THE PLOT THUS FAR

Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Red 2” is an even bigger action-adventure which story moves all around the world from America to Russia and Europe. After trying to run the normal life, Frank realises he was targeted by some people. His friend joins him and also the wife, while figuring it out who it was the more characters comes around him and one of it was the famous Korean actor Lee Byung Hun. Because of him we are lucky to witness some real action sequences where the rest were old and weak. I guess that fits with the film somehow.

It is a very enjoyable film; it has great action scenes, the plot is solid and it has some very good performances. Anthony Hopkins is great; his role as Bailey is almost like Hannibal Lecter on happy pills. Helen Mirren is excellent yet again as the vicious Victoria and Mary-Louise Parker does well again as Sarah. However Bruce Willis does, at points, come across uncomfortably unconvincing; yet he’s good in other parts of the film. I am unfortunately losing hope in his ability; we are a million miles away from a certain John McClane. I think John Malkovich is a superb actor, but the dialogue and material he was given didn’t match his acting skills.

The DVD comes with a digital copy, deleted scenes, featurette and a gag reel. The Dolby 5.1 track is pretty expansive for a film like this. However, the standard definition transfer suffers from digital noise. It shows up throughout the Costco and related interior scenes. But, it eventually drops off. I’d recommend a purchase to fans.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” feels very derivative. Yes, I know it is adapted from the first in a series of successful novels, but even so, the film feels very similar to the other teen fantasies. It borrows elements from all them but doesn’t know to do with them and ends up veering towards a parody of the genre. This became particularly apparent during the scene where Clary and Jace first kiss – they are in a beautiful greenhouse, a love song kicks in and the sprinklers are turned on – which almost feels like someone parodying “Twilight”. Through into the mix a laughable twist that states that Johann Sebastian Bach was a Shadowhunter who composed classical pieces as a means of fighting demons.

Tightening the script and applying a more liberal hand at editing would have benefited City of Bones, considering how much the young actors flail at their main responsibility of emoting. Collins is passable in the lead role, likable but altogether vanilla. She lacks both the oddly engaging coldness of Kristen Stewart and the acting chops of Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, whose grounded performance in “The Hunger Games” made Katniss somewhat relatable and minimally annoying. Bower is presented with some of the better lines in the movie, but fails to capitalize on it. Veterans Headey and Rhys Myers, who demonstrated skill at playing intense and complex characters in medieval settings on Game of Thrones and The Tudors respectively, are underused and relegated to making the best of their limited screen time and cringe-worthy dialogue.

The Blu-Ray comes with a DVD copy, Digital HD copy and a ton of exclusive special features. The interactive lineage tracker makes great use of the BD-Java. Plus, the featurettes are pretty neat and help people that are new to the books. Then, there’s the music video, deleted scenes and non BD Java enabled featurettes. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track is pretty strong for a film like this. Plus, the 1080p transfer is sharp as hell. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.

RELEASE DATE: 12/03/2013

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Box set of two docs by Michael Apted: Me & Isaac Newton (science) and Inspirations (art) in DVD and Blu-ray format.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Inspirations” is a documentary that I remember watching in High School. Seeing how others learn and create is an amazing ability to grasp that which continues to slip through so many fingers. Watching artists from David Bowie to Roy Lichtenstein discuss the process of creation allows for something that you rarely capture on film. Honestly, I wish that Michael Apted would produce more material for PBS. But, that would keep him away from feature films.

The epitaph left by Newton’s name made for the scintillating affect for the second documentary. Screaming that which is exclusive to the personal reflections one makes on scientific paths when curiosity becomes excited by the pumping of scientific blood nurtured by one’s scientific embraces. It was only a year ago that I read the latest book by theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku so I had some knowledge of at least one of these individuals going into the documentary. This one is more theory, but it’s fun for science nerds.

The Blu-Ray comes with a DVD copy and bonus interviews introduced by the director. The A/V Quality is strong enough for a PBS documentary. Still, the Dolby track is pretty lossy. It’s not terrible, but it is noticeable. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.

