The cast is literally packed with what I call “anonymous famous” folks. Those are people you have seen hundreds of times in movies and TV shows but you might never know their name and they may never be a “star” in their own right. The thing about an anonymous famous cast is that it’s top quality and every time someone hits the screen it’s compelling, entertaining, and feels even more familiar than the sweet story we are already watching.

I might gush a bit, even though I don’t think it’s a perfect movie, not at all. The thing is, it’s fantastic, and fantastical, and exciting, and pleasurable. Not many movies these days are pleasurable in the way that this little innocent gem strikes me. My husband commented that it predates the modern trend of making characters and things in movies break that wall of mystery and disconnect from real life, Like these days characters are snotty, mouthy, watching YouTube and using their cell phones and referring to things we all know from current modern culture….and that’s kind of boring to be honest. He loves that The Rocketeer is pure fantasy, removed from reality in a way that’s escapism at its best. I agree.

A bad guy on a Zeppelin, FBI men playing the tough guys, mobsters fronting their mobster personas, a charming ensemble crew in the good guys’ corner, the romantic look at the 1930′s, it’s just packed with personality and eye candy. It is the kind of movie that makes my youthful movie lover come alive. That feeling of “wow wouldn’t it be cool to be in that world, in that moment of crazy action, a cafe shaped like a bulldog, flying in an airshow dressed like a clown, a car chase in really old cars, all the physical comedy and stunts, it’s just full of wonderful pleasure:) Need I say more?

Oh, I’ll say one more thing, Alan Arkin as Peevy is one of my favorite movie characters ever. One more, Jennifer Connely must have drank that potion from Death Becomes Her, seriously…she hasn’t aged in 20 years!! Mysterious!

Features: 1/10

• Original Trailer – A short poor quality trailer, really Disney this is not how to do a 20th anniversary release :(

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover does it for me. I would have it as a poster, mostly because I do love the movie. I like the cheeky vibe and the throw back to a kind of old fashioned image from old movie promotional materials. The menu…not sure, as my husband. He had the movie starting by the time I got in the room:)





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
I have been a big fan of The Rocketeer since it hit theaters in 1991. Unfortunately fans of the movie had to deal with a really poor DVD transfer until this week. So what I am saying here is if you are a fan of the movie and have a Blu-Ray player this is a must own as the superb filmlike HD transfer is incredible. I will go as far to say that this is better than what you saw theatrically in 1991. Sure it’s not perfect with slight ringing and what some might say DNR on some scenes but still this is the best version of the movie out there hands down. Hopefully Disney give us a 30th anniversary edition with some extras though.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack doesn’t hold a candle to the latest Hollywood comic book movies but for it’s age the remastered soundtrack does it’s job well. I would describe the soundtrack as “slightly thin and tinny” similar to a lot of movies from the 80′s and 90′s on Blu-Ray. It really highlights how much sound design and mixing has developed over the years. Still dialog is crisp and clear and the heroic music track comes over perfectly.


Value: 6/10
The lack of extras dents my enthusiasm for buying this version of the Blu-Ray, however, for just under 20 bucks you can enjoy this super flick many times and totally get your money’s worth!! I don’t say that very often, so it’s from the heart!

Overall Score 8/10

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At the same time her friend Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard) has decided that her goal is to make sure that the races do not mix, and takes it upon herself, as the self-appointed leader of the group of women, to make sure that her new directive is adopted by everyone, where all white families not only not allow their black maids to use the same bathroom in their own houses, but that they build a separate bathroom just for use by their maids, as she states that “there are diseases” that need to be worried about.  It is this kind of thinking that pervades Jackson, and the maids, who do everything they can to help raise these women’s children, as well as prepare food and keep houses clean, are left as the viewer is; totally dejected and downtrodden.

Two of the maids are the main focus of the movie, with Aibileen and Minny (played brilliantly by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively, and who I will be surprised if both do not garner the attention of the Oscar buzz) decide that they will help Skeeter out in her burgeoning quest to become a New York journalist, as she decides to write down the stories of the black maids in Jackson, and give these silent women a voice.  The stories are at times so hard to hear and watch, as is a lot of the movie, as the times were so difficult in Jackson, and around America.  The result is a movie that hs a very slow pace, but tells a gripping story, and shows a time period that is a major breaking point in the civil rights movement.

The acting was quite good, even though I was not totally blown away by Emma Stone, who normally is so vivacious and great.  I felt as if she was trying too hard to be reserved, and as a result her performance felt stiff.  The rest of the cast was exceptional, and really brought this story to life, regardless of the pace of the movie.  Overall the Help is a good little movie, that I am sure will be mentioned when Oscar nominations roll around.


Features: 5/10

• Deleted Scenes - There are a total of 5 deleted scenes, that really are not missed from the movie in my opinion.  Director Tate Taylor does introduce each of the scenes.
• Making Of The Help: From Friendship To Film - This is a classic behind the scenes making of the movie.  It clocks in at about 23 minutes, and is a decent feature.  They discuss the book, and how the movie came about.
• In Their Own Words: A Tribute To The Maids Of Mississippi - This extra has Tate Taylor going back ot the town where the mocie was made, and he talks to some of the women who were involved in the movie.
• Mary J Blige Music Video - Mary J. Blige’s video for “The Living Proof” is also on the disk, with the video featuring scenes form the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
I thought the cover for the Help was better than the semi-boring menu.  The cover is bright and cheerful, and pretty well sums up the movie in one presentation.  The menu is pretty boring, and features scenes from the movie.





Audio & Video: 8/10
There is a noticeable grain that helps give the movie an older feel, that goes with the setting of the movie.  The colors are brilliant and solid, as are the blacks.  I really thought the video, in its 1080p AVC encode was great.  The audio was good also, even though this is not the type of movie that makes big use of bass or surround.  It is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 MAster Audio Surround Sound.  The audio is dialogue heavy, and therefore center oriented for the most part.

Value: 7/10
The Help is a great movie that shows the deep South in the 1960′s in all of its glory and all of its gore.  The movie is very well done with a solid story and solid acting.  At times it can be tough to watch, and that is what makes the movie so compelling.  I would recommend the movie for a viewing, and it is sure to garnish some Oscar nods.  This is a slow movie though, and the subject matter is intense.  Owning the Blu-ray is not necessarily a necessity, but I would say that if you like movies, this is one to see at some point.

Overall Score 7/10

The Lion King is the story of Simba, who is the son of the literal king of the jungle, Mufasa (voiced by the deep baritone James Earl Jones). Upon Simba’s birth, he is told that the balance of all of the lands will one day fall on his shoulders, and to respect the circle of life, where all animals play a role. When the jealous Scar (Jeremy Irons), the evil brother of Mufasa, plots with a group of hyenas to kill the king, and place the blame on Simba, the young prince is forced out of the pride, on a journey of self exile.

Simba’s journey sees him run into a warthog and a meerkat, who befriend the lost lion as he matures, only to find his way back to the pride and his long lost position as king.

The Lion King is one of those movies that just defines the magic that is Disney. Everything about this movie has classic written all over it. To me, this was one of the new classics, that really defined the new style of animation, and what can be done with these types of movies.


Features: 9/10

• Deleted Scenes -The deleted scenes are pretty average, but a nice inclusion for true Disney fans. There are five scenes included here.
• Bloopers -There are some bloopers and outtakes included that are of course set out to animation, that are uniquely funny. I like that they take some of the voice actor flubs and put them to animation.
• The Morning Report Extended Scene -We also get an extended scene from the movie, which is the Morning Report sequence and song.
• Pride Of The Lion King -This behind the scenes extra runs about 40 minutes in length, and is chock full of those involved talking about all aspects of the movie. This is a great watch.
• The Lion King A Memoir Don Hahn -Don Hahn was the Producer for the Lion King, and this 21 minute memoir is his view of the m asking of the movie, with details about the development and lasting legacy of the movie.
• Disney Sing Along Mode -Disney gives us more sing alongside here.
• Classic DVD Features -Many of the original extras are included here, or on the BD-live extra access feature if you are hooked up to the Internet.
• Interactive Blu-Ray Gallery -There are several art pieces included here from the development of the movie.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover for this Blu-ray release is average, as I kind of expected more of a shot with Simba being held up on top of Pride Rock. This cover is more subtle, but it is fine. The menu features a nice rolling set of scenes with action from the movie displaying on various parts of the landscape. The menu is really kind of unique, and it looks and sounds, with the music from the movie, great.





Audio & Video: 9.5/10
Talk about stunning! Ascully and I were talking just the other day, and we can’t really remember a Disney Blu-ray release that is not spectacular. This is no exception. The high definition release is sharp and brilliantly colorful. This is truly a gorgeous movie to watch on Blu-ray. Th 1080p 1.78:1 widescreen presentation is amazing, and the DTS-HD 7.1 Surround Sound is the same. The audio booms where it needs to, is perfect for the musical numbers, which just shine, and the dialogue is perfect.


Value: 9.5/10
This is a Blu-ray to own. It looks and sounds amazing, and it is truly a great movie. This is a Disney classic, and if there was ever a Disney movie to keep in your collection, this one is it.

Overall Score 9.5/10

As always the animation is awesome. There is nothing I can add to what Pixar can show us with their well oiled machine these days. As for the content of the wonderfully drawn and rendered scenes we see, it’s really lovely to look at. I would like more slow panning shots across the cities and the landscape so we can really take in just how beautifully everything  is offered to us. The details on everything from he carvings on buildings to every single car, and there are a lot, is mind boggling. Art is everywhere and regardless of the fact that it’s being used in a movie to make bazillions of dollars, there is so much creativity in Cars 2 it’s undeniable. Artists made this movie, artists of the tech world who make the computing work and artists who do the endless hours in front of monitors and digital drawing pads and 3D rendering software. They deserve more credit than they get, so here it is CREDIT to the ARTISTS!!!

The story is Mater centric, of course, Mater goes along on the international race circuit while his friend whatshisname does a couple of races. Mater is the more colorful and interesting character, so I’m find with the way it plays out. The rednecky chatter gets a bit much after a while, but at his heart, Mater is a charming fellow who makes me smile and that’s good enough.

There are lots of named voices, look them up. I don’t really care who does what voices to be honest. If they are charming or fun or interesting that’s all that matters. If you sit there thinking, “Oh I’m listening to Michael Cane talk.” the whole time, that’s kind of boring.

Overall I enjoyed Cars 2, now that I think about it, a tiny fraction more than the original Cars. I’m pretty sure it’s the globe trotting that did it for me. I do love clankin’round the world with muh best friend, spyin’ and adventurin’! Yeee Hawwww!!


Features: 5/10

• Cars Toon Air Mater – Mater joins an elite flying group, luckily just in time to promote the new Pixar movie. Charming.
• Hawaiian Vacation Theatrical Short – A very cute and sweet short featuring Barbie and Ken in the Toy Story bedroom full of friends. It’s a nice little tale of friendship and romance, and silliness.
• Directors Commentary – It’s the dude talking about the movie. If anyone ever goes crazy and starts predicting the future or hypnotizing everyone via their commentary I’ll let you know….or will I?
• DVD Version Of The Movie –  Give the DVD to the kids for those trips in the car (cars get it)

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
I would have this cover as a small poster in my house, or post card on the refrigerator, something like that. It’s cute but not too cutesy, so that’s a good thing. The menu is active, kind of spyish and gadgety. Even a good menu makes me wonder, why? We are on the menu for just seconds at a time and them move on to the content. I just wish they could put the cash they spend on the making of these jazzed up menus into something else, like more extras on the Blu-Ray!





Audio & Video: 9/10
Disney his the road running with a another sublime transfer on Blu-Ray disc. As usual with Pixar movies this is a showcase for the HD format. What you get here is a pristine colorful movie that has TONS of detail, from Mater’s rusty bodywork to Holly Shiftwells luminescent purple paint-job you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen. Obviously Pixar are Disney’s crown jewel studio and everything they do gets the A+++ treatment and Cars 2 is no exception. This is nothing short of showroom condition.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack is boombastic on every level. From the opening scene (which plays out like the start of a James Bond movie) you know you are in for something special. Speech is centered and crystal clear and there are lots of panning effects in the rear speakers especially during the big race scenes.

Overall I really enjoyed Cars 2, but I am glad that Pixar are going back to an original property with Brave next year, the sequels they have concentrated on recently are starting to wear a little thin with me.

Value: 3/10
You can complain about my complaining, but if you find a movie for your kids that costs more than 12 bucks, wait until it’s cheaper. I mean it folks, just because they try to convince us that $30 is a GREAT deal for a cutting edge movie with a DVD copy of the movie included, slick packaging, etc…does NOT make it a good deal. It is a movie, not food for your family or gas for your car to get to work to make the money that they want to suck out of you from movie to movie. Take a stand. Rent it first for a couple bucks and when it’s down to a reasonable price, buy it. If you think you are getting value for money because your kids will watch it a thousand times and that makes it worth the price, by that logic my shoes should cost a million friggin’ dollars. Just think of all the use they get from day to day, or my reading glasses, or my mouse. Don’t be fooled. If you love it soooo much  you have to have it or you just don’t mind paying over $20 for a Disney movie (original price nearly 40 dollars!), go for it. Not to mention when you get the Blu-Ray you don’t get all the extras. You have to buy the 3D version to get more for your money, and it’s not more for your money, it’s what Mater might call “hogwarsh”.

