Release Info:
Original Release Date: August 12, 2011
DVD Release Date: December 27, 2011
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

Some movies do not need five follow-ups under their franchise belt. In fact, if you want to get technical, almost no franchise out there needs five followups. However, in the case of Final Destination it has received exactly that many. I saw the first Final Destination when the film was released on DVD back when it first came out. I am sure I have seen (at the very least) bits and pieces of some of the other movies in the franchise, as well. That being said, I have only ever supported the idea of the first film. While I liked the first film, it seems like there is no room for growth in the series and that makes the additional films pointless in my mind.

Final Destination requires a specific format to be done properly. The only problem with that is that the format is known by the time you watch the first one. Obviously, no matter what the circumstances are, you know what is inevitably going to happen in every other movie to some major degree. In every film a group of people cheat death. Whether they are on a high school trip or a work retreat does not matter as much as the fact that death got screwed out of a couple of extra bodies. One of the people cheating death has a premonition of impending doom right before the life-changing event happens. This allows him to get a small group together and to get them to safety. Of course, death doesn’t like to be cheated so people end up dying regardless of getting out of that original danger.

In theory, this sounds like an awesome plot for a movie, and it is pretty awesome. It’s awesome the first time. I can only assume that the thing that keeps people coming back to the box office for each additional Final Destination are the kills in the movies. While nothing in any of these films is particularly scary, there is an art to causing someone’s death during Lasik surgery that would have gone fine, except for the water that drenched the computer and made the laser heat up, causing the patient’s eye to be burned and eventually cause her to fall out a window after tripping on the missing eye of a teddy bear.

While the plot, though basically predictable, did not get on my nerves, there was something that did. The idea of the movie coming full circle was so annoying to me (once I figured out what that meant) that I considered throwing the Blu-ray out the window in protest. Final Destination 5 serves as a missing piece in a puzzle that was never missing a piece to begin with (and you can only understand what I mean by this if you’ve seen this or have read about the twist ending). They could have come up with nearly anything else and I might have tried to say something nice. I hated this idea. I hated it once I figured out that’s where they were going (I didn’t catch the twist until the end, mind you) and I hate it now as I write this. While the acting was fine and the kills had some interesting moments, the stupid full circle idea would make me consider a number of movies I probably wouldn’t want to watch before watching this again.

The Final Destination 5 Plot
It feels almost silly writing this section because anyone that has seen any of the Final Destination films already knows the plot. A group of people cheat death and death comes looking for them. Still, I will attempt to offer you a few more specifics about this cast of characters and how they are able to cheat death.

Sam Lawton (Nicholas D’Agosto) is caught between two jobs, one he loves as a chef, and another where he works in an office with his friends and his on-again, off-again girlfriend Molly (Emma Bell). When the movie starts we learn that Sam and his co-workers at the office will be going on a work retreat. After the breakfast Sam made them, they will board a bus and head off into the great unknown for some team building things and some time alone. Unfortunately, it’s a little windy outside and the suspension bridge the bus is going over is being worked on by construction. One thing leads to another and Sam is seeing some pretty wicked visions including co-workers impaled on sails and falling head first into the water as they fall out of the bus.

Naturally, these visions do not sit well with Sam, especially when he realizes that the same things are happening. He urges everyone to get off the bus. While not all of them listen, a small group does, and naturally those are the ones that manage to cheat death. Among Sam and Molly are his best friend (who does a horrible, yet amusing impression of Tom Cruise throughout the whole movie) Peter (Miles Fisher), Peter’s girlfriend and office intern Candice (Ellen Wroe), the company boss, Dennis (David Koechner), eye-catching office assistant, Olivia (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), the likable warehouse foreman, Nathan (Arlen Escarpeta), and the no-good weirdo, Isaac (P.J. Byrne).

Death, not liking the idea of being cheated, goes after each and every one of the survivors in order to fix the wrongs that Sam created by getting them off the bus. Eventually, the group figures this out when the helpful coroner (Tony Todd) explains the details about death’s unwillingness to be cheated. Of course, he also tells them that they have the option of offering death another person’s life which would allow them to take that person’s lifespan and not have to die. While some view this as a viable option, others do not and one by one, they all begin to pay the price.

Storyline/Plot: 2 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
While Warner Bros goes all out for the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer of Final Destination 5, the film, at times, has a muted feel to it. Truthfully, the CGI-kills look decent. That’s the advantage of a mainstream series – the horror does look better than the cheese so often experienced with low-budget horror. Still, I would hardly call this worthy of a horror distinction. The only similarity this film has with standard horror is the amount of deaths that occur, with humorous yet gruesome clarity.

Final Destination 5 is presented at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The color palette is dark and sinister for this film. Skintones are solid, blacks are rich, and the vibrant array of colors that accompany the special effects present a realistic color palette. It makes the film look even more realistic than its convoluted nature implies. There are minor instances of artifacts present, but these are few and far between. If only the movie were as good as it looks, visually.

The best part of the entire film, no lie, is the superb audio. The deaths look and sound realistic, even if every single death is ridiculous and could only happen in a movie. Warner Bros. went all out for the Blu-Ray with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio surround track. The sound effects come through with chilling clarity and the atmospheric soundtrack builds to a crescendo with every single kill. The booming sound echoes through multiple channels, with rear speaker activity enhancing the already robust front channels. This is a full, clear sound with no discernible audio foibles. For the most part, the dialogue is clear and even so you can hear it without too much volume toggling. If you are more into the auditory than the visual this film will definitely awaken and tease your senses.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The lamest part of the film, beyond its lack of plot, of course, is the fact that fans of this ending franchise get screwed when it comes to special features. There are absolutely no special HD features or easter eggs hidden. What you see is what you get and its mediocre, at best. What is here, is technically in HD, but that’s the quality of the film.

The bonuses are really just a series of Alternative Death Scenes (16 minutes worth – can we say OVERKILL?) that appear to be incredibly similar to what is already in the film and a couple of fairly uninteresting featurettes.

The featurettes include:

‘Final Destination 5:’ Circle of Death: This explains the twist in the film and it also ruins the already abysmal “ending” of the film. If you don’t want to know the twist, watch this after you check out the film.

Visual Effect of Death: Collapsing Bridge: This is not a how they did it feature. It is, instead, a split screen before and after of the shooting of the scene. You need to figure out how it was accomplished for yourself.

Visual Effects of Death: Airplane Crash: This is just like the last featurette, only it is for the plane crash, not the collapsing bridge.

Overall, what is here is pretty crappy and is a disservice to the five or so people who are totally into this series.

Bonus Features: 0.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Final Destination is one of those franchises that makes a lot of money based on how interesting the deaths are for the characters. This is a huge series full of nameless actors that really do not matter unless their characters are dying in interesting ways. If that is all you’re interested in seeing in a film, then you are going to LOVE Final Destination 5. If you are looking for something a bit more cerebral, you know, with say, a plot, then you are going to find this film and all but perhaps the first in this franchise, to be a major let down. Fans of the franchise get screwed in the extras department, so if you really want to see this, I recommend waiting until it comes on cable.

