation, Len Wiseman’s reimagining of Total Recall is a joyless, overlong and completely unnecessary feature length chase scene that offers little in terms of characterization or story.
Fans of the original know the set-up, In the future a bored everyman Quaid (Colin Farrell), haunted by vivid dreams visits Rekall, and attempts to implant memories of a life he didn’t have. He chooses “Secret Agent” and as soon as the procedure begins, the office is attacked, setting off a cat and mouse chase between Quaid (who is now spy Hauser…or is he) and the nefarious people who wiped his memory. His wife isn’t his wife and his entire life has been implanted on his brain.
It’s a fun concept, and as seen in the 1990 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but this one, not so much. In an attempt to make the film “more realistic” the fantastic elements have been stripped, leaving a dry, familiar and somewhat boring husk in it’s place.
Part of the problem is that it’s three leads (Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel) are fairly dull and don’t elevate the material beyond the page. And it’s two charismatic supporting actors (Bryan Cranston and Bill Nighy) are restrained in both material and performance. They have nothing to do and are given even less, and the film just wastes their time.
The film also feels like a mashup of a number of other films, capitalizing on such obvious influences including The Fifth Element, The Bourne series, I, Robot, Minority Report, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Blade Runner, Inception and dozens of others. Extras include commentary, insight mode, featurettes and trailers. Picture and sound is reference quality. Unfortunately, the movie’s best moments (and there aren’t many) are too reminiscent of the original, but lacking the fun and ridiculousness that made it so entertaining. This Total Recall is completely forgettable.
Premium Rush
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| Sony / Released December 21, 2012 / Review by B.S. Walker |
Or more accurately, “Premium Bust.”
New York bike messenger Wilee (as in the Coyote) has just picked up a package that corrupt cop Bobby Monday desperately needs to get himself out of underground Chinese Domino debt (since he’s apparently not very good at math). Unfortunately for Monday, Wilee’s not about to cough it up…at least not without a 75 minute chase through the Big Apple.
That premise screams check your brain at the door, sit back and enjoy the ride, especially when your protagonist is the always reliable Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the baddy is the wild-eyed Michael Shannon. Problem is: JGL has absolutely nothing to work with. The script is devoid of any real charm or humor and Shannon is forced to overcompensate for it by chewing the scenery, but not in a good Gary “The Professional” Oldman kinda way. They’re both terrific actors who unfortunately can’t elevate the material.
The version of Premium Rush that was playing in my head — and would have made it an instant cult classic — has JGL unknowingly trying to deliver nuclear launch codes to the UN, while being pursued by international assassins during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Because if you’re gonna go full retard, you go full retard. As is, there’s not enough insanity or crazy stunt work/action scenes to fulfill the movie’s promise. Sony once again knocks the sound and picture out of the park with a reference quality transfer. Extras include two brief featurettes.
Watchable, albeit forgettable and full of missed opportunity, Premium Rush is worth a rental, but inherently a bit of a disappointment considering it’s strong cast.
Looper
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| Sony / Released December 31, 2012 |
In the future time travel has been created and immediately outlawed, only to be used by criminal organizations, who use it to send rivals back in time to be murdered by Loopers, assassins who take their targets entirely out of the timestream. Loopers are also tasked with “closing the loop,” killing their future selves in exchange for a lump payment, giving themselves a thirty year retirement.
And ten percent of the population has telekinesis.
Which, in my opinion is the film’s biggest fault.
Make no mistake, Looper is a fun and extremely well done movie; and a solid recommendation. But, this inclusion of a second fantastic element, takes the film out of the scientific premise and adds a “supernatural” element that I think hinders the film.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a Looper who has to track down his future self (Bruce Willis) after he is sent to the past and escapes. Wearing prosthetics and a pair of distracting eyebrows, Gordon-Levitt does an admirable job capturing the nuances, expressions and delivery of Bruce Willis. And, Willis gives one of his strongest performances in recent memory. The rest of the cast are great, with standout performances from Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels and young actor Pierce Gagnon.