RELEASE DATE: 12/10/2013

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Their crimes resemble high-octane Hollywood action movies: a sports car speeds through a Dubai shopping mall, crashing into the windows of a Graff jewelry store. Masked, gun-wielding men jump out of the car, and stuff fistfuls of diamonds into their satchels before screeching off. In London, they took all of three minutes to make off with $30 million in diamonds.  They are captured – not in person, but on surveillance tapes that record their astonishing lightning strikes with hypnotic accuracy.  Playing out like a noir thriller spiced with cutting-edge animation and shocking real surveillance footage, Havana Marking’s Smash & Grab is an exclusive all-access pass into the mysterious world of international jewel thieves.  Dubbed ‘The Pink Panthers,’ the formidable Balkan gang has stolen nearly a billion dollars worth of jewels from boutiques in the world’s most opulent cities, including Geneva, Paris, London, Geneva, Dubai and Tokyo.  Through never-before-seen interviews with key gang members, this provocative documentary delves into the gang’s incredible history and introduces the viewer to the global police forces who work furiously to stop them.  Beyond the glitz of the Panthers’ incredible heists, Smash & Grab exposes dark truths about the illicit diamond trade and the world’s most ruthless mafia networks.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Smash and Grab” wants to be the coolest documentary that ever existed. It tries so hard and stages everything just right. However, the execution simply isn’t there. There’s a lot of material presented in a short amount of time and it doesn’t have a little wiggle room. That being said, you can’t help but love watching The Pink Panthers work their magic during heists. Nevermind the complications that come from such criminal acts. But, I think we can all let that take a backseat for a moment.

The DVD comes with featurettes, police film, animated storyboards and featurettes. The A/V Quality is sharp for standard definition. However, there is a minor amount of noise on the transfer. The Dolby 5.1 track is pretty clean and provides a strong back channel setup. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.

RELEASE DATE: 12/03/2013

THE PLOT THUS FAR

This award-winning film, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, examines a little known aspect of American history, when newly freed slaves throughout the South formed benevolent societies to respond to abject hunger, illness and the fear of a pauper’s grave. The Fair Hope Benevolent Society in Uniontown, Alabama, provides an unprecedented look at the complex and morally ambiguous juxtaposition of the Society with the worldly pleasures of what has become known as the annual Foot Wash celebration.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“The Contradictions of Fair Hope” is a complicated documentary about the rise of religion among former American slave populations. The benevolent societies are something to behold, even for outsiders. I had seen a few when I was younger, but I never had any context for them outside of being a black church thing. But, it’s about more than that and the documentary illustrates it well. Balancing charity with the good will effort to create a bold new society is refreshing. However, I feel the short runtime curtails any sort of serious discussion of the matter.

The DVD comes with featurette material as the special features. The A/V Quality is strong with a supportive transfer and a Dolby audio track. The Dolby track doesn’t get much back channel action. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.

RELEASE DATE: 1/14/2014

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Melting sea ice, glacier loss and rising sea levels. Severe droughts and wildfires. Increasingly severe tornadoes, hurricanes, and flooding. Record heat waves. Climate change is no longer a prediction for the future, but a startling reality of today. Yet, as evidence of our changing climate mounts and the scientific consensus proves human causation, there continues to be little political action to thwart the warming of our planet. “Greedy Lying Bastards” investigates the reason behind stalled efforts to tackle climate change despite consensus in the scientific community that it is not only a reality but also a growing problem placing us on the brink of disaster. The film details the people and organizations casting doubt on climate science and claims that greenhouse gases are not affected by human behavior. From the Koch Brothers to ExxonMobil, to oil industry front groups, to prominent politicians and Justices, this provocative exposé unravels the layers of deceit threatening democracy and the ability for future generations to survive on planet earth.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Greedy Lying Bastards” is another film about protecting the environment from climate change. It’s emotionally manipulative in a way that documentaries have become in a post Michael Moore world. However, there’s something to the juxtaposition of footage vs. first-hand accounts of what corporate funded eco-terrorism has produced. While this release is was too biased for its own good, it serves to start pushing people into a wider sense of thinking. I just wish we could find an equal platform to start informing those that we wish to change.

The DVD comes with featurette material as the special features. The A/V Quality is strong with a supportive transfer and a Dolby audio track. The Dolby track doesn’t get much back channel action. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans of change.

RELEASE DATE: 1/14/2014