COLUMBUS CIRCLE
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
When it comes to the home video market, there are some movies that hit the theaters first and others that head straight to DVD or Blu-ray. “Columbus Circle” may have had a theatrical release, but I was completely unaware of it. Instead, it came on my radar when it his Blu-ray and was sent to me for review.
Even though it has quite a few name actors in it – including Selma Blair, Amy Smart, Giovanni Ribisi, Kevin Pollack and Jason Lee all on the cover – it’s clearly in direct-to-video territory. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad movie or a waste of time. Rather, it’s not made at the highest standards of Hollywood that you might come to expect.
But like a recent Blu-ray film, “The Double” starring Topher Grace and Richard Gere – it offers a certain level of B-movie enjoyment.
“Columbus Circle” tells the story of an heiress (Selma Blair) who has been in hiding since having a violent confrontation with her family. She’s hiding in a building where her next door neighbor has been murdered. The new residents (Jason Lee and Amy Smart) seem like a nice couple, but she soon discovers a history of abuse. However, there is more to these neighbors than she first suspects.
The story is rather simple, and we’ve seen a lot of it before. Set in limited locations, I can see where this is a movie that was made on a restricted budget. However, it’s entertaining enough to keep my interest, and it runs a brisk 86 minutes.
If you’ve seen enough run-of-the-mill thrillers, you’ll likely guess every twist and turn in the plot. But I like to think these movies aren’t made to surprise but rather to entertain somewhat passively. And in that respect, I’ve seen a lot worse.
There are no bonus features on the “Columbus Circle” Blu-ray.
HONEY 2
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
Is it possible to watch the direct-to-DVD movie “Honey 2” and understand its complex plot without knowing the full story behind the first “Honey”? Not surprisingly, yes. Though it has an odd connection to the first movie that skips over certain elements and can be a bit confusing if you don’t know who was who from the first film.
Beyond that, if you don’t know anything about the dance culture, you’ll probably be lost on a couple cameos. Though I still haven’t figured out why the hell Audrina Patridge was doing in this movie (yeah, no shit, she’s a celebrity judge). Her fame is one of the greatest inexplicable mysteries of the universe.
“Honey 2” is a very rote dance movie, the kind that the Wayans Brothers spoofed in “Dance Flick.” Katerina Graham plays Maria Ramirez, a troubled youth who gets hooked up with a new dance crew. She’s facing some interpersonal drama, but she finds dancing is a good outlet for her, and it’s up to the whole crew to defeat the reigning champions and win a chance to be famous.
Yeah, it’s pretty much every other dance movie ever made. But oddly enough, it doesn’t quite have the charm or wit of the “Step Up” films. Katerina Graham is a beautiful girl, and she’s mighty easy on the eyes to watch dancing. It’s actually nice to see her get something more than her sideline role on “The Vampire Diaries.”
Unfortunately, the movie buckles under its own weight attempting to be hip, cool and badass. There’s a lot of yelling in the movie amongst the dancers, making it feel like the hip-hop version of John McGinley and Keanu Reeves in “Point Break.”
For dance fans, it’ll work. But for anyone else watching the movie, there are better films out there, and who's going to watch this if they're not a dance fan?
The Blu-ray comes packaged with a DVD and Digital Copy. There are also deleted scenes and complete dance sequences. There are several featurettes, including “Behind the Dance Crews: The Making of Honey 2,” “The Dream Continues” and “Dance, or Die Tryin’.” A commentary by director Bille Woodruff is also available. Additional features includes access to the pocketBLU app and BD-Live for extra content.
JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
It’s been more than ten years since the first “Johnny English” film ripped apart the international box office and flopped in America. You’d think they’d have made another faster. But they waited, and in a way spy movies changed from the turn of the century to eleven years in.
In this sequel, we see the titular character of Johnny English sequestered in a far-away land, dealing with a failure to protect a world leader. He’s brought back into the field to uncover a mole in British Intelligence and thwart more international assassination. Of course, English continues to be the bumbling spy, playing to Rowan Atkinson’s strengths as a physical comedian.
I saw this film in theaters, and it was very cold to me. Revisiting it again on Blu-ray, I found more to like about it, once I settled into the extremely British delivery and flavor. It is still obvious why this fell flat with American audiences but was another worldwide hit. Austin Powers, this is not, and I suppose that’s what most people would have been expecting when they saw it.