Overall Score 7/10

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The cast is what it is, big stars dressed up in crazy costumes and being bigger than life. I’m a sucker for Geoffrey Rush, he commands me every time he’s on the screen. Johnny Depp is Jack, Captain Jack Sparrow and owns the whole of that persona. Penlope Cruz is really good, tough and charming and as the movie goes on I wanted more of her, less of everyone else.

My lovely husband, The Ascully, says the music is a big part of the whole experience and he loves it. I agree that it’s awesome, however, I felt it was a bit heavy sometimes and too demanding. It’s a wonderful score, if not a big chunked in there too much from time to time and it takes away from the fun or excitement of the moment.

The movie isn’t trying too hard to be big action, but there’s enough going on to make me want to go on the same journey. It’s truly the stuff of kids’ imagination. If you ever had one you might remember how it felt to stand in your backyard swing and pretend it was the front of a ship as you stormed across the tumbling sea battling monsters and discovering distant lands. I did that a few times and when I watch any on of the Pirate movies it takes me back. What Stranger Tides does is spark that desire to be hypnotized by the promise of myths and legends like mermaids. I do want more open oceans though, less cannons, more sea monsters.

I look forward to more, but it’s not required for me. Some people want these kinds of franchises to go on forever, not me. I think every story has it’s beginning and end, which is good enough. I don’t like it when something goes too long, and the fear of Pirates of the Caribbean could be screwed up if it is run through the movie mill for much longer.

Oh, the story of this one is finding the fountain of youth. There are mermaids who are incredibly compelling and unlike any mermaids I have ever seen. There is the missionary who is an excellent theme to drop into the pirate tales. There is Blackbeard, who happens to be my least favorite thing in the whole movie, brutal but not as interesting as Davy Jones (pardon the comparison). Finding something to not like about this or others in the series isn’t hard to do, I mean, there’s always hit and miss with any blockbuster flick. The thing is, the balance is tipped for me into the zone of having a really good time, walking away with a smile on my face. That’s always a good thing.


Features: 4/10

• Bloopers Of The Caribbean – A 5 minute blooper reel, funny at times.
• Audio Commentary With Director Rob Marshall – A detailed full length commentary that really gives insight into the production.
• Lego Animated Shorts: Captain Jack’s Brick Tales – Great for the small ones, but adults will see through these shorts and recognize they are really just advertisements.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – A DVD copy of the movie for those times you need to watch a fuzzier version of the film.

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10 (By Ascully)
The DVD combo version of on Stranger Tides comes with a slipcover which has some awesome holographic printing. The only thing I wish was different (and this applies to most Blu-Ray slipcovers) is that the actual slipcover contains different art to what is actually on the box. I do like the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow is given the whole cover though.

The menus are very impressive with a custom spinning map that shows you the main areas in which the movie takes place. It also has that awesome Hans Zimmer music playing which is always a bonus.

(Cidtalk says, no I would not have this as a poster. It’s not interesting enough, just very piratey.)





Audio & Video: 9/10 (By Ascully)
I really believe if there is a king of the high seas in terms of transfer quality on Blu-Ray it’s Disney. Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is no exception. Regular Pirates fans will notice that this is a more gloomy visual film with a new cinematographer onboard (Dariusz Wolski), but still Disney’s transfer keeps the gloomy visuals impactful without crushing blacks. The film is not all dark though as it moves to the lush jungle and things really start to look great.

One of the best surround tracks of the year can be heard on this disc. Surround activity is abundant at all times with lots of bass activity as well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track really delivers all the action of the high seas. A special mention must be made to Hans Zimmer’s amazing Swashbuckling score, if you have seen any of the Pirates movies this will be immediately recognisable and in this movie some could say overused. Not for me though I love the tune and more is better :)

Value: 7/10 (By Ascully)
There are several versions on the movie available and unfortunately the DVD combo is missing the disc that contains the majority of the special features. This brings down the value slightly for me. It’s a disturbing trend that the full suite of extras are only available on the 3D version of the movie but I guess they have to sell 3DTV”s  to the masses somehow. The transfer of the audio and video look incredible, so whichever version you plunk down that pirate booty for you will be pleased with.

Overall Score 7/10

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I know that Cidtalk in her review references the fact that she does not do comparisons between movies, but when your movie review is a sequel to a Disney classic, (or midquel, as it technically takes place in the middle of the Bambi movie) you can’t help but make comparisions.  Bambi 2 is unfortunately going to be compared to Bambi, and the result is (somewhat predictably) not going to be good for the midquel.

Bambi 2 takes place after the heart wrneching death of Bambi’s mother in the original movie.  Bambi is forced to deal with the loss, and his ultimate focus, which is to gain the respect of his father, but in teh meantime, he also has to battle his fear of the forest, which as we know in the original movie, can be a terrifying place to live.

Returning with Bambi are his close friends Thumper, Flower and Friend Owl.  The crew, now kind of on their own, are attempting to battle the loss and help Bambi take his rightful place as heir to the thrown as Prince of the Forrest, which his father currently is.  the group (which in a change from the original movie) is now bubbly and chatty and more playful than before as they search for a surrogate mother to help bambi on his journy.

The midquel is a strange mix of frolic and fear, and while the story really isn’t all that bad, the execution just is not what it could have been.  You can’t help but compare here, and this isn ot the original.  And while the kids will enjoy this movie, it is not something that I would want to see more than once.  Bambi 2 is just not a Disney classic.

Features: 4/10

• Four Interactive Learning Games - Included on the disc are several interactive games that are definitely geared towards kids, and involve things like recognizing colors and simple math.  Again, aimed squarely at little kids.
• Deleted Song “Sing The Day” - This is an extra song that did not make the final cut of the movie.
• Disney’s Sketch Pad How To Draw Thumper - Various artist’s sketches from the movie are presented here.
• The Legacy Continues - In this extra, we get about 8 minutes of interviews and background about the Bambi story and Bambi 2.  Set in interviews of cast and crew, this gives a bit of the background into why this was made.
• Bambi’s Trivia tracks - Created for younger kids, this is a pop up trivia game based on the movie.
• DVD Version Of The Film - 

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10
The cover and the menu for Bambi 2 is a nice trhow back to the original.  The old style artwork and the orcehstral music in the menu really do make this seem like a Disney classic, even though in reality it falls far short of that  moniker.  The menu is alive with color and animation, and the cover is just what you would expect for a sequel (midquel) like this one. 




Audio & Video: 8.5/10
The 1080p AVC encoded presentation is just what you would expect from Disney: solid.  Imagine the old style artwork animation presented in a beautiful, crisp, high definition package, and that is what you get here.  Bright, sharp colors, insanely detailed artwork, and just an overall great visual experience.  This is the presentation that you would want all of the classic (sometimes less than sharp) older movies to look like, but they were not created with high definition in mind.  This Blu-ray is presented with that in mind.  The audio is good also, with a great mix and nice use of the rear speakers.  I notice a lack of real bass, but to be honest, the older movies lacked that ummph as well, and it is almost like it was meant to be.

Value: 3/10
I am not always sure what the impetus is for redoing and revisiting some of these old Disney classics.  This movie will still be a big splash with kids, but overall, I just think it does nothing to improve on what is a brilliant Disney story.  Sometimes things should just be left alone to stand on their own, and to me, this is a case where Bambi already did pretty good for himself (minus the whole mom dying thing).  Don’t mess with the original.

Overall Score 5/10

Prom is about a group of kids.  We have the class president good girl Nova (Amiee Teegarden) who has spent months planning the school’s prom, only to see all of the decorations burn 3 weeks before the actual night in question.  Faced with starting over, she finds herself the only person able to work on rebuilding save for rebel Jesse (Thomas McDonnell), who is forced to help with the decorations, or face not graduating.  Jesse is the classic bad boy, with long hair, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle.  Jesse is the misunderstood softy who hides behind his hair and fists.  Of course the two end up discovering that there is more to a person than their outside appearance, and when Nova’s flake of a boyfriend bails on her, she works with Jesse to create a new prom, and the two end up falling for each other.

But Prom is also about Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) who is a sophomore who falls for Simone (Danielle Campbell).  The main problem here is that Simone has had a fling with football star Tyler, who just so happens to be seeing someone.  In other words, Lucas is second fiddle, and it takes a while for Simone to see just what is going on.

I think you get the picture.  We also have comedic relief in Lloyd, who wants to take a girl to the prom, but can’t seem to pull the whole asking part correctly, and Mei and Justin, who have dated sinc ethe 8th grade, adn who are dealing with splitting up for college, even if they don’t know it yet.

Prom is a cute, intertwined kind of movie that really was not as bad as this summary makes it out to be.  The acting by this young group is decent, and the story, while overly predeictible, moves along at a decent pace.  Overall this was fun little high school movie.


Features: 7/10

• Last Chance Lloyd Short - This 10 minute long extra goes into more depth about Lloyd, the poor sould who just can’t seem to properly execute a prom invitation.  He seems to try to invite just about every girl in the school, and he fails miserably each time.  It is an interesting short, and it more further develops one of the better (read funny) characters in the movie.
• Bloopers - Standard bloopers, said by the excessively cute cast.
• Deleted Scenes - There are four extra scenes that were cut from the movie.  They actually are some decent scenes, and the seem to give the movie a bit more depth, but of course, they were cut from the final product.  Each scene is introduced as well.
• Putting On Prom - Your classic behind the scenes extra, Putting on Prom is an amazingly short (6 minutes) feature that is pretty straight forward.
• 7 Music Videos - There are a gaggle of music videos here, which even for Disney seems over the top.  We get to see videos from bands like Allstar Weekend, Neon Trees, Moon, Nolan Sotillo, and Girl in a Coma.  The videos mainly feature more scenes from the movie.
• DVD Version Of The Movie - No digital version, but the standard DVD is featured here.  I would definitely watch on Blu-ray, as the video for this release is steller in high definition.

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The cover for Prom is not bad actually, with most (where is Lucas, who had just as big of a role as Lloyd, if not a bigger role) of the cast sitting in a high school hallway.  It’s cute, and will it definitely sums up the movie.  The menu features a lot of “high school” type artwork and writing, with photos and such.  It reminds me a bit to much of Napoleon Dynamite, as well as a host of other movies using the same “feel” for their menus.




Audio & Video: 9/10
Wow.  For a movie like this, the video was jaw dropping.  The clarity and pop for this 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p presentation is simply stunning.  The movie was apparently shot using a new Arri Alexa digital camera, which obviously produces some amazing shots.  The audio is decent, but nothing spectacular like the video, which again is stellar.  The 5.1 Surround Sound is paringly used here, and the movie, while sounding okay, lacks a bit of depth from bass and proper  use of the rear speakers.


Value: 5/10
It is kind of hard to put a value on this type of movie.  It is a good movie for what it is, but aside from a select group of pre-teens, the replay value on this type of movie is very small.  The music videos and extras are decent also, but Prom is still kind of a thing you only want to experience once, so as not to ruin its oveall effect.

Overall Score 6.5/10

Copper and Tod form an unlikely duo who run and play and frolick, until Copper is taken out hunting one winter and he returns as an enemy.  Their friendship is not allowed, and when Tod is taken out to the country to escape the mean hunter, a fight ensues whereby Copper vows to get Tod at any cost.  The rest of the movie sees the two pitted against each other, as Tod falls in love with a female fox, and fights copper to protect her until a bear gets in the mix and Tod ends up saving his “best friend” from certian death.  The movie has comedy and sorrow, like all of the classic animated movies, and it is a really good story.  There are musical numbers, but not quite as many as would be expected, which is nice change from some of the older Disney movies (and from the other movie on this disc.)

The sequel to the movie is a little bit of a mixed bag.  It actually takes place between the time where the pups meet and when they grow older and are pitted against each other, which is a strange turn for a sequel.  The movie is pretty aimless and has issue with both the story and pacing, as the two pal around together, and the musical numbers just seem to take center stage, instead of adding to the movie as the songs did in the original.  I don’t have much to say about the Fox and the Hound II, except that it was difficult to watch, and really it takes away from the original gem that Disney released.

The combination may be nice to have in one set, but I would almost stop after watching the original and leave it at that.

Features: 7/10
The bonuses that are included are included on 2 DVDs, with only a short piece about animals as unlikely friends on the Blu-ray, which I will say is a bit strange.

• Unlikely Friends – This is the only extra on the Blu-ray disc, and it is a piece about different speices of animals getting along in the real world.
• The Best of Friends sing-along – Included on the extra disc for the original Fox and the Hound, this piece is a sing along with words for the main song from the film.
• Passing the Baton – This 6 minute extra is all about the making of the movie, and it is a great little watch.  It features interviews with animators and looks at the storyboards as the story and movie came together.
• The Making of the Music – On the second disc, for the Fox and the Hound II, this feature is all about the music, which to me featured much more prominently int he sequel then the first movie.
• “You Know I Will” music video – Luca Grabeel’s video for the song “You Know I Will” is also included, adding another bizarre music video to the release of Disney movies.  I am still not sure how I feel about all these music videos.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
Well, the cover for the Fox and the Hound Collection is about as basic as you can get.  the two main characters Tod and copper are seen as puppies, looking cute and playing.  There is not much to this cover, but it is at least cute.  The menu features banjo music and the inside of a country house, with the two guys still frolicking in the window, in an animated sequence that repeats itself and is unbearably short.  I have seen worse, but not often from a Disney Blu-ray release.





