Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 29th, 2016
"In penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the death, until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."
Now that all four films are out on UHD Blu-ray in glorious 4K, we have the opportunity to view them all again from the very beginning. It's easier to catch the subtle nuances that were planted in the earlier films that would pay off over the four-film run. It took us four years to do that originally. Now you can do it in a day. John Ceballos takes us on the first part of that journey with The Hunger Games (2012).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 29th, 2016
1n 1972 Charles Bronson played The Mechanic, Arthur Bishop. He was a hitman with a high level of skill. When he tries to pass on that skill, he's betrayed, and he has to get himself a heaping helping of revenge. In 2011 Bronson did indeed pass the character to Jason Statham when the film was remade. Unfortunately, Bronson had passed in 2003 and couldn't actually pass the torch on the screen. Statham turned the character into more of an action anti-hero, and the film really didn't perform at the box office. It never made back its budget in the domestic market and barely made money when the worldwide take was finally counted. It certainly didn't appear as if the world was clamoring for a sequel. Instead of going for a direct-to-video release, the film tanked at the American box office but was saved by a reasonable take worldwide. Not enough, I suspect, to see the character return, at least not to the box office. The Mechanic: Resurrection couldn't raise the franchise from box office death, but it might just be a solid direct-to-video franchise if the star and filmmakers have the desire to keep playing in this particular sandbox.
Arthur Bishop (Statham) is a professional killer who is believed dead himself. He's no longer in the assassin business. He's been keeping a low profile until he's approached by a woman who represents a Mr. Crain (Hazeldine). Crane wants Bishop to kill three targets that are almost impossible to get to. If he doesn't do the job, Crain will reveal to the world that Bishop is still alive. Of course, Bishop refuses, but it sends him on the run hoping to find Crain before Crain can find him. That's when he meets Gina (Alba) who is also being blackmailed by Crain and has been placed in Bishop's path as a damsel in distress to force him to do the jobs. When that doesn't work, Gina is kidnapped, and now Bishop sets out to do the jobs while trying to rescue Gina.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 10th, 2016
“No rules, no ref. Just your wit and skill to keep you alive.”
Last year, Creed became a critical and audience favorite by reviving a beloved dormant franchise and re-casting its brawny original star in a supporting role as a mentor. I'm not going to pretend that 1989's Kickboxer (starring Jean-Claude Van Damme) is anywhere near as beloved — or as good — as Rocky. But Kickboxer: Vengeance, a reboot/remake of Van Damme's campy action favorite, hits some of the same notes as Creed...except for the part where it's a critical and audience favorite.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 3rd, 2016
“You're no spring chicken anymore.”
It's been more than four years since Jackie Chan — the legendary Hong Kong superstar who has been kicking butt and scoring scoring laughs on screen since the 1970s — announced he was retiring from action movies. Sure, Chan quickly backpedaled, but I don't know that anyone would've held it against the actor (who is now 62) if he'd stuck to his word. After decades of grueling injuries, Chan has noticeably slowed down. That being said, the old man still has a few tricks up his sleeve in Skiptrace.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 28th, 2016
When it comes to spy novelist John le Carre (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, The Night Manager), his books seem to produce great films and mini-series but are far from being box-office darlings. Each production of one of his novels seems to be filled with talent in front of and behind the camera. When it comes to the release of Our Kind of Traitor, despite the impressive cast it’s a film that managed to slip through the cracks and seems to have limped its way to a DVD/Blu-ray release when really it’s a film that deserves to be appreciated more on the big screen. While it may not be filled with the spectacle of special effects and explosions, it’s a film that garners some impressive performances throughout and has a story that quickly pulls the viewer in.
Perry (Ewan McGregor) and his wife Gail (Naomie Harris) are supposed to be on a romantic holiday. It’s the kind of holiday a couple takes together to try to salvage their relationship before throwing in the towel and heading to divorce court. Perry is a professor with infidelity issues, while his wife is the breadwinner of the family as an overworked attorney. For them it seems the vacation has worked and the intimacy in their relationship has been rekindled, that is until Perry accepts an invitation from a Russian stranger. Dima (Stellan Skarsgard), is an overpowering presence as he convinces Perry to tag along with him as he goes to a lavish house party and later for a morning tennis match. What Perry believes is nothing more than generous hospitality is instead a charade to pull him into doing something very dangerous.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 23rd, 2016
“Everyone is afraid of the dark…and that’s what she feeds on.”