Extras include 22 deleted scenes, commentary, featurettes, and an animated trailer.
Looper is a tremendously entertaining, and smart science fiction film which is even more special thanks to writer/director Rian Johnnson’s vision. The film moves across time in a number of directions (forward, backward and sideways) and for the most part, does so with charm and excitement. The film is a solid recommendation, but the Blu-ray is unquestionably one of the best of the year.
Futurama: Volume 7
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| 20th Century Fox / Released December 11th, 2012 |
The latest Futurama release features the first half of the seventh season currently airing on the Comedy Central. It’s hard to imagine someone checking this out fresh, but this season is as solid as any other. Unlike The Simpsons, Futurama is rarely guest voice driven (although the regular cast is stellar) and although most episodes are solid (and all are certainly entertaining), many are pretty forgettable.
This set includes thirteen episodes and all of the stories certainly attempt to have a science slant to them. Included are “The Bots and the Bees,” “A Farewell to Arms,” “Decision 3012,” “The Thief of Baghead,” “Zapp Dingbat,” “The Butterjunk Effect,” “The Six Million Dollar Mon,” “Fun on a Bun,” “Free Will Hunting,” “Near-Death Wish,” “31st Century Fox,” “Viva Mars Vegas,” and “Naturama.”
Futurama tries to cover a certain amount of social commentary, but many of the episodes are inconsistent in tone, varying from smart comedy to pure stupidity. But alas, I like my smart stupid and my stupid smart, and Futurama is certainly as entertaining as ever before. Extras are impressive and include commentaries, featurettes, Karaoke and more.
If you’re a Futurama fan, this release is an automatic must have; if you’re new to the series and curious, start with season one and catch up. You’re missing out. Recommended.
The Simpsons: The Fifteenth Season
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| 20th Century Fox / Released December 4th, 2012 |
As a former regular The Simpsons watcher, the majority of the episodes from this season were new to me. As television’s currently running longest scripted series, The Simpsons has over the years gone from anti-establishment to the kinder, older sibling to Seth MacFarlane’s less sophisticated output. This season’s stand-out episodes included the obligatory “Treehouse of Horror”, “The Regina Monologues” (which had the family traveling to England), “I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot” (Homer pretends to be a robot), “Milhouse Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (Milhouse moves away, forcing Bart and Lisa to become friends), “The Ziff Who Came to Dinner” (revealing that Artie Ziff has been squatting in the Simpsons’ attic), and “Simple Simpson” (Homer becomes a masked vigilante).
As usual, the guest cast is spectacular and includes such pop culture centric personalities as Oscar De La Hoya, Jennifer Garner, Glenn Close, Michael Moore, Tony Blair, Jane Leeves, Fox’s Joe Millionaire Evan Marriott, Ian McKellen, Charles Napier, J.K. Rowling, Jackie Mason, Mr. T, Tom Clancy, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Thomas Pynchon, William Daniels, Isabel Sanford, Simon Cowell, Jon Lovitz, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Nichelle Nichols. Kudos to Fox for continuing to release phenomenal extras season after season and this is no exception including featurettes, commentaries, and various other ephemera. The Simpsons: The Fifteenth Season is yet another strong release in the series and a solid recommendation.
Dick Tracy
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| Disney/Buena Vista / Released December 11, 2012 |
Warren Beatty’s adaptation of the classic comic strip hero finally comes to Blu-ray in a stunning remastered edition. With a bright color palette, a rich score from Danny Elfman and amazing production design, Dick Tracy brings the comic strip to life like no other film before it. Beatty, who stars as well as directs, wisely called in some favors, stacking the cast with some truly legendary character actors including William Forsythe, Ed O’Ross, Glenne Headly, Seymour Cassel, Charles Durning, John Schuck, Charles Fleischer, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, Al Pacino, R.G. Armstrong, Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Dick Van Dyke, Colm Meaney, Catherine O’Hara, Henry Silva, James Caan, Michael J. Pollard, Estelle Parsons and Mary Woronov.