Audio & Video: 7.5/10
The audio and video of both movies is pretty decent, especially considering that disney put both movies on the same Blu-ray disc.  There were some noticable artifacts in the  original at times, and the 30 year old movie did have some small flaws which were to be expected.  Overall the original looked great.   There are parts where the grain ia a bit noticable, but again, this is a 30 year old movie.  For the Fox and the Hound II, the colors and clarity are expectedly sharper and more clear.

The audio for the original was average, with some light use of the rear speakers.  The music seemed almost muted compared to some of the Disney releases that I have seen, even the older ones.  The Fox and the Hound II was a bit more modern and sounded quite a bit more sharp, which again, is to be expected.


Value: 5/10
The Fox and the Hound collection on Blu-ray is a fun watch.  This is one of those Disney releases that most tend to forget about, which is a shame.  It has less music and songs than many of the older Disney releases, which is kind of a nice reprieve.  The original movie is great and is gender neutral for the most part.  This is also a movie that doesn’t mind venturing into some more scary, darker scenes, which we rarely get to see in modern animated releases.

While the collection features the fun original, the Fox and the Hound II is kind of a letdown.  It is nice to have the collection all in one spot, and this is a Disney classic, so owning it is a good safe bet.  The issue here is that instead of getting any real features in high definition for the original movie, you get the mediocre sequel.  For Disney fans, that may not be the best trade-off.  The saving grace here is really the original movie, which is nicely presented on Blu-ray, and is definitely worth watching if you have not seen it in awhile.

Overall Score 7/10

Milo (Seth Green, and voiced by Seth Dusky) basically tells his mom that he is sick of being bossed around, and as he feels terrible about telling her, he finds that she is being dragged to space by aliens.  He accidentally ends up in the spaceship, and when he runs into Gribble (Dan Fogler) on Mars, the two fight to save Milo’s mom, who is set for extermination just as soon as the Martians can extract the discipline that she possesses.  The Martians do not raise their young, and they have created robots that do it for them.  No love or affection is allowed on the red planet, and the results have been disastrous.

Milo and Gribble, with the help of Martian Ki (Elisabeth Harnois) set out to save Milo’s mom from an evil death.  Ki, like some of the Martians who are seen as outcasts by the establishment, long for any sort of affection, and while Milo sets out to save his mom, he ends up saving Mars.

The story is based on a bedtime story by Berkeley Breathed, but the movie seems to meander a bit at times.  The ending is prety well done, and very heartfelt, but it takes a long time to get there, which is never a good thing in a movie aimed at kids.  The movie overall is fun and watchable, but it has enough issues that this is not what I would consider a great movie.


Features: 5/10

• Extended Opening, and various Deleted Scenes - Included on the Blu-ray are several extended and deleted scenes, with introductions by Director Simon Wells.  they are in various stages of finish.  They include an extended opening sequences as well as deleted scenes from throughout the movie.
• Life On Mars - This is a picture-in-picture motion-capture feature that lets you view some of the action as t was filmed, with the motion capture actors suited up and moving.  there are introductions by Simon Wells included.
• Martian 101 – Speaking Martian With Lessons From An Expert - This is a strange little segment based on the creation of the language that the characters used when they ad-libbed the made up language.  It is kind of intersting to see the development of the phrases and terminology.
• Fun With Seth - This is a feature that is based on the motion capture parts of the movie that Seth Green, as the lead actor, has taken on for the movie.  In a strange twist, Seth Green does the acting and voice work, but since he is playing Milo, who is quite a bit younger then Green, the voice work is done by youngster Seth Dusky.  This short feature just highlights the fact that the set was apparently quite lighthearted, due to Seth Green’s inclusion.
• DVD Version Of The Movie - A standard DVD version is included, which is a staple of Disney Blu-ray releases.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover for Mars Needs Moms is kind of a throw back to the alien movies of the 1950s.  A boy, opening the front door to a large spaceship is just a nice classic spave movie type of cover.  Even the font harkens back to the old school movies.  The menu features scenes of the movie playing inside Gribble’s control room. 




Audio & Video: 9/10
The audio and video for this Disney presentation were amazing.  The animation looks great, and the colors and black levels were simply spot on.  The creepiness of the capture animation is still there, but this presentation is amazing.  the audio was also excellent.  This is presented in 7.1 Surround Sound, and the panning from speaker to speaker was very well done.  Overall this is just a great Blu-ray presentation.

Value: 6/10
For a kids movie, this one is pretty straight forward in terms of the story.  The pace of the movie and the development seemed a bit off to be honest, and while it is a fun little watch, it is not overly remarkable.  It is almost like too much effort was spent on trying to capture Seth Green’s energy, and not enought time was spent on fine tuning the film.  It is a decent watch, but not a long term favorite.

Overall Score 6/10

Lemonade Mouth becomes the band’s name after a run in with school’s more popular band Mudslide Crush, and the movie turns into a competition to see who will be top dog in this very musical high school.

The acting in the movie is pure Disney channel, with some forced lines and comedy, but otherwise it is bearable.  The stars from the Disney Channel shows do an adequate job here, and if you are expecting academy award type performances, you need to change DVDs immediately.  There is an appearance by Christopher McDonald who plays an over-zealous principal that harkens directly back to classic prinicpals from Ferris Beuller and Breakfast Club, which is fun to watch, if not predictable.

Lemonade Mouth is a made for television Disney creation, and it hits squarely within the boundaries and expectations of that type of movie.  It is fun to watch, and a tad too predictable for most adults.  My son liked it, and the music is actually pretty decent and catchy, which helps save the film  a bit.  Nothing spectacular, but a nice little Disney tale to talk about how hard school can be, while espousing the true meaning of friendship at the same time.


Extras: 2/10

• Extended Music Scene – There is an extended scene (read music number) included here as an extra. The advertisements on Disney Channel for the movie really push this extra, which I find funny as there are not really a lot of extras featured here on the DVD. It is a bizarre little interview with the song included.
• Rock Along – This is a sort of Karaoke for the tunes that are featured in the movie.
• Digital Copy – A digital copy is included here with the regular DVD.

Cover Art and Menus: 8/10
The cover is a classic yellowbackground with the band in black and white, which is decent.  The whole lemonade theme is carried ove to the menu, which again is a mash of yellow and lemons slices, with a pretty cool interspersing of the actors and shots from the movie.  I really liked the menu, expecially considering that this is not a Blu-ray.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The regular DVD release of Lemonade Mouth is decent as well, with a nice, bright color palete and decent clarity for most of the movie.  Some jagged edges are visible at times, but overall the widescreen presentation is nice.  The audio was good also, with a decent mix.  The music was (and should be) the strongest asset here in terms of the audio, and the dialogue was good, with a few areas that I thought could be brighter.


Value: 6/10
I think that Lemonade Mouth has been on the Disney Channel a few times already,  and it is sure to appear in heavy rotation for a bit.  It makes it hard to want to run out and buy the DVD when you can DVR it.  The movie is decent for the children that it is aimed at, and it is kind of a mini Glee Disney experience.  The lack of a real solid set of extras makes buying the DVD even more difficult.  Those who are into this type of movie will more than likely enjoy it, but buying it is another thing altogether, given the circumstances.

Overall Score 6/10

The characters are written to be more dynamic than unique, but that’s OK. I always want to care just a bit about each person living in the movie’s world, and that happened for me right away. I was along for the ride pretty  much right away, wanting to know what would happen to each character…well…not so much Olephant, whatever. The performances were all not great, but solid and convincing in the context of this story. They are sketches of types of young people with their own twists, so they have a lot of information to deliver to our stereotypically trained minds.

The special effects stand up to a lot of bigger flicks out there. They aren’t perfect, but with some very new-to-me images and creatures my eyes were happy. My brain didn’t do much nit picking, you know why? I think sometimes when you just decide that a movie is fun, entertaining, and for me has some cool new eye toys to play with, well, it’s like my mind just goes along for the ride. No need to criticize every imperfection. I could say it’s got some predictablity, some of the acting is kind of TV-ish, but I really don’t care to be honest. I had a great time.

An alien teenager, an outcast, a young woman with a camera and a beret, bullies who are portrayed as assholes, ancient-type vibe with some of the creatures and mythology, ballsy portrayal of unbelievable technology, AWESOME BAD GUYS, over the top pop music soundtrack, it’s just a good way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Features: 4/10

• Deleted Scenes – There is one major deleted scene!!! Marion!!! THE MARION from Indiana Jones got cut from this movie for some bullshit reason by the director…get a clue dude.
• Becoming Number Six – This is a pretty good extra following the young lady why plays Number Six, her training and working at being such a physical force to be reckoned with in the movie.
• Bloopers – Giggling, chuckling, laughing, flubbing lines…this is bloopers.
• Digital Copy & DVD – Copies.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
I would not have this cover as a poster. Why? I know you want to ask. Well, it’s shitty. So boring to put the faces of the stars of action movies, or any movies, it’s just mind numbingly unstimulating. This movie, this story, has so much potential for visual goodness, and yet none of it was utilized for this cover art, or for the menus for that matter.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Again Disney deliver a stunning HD transfer (1080P AVC) with the Blu-Ray edition of I Am Number Four. With crystal clear closeups and stunning special effects which actually hold up under HD scrutiny unlike other blockbuster flicks. If I had any complaint about the transfer I would say some of the night time scenes are a little too dark, but that might be intentional and one of the reasons the special effects look so nice.

The soundtrack to this movie delivers awesome popular music with slam bang action and explosions, the perfect summertime movie soundtrack. The DTS-HD Master Audio track really delivers with some otherworldly sounds in the end sequences. The scene with Number Six and the exploding beach hut all set to Adele’s superb “Rolling In The Deep” really is a showcase for the discs sound design. Overall if you were a fan of Four in the theater earlier this year you won’t be disappointed with the Blu-Ray presentation.


Value: 4/10
Buying movies is slowing slipping from my life list of desires. I can’t help it, $20,00 or more just seems like a misuse of household funds. I just can’t find new reasons to stockpile boxes with discs with movie’s that I will probably not ever watch again. I have a few that mean more to me for whatever reasons, but beyond that it will take a lot more to get me to purchase current and future titles. I really did enjoy I Am Number Four, however, it does not need to be slid onto the movie shelf of my house for many years to come. I highly recommend it for fun and something new. The extras are not enough to make it a long term commitment of watching and entertainment to stretch the value. Rent it, watch it on Netflix, or buy your digital version that can be packed away on a harddrive somewhere.

Overall Score 6.5/10

The sides are at odds over just about everything, with Gnomeo (James McAvoy) basically pit against his rival Tybalt (Jason Statham).  That is, until Juliet (Emily Blunt) goes on a quest for a certain flower that she has seen from afar, and on her journey she runs into Gnomeo.  Both are initally unaware that the other is from the other side of the tracks (or garden in this case) until they have both become smitten with the other, and as a result, the two end up trying to hide their new love affair from their families.

Gnomeo’s mother Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith) and Juliet’s father Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine) will not stand for the affair should they learn about it, and the two star struck lovers are forced to meet in another yard, as they try to decide how to make the love affair work.  Initially they decide to run away, but when things get heated, they are forced to confront their families and hope for the best, only to see the warring factions almost tear each other apart.

Gnomeo and Juliet does a nice little re-write to the original (which could be seen a some sort of slight to Shakespeare, had this not been a kids movie) and in the end, the happy ending is warranted.  The voice work here is well done, with a huge mix of stars on hand to really add some flavor to the movie. Gnomeo and Juliet is a fun little romp full of color, humor and music.  It is not for everyone, but it is appealing and campy, in a good way.


Features: 5/10

• 2 Alternate Endings – There are two endings of the dancing endings, that are presented as storyboards.
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes – Director Kelly Asbury presents a whopping 42 minutes of unfinished or deleted scenes, in various aspects of being finished.  This is almost too much in terms of deleted scenes, but it is a nice inclusion if you are in to that sort of extra.  I have never seen so many scenes presented for one of these types of movies.
• The Fawn Of Darkness – In one of the funniest casting decisions of the movie, Ozzy Osborne gets to play a fawn in the movie, and this extra is all about the King of Darkness, as he does his lines for the movie.
• Elton Builds A Garden – This 5 minute extra delves in to the process of Elton John as he worked with Bernie Taupin to create the music for the movie.  This was obviously a meaningful movie for Elton, as he was extremely involved in the making of the movie.
• Frog Talk With Ashley Jensen - Ugly Betty actress Ashley Jensen plays a frog in the movie, and this is a neat little interview with her, and her craziness at the microphone.
• Crocodile Rock Music Video – This is an animated version of the Elton John rework for the movie, complete with singing gnomes.  It is a bit more upbeat and modern, which is kind of a shame, as the Elton John version is infinitely better, but this is a gnome infested music video.  The song is actually sung by Nelly Furtado and Elton John.
• DVD Copy Of The Film – We get the DVD, but this one did not come with a digital version, which was a tad odd.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover for Gnomeo and Juliet features a bunch of the garden gnomes, standing off, looking as mnacing as garden gnomes can look.  It is cute, if nothing else.  The menu for the movie features the gnomes in the garden, and is actually pretty neat, as it rolls from Capulet to Montague sides of the lawn.





Audio & Video: 9/10
The video for Gnomeo and Juliet is just simply amazing.  We are presented with some very very bright colors here in the gardens, and the gnomes are beat up and the detail is justimpressive.  The AVC encode is pristine, and the textures here are simply spectacular.  The audio is also very impressive, with a really good mix of bass and action with the dialogue, which is spot on.  This is a very impressive Blu-ray presentation on both aspects of the release.