Despite rumors to the contrary, I am a full-grown adult. That means I can’t in good conscience admit to being afraid of the dark. The most I’ll concede is a sense of uneasiness if I’m in a dark space because I might bump into something. And if I hear a strange noise in the middle of the night, my mind might start creating sinister shapes out of shadows. (Hold on…am I afraid of the dark?!) Either way, that primal and unshakable fear of what could be hiding just out of sight is what powers Lights Out, one of the leaner, nimbler, and flat-out most enjoyable low-budget horror flicks in recent years.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 21st, 2016
"The universe, a vast expanse of space and matter. It includes all that we see and all that we know. Since the beginning of time, we have wondered how it all came to be. A gloriously orchestrated plan? A chance series of events? Or something much, much dumber?"
Space really is the final frontier. It's where they send tired franchises to die. They sent Jason and Pinhead to space. They sent the Three Stooges into orbit. Abbott & Costello ended up in space. They even sent Machete into space. It's the filmatic version of jumping the shark. In Ice Age: Collision Course they send lovable Scrat into space. Maybe it's time to put this beloved animated franchise on ice for a little while. It's clear they've pretty much run out of ideas, and the box office is the proof in the pudding. What the heck does that mean, anyway? And this is from a reviewer who has been rather fond and kind to the Ice Age films up to this point. Need more proof for that pudding? Bang it Here for past Ice Age reviews.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 19th, 2016
Growing up one of coolest jobs I thought was out there was undercover work. Not to diminish all the threats to one’s well-being associated with that profession, but come on, who didn’t want the opportunity to reinvent themselves as someone else entirely. Undercover affords that opportunity. That said, it does not come without a cost, and that cost is explored thoroughly in The Infiltrator, a based on a true story tale about a U.S. Customs agent who infiltrates the most successful and equally dangerous drug cartel led by the one and only Pablo Escobar. An interesting little tidbit that I was unaware of before the opening credits was that this film was shot right here in the Tampa area, which provided recognizable environment and a chance to pick out familiar territory.
The Infiltrator follows Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston), a seasoned agent with the United States Customs Service with a talent for undercover work. After successfully completing an operation, he finds himself thrown back into the mix for possibly the biggest operation he has ever every undertaken: infiltrating the money laundering operation used to clean the proceeds for the Medellin Cartel, led by Pablo Escobar.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 19th, 2016
I’ve always been a fan of Tarzan; I loved the old series and the films basically because I just dug how he was this fearless character who lived in the jungles who fought the bad guys and a few wild animals as well. As I got older that was when I discovered the books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and I just had a blast with all these pulp tales about the civilized Wildman and the beautiful Jane. I even remember how excited I was about seeing Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan as a kid; even though this screen adaption bored me to tears, it was still exciting to see the character up on the screen. Now it’s 2016, and the character is swinging into action on the big screen again, and with a large budget to back it up. The trailers had me excited; everything seemed to look how I always hoped a Tarzan movie should be. Did the film manage to meet my expectations? Well, it came close, and the result is a film that shows how the wrong director can ruin a great story.
The casting of Alexander Skarsgard is just about as good as you can hope for in casting the role of Tarzan/ John Clayton. It’s absolutely vital how important it is to get the physical look of the character and make it believable that he can be stealthy, as well as a brute force who can fight giant apes and crocodiles but still look the part of a British lord. Sure, many audience-goers will enjoy the numerous shirtless scenes the film offers, but it makes it all the more believable when we see the character pull off some superhero-like scenes. When it comes to the casting of Margot Robbie as Jane, she is a knockout here. She plays this damsel (not so) in distress in such a charming loveable way that it’s clear that by the end of summer following the release of Suicide Squad she will be the A-list actress off Hollywood. She brings so much life to Jane that you can understand why Tarzan will do just about anything for this woman, and when they are together it’s a chemistry that has me hoping so much that we’ll get more adventures of Tarzan and Jane.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 13th, 2016
“Everything they've built will fall! And from the ashes of their world, we'll build a better one!”
Since Disney has taken over The Bullpen at Marvel, they have had an unprecedented run of successful comic book superhero films. During that same time DC/Warner has had trouble finding a direction for their cinematic universe. But the Marvel titles still in the hands of other studios haven’t shared in that run of good fortune. Sony finally had to relinquish control of Spider-Man, and Fox has followed disaster with disaster with The Fantastic Four. The single exception to that rule has been the Fox handling of The X-Men universe. Since Bryan Singer’s 2000 hit the series has had some ups and downs, but the box office verdict has generally been good. Since the series was revived with prequels in 2011, we’ve enjoyed two solid X-Men films sporting a younger cast. Spinoffs with Wolverine and Deadpool have added to the Fox/Marvel winning combination. But it seems the X-Men can fight end-of-the-world events but can’t seem to quite get the hang of third movies in trilogies.