Madonna, playing Breathless Mahoney, vamps her way through the film, doing an admirable job. Following the success of Tim Burton’s Batman a year earlier, Dick Tracy was a bit more misunderstood and far more daring, both with it’s mis en scene and decidedly retro/conservative approach. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed the film and think it’s adaptation of the Chester Gould source material is pretty spot on (though I wouldn’t have minded at least seeing the makeup tests of Beatty with the character’s signature hook nose). The presentation is top notch and my only real disappointment is the lack of extras. A commentary from Beatty and a solid making of would have been more than welcome. Nevertheless, time has been kind to Dick Tracy and despite it’s lack of extras, is highly recommended.
Trouble With The Curve
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| Warner Bros. Home Video / Released December 18th, 2012 on Blu-ray Combo, DVD and for download |
First time director Robert Lorenz makes sure that no cliche is left behind for an aging baseball scout in the twilight of his career.
In many ways, it’s a lot like a less intelligent, badly written take on Moneyball, but with an elderly man who talks to chairs in the lead.
Clint Eastwood does an serviceable job anchoring the film and the supporting cast, which includes Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick and Matthew Lillard. Unfortunately, there’s not much to it. It’s methodical and accurate, but the film has no spark, merely fulfilling the obligations of the story. It’s slow, predictable and both the direction of the script and the actors is adequate at best. The talent involved deserve better. Extras are limited to two brief featurettes.
The Trouble With The Curve is so frustratingly average that by the end, you just want it over with. Worth a rental if you’re a bag baseball fan or fan of Clint. Otherwise, skip it.
10 Years
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| Anchor Bay / Released December 18th, 2012 |
If 2012 was the year of Channing Tatum, fans won’t be disappointed with this smaller, underpromoted film that certainly deserves a wider audience. Set around a ten year high school reunion, 10 Years does an admirable job bringing old friends together where present meets the past; and crushes, friendships, rivalries and secrets hold court.
Tatum anchors the film as it’s lead, as Jake who comes home with his girlfriend (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), but suddenly questions his intent to propose when he sees his former high school girlfriend (Rosario Dawson). The entire ensemble is great and simply for the cast alone, it’s a shame that the film didn’t find a wide audience. The cast includes Justin Long, Chris Pratt, Ari Gaynor, Kate Mara, Max Minghella, Ron Livingston, Lynn Collins, Anthony Mackie, Oscar Issac, Aubrey Plaza, Aaron Yoo and Scott Porter. Extras include deleted scenes.
10 Years is a charming and entertaining film with good performances. Seek this one out. Recommended.
Shameless: The Complete Second Season
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| Warner Bros. / Released December 18th, 2012 |
If there were ever a series that’s both an acquired taste and deserving of a wider audience, it’s Shameless, a raunchy family dramedy focused on the very bottom of the 99%.
William H. Macy plays alcoholic patriarch Frank Gallagher, father of six. Emmy Rossum plays his eldest daughter, Fiona, who is the substitute mother for her five younger, and often delinquent siblings. Based on the British series of the same name, Shameless’ characters are basically awful people, doing fairly awful things. But they are likable, and the series is addicting to watch. This season introduces Frank’s mother (Louise Fletcher), fresh out of prison, who’s presence certainly reveals a bit about Frank’s own parenting style and skills. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes and a music video.
Shameless: The Complete Second Season is unrelenting; dark, twisted and funny. Highly recommended.
The Frozen
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| ARC Entertainment / Released December 18th, 2012 |
Not to be confused with the similarly named Frozen, The Frozen is a better than average thriller focusing on a couple who find themselves (with slightly difference agendas) lost on snowy terrain, injured and (not surprisingly, being watched). With a fairly well structured plot and some solid execution, Frozen is an incredibly watchable, well acted and fairly entertaining film that’s sure to satisfy genre fans looking for a well made diversion. Extras are non existent. There’s nothing particularly original about The Frozen, but for genre fans it’s a worthwhile watch.