Value: 7/10
Gnomeo and Juliet is a fun little movie that really works, and is a very British type of animated movie, which is nice to see.  The movie is aimed squarely at kids, but there is a lot here for adults to love as well.  The voice talent here is great, and overall this is just a really solid animated release.  It is not a movie that I see watching over and over again, sadly, but it is a fun watch for the whole family.  There is a nice mix of musicals here which is nice, as Elton John is no slouch when it comes to music, so that is a nice bonus as well.  Overall Gnomeo and Juliet is fun, and definitely a nice re-write to what is otherwise a sad Shakespeare ending.

Overall Score 8/10

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From a teenage girl who wants to hide from the cute boy in school to the young boy who has a streak of orneriness, we all know these people, even if they are animated.
It’s a kid movie, sure, but it’s got a lot to say about marriage and hitting that middle age thing where our lives seem a bit drab and uneventful. We all can’t be super heroes with alter egos, but hey, we can understand why working at a job that sucks every bit of life out of you, it’s universal. Our leading hero, Mr. Incredible is both visually and emotionally a representative of our husbands/fathers who gave up their dreams when they were young to face a life time of mediocrity and boredom at a dead end job. But never fear, this is a story about more than boring jobs and mid life crisis’s :)

There’s stuff blowing up, a colorful bad guy who doesn’t even flinch at the prospect of destroying a whole family, and a ton of funny moments mixed with real tension as you watch our favorites battle the evil of the world. If you are a grown up who says you don’t like “this kind of movie”, get over it! Give us all a break and stop whining about how animation is just for the little ones. Come to the dark side….hahaha join the rest of your fellow adults who enjoy animated features as much as live action. You will have a great time, trust me!

Every scene looks amazing. I would challenge anyone who likes to find fault to dig up a flaw in any frame of this animated beauty.

Aside from the underlying real life references and the gorgeousness of the animation, it’s just plain fun! It’s entertaining with lots of laughs and trust me, you will be hard pressed to not have a good time. If you walk away saying it was boring or not funny at all, you are a big fat liar!! No offense:)


Features: 9/10

• The Incredibles Revisited – A NEW 22 minute roundtable that puts the main creators of the movie back together for an interesting retrospective.
• Deleted Scenes –  All the deleted scenes from the DVD (5 in all) are here in full HD for the first time.
• Boundin Short Film – Academy Award Nominated Short - Yet another wonderful short that shows the heart and creativity of folks at Pixar. Boundin’ features the voice, vision, story, music, and concept by Bud Luckey. Luckey is a veteran animator who offers up a simple but lovely heart felt little story I hope everyone takes the time to watch.
• Jack-Jack Attack Short Film – All new animated short- This is the time that little baby Jack was left with the babysitter while the family is out fighting the bad guy. It’s an excellent short that has a ton of personality, and it’s just plain funny. The babysitter is put to the test with this super hero baby who has an affinity for fire and laser beams.
• Interactive “The New Nomanisan” Island Redevelopment – Syndrome’s Island Base has been transformed into a wonderful island vacation getaway which you can explore here.
• Paths To Pixar: Story Artists – Take a look at Pixar’s story artists in this continuing series that if you have been following along is present on most Pixar releases.
• Studio Stories: Gary’s Birthday –
• Classic DVD Content – Everything that was included on the DVD release which clocks in at over 70 minutes. The hard to find Easter Eggs have also been given easy access in a seperate menu.
• Digital Copy & DVD – Different formats for different situations :)

Cover Art and Menus: 9/10
This is a movie that is so imaginative I wanted to see some of that on the cover, but it ended up as one of those middle of the road Disney offering. The menus are a whole other story. Once you see the movie you will realize that the people who put the menus together did a great job of making this a great HD package. They take images straight from the movie and translate them into some of the best looking menus I have seen on a Blu-Ray.





Audio & Video: 10/10
Well what do you expect from a Pixar release in terms of picture and audio? Amazing 1080P picture? Check! Expansive 5.1 audio? Check! Yes folks all the boxes are checked as usual for an almost perfect experience here on Blu-Ray. I say almost perfect as there are a couple of Banding and Aliasing issues however they are so small most viewers will never notice.


Value: 9/10
We were out and about the other day and found this Blu-Ray for just over 20 bucks. That is an exceptional value for everything you get. I’m the first one to complain about Blu-Ray prices, but this one makes me happy.

Overall Score 9/10

It all makes sense to me now..wow. I had watched Tron just last year for the first time. I had been awake for about 25 hours and so I fell asleep. It wasn’t a comment on the movie, just that my mind couldn’t cope with the tired and the awesomeness of the original Tron.

I will talk about these movies as if they are one today. If you don’t like that concept I’m sure there are lots of other reviews you can soak up that lick your fanboy behind.

The concept of Tron was so far ahead of it’s time 30 years ago it’s amazing that it got made into a movie at all. The idea of a powerful entity trying to take over the world wasn’t new, of course, but the whole world of computers and networks and our lives being so linked to a digital reality, well, that was prognosticating at its best.

The story kicks right in as our smart ass hero grins his way through the introduction of an ex-girlfriend, loyal co-worker who doesn’t like the power of the corporate computer, and his own affection for video games. Then, just like that, he’s lasered into a digital world. Even though there is that vibe of the seventies lingering, with the slow opening big door, the climbing of the stairs to the laser work station, the contrast of the scientific laser lab mixed with the casual atmosphere of the arcade, the 80′s are still creeping enough to make it almost timeless.

You’ve got the music blaring from the arcade, the teetering on the edge of computer lifestyles, the revolutionary seeds being planted about rising up against your company’s dictatoral styles, and then BLAM you are smack dab inside the computer itself.  People must have been cofused and in awe back in 82 when this hit the theaters. I mean, I don’t even understand every computer term they throw out there and I’ve worked around the little scamps for 20 years. A character called RAM, even today some people might not get it. The design of the sets and suits are so perfectly synced to the inner world of a PC, the circuitry, the physical parts, the angles, the shapes. I was mesmorized.

The 2010 Tron Legacy brings an updated but similar concentration of technical references and inner computer world design. The lighting is more intense, basically because they could use actual lights on the costumes and on the sets as practical lighting. In the original the glowing lights had to be hand drawn on each frame of film. The movie itself was made in black and white, well, the inside the computer parts, versus the modern movie done in HD, color, and 3D no less.  Legacy has a more brooding mood about the world inside the computer, more solemn, more desolate. It might be me, but that’s how I see the addition of rolling generic data hills, mountain side swellings, an isolated city perched amongst a barren landscape. I know the idea is to contrast the light, the data connection between that world and ours, and that’s fine with me, it’s just something I noticed. The original Tron always seemed more optimistic in a way. It could be the more cartoony artwork now and then. It is Disney after all. It kind of cheers it up between the moments of realizing that world domination is but a few bytes away.

Our smart ass hero gets thrown into a place where his bits’n'bytes self is pitted against the human representation of computer programs in a game of survival. The place is patroled by a maniacal software tyrant. The only hope is Tron, the little program that was designed to police the system. A little do-good dude in a world of corporate misdoings. That is what Tron is all about, defending the freedom, promoting the little guy’s interests against the domminance and subjecation by a higher power.

It’s the same for Tron Legacy. Our hero, though not quite as smart assish, is just as cheeky. He also is thrown into the digital world without warning, without a clue, and has to survive. His added task is to find his father, the other hero from 30 years ago, who’s been trapped in there all this time. Along the way we encounter modern but true-to-tron dangers, bad guys, strange characters, underdogs, and good music. Oh yes, the music is awesome.

I don’t read reviews. I don’t care what other people think about movies. Strange, I know, but that frees me up to say what I really think and better yet, how I feel when I watch a movie. I loved these movies and the whole experience they offered up to me as a movie fan. I didn’t LOVE either one the first time I saw them, admittedly. The original Tron just came on a poor movie watching day, and Legacy, well, I didn’t “get it” because I was befuddled by the little glimpses of the first one that were floating in my mind. When we watched them back to back I had such a good time. I was totally blown away by the forethought of the original movie and extremly pleased that the newest addition to the Tron world wasn’t just some overly annoying, too cool for school, joke of a follow up. It was a great time at the movies, truly.

The groovy girls who put the uniform on the dude in the new one, I dig them. Quorra, the leading lady of Legacy with  her toughness mixed with a hint of naivety, she’s compelling and fun to watch. Bridges does his bit to be a little bit annoying in both incarnations of Flynn, but he’s not supposed to be the charming hero. He’s part hippie, part hacker, part corporate exec-wanna-be (to offer free software and information to all). Flynn Jr. fits in very well. He’s smart and doesn’t just become the action hero type, he is believably partaking of the fights, the action, while not being like TA DA I’M ACTION MAN…I hate it when that happens.

Did I mention the music is awesome? It is. Daft Punk can hit that nerve in me that makes my head do that slidy thing forward and back about a half inch to the beat. It’s not a head banging thing, or a nod, but like someone has a string attached to my chin and is pulling it to the beat….if you know what I mean, you KNOW what I mean.

Alan is the programmer of Tron, and in both movies he’s kind of your generic corporate worker guy. He’s young in Tron with a hopefulness that’s about to be dashed by the insidousness of big business. He’s older and wiser in Legacy with a hint of being kind of crushed down by the decades of the same working world, a little sad, but resiliant and with that glimmer in his eye for the days gone by with his rebel friend Flynn.

I didn’t love the Zuse character, actually i didn’t even like him much. I like the guy but the character, well, he might seem interesting and quirky, but it felt out of place in an awkward and unneccessary way. If he was toned down just a little and make the part more involved throughout the movie, that would have patched that one small leak in my lovefestriver of drooling praise of these movies.

It’s so fun to think back over it all I’m tempted to watch it again this weekend.


Features: 10/10

• The Next Day Flynn Lives Revealed – A docu-style bit about what happened after Flynn disappeared and what’s happening now that Flynn Jr. is on the scene. This short film bridges the gap between the two movies.
• First Look At Tron Uprising – A trailer for the new animated series that will appear on Disney XD later this year.
• Launching The Legacy – How do you offer a modern version of such a classic to the die hard fans?
• Visualizing Tron – How do you make a modern Tron world look modern but stay true to the original?
• Installing The Cast – Who’s who of the cast, and why.
• Disc Roars – The fans at Comic Con do the cheers and jeers for the movie auditorium scene, this featurette shows how that all happened.
• Disney Second Screen – A new feature that allows you to view concept art and facts about the movie on your Ipad or Laptop, it’s a cool feature but wasn’t actually active at the time of review. For more info check here.
• Original Tron Movie Classic Features Including 88 Minute Making Of Tron – LOTS of good stuff to watch here if you are a true fan, infact all five hours of extras that were featured on the old Tron DVD are included.
• The Tron Phenomenon - How a movie that didn’t do much for the boys who want big returns on their cash, did so much for a generation of geeks and lovers of all things computers.
• Photo Tronology – The director of the original Tron (Steven Lisberger) takes a trip to Disney’s archives with his son to reminisce and look over lots of old assets. A very interesting feature that paralleled the storyline of Tron legacy.

Cover Art and Menus: 5/10
My husband, the great and powerful Ascully, will disagree with me on this (because we have the poster in our movie room) but I am not a fan of the cover art. I understand the significance and it’s nice and shiny, but these movies have soooooo much going for them visually that to plunk that one image of them doing the trip up data stream river (haha) just isn’t compelling to me at all. The menu is digital and stuff, functional.




Audio & Video: 10/10
Ladies & Gentlemen we have a winner. Yes you heard right Tron Legacy is the winner of best Blu-Ray transfer of 2011 so far. The 5 disc Blu-Ray set we took a look at also contains the original 1982 classic for the first time on Blu-Ray and while the movie does look good, (much better than the older DVD release), it is plagued with some odd noise and strange banding issues. Even with that, comparing this to the DVD you can tell Disney did a lot of restoration work.

Tron Legacy on the other hand is as pristine and cutting edge as you could possibly ask for in  2011. The Blu-Ray release of Tron Legacy is presented in a varying aspect ratio (2.31:5 & 1.78:1 similar to the Dark Knight) this results in a greater vertical resolution in the Imax filmed scenes. The it movie looks fantastic, in fact, it seemed cleaner and crisper than when we saw it theatrically. If you are a fan of the movie you will not believe the quality you are geting here.

Audio on Tron Classic sounds great for a movie from the early 80′s. There are the occassional moments where dialog gets lost in the action but other than  that it does sound fine.

Tron Legacy has a DTS-HD Master audio 7.1 track that not only showcases Daft Punk’s brilliant soundtrack it brings the whole movie to life. Like I said, this is the audio track to beat this year. LFE is reserved for most of the dance beats and everything else is as razor sharp as the visuals. If I had to throw a complaint into the mix it would be that perhaps the track is mixed a little high, but really that is nitpicking this is an outstanding showpiece disc on every level.


Value: 5/10
Tron is a classic. It’s 30 years old. Legacy is a new flick. I know it’s packed with history and nostalgia, and extras and technology, but it’s not worth 40 or 50 bucks. I would pay, hmmm, let’s say $18.50 for the set. It’s just a couple of movies in a box. I say wait for the price to go down, around the holidays maybe, or rent it for now. I’m going to stand firm on the premise that these movie companies need to get their thumbs out of their own asses and realize, movies are a vital part of life, a distraction, fun, thoughtfulness, ideas, more fun. They should not cost as much as a week’s worth of food or a month’s water bill. Get off your high horses. If you can’t make back the money from a huge budget movie without sticking it to the fans, don’t make the movie…we’ll live.

