blu-ray reviews

Fans of the original TRON eagerly awaited a sequel. For years, decades really, it never came. Disney finally saw fit to produce a new film, but since so much time had passed, would it even be possible to do something with Jeff Bridges given his current age? Thankfully they found a way and while only two of the films cast reunited for this one (Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner), it felt remarkably similar to the 1982 classic that tantalized the minds of so many people. Unfortunately the films hefty budget proved too formidable for domestic interest in the film as it went on to gross a mere million over its $170 budget; thankfully it dominated overseas, raking in another $225 million, which fans hope will be more than enough to convince Disney to continue the series with another film. Anyone who saw TRON: Legacy knows there were more than a few seeds planted in it to build a third film (or franchise) off of… SynopsisDisney presents a high-tech motion picture unlike

The classic animated film is something that Disney has slowly been attempting to become reacquainted with ever since abandoning its failing endeavors at churning out direct-to-DVD sequels based on their catalog of classics. So far this has given us two films, PRINCESS AND THE FROG, which didn’t do nearly as well as they had hoped but managed to capture peoples’ fascination regardless. And now there is TANGLED, their first foray into 3D animation outside of their partnership with Pixar. Fortunately for Disney, despite this being their second most expensive film ever made it managed to be their highest grossing animated film. Certainly a feat that nobody would have predicted after the disappointment in PRINCESS AND THE FROG’s tenure at the box office. SynopsisWhen the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of ZACHARY LEVI) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of MANDY MOORE), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her

Tony Scott is no stranger to tense action films; nor is he a stranger to Denzel Washington, who seems to be in every single one of his films. While Scott’s affair as of late has fallen into the mindless drivel category, his films are nonetheless visually arresting and aurally engaging. Essentially Unstoppable is a Michael Bay film with a bit more brains packed into it, but really there’s a lot of the usual fast paced cutting and very irksome shaky cam usage, but overall Scott’s films are at the least fun popcorn entertainment. With Unstoppable he proved that, once again, he can make slightly smarter films than Bay; though when it comes to a runaway train with plot points you could jam your finger through you admittedly don’t have much wiggle room in the mindless action category. SynopsisHang on for the ride of your life as Oscar winner Denzel Washington* and Chris Pine (Star Trek) team up for the year’s most electrifying action-thriller. A runaway train, transporting deadly toxic chemicals,

Experience the wonders of love when physical chemistry between two of today’s hottest stars explodes onscreen! Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents the romantic drama LOVE & OTHER DRUGS, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on March 1st, 2011. From director/producer Edward Zwick and based on the best-selling book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy, LOVE & OTHER DRUGS takes aim with Cupid’s arrow when love is found in the unlikeliest of places! SynopsisSmooth-talking playboy Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain) is on a fast track to the top of the pharmaceutical sales industry – promoting the miracle drug Viagra by day and charming the ladies by night. However, Jamie is taken aback when he meets Maggie Murdock (Academy Award-nominee Anne Hathaway, The Devil Wears Prada), a radiantly sexy free spirit who doesn’t allow her treatment for Parkinson’s get in the way of living her life. As Jamie and Maggie juggle their respective medications, they are forced to reassess their budding romance when they realize that

Possibly one of the most unexpected things that could be done in Hollywood as of late is to cast the charming Johnny Depp in a movie that is directed by someone other than Tim Burton; in this case it’s far from common with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck at the helm. This is only the second film under his directorial vision, the first being “The Live of Others” from 2006 which I only vaguely recall hearing about – but it apparently did well. I’m honestly not surprised. I didn’t know what to expect from The Tourist as the only rumblings I’ve been able to gather about it simply damned it with no detailed reasoning given. Given that disappointing impression I simply expected to be bored throughout its entire run, but not long into the movie it managed to intrigue me – even before I even realized that it had. SynopsisFrank (Johnny Depp), a mild-mannered American on vacation in Venice, Italy, is befriended by Elise (Angelina Jolie), a breathtakingly beautiful woman

