|
"SUCKER PUNCH: EXTENDED EDITION" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 and R Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After her mother dies, a girl finds herself stuck under the abuse of her father. When she attacks him and accidentally kills her sister, he commits her to a mental hospital. There, she faces more abuse and escapes by entering a fantasy world of her mind where she fights her fears, which manifest as villains and creatures.
WHAT I LIKED
I’m a big fan of Zack Snyder, even though his movies are far from perfect. I can find something I like about each one. It’s a shame that after coming on so strong with “Dawn of the Dead” and “300,” his career has faltered.
As he does with his other films, Snyder brings a strong visual style and plenty of action. Rather than dissecting the story and characters of “Sucker Punch,” it’s much more impressive to look at the movie as a series of music videos and wickedly cool action sequences. “Sucker Punch” is a visionary movie without much of a visionary story. Were it a series of short films, it would have been perfect.
Oh, and the girls in this movie are sexy as hell. I know that makes me sound creepy as hell, but that was the intent. Like the silly actioner “D.O.A.: Dead Or Alive,” this is a not-quite-porno fantasy for 13-year-old boys. And yeah, I noticed the stockings and push-up bras as well.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As awesome as the fantasy sequences are, they are strung together with a needlessly depressing and smarmy storyline. Think of this film as the bizarre love child of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Watchmen,” with a costumes by Strippers ‘R’ Us. It’s not an idea situation for a good film, but it’ll get your attention.
The “real world” moments work better than the first-level fantasy, in which the main character of Babydoll envisions her institution as a weird tribute to “Burlesque” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” This first-level fantasy is just too seedy for my tastes, and it really doesn’t mesh with what should be happening in the real world.
There are some serious flaws in this film, not the least of which is Carla Gugino’s accent, but I can’t say that it’s a waste of time to watch.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The multi-disc Blu-ray comes with the DVD as well as both the theatrical cut and the extended cut of the film. Unfortunately, the 17-minute longer extended cut only features a long-form musical number which is painfully out of place and a overly expository ending scene with John Hamm. I’d stick with the theatrical cut if I were you.
Blu-ray features include Maximum Movie Mode, which is a great Warner Bros. general feature, taking you through the many levels of the film. There are additional features, including the original “Sucker Punch” animated shorts and a “Behind the Soundtrack” feature.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of Zack Snyder’s visual style and 13-year-old boys who haven’t figure out how to use the Internet.
|
"CEDAR RAPIDS THE SUPER AWESOME EDITION" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated R Studio: Fox Searchlight Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Ted Lippey (Ed Helms) is one of the best insurance salesmen in his small Midwestern town. He gets a chance to represent his office in a convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he loses his innocence in many ways. After meeting some strange characters, he has a crazy adventure, which opens his eyes to different types of people, what his boss is really like and who he is as a person.
WHAT I LIKED
“Cedar Rapids” is a fun little movie that really strikes a balance between comfortable friendliness and bat-shit crazy silliness. It rides squarely on the shoulders of Ed Helms, who has proved himself as a fine comedian, not only in “The Office” but also in the “Hangover” films.
The writing is sharp, not shying away from controversial subjects or situations. It manages to show the simplistic beauty of the Midwestern lifestyle but also the seedy underbelly. I’ve been in plenty of hotels across the Midwest, and I’ve been to my fair share of convention-like experiences. This film isn’t that far from the truth, and it’s honest about it.
The real key is the cast. Beyond Helms, you’ve got John C. Reilly playing his standard but funny obnoxious blowhard character, as well as Anne Heche, who normally doesn’t do it for me, but she looks mighty fine here. Other great performances in this film come from Isiah Whitlock Jr., Stephen Root and Kurtwood Smith.
“Cedar Rapids” flew under many people’s radar, and that’s a shame. It’s definitely one to check out.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The only real problem I saw in “Cedar Rapids” is that it gets really dark, really fast in the middle. At one point, it threatens to get too dark, but ultimately it works.
The characters aren’t perfect, and they have some unsavory parts of their personalities. But just because I didn’t like everything about them doesn’t mean they aren’t real or well constructed.