Overall Rating: 2.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Final Destination 5, Warner Bros, Blu-ray, Movie Review, BD Review, Final Destination, Tony Todd

Release Info:
Original Release Date:
DVD Release Date: October 18, 2011
Online Availability: Amazon for $15.99

In my house, Pirates of the Caribbean is a tradition. My nephew, who is seven years old and convinced that he will one day be a pirate (he enjoys their work ethic), demands it. He has loved Captain Jack since he was old enough to speak. He has grown up with the movies and he continues to love them as he gets older. It’s hard not to like a movie with elements of fantasy, drama, and fun that is also well-acted and has great special effects.

Of course, there were some big changes to this, the fourth installment in the Pirates series. The biggest changes have to do with the acting talent. Both Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom are absent from this film, as At World’s End implied. On the plus side, the talented Ian McShane has been added to the mix, portraying Blackbeard.

Stepping away from the role of the aunt that has a nephew obsessed with Captain Jack, I have to say there were some pluses and minuses to this film. The biggest problem I encountered was that many of the new characters were undeveloped so I did not gain any true interest in them or care what happened to them. Another issue I had was that things felt like they had been done before. This is most likely because I had watched them in the previous films. Since we have all seen Captain Jack escape from the law, other pirates, or some other evil force, we can’t help but want each escape to feel new and fresh. In this case, I can’t say that they did.

Logically, I know this film was made to make money. From a business sense another film was going to be made whether or not it should have been. The loss of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley (The Duchess) eliminated the love story that many disliked, but it left a hole in the series, as well.

What is left is the addition of two main characters, Blackbeard (Ian McShane – LoveJoy) and his daughter, a former love interest of Captain Jack, played by Penelope Cruz. Cruz seems to be there because of her body and the remarkable way in which she can appear to be Captain Jack. Otherwise, her character seems rather pointless. On the other hand, the skill of McShane and the lore of Blackbeard give this series so many places to go. Sadly, McShane is underutilized. The story is rather bland and though his interpretation is good, there are few places for him to take the role with what he is given.

What I loved, beyond seeing McShane man his own pirate ship, was the interesting spin on the use of fantasy characters. The Mermaids were quite different than the ones we’re used to seeing. The beginning of the movie had parts that made me consider falling asleep, but as things progressed I was interested enough to watch the movie. I can’t (and won’t) say that it’s my favorite of the four, but it serves its purpose for Pirates fans. A fifth film has been confirmed. One can only hope that when they continue with the series they will return to some of the things that made each movie whimsical and delightful every time you watch it.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Plot
Captain Jack has lost his ship and has narrowly escaped more trouble, only to dive head first into some new and dangerous adventures. It seems that everyone is on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. King George II of London wants Captain Jack to locate the Fountains before the Spanish find it. The Spanish hired Jack’s old shipmate, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) who is one leg and a Black Pearl lighter these days, to find the Fountain first.

While Jack declines the offer in his own subtle way, he soon ends up captured by Blackbeard (McShane) and his daughter, Angelica (Cruz) on his ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge. It seems that Blackbeard has heard about the ability of the Fountain to extend one’s life under the right circumstances and he wants to make sure that he lives as long as he can. In order to extend your life, you need to drink water from one of two silver chalices and the chalice that you drink from must contain a mermaid’s tear. If you drink from the chalice with a mermaid’s tear you shall live an extended life. The other person drinking will not.

Jack and crew are attacked by mermaids, capture a mermaid, and see the power of the Fountain work its mysterious ways, even though things don’t go according to plan for some. On Stranger Tides offers supernatural forces, mermaids, intrigue, a budding (but not fully developed) love story, and the promise of a potential sequel/addition to the series for some.

Now remind me why I almost fell asleep again?

Storyline/Plot: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Disney always does 3D films justice, so when I put On Stranger Tides into the player I wasn’t expecting to be let down on a visual front. The thing that separates this film from some of Disney’s other recent 3D offerings is that On Stranger Tides was filmed in 3D. The dark scenes manage to come out beautifully and with little problem, but the city of London is miraculously gorgeous when color and a lighter image comes into view. Of course, the scenes on Queen Anne’s Revenge also stand out, as well, when it comes to being visually stunning. There are some consistency issues concerning the 3D, which can be a pain. However, if you like the thrills and pops of images that come from 3D this shouldn’t disappoint. Of course, if you have no access or use for 3D you might find a better visual quality on the 2D offerings that do not have some of the same visual issues with consistency that can be a problem with the 3D version.

When you hear a near flawless DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack you generally won’t have anything to complain about. Frankly, this soundtrack was created to shine and it does. This type of movie is perfect for a robust sound platform. You get all the right sounds with the level of intensity that should match them. The fights sound wild, the waves crash with ferocity, and the dialogue is always easy to hear. There really is nothing bad to say about the sound for On Stranger Tides. It is absolutely fabulous. Naturally, as with most Disney releases a host of other audio tracks and languages are available, as well as subtitles.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a number of special features available in the combo pack for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The majority of the features are available on both discs, but the Blu-ray does have some special options, so if you’re into the features your money would be best spent on the combo pack.

The Audio Commentary is offered by Rob Marshall and John DeLuca. A lot of talk is devoted to the process of making the film, which is par for the course in many commentaries. They do mention a fair bit about the casting that was done, the art and set design, and the extras. In the end, this wasn’t the worst audio commentary that I’ve ever heard, but it certainly wasn’t the best.

Bloopers of the Caribbean: This is just a three minute set of gags and bloopers that happened on set.

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: Captain Jack’s Brick Tales: Here you have five Lego shorts. These are just recreated scenes from the movie. It would have been more exciting to see small shorts made up just for the purpose of having the Lego shorts. These aren’t as exciting because they are just re-done scenes that you’ve already watched. The only difference is that they are in Lego form.

Legends of On Stranger Tides: This is your basic making of feature that shows you various areas of production. There is some back patting that occurs, so be prepared for that, but there is also some pretty good moments with behind the scenes footage and interviews.

In Search of the Fountain: This is an eleven minute feature that looks at the basics of the film. This is one of the best features on the Blu-ray, with a look at the conceptualization of the film to the actual filming.

Last Sail, First Voyage: Ian McShane is the man of the hour in this feature. As Blackbeard, much of the film takes place on his ship. This feature is cool because they take the time to show how they transform the Black Pearl into Blackbeard’s ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Under the Scene: Bringing Mermaids to Life: This is a nine minute feature that looks at the visual effects involved in making these interesting (and occasionally hot) mermaids come to life!

