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"XIII: THE CONSPIRACY" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) Rated R Studio: Phase 4 Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After the first female U.S. President is shot dead in a sniper attack, a mysterious man shows up with no memory and a “XIII” tattoo on his neck. As he searches for his identity – and while mysterious government agents search for him – XIII learns the horrible truth about himself and must take action to stop being a puppet.
WHAT I LIKED
There’s a certain level of political intrigue that is fun with “XIII: The Conspiracy.” If you’re a fan of shows like “24,” you might enjoy the cat-and-mouse play of this movie. Stephen Dorff is surprisingly likeable in this movie, and Val Kilmer shows his villainous acting chops that he perfected in this summer’s “MacGruber.”
“XIII: The Conspiracy” was apparently broadcast on NBC not too long ago, and it works as a political thriller. It’s not nearly as great as “24,” but it’s decent for being having such a made-for-TV feel to it.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Let’s face it... “XIII: The Conspiracy” doesn’t have the chops to have been a major theatrical release. Nor does it have anywhere close to the cajones to go head-to-head with “24.” Coming from the Phase 4 studio, it’s got the feel of a movie-of-the-week from the mid-1990s.
Originally broadcast as a miniseries, it doesn’t rise above that moniker. For junkies of the political thriller, it works. But anyone who doesn’t have a full love of the genre will want to leave this one alone.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD includes some behind-the-scenes videos, the trailer and some very low-level production interviews with the cast and crew.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of low-budget political thrillers.
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"SHERLOCK HOLMES" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: The Asylum Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Brought to you by the studio that gave us “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus,” The Asylum presents “Sherlock Holmes.” This retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous detective finds Holmes and Watson facing a mysterious dinosaur that threatens to wreak havoc in London.
WHAT I LIKED
I have a soft spot for The Asylum’s films. Sure, they’re cheesy, poorly made, murky and often far too silly for a major studio. But they can be a lot of fun, a great way to kill a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon. This film is no different.
Released to coincide with the video release of Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” this movie is very amateurish but still captures the whimsical banter between Holmes and Watson. Plus, it’s got a dinosaur in it (which makes no sense, by the way). What’s not to love about that.
Rounding out The Asylum’s canon of giant monsters and low-budget rip-offs, you know what you’re gonna get with this movie, so have fun if you watch it.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
“Sherlock Holmes” suffers from many of the same problems that all of The Asylum’s movies do. It’s not terribly well scripted, and the microbudget prohibits any really decent special effects. However, unlike moist of the other Asylum films, there’s no excuse to put people in a control room while a giant monster attacks. At the very least you get a change of scenery.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD includes a making-of documentary, cast and crew commentary, trailers and bloopers, which is a pretty decent offering for such a small movie.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of The Asylum’s movies.
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"I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: * (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 Studio: IFC Films Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After the wild success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” Nia Vardalos takes another crack at her own movie, this time getting behind the camera as the director. Vardalos stars as an independent woman who owns a flower shop. She lives by a philosophy that no relationship should last for more than five dates, in order to never get hurt. However, when she meets a great guy, her pattern of break-up is challenged.
WHAT I LIKED
Nothing. Well, it was in focus.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
For as much charm as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” had, “I Hate Valentine’s Day” was in the red. This movie is so poorly written, with inexplicable characters making ridiculous choices, and the dialogue is simply cringe-worthy.
Nothing against Nia Vardalos, but at her age, she can’t quite carry the romantic lead, and as this completely pointless character with her five-date rule, she comes off as too high maintenance to be worth it. If ever there was a film that proved someone’s legacy as a one-hit wonder, this movie is it.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD comes with the trailer and commentary from Vardalos.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Nia Vardalos.
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"WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN: FATE OF THE FUTURE" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Lionsgate Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Lionsgate releases the fourth volume of the animated series “Wolverine and the X-Men.” In this set, Wolverine has to fight against an evil force that is attempting to change the past and rewrite the new future of the X-Men.
WHAT I LIKED
I tend to like these animated series, if for no other reason than they are some of the best adaptations of the original comic book source material. Like the previous volumes, this keeps Logan as the main focus and shows some challenges he faces as he continues with his role of reluctant hero.
Episodes include “Stolen Lives” in which Wolverine must deal with his past dues, “Hunting Ground” in which Nightcrawler must remind a brainwashed Wolverine of their past, “Badlands” in which a new breed of Sentinels threaten the Earth, “Code of Conduct” in which the Silver Samurai returns and “Backlash” in which Wolverine faces the ultimate nemesis of the future’s X-Men.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Aside from certain childish elements that still creep into these animated series, I didn’t find anything to complain about.
DVD FEATURES
This DVD comes with audio commentary on all episode with creators Craig Kyle, Greg Johnson and Chris Yost.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Kids who like animated series about superheroes.