Ed Helms is making quite a name for himself, and this film was in development before “The Hangover” hit big. His biggest challenge in the coming years is to play something that isn’t just a rehash of Andy Bernard from “The Office” or Stu from “The Hangover.” But until then, “Cedar Rapids” is fortunately still fresh.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
There’s a nice assortment of special features on this disc, including a slate of deleted scenes and a gag reel. Several featurettes are also available which look at the making of the film. These are “Convention Connection,” “Mike O’Malley – Urban Clogger,” “Tweaking in the USA” and “Wedding Belles – Crashing a Lesbian Wedding.
There’s also two Fox Movie Channel features, spotlighting director Miguel Arteta and writer Phil Johnston. Finally, there’s a purposely awkward long-form commercial for Lippey’s Top Notch Insurance, which is pretty cute.
The Blu-ray set also comes with a second disc with Digital Copy features.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of awkward yet heartfelt independent comedies.
|
"UNKNOWN" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Liam Neeson stars as a doctor who is traveling to Berlin for a medical conference. After he and his wife check into the hotel, he takes a cab back to the airport for a forgotten bag. Along the way, the cab gets into a traffic accident, and he suffers a head injury and amnesia. When he wakes up, he discovers someone has stolen his identity and people are trying to kill him.
WHAT I LIKED
After “Taken” became a runaway hit at the box office, the world suddenly started to take Liam Neeson seriously as an action star. I, of course, already knew he was capable of this, having enjoyed films like “Darkman,” “Rob Roy” and even “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” It’s too bad the rest of the world took this long to see his potential.
Neeson is ultimately very likeable on screen, and even though he can be a menacing figure, he’s also able to elicit plenty of empathy from the audience. Knowing very little about him or his character, it’s easy to take a shine to him and get behind him.
The mystery to this movie isn’t brilliant, but it’s fun to watch it get revealed. Things work out somewhat predictably, but because you’re along for the ride with Neeson’s character, the drama unfolds as he discovers what’s going on.
With one small exception (see below for this), the actors are top-notch, featuring notable performances by Aidan Quinn and Frank Langella. For an international action flick, you can do a lot worse than “Taken.”
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The only real weak spot in this film was January Jones, who is having a banner year but can’t seem to overshadow her own chest. This is because she’s a terrible actress through and through. She stumbles through “Unknown” with a look of confusion, and her line delivery is as flat as she is curved. January Jones is the photo negative of Megan Fox... pretty on the surface but a terrible actor who looks bewildered in the bright lights of the movie set.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Aside from a multi-pack featuring the DVD and a Digital Copy disc, the “Unknown” Blu-ray is really thin. There are two featurettes included: “Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero” and “Unknown: What Is Known?”
Not to bash January Jones more than I should, it’s worth noting that she comes across as flat with her delivery in these interviews as she does in the film. So maybe it’s not that she’s a bad actress... maybe she’s just a boring on-screen personality.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People who like international action thrillers.
|
"DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The hit kids film from 2010 gets a sequel, an adaptation of the second book, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.” The whole cast returns as Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) tries to build a functional relationship with his brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick). Their parents want this to happen, but both boys continue to fight until a bizarre and mischievous string of events brings them closer together.
WHAT I LIKED
My kids are big fans of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books, and I heard about them for a while before the first film came out. Then I took them to the movie, and I really enjoyed it. They have a better edge than the Disney Channel programming, falling more in line with what you might see on “iCarly.”
Both these films are cute and whimsical. Even though this new movie is under another director, it feels very much like the first film. The characters are great, being both relateable and extreme. But even the extreme ones (like Fregley) are bizarrely realistic. After all, who didn’t know a weird little creepy dude like Fregley when they were in school?
In some ways, this story works better than the first film. Greg has grown up a bit and isn’t so deliberately mean to Rowley. In fact, when the relationship between Greg and Rodrick starts to develop, it’s quite a touching story.
Oh, and it has some nice poop jokes in it, and that’s always a hit with the kids.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Not a whole lot, actually. If you’re an adult without any kids of your own, this might be out of your realm. But I remember what it was like to be in middle school, and this movie taps into those memories. It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for the people for whom it’s made.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray comes with the DVD as well as a Digital Copy disc. On the Blu-ray, there’s a nice selection of bonus features, including a gag reel, ten deleted scenes, an audio commentary by the director and an alternate ending.
Like the first film, this Blu-ray also includes some additional shorts – seven installments to “My Summer Vacation” – which present more shenanigans from the characters.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Grade schoolers, middle schoolers and their families.