Also included are trailers, nearly ten minutes of deleted and extended scenes, a two minute feature looking at the relationship between Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush, Disney’s Second Screen Technology, and a Digital copy of the film.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Pirates of the Caribbean is a good series, but this particular movie is not without it’s disappointments. The transition that comes with new characters and getting rid of some of the others, in order to tell a new tale leaves the series, as a whole, especially this movie, up to extreme criticism. Johnny Depp is always amusing as Captain Jack, but at this point, with this story, too many elements felt overdone, because they have been done before. You might want to rent this one before buying, unless you’re a die hard Captain Jack fan.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides, Blu-Ray, DVD Combo Pack, Review, Blu-Ray Review, Movie, Film, Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Disney, Pirates, Blackbeard

Synopsis: Devastated by the sudden death of his parents at the height of The Depression, a young dreamer from the wrong side of the tracks, Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson), abandons his veterinary studies at Cornell University. With no other family, no house, and no money, Jacob stows away on a train carrying the circus performers of The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Hired as a veterinarian to care for the troupe’s animals, Jacob is temporarily filled with the promise of an exciting life that comes with a traveling circus troupe.

However, as he builds a rapport and falls in love with the star of the show, Marlena (Witherspoon), they become prey to the circus’s owner, Marlena’s violent and abusive husband August (Waltz). As the circus begins to crumble from within and against all odds, Jacob and Marlena come together and fall in love through their compassion for a special elephant. With their love on the line, Jacob and Marlena come to a crossroads that will forever change their destiny.

Technorati Tags: Water for Elephants, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Circus, DVD, Bluray, Movie, Romantic Drama, Video

Release Info:
Original Release Date: December 24, 1986
DVD Release Date: May 24, 2011
Online Availability: Amazon for $15.49

Platoon is finally on Blu-Ray. As its star Charlie Sheen would now say, “winning”! Of course, I find it terribly difficult not to be distracted by the off screen image Sheen has created for himself. What the Tom Cruises and Charlie Sheens of the world do not realize is that their insanity, which spews across the tabloids and regular news sources alike, is detrimental to their career. I used to like Sheen as an actor, but every time I see his smug mug I think of all the insane things he has said and done in his drug induced state. It is the same reason I have trouble watching Grease, after seeing Jeff Conway on Celebrity Rehab, and realizing what a slimeball drugs made him.

Back in the day, actors had to maintain an image, and with good reason. Sure, some of their secrets (like Rock Hudson being gay) have leaked into the public, over time, but their pristine image while in Hollywood for so long makes it easier to overlook what some would call Hollywood discretions. Today, celebrities are of a different ilk. They will act out however they can, and believe it or not, it does affect their image. Some will watch because they are a train wreck, but most just do not want to bother. It taints their previous work, and sadly, Platoon falls victim to this.

Oliver Stone seems to be one of those directors you either love or hate. I happen to love him. Platoon is certainly one of his shining achievements. He both wrote and directed it. They say write what you know and he definitely knows a thing or two about Vietnam. His personal voice about his experiences in Vietnam are clearly echoed throughout the plot and characters. I can see a lot of his own personality come out through the character, Chris Taylor (Sheen). It’s a shame Sheen has made himself such a laughing stock, because first person perspectives on Vietnam are rare in such unbridled quality and captured so well into the imaginations of those who could not imagine experiencing what these soldiers did, first hand.

Brimming with a who’s who of famous stars (Defoe, Beranger), the film does not suffer from any plot deformities or other problems from which the majority of films today suffer. This is why Stone’s film won a slew of Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. You gotta feel sorry for Oliver Stone. He had no idea, some 25 years ago when he hired Charlie Sheen that the guy would go berserko on the world and make himself, and everything he ever starred in, look like the resume of Ronald McDonald. Unfortunately, as good as a film as Platoon is, in order to watch it, it has to become a whole lot more fictional. You really have to suspend your disbelief and try to pretend you have no idea who Charlie Sheen is, so you can actually enjoy watching this movie.

On a side note, Platoon hits home with me in a myriad of ways. I knew a soldier like Chris Taylor, who signed up to serve in Vietnam, proud to go fight for his country. Like Taylor, he became disillusioned with what was going on in Vietnam and with war, in general. This led to many problems for him, and every time I think about Vietnam, my mind goes to him, and what he went through.

The Platoon Plot
This is the tale of an all-American soldier, who signs up to go to Vietnam. He chooses to drop out of school, so that he can go to war and serve his country. This bright eyed soldier is in for a rude awakening, because all of his expectations about what war is and what serving his country means are going to change who he is when they are thrown to the wayside.

It is 1967 and Chris Taylor (Sheen) is on his way to serve with the Bravo Company,1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division somewhere near the border of Cambodia. Taylor struggles in deplorable living conditions and though the more experienced soldiers seem reluctant to befriend him, his only means of holding on to his desire to fight and serve is to admire and respect them. With every passing day, his expectations change and how he feels about the war and fighting is darkened.

Taylor and his battalion face many obstacles. They are ambushed repeatedly. Decisions they make in the field about civilians often lead to moral conundrums. Two of the leaders, Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) have very different methods of fighting and how they should go about conducting themselves in combat situations. This creates tension among the men, as well as a divide in the ranks, some siding with Barnes and others siding with Elias. This eventually leads to the demise of many soldiers and raises even more questions about morality.

Issues of death by friendly fire arise, and Taylor gets in trouble for passing off his ambush duty patrol on another soldier, Junior. When Junior falls asleep, the unit is ambushed by the NVA (North Vietnamese Army), and at least one soldier is killed. Taylor is the one who faces trouble for the matter, even though he has a flesh wound from the incident. As things become more intense, the stakes rise. Taylor is able to work his way into friendship with “the Heads” a group of soldiers who do questionable things, and he must make decisions that may result in guilt and denial later on, when he realizes all of the horrible things he himself has done in the name of this war.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Platoon has a vastly improved image on Blu-Ray. The film is presented in 1.85 widescreen, with a AVC-encoded, 1080p high definition transfer. If you own this on DVD you will be pleasantly surprised by the upgraded detail. Fans of Blu-ray should not be disappointed. The colors are natural and do not appear over-enhanced or forced. Many of the little details are enhanced, as well, which makes for a nice sight. Even the black levels are upgraded, though I will admit that they are not necessarily up to par when compared to brand new films. Still, the weaker black levels are the only bad thing that I can say about this visual quality. The details and colors are a step above all previous versions and there is little to no grain or visual problems that become distracting to the eye.

When it comes to audio, Platoon has been given the lossless, DTS-HD MA 5.1 treatment. However, what you receive is kind of a mixed bag. While the audio sounds much better than in previous offerings, this is not anything that sounds like a modern film in this genre. You notice the background noise more than in the DVD, which is good due to the setting. The sound levels show balance, so you can always hear the dialogue clearly regardless of what is going on in the background. The music is a welcome part of the mix, as well, with catchy tunes that move the story forward. The sound effects offer a bit more in terms of the harsh realities of war, which is another welcome change. You can also hear the original mix, should you wish to change the audio format. Platoon also comes in a variety of languages including Spanish, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, and Italian. Czech and Hungarian tracks are also available. Subtitles are available in all of the same languages and Polish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Greek, and a number of other languages.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
If you don’t own the DVD version of Platoon you will find this Bluray set to include numerous awesome features that only add to the movie that you’ve just purchased. However, if you own the DVD and are looking for an upgrade, you might not find much more here than you already have on your DVD. There is a lot of content here, but much of it seems to be ported over from the previously sold, special edition Platoon DVD.