Overall Score 9/10

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Tell me again why I’m not supposed to like fairy tale stories? Some are too sad, depressing, violent, unrealistic, celebrate idiot standards of beauty and lifestyle? I just described most of the romantic comedies, dramas, action adventure flicks, heist movies, and almost every other genre. Let’s not mention literature, music, poetry, art….no, none of these things even compare to the ridiculousness of a fairy tale.

Oh, but I do like fairy tales. Tangled gives me that giddy little smile I never got when I read story books as a kid. Modern writers and directors can be a tad too cheezy and over the top with mingling current humor with old themes and stories, but that’s part of the fun. I have seen a play of A Christmas Carol done traditionally, and I’ve seen Scrooged (about 100 times). I like them both. Adding the goof factor, the giggles, and the gafaws, and the references to modern culture isn’t taking away anything, it’s adding something to it.

The voices are right. (Sadly I was so totally turned off by the complete horrible hosting these two performers did on the extras that it kind of put a slight damper on my memory of the fun voices, but I’ll work on that.) There are moments of true joy and smarminess in their voices and because their voices aren’t so recognizable it makes it more like they are who they are speaking for. When a very famous voice, sometimes that overrides the pleasure of the quirky animated characters.

The animation is beautiful. I watched it in 2D and it was really just lovely. I am not that excited about 3D so I’m happy with the way of movie watching without dark glasses on my face. I did love Avatar, 3 times, but still, enough is enough.

The other characters in this story of the girl with the long long long long hair are really the heart of the whole thing. The horse, THAT HORSE is amazing. He’s got to be one of the funniest animated animals I have ever seen in my life. A horse soldier who acts like a hound dog, does a bit of parkour, flies from building to building, and his attitude is perfectly drawn, portrayed, whatever you want to call it. The star of the show for me. The bar scene is so good, so rich with details and characters I would love to have on a poster, and to have a movie just about them to be honest. Narly toothed, hooked handed, scragly looking fellas, but  with good intentions.

If I had one complaint about the movie it’s that the story kind of skips by too fast at one point. I wanted more of Repunzel discovering the world, more of her learning about things she had never seen. Instead she goes from the girl hidden in the tower to being fairly adjusted to the outside human population and it felt truncated. That’s it though, nothing else knocked on my grown up movie watching brain door.

It’s a good movie, what can I say? It takes me away and gives me that fun heart for a bit and I like that.


Features: 7/10

• Deleted Scenes – I like deleted scenes from animated movies that are just sketches put together with some voice over. It’s a contrast to the final movie and I do love a good rough draft.
• Untangled The Making Of A Fairy Tale - Oh dear, don’t make me talk about it….OK, fine. The star power made me want to gag. The cheap obnoxious banter, ugh. The bits that were actually about the movie were fine, but that sugar factor of the Disneyesque intro sections were annoying.
• Original Storybook Opening - I like the final movie opening, but it’s nice to see the process of how movie makers come to the movie they offer to us in the end.
• And More – More? Mysterious. You just have to find out for yourself….OK, you talked me out of it. This includes a rundown with music of tiny clips of the 50 animated movie features Disney animation studio has made. It’s cool, but you need your Disney thinking cap on kiddies!!
• DVD Copy Of The Movie – Yes, a copy, shocking.

Cover Art and Menus: 7/10
The cover art is fine. It’s packed with a lot of attitude which is how the movie is, so that’s fair. I would like it to be just ever-so-slightly less about putting an image in the middle of the layout and leaving it at that though. These characters have great faces, gimme a close up people!! I would have it as a poster though, so that’s saying something.

The menu is an image of the tower, the hair, a nice quiet scene that doesn’t give anything of the movie away, and that’s always a good thing.





Audio & Video: 10/10
At this point in the game you probably know what I am going to say about Tangled the latest Disney animated movie on Blu-Ray. IT LOOKS & SOUNDS FANTASTIC!!!!!! As always the 1080P VC1 encoded transfer is a literal showcase for your Blu-Ray/HDTV setup, colors jump out of the screen (without the need for fancy 3D) and Blacks are inky dark with lots of shadow detail. Rapunzel’s glowing golden hair is a particular standout moment, you can literally see every strand, you really appreciate the work Disney’s animators put into this retelling of a classic Fairytale.

The audio can be described as lively and the sound design makes use of the rear channel’s when you least expect it. There are a few musical numbers in the movie and when these occur the soundstage really springs to life. Sub woofer activity is almost as active as the rear surrounds and as with most of Disney’s CG animated movies this is a true standout disc.

Tangled can be enjoyed by all age groups (I am a 41 year old man with no children) so don’t judge a book by it’s cover (or a Blu-Ray by it’s cover in this case). But if you do have little ones I can see this disc as a firm goto for the foreseeable future.

Value: 4/10
Disney, you have a bazillion dollars. Do not make me, or a family with children pay more than $10 – $15 to take a movie home these days. They will buy more movies, more stuffed creatures, more Disney hoo-haa, so back off with the prices. If it’s over $20, wait a while and it will surely drop in price. NO I will NOT go along with the higher Blu-Ray or 3D prices. It’s a movie, it shouldn’t cost as much as the water we use in our house for a month. Disney studio folks won’t go broke because they price things more mildly….I am growing to despise this topic. Don’t spend $100,000,000.00 on a movie if you expect ME to pay for it, honey, I don’ t have that kind of cash! I love love love movies with small budgets, no budgets almost, so don’t get on your high horse and tell me expensive movies are better, they are not. Only a handful of filmmakers, studios and publishers “get it” and offer their movies at reasonable prices. Let’s hope every one else gets on that wagon soon.

Overall Score 8.5/10

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Bambi is the story of a young fawn, born into the forest amongst the hubbub of the other forest animals, who all refer to him as the heir to the thrown, which is rightly owned by Bambi’s father, a powerful and striking stag.  We see the young deer take his first unsteady steps amongst the onlookers as he begins his rise to power.  The story takes place in the forest, which is richly drawn (and colored accordingly to the seasons) and creates an almost magical backdrop to this classic tale.  Bambi is befriended by several of the woodland creatures along his journey, including the one toothed rabbit Thumper, who is aptly names due to his ability to thump his feet on the ground to announce danger.  Bambi also meets Flower, who is of course interestingly named as Flower is in fact a skunk.

The story follow Bambi as he lives and learns, and faces some major obstacles to his life.  One of the lessons that he must deal with is the death of his mother, which is traumatic and heart-wrenching, and almost a bit much for smaller kids, who may need to be forewarned about the tragedy.  The story involves the animals as they face the threat that is man, even though the threat is often hinted at, and not seen (a very clever presentation, as the movie is truly seen through the eyes of the animals, as is explained in some of the extras that are included on the Blu-ray).

I was overly impressed with Bambi this time around, and the detail and atmosphere that are created here must have been lost on me as a kid.  I was blown away by the artwork and story this time around, and the depth to which Disney went to create these characters that have all the characteristics of their animals, but take on true human characteristics as well.  The characters are such a big part of the movie, and they really make Bambi stick out.

Overall Bambi is just a Disney masterpiece, and even though the subject matter may not be completely suited for little kids, people of all ages can enjoy this timeless classic.  I am glad I got to revisit this release, as it has been ages since I originally saw Bambi, and I had kind of dismissed the movie.  I can honestly say that I had dismissed a real gem from Disney, and this release has vaulted way up on the list of Disney classics for me now.


Features: 10/10

• Introduction By Diane Disney Miller – The introduction by Diane Disney Miller is well done, and I really like to see these introductions on the Diamond Editions like this.  It adds a bit of history and nostalgia from someone who was close to the movie itself.
• 2 Deleted Scenes – There are two deleted scenes that are included here on the Diamond edition.  They are not finished scenes, and are told through storyboards and audio, but they are quite interesting.  the first features Bambi getting stuck on a reed, which just so happens to be home to a small mouse.  the mouse ends up helping the young fawn get untangled.  the second scene is a fall scene where two leaves are romantically entangled.
• Deleted Song – There is a deleted song entitled Twitterpatted included on the release.
• Inside Walt’s Story Meetings – This re-enactment of a story meeting featuring the creators  of the movie is amazing.  Detailed transcripts of the meetings were kept, and they are read with scenes of the movie playing in the background.  There is also the ability to enter specific scenes and extras directly from the remote during this meeting.  This is an amazing Disney insight that is truly not to be missed.  They discuss the mannerisms of the different animals, and the way the movie should progress in detail.
• Disney’s Big Book Of Knowledge Game – This is a kind of quiz book that will appeal to young children, where questions about the movie and characters are asked, and by choosing the correct answers on the screen, virtual stickers can be earned for a virtual stickerbook.
• Classic DVD Bonus Features – There are loads more extras that are included on the regular DVD, that appeared on the 2005 Bambi release.  The extras, like most of the Disney Diamond Edition releases are just amazing and there are tons of them for any Disney fan to enjoy and take in.
• Disney Second Screen - I have to write about this new invention that is included on the Blu-ray.  Disney is now including the ability to download an app for the iPad, or for any PC that allows you to play the Blu-ray, and the iPad (or laptop) will sync up with the movie and offer various interactive parts of the movie including access to storyboards and commentary.  This is a very interesting idea and had great potential.  Now I am going to have to find a way to get an iPad just to that I can watch Disney movies (I may try to get Ascully to spring for an iPad so that I can do a through review for him - or maybe not).

Cover Art and Menus: 10/10
A very modern cover is presented on the Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray, and it is quite well done.  The artwork is amazing and a nice break from some of the Diamond Edition releases that do seem a bit dated.  The menu is great, and follows the pattern that we have seen before, with the orchestral music on top of a very interactive menu that does a great job of offering up the numerous choices on the Blu-ray, without being too overwhelming.  I again appreciate the “highlighted feature” that has become a staple in these mega Disney releases





Audio & Video: 9/10
Whenever I get a re-release on Blu-ray of a movie from many years ago, you always kind of worry about how it transfers over.  I mean there was no high definition back when Disney made many of these classics, and Surround Sound meant you had more than one speaker.  This re-release is just amazing considering the age of the material.  It looks and sounds amazing.  They have of course restored the movie and it looks pristine, with amazing brightness and detail to the point where you can almost forget how old this movie really is.  As for the sound, it still seems a bit dated based on the lack of true clarity due to the limits of the original recording, but they have remixed it so it is now in 7.1 Surround Sound, and it does stand up pretty well.

Value: 9/10
It doesn’t get much better than this.  the diamond Edition Bambi Blu-ray release is the classic movie, looking and sounding just about as good as a movie this old can.  The presentation here is an everything but the kitchen sink kind of release, and it is amazing.  The combo of the great classic Disney release coupled with the presentation is a must have for all collectors.  While Bambi may not be the Disney favorite for everyone (it is a bit sad), this is a great Blu-ray release.

Overall Score 10/10

• Beverly Hills Chihuahua Challenge – This is a trivia game based on the movie.
• Blooper Faux Paws – This short blooper reel runs about 4 minutes long, and has some overly cute dogs and a few flubbed lines from the actors.  a whole lot of dogs acting like cute dogs ,with a few dogs falling in mud and the like.
• This Is My Paradise Music Video By Bridgit Mendler – Another music video inclusion on a Disney release.  Bridgit Mendler is the star of Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie, and her song is decent for this type of thing (at least it is not about Chihuahuas necessarily.)

The Movie: 4/10
I originally reviewed the first Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie back in 2009.  The cast was big for this type of Disney release, and it was right about the time that Paris Hilton was parading around a cute Chihuahua as an accessory.  I think Paris Hilton has moved on to a new toy breed of dog, and it seems like  Disney perhaps should have followed suit.  The sequel, aptly named Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is lacking a majority of the original cast, and the story seems like it was mashed together in a blender.  The result is a semi-cute chihuahua movie that is kind of tough to sit through.

This time around Papi (voiced by George Lopez, one of the only remaining actors from the original) has married Chloe (this time played by Odette Yustman) and the two now have a brood of small cute Chihuahuas.  The Chihuahua family is left to be watched by Sam, still the gardner, as his girlfriend Rachel heads off on a safari with her Aunt Vivian, and Sam and the brood are left to worry as Sam’s parents home is being foreclosed upon by the mean bank.  The dogs, with a little help from Pedro and Delgado from the first movie, end up saving the day.

The story is pretty basic, and the lack of star power (and complete replacement of the cast) is a bit unnerving at times.  Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis are no longer here, and the lack of star power and substitution is pretty blatant.  The movie therefore seems like it drags on and meanders.  The jokes are pretty staid, and the result is just a bland experience that is tough to sit through.  For those who are into this type of movie, it is bearable, but for the rest of us, it can be a tough sell.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Disney allways brings it when they do a release.  This is no different, even though it is not a theatrical release.  The video is strong and sharp, and the 1080p 1.78:1 AVC encode works well, even though I felt that some of the coloring was a bit goofy in parts.  The audio was decent, with strong dialogue.  There was enough use of the Surround Sound to be noticeable, without being too in your face.