Like his Mr. Bean character, Rowan Atkinson manages to be cuddly and abrasive. He stumbles through the film with expert ease. It’s not as overt a comedy as the Mr. Bean movies or Atkinson’s “Black Adder” series. But it works, and it works better in home viewing for me.
I may not have liked it in theaters, but it was fun to watch again on Blu-ray.
The Blu-ray comes bundled with a DVD and Digital Copy of the film. Bonus features include deleted and extended scenes with introductions by director Oliver Parker. There’s also a gag reel and a commentary with the director and screenwriter. A featurette on the wheelchair chase rounds out the multi-disc features.
Blu-ray exclusives include “The English Files,” which are a series of featurettes: “The Making of Johnny English Reborn,” “Working with Rowan,” “Gadgets” and “English in Hong Kong.” Finally, there’s access to pocketBLU and BD-Live.
THE DEER HUNTER
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars)
Growing up, my only knowledge of “The Deer Hunter” was from my dad talking about what a colossal bomb director Michael Cimino’s follow-up film “Heaven’s Gate” was. Where “The Deer Hunter” won the Academy Award, “Heaven’s Gate” was a joke that practically bankrupted the studio.
Now that Universal is releasing a slate of its most memorable films on Blu-ray, I’ve had a chance to see “The Deer Hunter” in is high definition glory.
I had once tried to watch this movie on VHS, but I was bogged down. Part of it was likely the presentation of the VHS format, which is a mess. But on high definition Blu-ray on a modern widescreen television, it’s a beautiful looking film.
The story follows several friends from an industrial town in the Midwest. They’re shipping out to fight in Vietnam, and they take their last celebration at one’s wedding, later hunting deer one last time. When we jump-cut to Vietnam, we’re in the hell of war. Violence and confusion abound, and the group is captured by the VC and forced to play Russian roulette for entertainment. After escaping and returning home, the group struggles with the horrors they have experienced, with some taking the trauma harder than others.
“The Deer Hunter” is a complex film with a lot of hidden messages and confusing moments. It moves deliberate and slow at times, while other times it leaps ahead as if it’s missing scenes. This shows the confusion and chaos surrounding the war and its affect on the soldiers. Held together with a phenomenal cast, “The Deer Hunter” is a powerful film but also controversial in many ways, including the inaccurate Russian roulette portrayal, the homophobic language and the sometimes contradictory messages.
Still, it’s a movie that’s worth seeing. And if you’re going to see it, see it on Blu-ray on a big screen to enjoy the look and feel of a real American epic.
The new Universal 100th Anniversary Blu-ray includes the DVD as well. Special features include deleted and extended scenes, plus the theatrical trailer and a feature commentary with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and film journalist Bob Fisher. There’s also a feature on the “100 Years of Universal” about the Academy Award winners. Additional features includes access to the pocketBLU app and BD-Live for extra content.
INSIGHT
DVD Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars)
In the world of direct-to-DVD releases, it’s interesting to watch the career trajectory of different actors. As much as “Insight” provides a story of identity confusion, it also displays a bizarre mix of these trajectories. On one hand, you’ve got Natalie Zea as the protagonist, whose career has been trying to climb higher with television roles in her last years as a potential hot property.
Crisscrossing Zea’s career in “Insight” is that of Sean Patrick Flanery who came on strong in the 90s, had some hits like “The Boondock Saints” but ultimately has spiraled into spending all his time on digital video discs and never in theaters. Riding right in the middle are actors like Adam Baldwin, who has a career but has and never will break into leading man status, as well as Christopher Lloyd, who was a big deal in the 80s but is now just collecting some paychecks.
All these career paths crossing are more interesting than the story behind “Insight.” It’s not terrible... just weak.
Zea stars as a nurse who witnesses the death of a patient. As she starts to dig into the death, she starts to learn some confusing things about herself and her own identity.
You can see where much of this film is going, and it’s not assembled with the smooth patience of some better direct-to-DVD films. Still, it’s not a completely waste of time. Running only 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. But as an R-rated thriller, it could have done better with some more R-rated content. Mind-bending thrillers are not as easy to make as they look, and “Insight” proves that.
The DVD comes with the trailer as well as a short behind-the-scenes featurette.