Things get rolling with a commentary from Oliver Stone. I am not usually a huge commentary fan, as I prefer to just watch the film, but this was pretty interesting. Stone talks a lot about his Vietnam experiences and the similarities that he managed to capture on film. Film buffs will like his commentary when it comes to talks about jungle shoots and locations. If you have not heard this one, I highly recommend giving it a listen. It was worth it. Another commentary is also available. The second comes courtesy of Captain Dale Dye. If you are curious about the realism in terms of the militaristic details of the film and of war, you will love this. I preferred Stone’s of the two, but this was also definitely worth enjoying and it did give me plenty of information.

There are also a number of featurettes, including:

“Flashback to Platoon“: This opening featurette spans nearly an hour and offers a three part look at what goes into making a movie. As with most of these kinds of featurettes you will see plenty of cast and crew interviews alongside information on the period and the historical aspects of the film. While I highly recommend watching this, there is some overlap from the commentary so be prepared for that should you watch this.

“One War, Many Stories”: This feature lasts for twenty five minutes and consists of interviews that are with various Vietnam vets. Each person is gracious enough to share their stories of the war. I found this to be fairly compelling, especially when Stone chimed in on his own experiences.

“Preparing for ‘Nam”: This is a seven minute featurette that offers interviews from vets (and Stone) about their choice to enlist and the preparation they went through when it came to heading to war.

“Caputo and the 7th Fleet”: This is one of the smaller features, coming in at just about two minutes. It deals with Phillip Caputo and the 1975 evacuation of Saigon.

“The Dye Training Method”: This looks at how Dale Dye whipped the actors into shape and made them appear to be soldiers.

“Gordon Gekko”: This one minute snippet looks at the relationship between two of Stone’s movies; Platoon and Wall Street.

Along with these featurettes are around ten minutes of deleted scenes. You can watch these with the commentary or via the menu. Television spots and the theatrical trailer are also included. All in all, this is a pretty good set of bonuses, though it goes without saying that it’s a letdown that only the trailer is available in high definition, with everything else coming in standard.

Bonus Features: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
While I have always liked Platoon, I had trouble re-watching it, because every time I saw Charlie Sheen, I wanted to yell “winning!” at the screen. If you are stronger than I am and can look past Sheen’s buffoonery, then you may want to give this Blu-Ray copy a try. It looks great, has a decent amount of bonus features, and it does feature an Academy Award winning story by an Academy Award winning director. If you can look past the insanity of Charlie Sheen, you will see Platoon has a true message about war and survival, and that kind of perspective is always good to have, especially during times of war in this nation.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Platoon, Blu-Ray, DVD Combo Pack, Review, Blu-Ray Review, Movie, Film, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Keith David, Johnny Depp, Vietnam

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: February 8, 2011
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

Yet another convoluted chick flick has been created for the masses to pan. While I think it’s a little harsh of critics to claim this is the worst film ever (I wonder if they’ve seen the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, per chance). However, when it comes to the spectrum of lameness, You Again ranks pretty high. I am not sure if I can even imagine the potential for laughs given the nature of the storyline involved in this film. What laughs do come are lackluster and half-hearted, as you laugh more at the actors and less at them in their roles.

I wasn’t exactly expecting to go into watching You Again and coming out of the experience a changed man. I’ve seen enough “chick flicks” to know the formula of these kinds of films. I’d be shocked if one of them ended with the couple in shambles (or worse, divorced and miserable) with no semblance of a happy ending anywhere in their near future. It’s all about the happy ending. However, when I hear Rom Com, I expect at least a few, minor laughs, if only at the absurdity of the situation. Some actors, like Adam Sandler, have made the Rom Com genre just funny enough to stomach. Typically, it is the actors who dictate whether the Rom Com is worth stomaching (as well as their influence/input on the script for the film), so needless to say, I had minor, fleeting hope that I wouldn’t want to vomit in my mouth at every second while watching this film, just because of the cast.

The cast for You Again is decent. It’s a bit depressing to see Jamie Lee Curtis as a “Mom” and no longer a scream queen. It makes me feel old. Sigourney Weaver isn’t too bad herself. Add in some Betty White, Chloris Leachmann (two of the queens of comedy), Cheno (Goddess of the voice), and Victor Garber (the King of the stage), and you have some talented actors on your hands. Unfortunately, not even these actors, nor Bobby Ewing himself, who hasn’t been seen since his days on Step by Step, can save the pathetic script, lackluster attempts at humor or revolving, redundant storylines. Essentially, you will find more pleasure from tossing this Blu-Ray/DVD combos’ case against the wall than you will watching You Again.

You may be saying to yourself, but “Dominick” isn’t a Rom Com fan. I am definitely not a fan of the most pathetically unauthentic genre. I can’t stand these types of films, but I can at least respect the fact that there is an audience for these kinds of films. I won’t step on the feet of those who like a good Rom Com. However, I am of the firm belief that not even the most devoted of Rom Com fans will enjoy You Again. It is just that horrible. I know Jamie Lee is busy doing Activia commercials and must be grateful for any movie work she gets, but starring in You Again just seems desperate.

The You Again Plot
Back in the early 21st Century, Marni (Kristen Bell) was a wholly unattractive, braces-wearing, acne-ridden teenager. Like all nerdy, not so cool girls in school, she was teased unmercifully by the popular, beautiful girls. The worst offender is Joanna aka J.J. (Odette Yustman). Fast forward to 2010 and Marni is lookin’ good. She is a successful, PR rep in New York. When she heads home to her brother, Will’s (James Wolk) wedding, she soon discovers that Will is marrying the enemy, J.J. . I am not sure where she went to school, but apparently Will has no idea this is the hussy who ruined his sister’s life for all those years when she was ugly.

Marni remembers and cannot let it go, even though it seems J.J. does not recognize her. Marni is just waiting for the evil to emerge from her nemesis. To make matters worse, Will and Marni’s mom, Gail (Jamie Lee Curtis) is enemies with J.J’s aunt, Ramona (Sigourney Weaver). Ramona pushed Gail into a pool during their senior prom. The circumstances around this are mysterious, but the two women have vowed they have both moved past it. Of course, Gail spends all her time trying to outdo Ramona, who has become very successful, career-wise. Add in the fact that Grandma Bunny (Betty White) and Grandma Helen (Cloris Leachman) have also had their fair share of problems in the past, and these three generations from two different families are about to make things nearly impossible for the innocently clueless, Will.