Value: 3/10
To be honest there just is not a whole lot here to love.  The movie is pretty sub-par, and there is little to no replay value.  The first Beverly hills Chihuahua was not great, and this one is has less of a story and less star power, meaning that it is at times tough to sit through.  The cute only stretches so far.

Score 4/10

• 11 Deleted Scenes – There are quite a lot of cut scenes here that did not make the final movie.  Most are just extensions of existing scenes.  There are a few areas that expand on the movie, but overall these were pretty drab, and offered little to the movie.
• Following Fickman: On Set With The Director – This is a 7 minute feature that focuses on the director Andy Fickman, who from the blooper extra seems to enjoy ruining scenes and being on camera.  Seems like everyone loves Fickman, and this inclusion seems a bit strange, since presumably he chose to put this on the release.
• Blooper Dance Party – This is a semi funny collection of bloopers and  shots of the cast dancing and attempting to act funny.  This is a real hit or miss.  Some of the funniest bits for me involved Odette Yustman hitting the camera with a plate and cup.  Not must to this, but it was a quick fun watch.
• Ask The Cast – This is a super short, 1 minute feature that includes semi humorous quips from the cast of the movie.
• Funny Or Die – This Funny or Die extra features the main characters in a fake interview, where they get into a bit of an argument when Kristen Bell talks too much.  This is a decent little bit, if not slightly telegraphed.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – You don’t get a mobile copy of the movie, but there is a DVD version included here.

The Movie: 5/10
You Again is a slightly above average romantic comedy that features a group of big name women stars whose characters somehow all end up running into their high school enemies.  Marni (Kristen Bell) is now a successful PR agent who has just landed a huge promotion, when she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding.  Her brother is marrying J.J., who just happened to be the one female who basically ruined high school for Marni.  J.J., now going by Joanna (Odette Yustman) was the captain of the high school cheerleading team, and was more than a bitch to Marni, who was, well, unfortunate looking in high school.  It is not until Marni returns home that she learns that her future sister-in-law is the one female who basically ruined her high school years.

The story and plot pretty much run as you would expect from that point on, with Joanna acting like she doesn’t remember Marni at all, all the while claiming to be a changed person.  The rest of the family loves Joanna, and just doesn’t get the animosity.  Marni however soon realizes that Joanna does in fact remember, and when Marni asks for just a simple apology, Joanna fails to comply, and the catfight begins in earnest.

At the same time, Marni’s mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) tries to tell Marni that she is over-reacting until Joanna’s haughty taughrty aunt arrives (Sigorney Weaver).  It is at this point that Marni’s mother realizes that Joanna’s aunt was her high school nemesis, and catfight 2 breaks out.  Add to this the obligatory Betty White character as the fiesty granmother, and the movie seems to hit all the cliches.

You Again is not a bad movie, and it was fun for a while, but the gags get old, and it is way to obvious.  I did not hate the movie, but it did get a bit tedious.  The acting at times was pretty good, but there was just something missing here, and while I really didn’t hate the movie, it just didn’t offer a whole lot.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The video is very well done.  This is the type of movie that doesn’t really demand high definition, but the video is crisp and vibrant, and even though you don’t always recognize it, the whole video presentation is just short of spectacular.  This is a movie that was digitally shot, and the 2.40:1 AVC encoded MP4 is presented in 1080p.  The audio is sufficient for this type of movie also.  You just kind of take it for granted, like you do with the video.


Value: 4/10
I was not a huge fan of this movie, but it was light and funny and the acting was decent, even though the story and plot were pretty drab.  It was worth a watch if this is your bag, otherwise skip it.  There are worse date movies to watch than this, but it was not great by any stretch.

Overall Score 5/10

• Through The Keyhole: A Companion’s Guide To Wonderland – This is an amazing extra that details the life of Lewis Carroll, and the entire story behind Walt Disney’s infatuation withmaking this movie.  This is an excellent feature well worth a look.
• Painting The Roses Red Interactive Game – This is a very strange game that is tied to the movie.  Not at all worth a viewing.
• Walt Disney Color TV Introduction (1959) – This is just what it says, as Walt Disney himself introduces the movie during the holidays.
• Reference Footage: Alice & The Doorknob – Kathryn Beaumont, who voiced the character of Alice, introduces some footage of her as a child, in front of a door.  the footage was used by the animators as a reference for the movie.
• Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks – In another neat feature, we get a pencil test of one of the scenes presented by Kathryn Beaumont.  The pencil test is explained, and it is explained that for one to exist is rare.
• Reflections Of Alice Featurette – This is a shorter version of the Lewis Carroll story presented in the reflections of Alice.
• Alice’s Wonderland – This extra is from the Disney vaults, and is one of the first shorts that Walt Disneydid.  He combined a live action little girl Alice with his animation to create a very strange, but amazing little group of shorts movies.  This is fun to see as an early Disney work, as well as the included “Through the Mirror” which was a later Mickey Mouse take on the Lewis Carroll story, well before Alice in Wonderland was taken on by Walt Disney.
• Deleted Scenes and Art Gallery - Just what it says.  We get to see some of the deleted scenes as well as a nice collection of artwork for the movie.  There is also a long lost song for the Cheshire Cat that was left out of the final version of the movie.
• Others – There are various other inclusions on the Blu-ray that were included in the 2004 release, and are too lengthy to mention.  This release has everything a Disney fan , or an Alice fan, could ever want.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – We get a normal version of the movie on DVD ,but no mobile version which is a shame.

The Movie: 8/10
Alice in Wonderland is a strange tale originally done by Lewis Carroll, a stoic math professor at Oxford University, which has become one of the best known fantasy stories ever.  The tale about a young Alice who takes a trip among the Mad Hatter and Chesire Cat is simply captivating and amazing, and the Disney take on the original is no exception.  Made int he 1950′s, the Alice in Wonderland that is now being released on Blu-ray is simply one of Disney’s greatest works.  The level of artwork and animation still stands up to this day,  and the movie is simply an experience.

While most people know the story and have some experience with the movie, it is amazing how fantastical and bizarre the movie really is.  While many feel that the movie itself had too much going on (Disney animator Ward Kimball stated there were too many cooks trying to make their own scenes shine for there to be any real flow to the movie) the result is still amazing.  It is not my favorite Disney release, but the animation and artwork, as well as the character design and voice work is simply stunning.  Alice in Wonderland is one f the classics, right up there with Peter Pan and the Jungle book.

The Blu-ray release includes so many extras, and such a brilliant transfer of the movie that it is simply amazing.





Audio & Video: 8/10
For a 60 year old movie, the colors and animation seem as if it were made yesterday.  I was shocked by the flawless transfer, with the colors really popping off of the screen.  It was hard to remember that this was so old.  The audio was a little bit different story, with there being no real stereo release from 1950.  The release does feature a remastered DTS-HD soundtrack, but there is only so much they could do with this audio.  It is obviously on older release, and it sounds like it, which is to be expected nonetheless.  Overall this is just a well done re-release of an ancient movie.


Value: 9/10
The Blu-ray release of this classic Disney movie is one for everyone’s own personal collection.  I love the way Disney completely remaster these classic everything but the kitchen sink-Blu-ray releases.   What a great way to get the favorites for your home collection.  They do an excellent job of giving us a great bunch of classic extras also, and they always include some goodies from the Disney vaults.   I highly recommend this release on Blu-ray for any Disney fan (and who isn’t a Disney fan) as well as all fans of good animation.

Overall Score 9/10

• Choreographing The Races – There were several horses used in this movie to play Secretariat, and this extra goes into detail about how they filmed the movie and what detail they focused on to make the horse racing seem true.
• A Directors Inspiration – This is a great feature with Director Randall Wallace talking to Penny Chenery, the inspiration behind the movie.
• Director Audio Commentary – Randall Wallace goes through in in-depth commentary here, and though it is a bit heady, it is a decent companion to the movie.
• Secretariat Multi Angle Simulation – This is a neat inclusion, as there are interviews with several people as we get to see several different views of Secretariat racing as it is recreated.
• 4 Deleted Scenes – There are about 10 minutes of deleted scenes, with commentary.
• Heart Of A Champion – This 15 minute long feature focuses on Secretariat.
• Music Video – A super strange inclusion here, as there is a music video for “Its Who You Are” by A.J. Michalka.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – A standard DVD is included, but I would rather watch this one on Blu-ray.

The Movie: 7/10
Another horse movie, and another uplifting drama.  Secretariat focuses on Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) who finds herself in charge of her ailing father’s horse ranch, when she returns from California to the deep South with her family for her mother’s funeral.  She finds her father in poor health, and his horse ranch being taken apart.  Penny decides to forego returning to California with her husband and family in an effort to right the ship, and in doing so, she ends up having one of her horses sired to another excellent horse, thus birthing Secretariat, who Penny feels could be a champion racehorse.

Penny looks to train the horse, and hires the eccentric Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) who is not keen on helping until he finds out about Secretariat, and he decides to return from his own retirement from training to give it one last go.  The unlikely duo are confronted with even more issues when it is discovered that upon the death of her father, the estate owes more than $6 million in taxes.  Penny is not only confronted with the good ole’ boy mentality of the South, but she is forced to consider selling Secretariat just as he is starting to win some races.  Penny refuses, and is forced to leverage the horse by selling siring rights, thus placing her in a position where Secretariat must win the Triple Crown, which is next to impossible, of risk losing everything.

The movie itself is not short on fantastic moments, but it does suffer at times from a lack of focus.  Penny Chenery’s sacrifice to her family is shown at times, but I felt it could have been expanded on, and the rest of the movie just felt jolted at times.  The acting was well done, if not a bit over-dramatic.  John Malkovich brings a much needed touch of humor, and Nelsan Ellis as Eddie Sweat is a complete scene stealer (you can’t help but like all of the scenes that he is in.)  The movie is pretty good, even if it feels like many of the past horse movies that have been released.

The story of this racehorse is just incredible, and while they mainly focus on Penny Chenery (for good reason) the real star in the movie is the horse-racing, and I feel like they could have spent a bit more time on the horse itself.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The video here is for the most part sharp and detailed, and properly colored in muted tones for a nice atmospheric 1970′s feel (I thought we wore loud colors actually, so maybe the sepia colors just seem realistic due to the fact that the 1970s seem ancient.  The 2.35:1 aspect ratio features sweeping shots with lots of slow motion.  There is a hint of softness in some spots, but overall the picture is crisp.

The audio was tremendous, with my house shaking during some of the racing scenes.  Dialogue was well done, and there was ample use of the Surround Sound.


Value: 6/10
Secretariat is a good movie, but not a great movie.  The ending, even though we all know it is coming, is  very uplifting.  The acting is superb also, with great performances from both Diane Lane and John Malkovich, as well as a wonderful turn by Nelsan Ellis as Eddie Sweat, who really brings a warmth to the movie.  There are some decent extras included on the Blu-ray, and the presentation is good too.  Overall Secretariat is a good movie to enjoy, but it does suffer from some pacing issues and lack of focus at times.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu is a little strange as well, with shots of the dancers being looped over some heavy dance beats.  It is almost a .gif type of feel, with no real live action shots, and it is kind of a neat overall feel for the menu.  It sure beats a totally static menu for a movie filled with so much movement.

Features: 7/10

• Born From A Boombox – This feature is actually just the overall movie that is featured in the film itself, and is attributed to Luke’ passion for filmmaking.  We see it in the movie in its entirety, but it is a nice mini movie about how the characters view their lives as they pertain to dancing.
• Deleted Scenes – The deleted scenes feature introductions by director John Chu.  There are 8 scenes included.
• Extra Moves – This extra was kind of unique, in that it features many of the songs of the film, with additional dance scenes.  There are new moves not included as well as some behind the scenes shots here.  It is kind of a mach up of all of the songs, in one long, dance filled 7 minutes.   I thought this was the best extra on the Blu-ray, and it was fun to watch as it is non-stop, amazing dancing.
• Making The Music Videos – As can be expected, this is about a 7 minute extra that details the making of the music videos that are included with the movie.
• 8 Music Videos – I have never seen so many music videos included as extras.  This is a nice addition for those interested in the soundtrack, which is quite well done for this type of movie.
• DVD Copy Of The Film – It’s always nice to have a DVD of the movie.

The Movie: 7/10
Shockingly, I found Step Up 3 to be a fun little movie.  This is no Oscar contender, but the acting was decent, and the dancing was amazing.  The story is a bit of Karate Kid meets So You Think You Can Dance, with the underdog having to win a competition against great odds, but it was still a fun little ride.  This is obviously the third installment of the Step Up movies, and its original release was in 3D.  This Blu-ray release is not in 3D, and you can tell that many of the shots were originally done to show off the 3D aspect of the movie.  Fortunately it still works in good old 2 dimensions, but there are some shots that fail as a result (I am looking at you flying Slushees.) (Side Note: the movie is also available in 3D if you have one of those new fancy HDTV’s)

At the beginning of the movie Moose and longtime friend Camille (Alyson Stoner, from Missy Elliot fame) move to New York City to attend college.  Moose, who was in Step Up 2, ends up accidntally falling into a dance-off with a member of the Samarai dance crew, and thus starts a battle that culminates in the end of the movie.  Moose is taken in by Luke, who runs another crew called the Pirates.  The Pirates actually live and practice in a warehouse owned by Luke, but the rent is late, and there is a threat of the place being sold off, which would force the Pirates to split up.

Enter Natalie, a dance who has caught the eye of Luke, and the story pretty much follows into place from there.  Of course there is bad blood between Luke and the leader of the Samurais, and Moose and Camille are trying to survive college in the midst of Moose spending a bunch of time dancing.

