DVD Releases for Week of 12/18/2012
Well, the Christmas season is upon us and a whole sleigh full of DVDs have been released just in time to make it into a stocking or two!
'Resident Evil: Retribution' - The Umbrella's Corporation evil 'TiVirus' continues to wreak havoc on humanity as it continues it's path to turning everyone into flesh eating zombies. Which, when you think about it, where is the profit in that as ultimately everyone will become a zombie? Alice (Milla Jovovich, who I always like) is awaken from a state of suspended animation (apparently bought on while watching the last couple of entries to this franchise) to help save humanity. Too bad she couldn't save the viewers of this mess. Not that the other entries in the franchise were any good, but these are simply getting lazier and lazier. Unless you are one of the many ultimate fans, leave this mess on the shelf.
'Premium Rush' - Not a bad action movie held together by the outstanding Joseph Gordan-Levitt. While the story is a basic formula and the parts themselves are all recycled from any other action movie out there, the action sequences of bike messengers flying down the streets of New York with no brakes will leave you at the edge of your seat. Strong performances from the entire cast makes what could have been a basic film into a higher caliber rush!
'Killer Joe' - Give Matthew McConaughey a good story and an even better director in William Friedken and I will give you someone that I actually want to pay to go see again. Violent, darkly comic and full of scene stealing, dialogue chewing performances, 'Killer Joe' restores my belief in McConaughey as an actual actor! McConaughey is 'Killer Joe' a cop who is also a hired hit man, employed by a son wanting to kill his mother for the insurance. Unable to pay, brother must give up sister as sexual collateral. Rated NC-17 with good reason, 'Killer Joe' is a movie you will either love or hate, there is no in-between here and none should be taken. Not to be missed!
'Trouble with the Curve' - Often predictable and mostly underwhelming, 'Trouble with the Curve' is saved by the wonderful performances and chemistry of Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams as a father/daughter attempting to reconnect after years of distance. What works is not the story, we have seen this before, but the way that Adams and Eastwood interact. The grizzled Eastwood has become a master at playing to his age, never pretending to be anything other than the octogenarian he is. Adams very heartfelt performance is a perfect foil for Eastwood. When the two are on screen together, there is magic in the film; apart, it becomes a basic Lifetime story. It was nice to see Eastwood though and I am looking forward to a few more turns from him soon!
'Total Recall' - While terrific action sequences help an 'action' movie, there needs to be a solid plot and some good old fashioned humor to help level the film. 'Total Recall' benefits from some great action sequences and suffers from a lack of plot and humor; especially when you compare it to the original 1990 version with 'Ahnold'! Disappointing considering the stellar cast of Colin Ferrell, Kate Beckinsale and Bryan Cranston, however, with very little to fuel them in the script, we are forced to simply wait for each action sequence to commence. Not even the 'Director's Cut' offered in the BluRay version seems to help.
'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days' - Maybe I am forgetting my inner child, but the Wimpy Kid franchise is beginning to all look the same. A simple, situation comedy plot tied together in a 90 minute fluff piece intended to keep the grade schoolers in line while Mom and Dad snooze in the seat next to them. ZZZZ!
'Pitch Perfect' - With toe tapping musical numbers and terrific performances by the talented young cast, 'Pitch Perfect' evades what could have been a 'Glee' also ran! Entertaining, weird and completely endearing, 'Pitch Perfect' will have you illegally downloading music in no time at all! This is a wonderful bright and breezy comedy to lighten up the stress of holiday shopping!