Marni is certain J.J. hasn’t changed, so she attempts to get Will alone to explain who his future wife really is. When that fails, she sets out to find a time when J.J.’s true evil colors appear, so she can point it out to Will publicly. She wants the wedding to not happen and will do what she can to prevent it. She is certain J.J. hasn’t changed and her brother deserves so much better, so why would he want to marry J.J. in the first place? What it all boils down to is Marni stopping this wedding no matter the costs, because it is the right thing to do..so she thinks.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
You Again comes to Blu-ray with a lively 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that is much better than the movie as a whole. It’s always nice to see a Blu-ray that was shot on an HD camera because the transfer generally ends up being amazing. However, in this case, the transfer was wrapped around a crap-laden movie, which almost made it kind of sad. There seem to be no flaws in this area of the film. The background scenery pops in all the right places, the colors are vibrant and the blacks are rich. Everything has a huge amount of detail and crisp definition from the lines on people’s faces to the wrinkles in the costumes (when they occur). Dare I say it; it’s almost too perfect in this area. So, people that love film and all its possible imperfections might not be too fond of this transfer. However, it does succeed in offering a full view of this major flop.

The audio seems more in line with a movie like You Again. The transfer is acceptable, but it is by no means perfect. It succeeds for this type of movie and that’s fine, but it’s average. What you receive is a DTS-HD soundtrack that exists mainly for dialogue, with occasional sound effects and some musical moments. With this in mind, the sound should succeed because this is not an intense soundtrack. Still, things sound rather dull for the most part. The sound lacks that pop and the layering that allows you to feel like you’re in the middle of the scene. The background sounds are not strong enough to be distinguished from the foreground sounds in a believable manner. Things seem to be kept mainly to the front. This works to provide a dialogue-ridden track, but it won’t leave any impressed impressions on the quality of Blu-ray. French and Spanish 5.1 tracks are also available and subtitles are available in all three languages.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Special features are included here, though if you loathed the movie as much as I did, you probably aren’t going to watch them. There are some acceptable features here, though I would have much rather been watching paint dry or foreign commercials by the time I got to them, so that should say it all. On the off-chance that you liked this film, you probably will enjoy these, as well.

Following Fickman: On Set with the Director: This seven minute featurette has you following around Andy Fickman and it’s as sugary sweet as can be. Almost the entire time you hear about his amazing skill as a director. Why those skills were absent here is beyond me, unless of course, this was just your average bit of fluff to pad an already atrocious movie.

Ask the Cast: Betty White attempts to save this one minute long question and answer session with the cast by delivering as many punch lines as she can. I don’t hold it against her that this sucked. It does seriously suck, though.

Funny or Die: This three minute skit is probably the best thing I’ve mentioned so far, which isn’t saying much. It’s meant to be a promotional type interview but during the interview everyone decides to attack Kristen Bell.

Blooper Dance Party: This is a mix of bloopers and behind the scenes moments for the cast of You Again. If you want to see the cast goofing off and having fun, I suppose this would be the place to do it.

There is a selection of about eleven deleted scenes, some of which come with directorial introductions. Trailers are also included, as is a DVD, should you wish to watch that instead of the Blu-ray.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
You Again pretty much sucks as a movie. The only people I can see purchasing this film are those who want to see Betty White and Chloris Leachman rumble with one another. Even then, these two powerhouse, comedic actresses cannot save this film. The story is pathetic, uninteresting and there are hardly any laughs to be had. Disney should really stick to animation, because their comedies aren’t that great, anymore. If you want to laugh, your best bet is to check out Raising Hope and reruns of the Golden Girls, or Betty’s appearance on SNL. Now that’s humor! Otherwise, cut this one to the curb, run it over a few times to maul the DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack Box and ride off into the sunset to find a better movie that will actually entertain you.

Overall Rating: 1.57 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: You Again, Rom Com, Romantic Comedy, Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Betty White, Sigourney Weaver, Blu-Ray, DVD Review, Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, Touchstone

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: October 26, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $41.99

I have a love/hate relationship with The History Channel. It seems that too often the shows will promise an answer to a topic and string you along through the whole episode to leave you with nothing. However, these are the types of shows that I feel The History Channel does best. I could take or leave some of the Mythbusters type of programs that they offer, but I have always been a sucker for a good documentary. Of course, I have other reasons for enjoying shows like this, beyond pure entertainment value. As a homeschooling parent, programs like How the Earth Was Made not only entertain and teach me, but they allow me to use the program in my son’s school work. Shows like this hold his attention more than just reading books and they give us a chance to discuss the things that he learns while watching each episode.

How the Earth Was Made is one of the more science-oriented shows on The History Channel. Taking a secular look at the creation of the Earth, the series discusses the geological forces that would have the ability to create the Earth or rather, parts of the Earth. This is not a series that gives you bubblegum answers about possible ways the Earth was created. Instead, scientific experts study specific elements and answers of the world and inform the viewer on how such a process could occur. For example, you learn how the Great Lakes could have been formed or you learn about the San Andreas Fault.

I was pleased at the results of the show, offering pretty firm conclusions to the cause or event that produced certain parts of the Earth. I was even more pleased that our son enjoyed the show, as well. Unfortunately, it seems too often that children (young or older) get bored with anything that could be deemed educational programming. While younger kids probably won’t enjoy the scientific documentary style, older kids and adults that are interested in science and that enjoy documentaries mixed with visual demonstrations and cues should enjoy How the Earth was Made.

The How the Earth was Made: Complete Season 1 Episode Guide

Without giving away too much of each episode we have listed the following few sentences for each episode to give you a better idea of the series as a whole. While all of the episodes were fairly informative some of our favorites were “San Andreas Fault,” “Great Lakes,” “New York,” and “Loch Ness.” That being said, all of the episodes were well thought out and offer a fair amount of information. While some of The History Channel series’ end up leave you wanting a better answer, How the Earth was Made manages to give you enough information to help you feel like you’ve learned something while entertaining you at the same time. The first season did a pretty good job at helping us look forward to the second season of the series.

Like many documentaries you are going to get a good view of stock images mixed with fresh film. This provides a mixed video quality, but a good format for the show, as a whole. Despite the mixed quality, I actually prefer the show the way that it is. Sure, the video is inconsistent at times, as a result, but the educational benefits seem much more rewarding when this format between past and present footage is utilized.

#1.1 – “San Andreas Fault” – In the first episode of the season, scientists and geologists take a look at the 800 mile, San Andreas Fault. It is believed that the San Andreas is long overdue for a major earthquake, so these specialists discuss the possibilities and ramifications of such an event occurring.

#1.2 – “The Deepest Place on Earth” – The deepest part of the Mariana Trench is also known as the Challenger Deep. While there has only been a small group that has been able to study this amazing rift, they come together to discuss this area that is known as the deepest place found on Earth.

#1.3 – “Krakatoa” – Located in Indonesia, the Krakatoa volcano is the site of the 1883 volcanic eruption that created a tsunami which later claimed thousands of lives. Scientists are on hand to discuss the possibility of this happening a second time.

#1.4 – “Loch Ness” – Scotland and the area of Loch Ness are being discussed. According to the geologists and other experts, Loch Ness was actually the product of ancient glaciers.

#1.5 – “New York” – If you’ve ever wondered about the history of New York in terms of what the area was like prior to its modern day state, this is the episode for you. This episode discusses the connection between New York and Africa, as well as the glaciers that carved the rock beneath the city.

#1.6 – “Driest Place on Earth” – The Atacama Desert in South America is the location of the episode for The Driest Place on Earth. To put things into perspective, it is said that the Atacama Desert is 50 times dryer than Death Valley. This episode looks at the location and explains how life can exist here, even in its simplest forms.

