DVD Releases for Week of 11/27/2012
A whole lot of releases this week - so Redbox is going to get quite the workout!
'Men In Black III' - While it doesn't capture the imagination and joy of the first MIB it does outshine the disappointing MIB II; that being said, it is not a great argument to continue the franchise! While the performance of Josh Brolin, doing his best Tommy Lee Jones impression, is well worth the price of admission, the franchise has become boring and reworked just a bit too much. At best it is a great straight to DVD movie and an OK evening for a $1.20 rental.
'Sparkle' - A little melodramatic and largely schmaltzy it will delight Mowtown fans. Largely Whitney Houstons swan song, 'Sparkle' should be enjoyed for it's musical numbers and ignored for it's trite and very predictable plot. Yet another ok use of your $1.20 rental (but no more than that!).
'ParaNorman' - Wonderfully animated with a solid script, 'ParaNorman' will entertain (and sometimes scare) the kids while keeping the adults involved as well! I love the stop motion animation with the 3D, it's an old school style that works very well with modern technology! It's a funny, touching story that is filled with many wonderful moments and some really good scares! When a town comes under siege by zombies, it is up to the outcast Norman to save the day! well worth the extra rental fee for the BluRay version!
'Lawless' - A bloodied and very grim tale of Prohibition in Virginia that is flawed but saved by some terrific acting and beautifully shot scenes. Tom Hardy is proving to be much more than an action star as one of Bondurant brothers who ruled the bootleg trade during the 1940s. The filmmaker strive for a 'Godfather' like epic and fall short. Not because of the acting, but the story itself is not really a 'Godfather' story. It is more of a 'Boardwalk Empire' type tale and should have been treated as such. It is still well worth the $1.20 rental at your local Redbox though.
'Step Up 4: Miami Heat' - A very generic and boring story surrounded by some pretty amazing dance moves; but it is not enough to even waste your $1,20 rental fee. Don't step up to this one, step back.
'The Apparition' - How do you make a horror movie that will literally put you to sleep? Ask the makers of 'The Apparition', they have the boring horror movie model down! ZZZZZZZZZ!
'The Day' - A group of 5 survivors wander a post apocalyptic countryside looking for food and shelter. Yes - it is as boring as it sounds. Bleak and filmed as if in perpetual grey, this is another better left in the kiosk rather than wasting your hard earned $1.20.