The story is not really what makes this movie work.  The incredible dancers and the overall pace of Step Up 3 is addicting, and with the good dance soundtrack, you can’t help but get caught up in the feel of the movie.  It literally will make you move, even if you can’t dance to save your life.  (My son danced for days after seeing parts of this movie.)  The cast is decent, and they really are all likable.

Step Up 3 is just a fun little movie, and while it is predictable and at times goofy, it is just a fun watch.  Don’t expect too much, and you will be surprised.





Audio & Video: 9/10
The 1.78:1 AVC encoded 1080p video was stunning.  I would actually liked to have seen this in 3D, because it looked like some of the shots would have looked amazing (I think a 3D Blu-ray version is available).  The colors on the Blu-ray are vivid and the image was just sharp.  The audio is presented in 7.1 Surround Sound, and it is also impressive.  The music overtakes almost everything else in this movie, and it booms with bass.  The dialogue is clean, and it seems as if they at least added some ambient sounds for the parts of the movie where you could appreciate them, but not with great effect.

Value: 6/10
This is a fun little movie that will appeal to a specialized audience, and while it is not the best movie I have seen, it is fun.  There are a few nice extras here, and the Blu-ray and DVD combo is nice.  I would recommend a viewing, but only a purchase for those who are huge dance fans, as the main attraction of this movie is by far the insane dancing.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu was a bright sparkly Christmas room complete with festive blinking Christmas lights.  It works, even though it is a bit static for a Blu-ray, but these are straight to home release movies, and so this is adequate.

Features: 3/10

• The Hucklebuckle Hero – The Hucklebuckle Hero features three of the talking dogs that are featured in the movie itself, in an animated pop-up book type of feature.  It is a bit strange, and pretty slow.  We get to see the Scottish terrier Haggis, along with T-Money and Rasta, all dogs from the movie that feature stereotypical accents and characteristics based on how the dogs look in the movie.
• Music Video – We get to see a music video featuring Debby Ryan from Disney Channel’s Suite Life on Deck, singing “Deck the Halls,” a Christmas classic.  AS always, Disney includes the Disney Channel stars doing a themed song for a release.  I still don’t get it, but perhaps the kids enjoy these music videos.
• Deleted Scenes – The deleted scenes last about 11 minutes long, and feature scenes cut from the movie in various stages of completion.
• DVD Copy Of The Movie – We are also given a standard DVD of the movie, but no digital copy.

The Movie: 6/10
Cute, with a lot of fluff.  I am talking about Santa Paws, the dog of course, but I am also talking about the movie itself.  In the Search for Santa Paws, we are introduced to Paws, the newest best friend of the Big Guy Santa Claus himself.  After Santa’s close friend Mr. Hucklebuckle dies in New York leaving his magical toy store to his not so toy friendly son, Santa falls into a bit of despair.  For Mr. Huckelbuckle’s death leaves the Christmas spirit in New York city in the balance, and when he sends a stuffed dog to Santa as a birthday present, Santa’s elves use some Christmas magic to turn the stuffed dog into a real dog, which Santa names Paws.  The two become inseparable, and the magic between them is contained in magic crystals that both Santa and Paws wear around their necks.  The bond is immense, and when Santa travels to New York to check on the Christmas season, Paws goes with him.

In the big city, Santa is hit by a cabbie, who is unaware just who this fellow really is.  When Paws looks to help Santa, someone steals Santa’s magic crystal, and the bond between the two is broken.  Add to that the fact that Santa can’t remember who he really is or where he lives, and the story really takes a dark turn.  (The movie itself has a lot of questionable dark twists and themes, especially considering the target audience in my opinion.)  Santa ends up wandering into his old friend’s toy store, where Mr. Hucklebuckle’s son and daughter-in-law are trying to have a succesful holiday season in order to inherit the store.  They dream of ultimately selling the place, but are told that to inherit the store they have to run the store through a holiday season, and turn a profit, which they are not thrilled about.  They are looking for a store Santa, and when the dazed lookalike appears and is able to fit into the outfit that has been a store tradition, they feel their luck might turn around.  Little do they know that this is the real Santa, who simply can’t figure out what he is doing in New York.

Santa, as a store Santa, is introduced to Quinn, a small girl who has lost her parents and is now in an orphanage run by the aptly named Ms. Stout, who is not fond of children or Christmas.  Quinn (Kaitlyn Maher) is adorable and quite sad that Ms. Stout will not allow any holiday cheer or singing, or even toys to be present in the dreary orphanage.  Stout has several girls who live with her, supposedly only for the money the state gives her, and she treats them like slaves.  One of the older orphans is Will (Madison Pettis) who is forced to be the go between as Ms. Stout puts her in charge when she is out.  Will knows the ropes, and how to get away with things, and takes the role of big sister quite seriously.  When Will takes Quinn to see a red bicycle that is in the Hucklebuckle store window, Quinn takes the opportunity to step inside to talk with Santa, asking for the bike for Will, and a dog for the other girls in the orphanage.

The Search for Santa Paws is a decent movie, along the lines of the other Buddies movies.  This one is slightly better than the others, even though it can be a bit of a task to make it through the movie as an adult.  My son was glued to the set for most of it, but there are issues here.  For starters, there are a lot of dark themes in the movie – kids without parents, an evil orphanage director who burns toys in an incinerator and threatens to do the same to the kids, and the mere fact that Santa is hit by a car.  Not your average Christmas fare, and it did take a bit of explaining to my 5 year-old.  I can guaranty that he will take those messages into account when he asks to see a Christmas movie again this season, and he is not keen on it.  At one point he sad that he felt very sad for Quinn, who had no parents and was being thrust into such a bad place.

The story and acting is average for these types of movies, and the overall movie is just average, which is tio be expected, but does not bode well for making this a Skwid family holiday tradition.  Overall the Search for Santa Paws is suited for young kids, with too much darkness to be a real hit.  While the presentation was better than most of the Buddies’ movies, this one is just a bit off the mark.





Audio & Video: 8/10
As always, Disney does not disappoint on the technical aspect of their releases, even if it is a straight to home video type of scenario.  The movie itself is bright and sharp, and the presentation is very well done.  The detail on faces is so sharp that Santa’s face (quite full of lines including quite large bags under his eyes) looks almost creepy, as my son asked what was wrong with Santa.  Maybe a bit too much detail to be honest.  The audio is bright and dialogue driven, and is a nice presentation throughout.


Value: 5/10
A holiday release is always a tricky thing.  You really only have a window of a few months to enjoy the movie, and there are so many that it makes it difficult to really recommend anything that is not deemed a classic.  Having said that, kids will enjoy this story, even if it seems to be a bit dark at times.  My son liked it, but probably will not   ask to see it again this Christmas season.  This, like last year’s Santa Buddies : The Legend of Santa Paws, is the same fair.  It is good for a watch, but not much else.  I did enjoy this quite a bit more than last year’s offering however, and so did my son.  I wrote last year about how much he enjoyed Santa Buddies, and how it would be played again before Christmas was over, but the disk never came out of its box after that first screening, and I am afraid that this one will be the same.   The acting was much better in the Search for Santa Paws, and the story is a bit better, but overall this is just not good enough for a repeat play in my house with so many other Christmas offerings.  It is hard not to feel like Scrooge when giving an average rating to a movie featuring Santa Claus, but hopefully he won’t hold is against me and give me coal in my stocking.

Overall Score 6/10

• Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 Both Movies Included – Yea, both movies, of course.
• Disney Family Museum – We are introduced to the daughter of Walt as she tells us about the museum that’s all about his life, the history of the company, and American animation. It’s not very long, but it kind of made me want to go there…dang it, those Disney mind-diggers.
• The Schultheis Notebook – The man behind the special effects made a very sophisticated book full of photos, specifications, and super detailed information about every camera angle and more. He was devoted, questionably obsessed, with his job and all of his effort to document it preserve the once lost magical ways of the Disney studios back in the day when they were still experimental and bold. It’s an awesome extra, love it.
• Interactive Art Gallery – Art, I love art, more more more:)
• Audio Commentary on Fantasia  - I am not normally a purist, but an audio commentary over this particular movie kind of takes the joy out of it.
• Destino – Oh OH OH OH OH, there are very few things that make me do that mouth gaping open, eyes oogling, necked craned, brain fully satisfied. This is Salvador Dali and Disney came together to make this animated piece of art. It wasn’t finished when they were alive, but in the past few years it has been fully realized and is mesmerizing.
• Dali & Disney Documentary – How did these two very different dudes find each other in the art and animation world?
• Musicana – All about the music, and the music is a big deal in this movie.
• Audio Commentary on Fantasia 2000 – More commentary, great for you if you want more background on the shorts, but not great if you are me and you like the lack of talkin’ through the movie.

The Movie: 9/10
I’m supposed to love it. Right? I mean, it’s a classic, innovative, creative, technical achievement. It’s got Mickey Mouse. There is awesome music and it does do something in my art loving mind that makes me happy. There is something, though, something that might have been lost on my mood on the day we watched it. I was in a good, comfy, relaxed mood. That doesn’t lend itself to me getting lost in music and hand drawn animation

That’s not saying I didn’t get sucked in now and then. The opening sequence is my favorite. It’s more abstract, more lifting of my mind from the mundane forces of real life. That’s what I want the whole movie to do for me, but it was hit and miss. Don’t hate me, but the Mickey bit doesn’t get me all tingly inside. It is fun and the telling of an old story is charming in that smiling way that only Disney wobbly Mickey feet and attitude can do.

Drawing is one of my weaknesses. Draw it and I’ll look at it. That’s the hook babeeeee. Let me be as cliche as I possibly can, my eyes danced around the screen happily, enchanted. See, how sappy I can get even when I’m not in love with a movie? It’s the way that day played out I guess. On another day I might have been drooling with unwavering devotion to every second of Fantasia. I’ll watch again and see if I can find that day. I think it needs to be a day when it’s cold outside, the quilt is warm, the cup of tea is hot, and I’m alone needing to soak up some chilly day entertainment. Don’t ask me how I come up with this stuff, it just flows out my fingertips.

Here’s what I do truly love about the movie. It’s unlike any other Disney feature, or any other feature movie I’ve seen in my life. It’s ahead of its time and as I watch it I know it was a triumph. That might not be the romantic kind of feelings a lot of people have about Fantasia, but that’s the beauty of it, to each her own.

Music. Art. Music. Art….hmmm I’m on the couch with the quilt and it’s cold outside….could be time to watch again right now!





Audio & Video: 9/10
Another amazing Disney HD restoration is brought to you courtesy of this new Fantasia BD Disc. Both Fantasia & Fantasia 2000 look stunning (2000 looks better but duh it’s a newer production. )The original is probably one of the best restorations I have seen. Preserving the 1.33:1 aspect ratio Disney have also included a DisneyView mode which fills the letterbox with paintings that are themed to the particular scene you are watching. It might seem like a gimmick but it actually makes a big difference to the movie.

Fantasia is almost all music, aside from a little narration which is painfully stiff. The engineers really did a great job of taking a film from a long time ago and making the soundtrack use today’s surround effects. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby True HD 7.1 Master Audio.

Overall this is an exceptional disc technically, you really do need to be a fan to appreciate the movies though.


Value: 7/10
I is one of those movies that about a couple billion people will be putting on their shelf for safe keeping and repeat viewing for years to come. So, for it to be over twenty-five bucks or even thirty in some places I think they got a bit big for their britches. Those little Disney folks with their prices and stuff…..bwah If it were closer to $20 I’d feel I would let them sell it to me. OH, the one thing that is worth the price for me is the Dali short Destino, so I might complain about the cost, but then I would spend that or more on just the artsy extra.

Overall Score 9/10

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• Magic In The City – New York City is the setting for the story and movie people get all excited about that, so this is them drooling over sets, locations, etc.
• The Science Of Sorcery – Mixing science with magic is the key to selling it to a modern audience, I suppose. I do like knowing that research was played with to get some movie physics magic to feed into those computers to make some cool special effects.
• Making Magic Real – Behind the scenes looks at how special effects of old magic meet the modern world. These are well produced extrasa with interviews and footage of the movie making process. You can’t fault Disney for their extra making abilities.
• Fantasia: Reinventing A Classic – It seems that everyone wea very precious and thinking quite highly of their responsibility of taking the Disney classic animated film and giving it a nod in a life action flick. I think they might have felt a bit too high and mighty about it, but it made them make a pretty fun movie, so fair enough.  I did like seeing how they did the brooms and cleaning seequence with dudes and ladies in cool green body suits.
• The Worlds Coolest Car – Nike Cage owns a one of a kind Rolls Royce vehicle and apparently this is a big deal. The cast and crew created a look-a-like version for the action scenes and everyone things Cage is the coolest guy ever. Go figure. What a car does to a man’s brain is almost like what chocolate does to mine. Our differences make us all special.
• 5 Deleted Scenes – None of these scenes would have added anything to the final cut, well, as far as I’m concerned. They are a bit flat, nothing special, mundane, etc. You get the idea.
• Outtakes - Actors giggling. Do you need more?
• The Making Of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – There is never a shortage of quality when Disney and Bruckheimer are involved, and the behind the scenes extras tag along for the ride. It’s pretty shiny and produced, but you do get a lot of information about how the movie was made, which is pretty much what all these extras are about, so they could all be one big extra. They need to call me next time for this effort saving idea.