#1.7 – “Great Lakes” – This episode was particularly interesting for us, as we hail from the Great Lakes region of North America. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater unit on Earth though geologists believe the area was once an ancient seabed.

#1.8 – “Yellowstone” – The Yellowstone National Park is known for many things. This episode explores the caldera super volcano, which is located beneath the park. Scientists believe that the land is due for a massive eruption.

#1.9 – “Tsunami” – In this episode on Tsunamis, you learn how they are created and what could happen if a mega-tsunami were to hit the east coast of the United States in a tragic series of events.

#1.10 -”Asteroids” – One theory about the creation of the Earth, is that the planet came about with the help of asteroids. This theory is discussed, along with a look at the Barringer Meteor Crater that is located in Arizona. Scientists delve into how the crater came to be and what happened to the meteor that actually created it.

#1.11 – “Iceland” – This episode centers on the geological history of Iceland. Interestingly enough, the episode points out that the country was formed due to a combination of glaciers and volcanoes both having a hand in the creation of what is now Iceland.

#1.12 – “Hawaii” – This episode looks at the Hawaiian Islands and the mystery of how the chain formed the way that it did. Various predictions about the future of the island are also discussed.

#1.13 – “The Alps” – The final episode for season one looks at the Alps mountain range, which is located in Europe. One of the most interesting discoveries in this episode is that it is believed (thanks to marine fossil evidence) that the land was at one time actually below sea level.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
As mentioned briefly in earlier sections, the video quality for How the Earth was Made tends to be hit or miss. The reason for this is that past, stock footage is blended with current film. At the very least, you are going to notice some differences as a result. Still, there aren’t any major problems here that make me resent the idea of this show being on a Blu-ray. Sporting a 1080i, MPEG-4 transfer, How the Earth was Made looks good, but not spectacular. The biggest problem that I was able to take note of was noise and that was only an occasional occurrence. The new video spots were as clear and bright as one would expect. You have to expect that some of these older stock photos would have minimal issues if nothing else and that is what you receive. Beyond that small issue, the colors are good and the picture offers a noteworthy amount of detail, which adds to the show as a whole.

The audio track for How the Earth was Made is a DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix. I can only assume that something higher wasn’t picked because of the basic dialogue needed for the series. That being said, the audio does not have any major issues. It doesn’t wow you, of course, it’s mainly dialogue so it never really needs to. Overall, it’s a fair audio presentation.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Perhaps the worst thing about this entire set is that no special features were included. I suppose I can understand the absence, but it would have been nice to have something, even if it were only one or two featurettes.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Despite the lack of special features, science lovers will really enjoy this set. How the Earth Was Made comes through with a decent transfer overall and includes content that is both interesting and informative. If you aren’t sure about your interest in the subject I would recommend trying to catch this on The History Channel or looking it up through your DVR or on the History Channel website. However, if you know you love science and have enjoyed other shows on The History Channel then this is going to be worth the purchase. If that is the case, we recommend you pick this up. Everyone else should at least rent it to see if it might be to their liking.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: TV Show Review, Blu-Ray, How the Earth was Made, Complete Season 1, TV Show, Television, A&E, A&E Home Video, TV on Blu-Ray, History

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: May 25, 2010
DVD Release Date: September 14, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $26.99

I am a gamer. I love gaming. I love games that involve shooting, action/adventure, and swords. I love me some Prince of Persia. There is action, adventure, swordfights, and more. The fights are the best. Getting into them and really letting loose on the ol’ game console is an exhilarating experience. However, making a movie about games has not always paid off in the past. To make the movie successful, it has to be full of the same elements the game made famous. For example, Lara Croft had to feature lots of kick butt action and a sexy woman. Angelina Jolie brought that to the first Tomb Raider movie. Fans did not watch to get something significantly cerebral from the movie. We watched it because Angelina Jolie is super fine and there were some crazy fun action sequences.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time had to be like Tomb Raider. It had to contain elements that made this game series so successful. Essentially, it had to have a fun, Persian setting and insanely cool fighting sequences. If the movie did not bring it when it came to action then the entire film would be screwed and those of us who were Prince of Persia fans would be pissed off. Well, let me tell you now. When it comes to action, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time brought it! The action sequences are downright dirty and kept me completely enthralled. They are the best parts of the movie and what kept me watching.

As much as I enjoyed the film aesthetically, I also found certain parts of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to be hilarious. These moments primarily revolve around the love story between Dastan, the prince of Persia, and Princess Tamina. When I say that Newell and his cast threw on the cheese, I mean it. This is a typical love story. It is the girl meets boy – girl despises boy – boy does stuff to keep girl despising boy – girl sees something about boy that makes him likable – girl falls in love with boy. Along the way, boy finds it amusing to tease and perhaps even torture girl and the audience finds it equally amusing as he does. It was obvious that the creators of this film were trying to appeal to men with the action and women with the love story. Girls will love this story because it is classic, but most guys will think it’s cheesy and will not care because hey, the fight scenes rock.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I did enjoy Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I watched it with my girl and while she enjoyed the cat and mouse games between Dastan and Tamina, I spent my time marveling at how sweet the fight sequences were. These are the types of fights you would experience in a game like Assassin’s Creed, which is one of my all time favorite game franchises. Because of this, as a viewer, you practically feel like you are a part of the action. As a gamer, there is no better feeling and as a movie goer, you hope that other action films take their cue from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and make their fight scenes as kick ass as these fight scenes.

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Plot
When a young orphan named Dastan (William Foster) stands up for what he believes is right, during King Sharaman’s (Ronald Pickup) visit amongst his people in the Persian Empire, the intelligent and caring King is impressed. Despite having two sons already, Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell), the king adopts Dastan, who accepted by his royal family as one of them. Overseeing the king’s reign and helping to raise the boys is his twin brother, Nizam (Ben Kingsley).

Once the boys are older, Tus is in charge of his father’s army, while Garsiv and Dastan run their own teams of men, who fight for them. Dastan runs a ragtag group who is constantly looking to prove themselves. When Nizam advises Tus to attack the ancient city of Alamut, because they are supposedly selling arms to enemies of Persia, Dastan looks to lead in the attack. Tus, thinking he is not ready, gives the advanced attack to Garsiv and his men. However, the night before, Dastan and his men make sure that his brother’s army can enter the city, by immobilizing it’s massive sets of guards, and therefore proving he and his men do have what it takes to get the job done. This, of course, makes Garsiv unhappy.

Princess Tamina, who is charged with guarding a sacred dagger, is shocked when Dastan shows up with the dagger. With no choices left, she agrees to marry Tus to reach a peace agreement, but the King has other plans for her. When the King arrives he is very upset that Tus has attacked without being certain that the city was dealing arms. He also thinks that Tus has enough wives for now and that Dastan should take Tamina as his first wife, a fact both abhor. However, nothing can be decided, as the gift Dastan gives his father, a robe Tus had prepared for him, has been poisoned and burns him to death.