The Venture Bros. may be one of the most daring and original shows to ever exist. Not only does it go on extremely long breaks that make me want to punch a walrus, but it also manages to change itself up every season. Each time they make a major change you think “nah, it won’t last, it’s just a ploy.” Soon you’re into the next season and you realize it’s sticking. The boys aren’t going to be kept perpetually young. They graduate from high school and explore their own collegial careers. On top of that you change up the Brock dynamic and replace him with Sergeant Hatred and…well, lets just say that the creators were being genial when they started out slow by altering The Monarch’s lineup before they started futzing with the main cast. What it all boils down to is The Venture Bros. is not just a daring show for changing things up on a regular basis, but also changing things up for the better. Never has one

Generally when you think of the name Stephen King images of horrific things pop into your head, rarely are they ever of something pleasant. While King is best known for his scary stories, the man has also written some of the greatest dramatic stories over the years as well…stories that eventually went on to become absolutely brilliant films in their own right. Whether it was The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile, plenty of King films have received notoriety over the years for their brilliance. One film, however, isn’t always remembered so much as a King story as it is a Rob Reiner film. That film is, of course, Stand By Me, a coming-of-age drama that revolves around four boys and their search for a dead body. While it does have elements of King creepiness, it’s definitely much more of a drama rather than straight up horror like It (damn clowns!). SynopsisIn a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends–sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant

Though the technology, wardrobe, and cars may be dated when it comes to eighties films, it’s often the decade that produced a lot of the iconic and most often quoted films even to this day. The list ranges from the Star Wars sequels to Indiana Jones, the Back to the Future series, Karate Kid, Dirty Dancing…the list goes on and on exponentially. But amidst all the cult classics and award winners you also have a few genuinely engaging and emotional films that to this day remain on the top of critics lists. And often on that list is Rain Man, the 1988 four time Oscar winner that brought together Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in two of their most iconic roles and still a go-to film for many when it comes to classic dramatic films. SynopsisFollowing the death of their father, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise, Valkyrie) discovers he has an autistic brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman, Tootsie) and now the two are on the cross-country trip of their lives. Nicknamed

It’s bewildering to think that as successful and critically acclaimed as The Fighter was, it took Wahlberg so long to get the film made. Wahlberg began to work on his boxing skills in 2005 and kept training daily until 2009 when the film finally went into production after years of struggling to find funding and a complete cast. Once production began on the film so did the buzz and the amount of positive press this film received over the next couple of years was astounding. Wahlberg’s dedication paid off as the film went on to get nominated for seven Oscars, two of which it took home (for Supporting Actor and Actress). SynopsisAcademy Award® Nominees Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) and Amy Adams (Doubt) star in this “remarkable†” film. Based on a true story, two brothers, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that has the power to reunite their fractured family and give their hard-luck town what it’s been waiting

Even among some of her most negative critics, Christina Aguilera is agreed to have an unique vocal talent that truly lets her stand out from her painfully-obvious manufactured peers in pop stardom. Unexpectedly, however, that talent eventually led her to a stagnant career and despite much attempt she hasn’t quite managed to come back out on top. So, it struck me as odd when I started seeing trailers for this movie. Not that she was doing a musical, but rather that the whole point of it seemed to act as a showcase of her real, nearly surreal, talent given the average quality of pop music. Seeing as how it’s almost a decade too late, though, it actually comes off as something of a memorial for her career. SynopsisA small town singer, Ali (Christina Aguilera), moves to the big city for her chance at stardom where she is enchanted by Burlesque, a glamorous nightclub packed with dancers, sizzling music, and an owner (Cher) in need of a star. Jam-packed with visually

How does one follow up a multi-Oscar winning film like Slumdog Millionaire? Well, you create another Oscar worthy film, of course! While Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours netted six Oscar nominations, it ended up receiving zero of them. Quite a contrast to Slumdog’s ten nominations and eight wins, but aside from Boyle there is really nothing remotely similar about those two films so I suppose it should come as no surprise. Regardless of its lack of Oscar’s, 127 Hours is every bit as fresh, original, and edge-of-your-seat as Boyle’s other past outings and was just another great staple to add to his already impressive catalog of films. SynopsisFrom the Academy Award®-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, and starring James Franco in a “tour de force performance” (Associated Press), comes one of the most “triumphant and enthralling” (Rolling Stone) movies of the year. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor (Franco), 127 HOURS is an edge-of-your seat cinematic experience that recounts one man’s harrowing story of survival.