When Dastan is blamed for the murder, he must escape and surprisingly, it is Tamina who leads him on the escape. After getting him out of the city, he is grateful, but she has ulterior motives. She wants the dagger, which contains the sands of time, and when pressed can turn back time, since she is its guardian. Not understanding the power of the dagger initially, Dastan sets out to prove his innocence and find out who was responsible for his father’s death. With his brother, Garsiv, hunting him down this is not easy. Along the way they meet a crazy entrepeneur Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), and his knife-wielding African friend Seso (Steve Toussaint). Along the way he, and Tamina, discover an evil plot far bigger than they imagined, involving the theft of the dagger, and an attempt to change the past to ruin the future.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a gamers movie in all possible visual aspects. Disney has been known for putting out amazing Blurays for years now, but this one seems to go above and beyond what I’ve come to expect from them. Like usual there are no compression errors, the color is perfect, and there is an excellent blend of background ambiance to go with the up front graphics. You could not possibly ask for more. The graphics will leave you stunned if you have never played the game behind the film and if you have you will probably love them even more. The finest detail comes to life in Prince of Persia including, but not limited to the sand as it drifts through the air and the stubble on Gyllenhaal’s face. The scenary is nothing short of perfection and the special features just wrap things up nicely, complementing the entire film in just the right ways.

The visual aspects of Prince of Persia are further complimented by a strong, impressive DTS HD MA 5.1 soundtrack that hits all the right marks and leaves you completely satisfied by the end of the film. Audio cannot be understated in an action film. Gamers would expect nothing less than what they received here. There is something satisfying about hearing the clash of the swords, the racing feet of the ostriches in the marketplace, and the blowing sand as it propells the story forward. The dialogue is always crisp, clear, and right on target. The music offers a robust aspect to the soundtrack and the sound effects are excellent. Even the background noise works to get a nice layered sound. Best of all, everything is clear and nothing overpowers any other aspect of the films sound. Needless to say, both gaming fans and action movie fans should love this audio presentation. Additional audio tracks are available in French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are also offered in English, Spanish, and French.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The only place that Disney really fails Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is with the special features. Sure, you receive BD Live functionality, a plethora of sneak peaks (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Fantasia/Fantasia 2000, The Lion King, A Christmas Carol, Toy Story 3, and others), and a few minutes of deleted scenes, but that isn’t all that impressive.

The most disappointing part comes in the CineExplore: The Sands of Time feature. There are between forty and fifty featurettes here that span for about two hours worth of content. Normally I would explain how utterly excellent these are (and they are excellent), but there is one main problem. As cool as these featurettes are and as in depth as they go with the behind the scenes knowledge, there is no play all feature. In fact, you have to watch the entire film, and wait for a prompt to access each featurette. As impressive as it is, it’s also a huge letdown.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time looks downright wicked in Blu-Ray and not too shabby in DVD, either. This is a fun action flick with some of the best fighting I’ve seen in a long time. This is not a thinking man’s movie nor is it a film you should take too seriously. The love story is full of cheesiness and yet you are bound to have a goofy grin while watching. Great for date nights, friend gatherings, or just to pass a few hours on the weekend, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has plenty of entertainment value, to the right audience. Just remember, it’s based on a video game and don’t bring The Godfather type expectations and you’ll be fine watching this film.

Overall Rating: 3.79 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Blu-ray, DVD Combo, Digital Copy, BD Review, Movie Review, Disney, Prince of Persia, Video Game, Action, Jake Gyllenhaal

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 31, 2010
DVD Release Date: August 17, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I am not a fan of Nicholas Sparks novel adaptations, but I am told the reason for that is that I have yet to watch any of them. I might have seen A Walk in the Clouds though the film presently escapes my mind, but I know I haven’t seen The Notebook. So, when The Last Song was announced I chalked it up to your basic chick flick and tried to ignore most news about it. I might have been interested if the main cast were different, but being what it was, I felt it left much to be desired.

The main problem that I have with The Last Song is that Miley Cyrus is the lead actress. Cyrus apparently thought that this would be the movie that would lead her away from the childhood success of her vehicle to fame, Hannah Montana. Depending on who you ask, the opposite happened. Much of the female audience was interested solely on the Sparks connection. The rest of the audience was between the age of eight and ten and wanted to see Cyrus in her new movie.

I have nothing against a “star” (I use that term loosely in Cyrus’ case) attempting to show off their talents by working on different genres of movies. However, if the actress or actor does not have the talent to handle the genre then there will be an obvious problem. The major issue with The Last Song is that it’s got all of the elements of a chick flick meets a Miley Cyrus movie.

In every part that Cyrus seems to play, she plays the disgruntled teenager with an attitude that at some point realizes some lesson and becomes a better person as a result. You know, your typical coming of age from a bratty teenager to an adult kind of thing. I don’t have a problem with this once, but we’ve seen it before and with The Last Song we’re seeing her do it again.

The thing is, she never has me convinced in her ability. While The Last Song does have a few redeemable performances in Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear, they aren’t enough to hold this sequel/twin flick of Hannah Montana: The Movie together. While the tween market might not agree that this movie is the same, it has a lot of similar features. Cyrus is falling to the wayside and becoming a bad girl so she is sent down South to live there and get back in touch with the things that matter. While there she meets a hot guy and love is found. She grows up, it’s pretty predictable, and it appeals mainly to her fan base even though it’s for an audience a little older than the one that is watching.

The Last Song Plot
Cyrus plays Ronnie, a 17 year old that seems to be nothing but an uncertain amount of trouble. She turned down a scholarship to Julliard and is your typical, emo teenager that has nothing to do and even less to prove. Due to her attitude, she is sent with her little brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) to Georgia to live with her dad, Steve (Kinnear). This appears to be a last ditch effort by the kids’ mom (Preston) to straighten Ronnie out. Of course, Ronnie is not thrilled about going to stay with her dad. She is incessantly whiny, wears a lot of black, and is generally annoying.

As with any notable chick flick it does not take long for romance to sneak up on you. In this case, it only takes Ronnie a day or two in Georgia and before she knows it, she meets the handsomest boy in town, Will (Liam Hemsworth). While Ronnie’s emotional wall might seem tough to crack at first (she did get milkshake on herself in the beginning, after all) some bonding over unborn sea turtles and a little persistence on the part of Will pays off and eventually the two are officially together.

True to every Nicholas Sparks movie there is some tearjerking heartbreak around the corner. It ends up that sickness has befallen one of the family and they do not have long to live. On top of this, Will is hiding a secret and as dumb as it is, it’s important enough to threaten the relationship he has with Ronnie.

As the movie progresses you will see walks on the beach, touching family moments, and two teenagers grow up, apart, and possibly together again if the right choices are made. With a better cast, this still probably would have been predictable, but it might have been a little more entertaining.

Storyline/Plot: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Last Song utilizes an AVC.MPEG-4 encode transfer which makes for a pretty nice looking picture. The transfer offered some nice moments of detail and the background, while simple, got the job done. This wasn’t a movie filled with special effects, but the long walks on the beach did offer a few good looking water shots. Some grain does appear in the softest amounts but it seems clear that this was intention to give it the appearance that it was shot on film. With this kind of film there would be no excuse for a poor transfer. Naturally, with most Disney blu-rays, this one looks just fine.

The audio is handled with an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. This might be a bit powerful for a dialogue driven chick-flick, but it handles it fine and there isn’t much to complain about. This isn’t going to be the movie to tax your surround sound, and in truth it doesn’t even come close. There is some background noise that comes through clearly and there is never any problem with the dialogue. I could have taken or left the music, but it sounded completely fine. So, all in all, the sound got the job done like it was supposed to.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
All of the special features found on the blu-ray disc for The Last Song are shot in 1080p. Considering this is a new movie there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case, but I felt it was worth mentioning. In addition to the Blu-ray you also have access to the DVD and a digital copy on the outside chance that you absolutely just love this film.

The special features include:
Alternative Opening “The Church Fire” with optional commentary by the director. This opening offered a different look and feel, but it doesn’t change the film much. It’s worth watching if you liked the movie, but it’s nothing that you will need to watch twice.

Five Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by the director. These five scenes did not make the cut of the movie. That alone should say it all. However, if you want to watch these you will end up with a few more minutes or so of additional content.

Set Tour w/ Bobby Coleman takes you on a five minute tour of the set with one of the youngest stars in the cast. You also get some brief interviews and behind the scenes looks in this segment.

The Making of “When I Look at You” offers a four minute look at the making of Cyrus’ music video for this film.

“When I Look at You” Music Video

Also included along with the previews is a commentary with the director. I had a hard time sitting through it merely because I had no interest in this film after sitting through it once. However, fans might find more value in it than I did.

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If this was the best that Nicholas Sparks had to offer I might just tell him to stick to writing novels and avoid adapting them for film. In any case, predictability aside, I think the real killer here was Cyrus. If I wanted to see Hannah Montana I would have turned on the Disney Channel. I appreciate that she is growing up and trying to move beyond her childhood career, but if she wants to play in big girl movies she’s going to need to up her game. Younger Cyrus teen fans might like this, but it’s going to fail in a big way for adult audiences. If you have to see it, rent it first.

Overall Rating: 2.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston, Nicholas Sparks, Disney, Bluray Review, Movie Review, Chick Flick

New High Definition Transfer Of Time Warp Cult Classic Debuts On Blu-ray Disc October 19

Let’s do the Time Warp again!

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment celebrates the 35th anniversary of the pop culture phenomenon The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the Blu-ray Disc debut on October 19. The greatest cult film of all time and still in limited release, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

A divine film adaptation from Richard O’Brien’s British musical horror comedy/rock opera, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White, The Rocky Horror Picture Show features revered performance by Tim Curry (Clue, Home Alone) as a bizarre and self-proclaimed “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” and Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking, Thelma and Louise) and Barry Bostwick (“Spin City”), as Brad and Janet, a couple who find themselves lost on a cold, rainy night. The madcap, musical mayhem begins when the couple takes refuge in the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter as he is about to unveil his greatest creation – and have a bit of fun with his reluctant guests.

Boasting a newly-restored high definition transfer and 7.1 audio sure to make fans shiver with an-tic-i-pation, the anniversary edition Blu-ray truly brings the Midnight experience home wtih exclusive new content including Rocky-oke: Sing It!, Picture-In-Picture Shadowcast Performance, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Shadowcasting documentary, as well as exclusive new content including BD-LIVE: Live Lookup Powered by IMDb, Photo Galleries, as well as Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary and more. For a limited time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary will be packaged in a collectible 24-page book featuring legendary photography from Mick Rock, best known for his iconic shots of rock and roll artists. Rock served as the chief photographer on the film.

Arriving in time for Halloween, The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Disc will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.99 U.S. / $37.99 CAN. Pre-book is September 8.

Selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” the film gained notoriety as a midnight movie when audiences began participating with the film in theaters. The film has entered the pop culture lexicon for its many iconic and memorable scenes, including the song “The Time Warp” which has been covered by handfuls of artists and the often quoted phrase, “Dammit, Janet.”

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 35th Anniversary Blu-ray Disc release is just one aspect of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s yearlong campaign to honor the studio’s 75th birthday. This year the division will debut several select fan-favorites on Blu-ray for the first time ever including
The Sound Of Music 45th Anniversary Edition, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Last of the Mohicans[i] and the Alien Anthology.

Blu-ray Specs:
Restored Picture – Brand New 4K/2K Master From The Original Camera Negatives
The Midnight Experience: The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture-in-Picture
Show *, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Trivia Track
BD-LIVE**: Live Lookup™ Powered by IMDb®
Rocky-oke *: Sing It!
Don’t Dream It, Be It: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part I
An-tic-i-pation: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part II
Mick Rock (A Photographer)
Mick Rock’s Picture Show (A Gallery)
Pressbook and Poster Gallery
Audio Commentary by Richard O’Brien and Patricia Quinn
Deleted Musical Scenes and Outtakes
Alternate Credit Ending and Misprint Ending
Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show
Beacon Theater, New York City
“Time Warp” Music Video

Technorati Tags: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blu-ray, Details, October Releases, Details, Tim Curry, Cult Classic

STARDUST: Fantastical Adventure Debuts on Blu-ray September 7, 2010 Featuring Deleted Scenes, a Blooper Reel, Extensive Making Of Featurette, a New Commentary and More

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – Prepare for a magical journey filled with witches, pirates, maidens and true love as STARDUST makes its Blu-ray debut on September 7, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. The epic adventure stars Claire Danes as Yvaine, the embodiment of a fallen star, who is pursued by the youthful and inexperienced Tristan (Charlie Cox) because he believes that retrieving the star will win him the heart of the village beauty (Sienna Miller). But a ruthless witch named Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) has other plans for Yvaine—she intends to eat her heart to gain eternal youth. As Tristan attempts to protect Yvaine, they encounter a number of wildly entertaining characters, including Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), a much-feared seafarer who is partial to performing the can-can. Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, the rollicking fairy tale is filled with action, humor and stunning visuals and will leave viewers believing in the power of true love.

The STARDUST Blu-ray features “Crossing the Wall: The Making of Stardust”, a new behind-the-scenes documentary that takes viewers on a journey into the supernatural kingdom of Stormhold, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, as well as a new commentary by writer and director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman and a new featurette entitled “Nothing is True…”

STARDUST Blu-ray:
The STARDUST Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Castilian Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin American Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH, French, Danish, German, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish subtitles. The disc includes the following new bonus features:

Commentary by writer and director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman
Crossing the Wall: The Making of Stardust (HD)
The Quest for the Stone…
A Portal to Another World…
What Do Stars Do?
A Quest of Enormous Importance…
Have You Seen a Fallen Star?
Nothing Is True…

The following previously released bonus features are also included on the disc:
Deleted Scenes
Blooper Reel
Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Technorati Tags: Stardust, Bluray, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Fantasy, Movie, Paramount