The Movie: 6/10
I like having a good time, sometimes. I’m not always looking for a party or anything like that, but when it comes to movies, I like to just let my brain go and enjoy some fantasy world full of wonder and characters I would never meet in real life. If a movie gives me that and I don’t have chronic eye-rolling syndrome to cope with the many poor choices made by everyone involved in the making of that movie, well, that’s a bonus. Eye rolling will occur with things like annoying characters, bad special effects (Nevermind that I watched The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai and the 8th Dimension again this weekend and LOVED IT just like I was back in high school watching it for the first time. I forgive movies of the past, most of the time.), idiot-proof dialogue or a variety of other offenses I can’t think of and might not want to remember from past movies. The Scorcerer’s Apprentice only had maybe two authentic eye rolling temptations, but nothing was acted upon.

A ten year old boy is chosen by some fateful thing to be the apprentice to a powerful scorcerer who was an apprentice to Merlin a very long time ago. Some bad stuff went down with another dude and a woman, ain’t it always a woman, and after a thousand years there is a threat to humanity that only this new apprentice can defeat.

I’m not saying this is original or captivating, let’s face it, it’s not even that interesting to me. I’m not a wizard and scorcerer type of gal. The thing is, it’s fun. The mood is light but not insultingly dummied down. The wild special effects that start the whole thing are in a very cluttered magic shop full of mystical and mysterious objects. A swarm of cock roaches becomes a man, and I’m hooked.

Cut to ten years later when the boy is now a young man. He’s struggling with his ‘nerdy’ physics loving self esteem and after shocks of that fateful day when his class mates might not have believed that he saw a swarm of cock roaches become a man. There is a love interest, which I could do without at this point in my life, but it’s sweet and appealing to the masses, and blah blah blah. What I like about this young man is not just that the character is having to forge ahead in life with a strange memory of that magic shop and being rejected for half his life and he focuses that energy into his studies. Is he a physics geek because he’s got magical blood in his veins? Or, can  he learn magic because he has studied physics all his life? Ahhh a deeper question than, will he get the girl?

There are a few specific bits and pieces I particularlly remember and enjoyed that I have to mention: The nesting doll, the dragon (and dragon dude), the bull, the car chase, the flying metal eagle, and the bathroom scene. That’s all I have to say about these enchanting movie watching moments. Want to know more, watch it.

I like the cast. I can say that the guy who plays David (Jay Baruchel) is someone I have enjoyed in everything I have seen him do, maybe his style is wearing a little bit thin with the quirky charming nerdlike qualities, but hey, that’s his thing. Maybe I’ll see him in something in which he shakes that off and gives us something new, more intriguing, but for now I still smile at his very specific connection with his character, his fellow performers, and with the camera (Alert: Bullshit film talk, can’t stand it. I’ll stop there before I start blabbering about New York City being a character in the movie…ugh, that really drives me nuts!!)

Toby Kebbell plays Drake Stone, a cheesy modern day rock star status magician who is actually a scorcerer’s apprentice who was abandoned by his villianous mentor when he was young. He is awesome. The character has had to turn his real magic into a cheap act but in the process become world famous. Kebbell is actually about my favorite thing in the movie. He’s got that British accent, excellent attitude for a bad guy who might not have all the tools to be THE bad guy just yet, and he wears that wardrobe so well. I couldn’t take my eyes and ears off him.

The young woman (Theresa Palmer) who plays the love interest for nerdy apprentice guy is fine. She’s pretty solid as a prospective girlfriend, not too fluffy but not that Hollywood super genius with blond hair, blue eyes, and a giggle that makes me want to chip her fingernails. She’s good enough that I want to see her in other movies to see what else she can do. I’m so supportive. The thing is, if she’s a ditzy blond or super fluffy romantic comedy lead I will drop her like a hot potato.

Monica Bellucci, the hypnotic Italian actress who plays Cage’s lost love was first introduced to me in the movie Irreversible. If you are a true blue Disney fan type person, DO NOT rent or watch this movie. It’s disturbing and violent and will leave you somewhat disturbed if you think Mickey is real and Disney World/Land was built to make people and not suck the money out of your pocket. These are traits of a person who should stay away from Irreversible, but if you are tough and jaded, over 30 years old, think the Disney empire was created to keep us all docile and handing over enough of our hard earned money from birth to death to keep us all subdued, well, you can probably handle the assault on your adult mind and heart you will see a whole other kind of performance from Bellucci in Irreversible. I would say more about how she was in The Scorcerer’s Apprentice, but she didn’t get much of a chance to shine so I was left wanting more.

Cage is Cage with a wig, again. This time it’s fine. He looks the part. He acts like a dude who has been roaming the world for a thousand years to save the world and find his true love again, or does he? I like the beginning when he’s almost pulling off the troubled ageless searcher, but then he starts talking and the illusion of someone that old and that angst ridden goes away. He’s fine and dandy, but he’s not dark enough, not deep enough, not roughed up enough in his mood or dialogue, and there isn’t that look in his eye of a man so worn and weathered. I guess you can’t make him too maudlin, it is a Disney movie in which brooms and mops do a dancing act. :)

Brooms and mops dance? Dare I reveal the heart of the movie? Well, it’s not the heart of the movie, but it’s the inspiration of the story taken from Fantasia and turned into a live action sequence. It’s really fun to watch the spectacle of it all. I have never watched the whole Fantasia and I don’t remember if I have ever watched the broom part, so this was an interesting thing for me. My husband loves the original so it had a different twinkle in his eye. Next week I think we are watching the original, so I might have a different view then.

Alfred Molina is the villian and he’s the guy to pull it off. He convinced me right away that even with the pithy one liners here and there he truly has no goodness in him at all. He’s not playing around. He will anhialate humankind, no problem. I like that in a villian.

Overall I have to say I go back to the original thoughts, I had a great time watching this movie. Would I watch it again and again, probably not. I do recommend it to anyone though. It’s got a charm that’s beyond the fancy CGI and Hollywood’s need to hair Mr. Cage up every time he’s on screen. It’s got that element that at some points in the story make me get all excited and wish I could step into that world and be doing the magic. I like that feeling. The score of 6/10 seems low since I liked so much of the movie, but that’s the thing, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole in this case. It doesn’t bounce around in my head as a great movie, but it sits quietly in the corner as a good movie with some great parts.




Audio & Video: 8/10
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice on Blu-Ray is not Disney’s best looking transfer but it’s also not the worst either. Bruckheimer tends to use a stylistic color palette to give his movies a distinct look and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is bathed in a golden brown that makes the film look murky in parts. The scene which takes place in Chinatown is a real showcase for the 1080P AVC encoded transfer with literally millions of colored pieces of confetti on the screen. The movie also uses a healthy amount of CGI effects which look flawless even in high definition.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is quite stunning with some great surround effects during the action scenes. The only complaint I have here is the track is mixed slightly lower than most of the Blu-Rays we listen to but a couple of notches on the old volume dial extra seemed to fix this discrepancy. The sound here is quite detailed though and you will  enjoy the soundtrack possibly more than the film itself.


Value: 6/10
I would say this is a rental unless you think your kids will watch it a million times. It’s more than 20 bucks, which is not reasonable for a fun but sort of empty calorie flick. If you find it in a bin around Christmas for less than 15 and you love The Cage and his ever changing hair, go for it.

Overall Score 7.5/10

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Features: 6/10

• Behind The Carol: The Full Motion Capture Experience – This behind the scenes featurette is very well done and informative.  Basically we get to see how the motion capture was done, given that this is a movie that was released in 3D.  Not only do we see the regular motion capture, but due to the 3D filming, there were additional requirements including requiring the actors to do a “T pose” before each shot, to make sure that all of the capture points are caught on tape.  It was interesting to see how the T pose made acting a tad more difficult, as the actors had to break in form before filming.  There is also a picture in picture mode that shows the video capture scenes to compare them.
• Countdown To Christmas Interactive Calendar – This is a strange little Christmas advent calendar, where the viewer is required to pick in order the numbers of the days left before Christmas, revealing small videos of trinkets.  If you don’t go in order, Scrooge lets you know, which is almost as much fun as seeing the short videos.
• Capturing Dickens: A Novel Retelling – This extra shows the thought process of the retelling in this animated, 3D movie.
• On Set With Sammi – Sammi Hanratty is one of the stars of the movie, and we get to go into her makeup chair and watch as she is transformed for her motion capture sequences.  This is a short extra, but it is cute.
• Deleted Scenes – There are several deleted scenes included here that are in various forms of finish.  Many are rough animations with the motion capture of the actor’s faces over the top.

The Movie: 6/10
A Christmas Carol is a story that just about everyone knows at this point.  We have seen countless presentations at this point, and the story never seems to waver, as it shouldn’t due to the fact that Charles Dickens, a master word weaver, wrote the story.  In this rendition, we are given an animated version that features the voice (and acting) of Jim Carey as Ebenezer Scrooge.  When I first saw that it was Jim Carey, I was overly worried that this could turn into a slapstick type of movie, and I am pleasantly surprised to say that it is nothing of the sort.  Jim Carey is recognizable in the movie, as Scrooge takes on many of his facial characteristics, but Carey does a great job of playing this role in a serious manner.  He does an incredible job of voice acting, and while he plays several different characters, each was done cleverly and in a manner that made the characters unique, and not at all seem like Jim Carey (it is often hard to figure out if it was actually him.)

The story this time around was darker than I am used to, and it starts off that way, with the dead body of Jacob Marley in the coffin.  The visuals are sharp and really add to the movie, as does the acting.  Jim Carey is great, as is the rest of the cast, with Colin Firth and one of my all time favorite actors Gary Oldman.   It is very, very creepy to see the animated versions of these actors, that are closely related to the looks of the actors, but at the same time, they take on a ficitional feel as well.  A short Gary Oldman version of Bob Cracthit is just downright weird.

The movie is okay, and the acting is good, but the overall feel is just slightly off for me.  The movie just lacks that heart that some of the classic versions of this story have.  We get Scrooge’s point of view, but you only partly connect with Scrooge here, and I am not sure if that is due to the animation, or the acting, or some strange combination of both, but it just didn’t resonate with me like Bill Murray’s Scrooge transformation did in Scrooged.  The story is also not really for kids, even though it plays on the Christmas Spirit (I mean did Marley’s ghost have to break his jaw to let us know how dead he really is?)  Don’t get me wrong, I kind of liked the darker tone, but I am not sure that the happy holiday message is going to be the lasting impression that little kids get when they see some of the ghosts in this movie.

Overall A Christmas Carol is a neat, sprarkly movie and a nice take on a classic, but it is just a decent movie.

Audio & Video: 9/10
This is another breathtaking Blu-ray release, and I have to say that the animation is insane.  The colors and detail are staggering, right down to the almost human like faces of the characters.  It is almost creepy how real (and at the same time, unreal) they really are.  I know that this is not a 3D Blu-ray release, but it seems to beg for it to be presented that way.  Some of the shots are just close enough to 3D that you might forget that it is not.  The audio is also brilliant, with crisp dialogue and fantastic use of all speakers.  It really adds to the feel of the movie.

Value: 6/10
I am unsure about whether we needed another adaptation of Dicken’s classic, but the presentation of this movie makes up for its unoriginality.  The feel of the movie is incredibly dark, and I would not recommend it for smaller kids, as the tone is just too heavy, even with its happy ending.  The extras are decent but they are mainly reduced to how the motion capture was done.

Overall Score 6/10

The menu is designed and done with a flair, as if I expect Pixar to do anything less. It’s easy to navigate, but when you are in the extras the tiniest little arrow on the left of the slightly bigger arrow for navigation is your way back. If you are like my husband and don’t see this immediately, I have just given you good advice.


Features: 10/10

• Day & Night Theatrical Short – The most creative Pixar short yet. I love this one. It’s 2 old style 2D characters drawn similar to the 1940′s Schmoo. The thing is, they aren’t just an outline or a solid color. Their ‘inside’ is made up of a living Pixar 3D world that expresses their mood and what they are thinking. One is day, and one is night, obviously. They are different and are going to have to learn how to get along. It’s awesome.
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science Of Adventure – I learned stuff, and it’s fun! That’s what I say about this little short that features Buzz as he actually goes to the International Space Station (that’s real life people, not fiction) and explains to his other toy friends all the work they do in space, the experiments and technology, etc. I’d take a whole series of these little beauties.:)
• Toy Story Trivia Dash Interactive Game – This game works well, and it’s a good stretch of your Toy Story lovin’ brain!
• Cine Explore With Director Lee Unkrich & Producer Darla Anderson – We get a lot of good stories and behind the scenes information during this rewatch of the movie. They show concept art, story boards, and more during the commentary. It’s easy to lose track of time and before you know it the movie is over again:(
• Beginnings: Setting A Story In Motion – 11 years later and the Pixar folks have to put together more of Andy, Woody, Buzz, and all their friends’ story with an opening to the movie that can give the same satisfaction and emotion as other Pixar greats have done so far.
• Bonnie’s Playtime: A Story Roundtable – Ahhh Bonnie is a great player of toys and in this discussion they explain how they brought her imagination and lively role playing so much to life.
• Roundin Up A Western Opening – They have to start with a bang, and they sure do in this one. The old west will never be like this. A pirate potato woman, troll orphans on a runaway train, aliens in a sports car, it’s awesome.
• Beyond The Toy Box An Alternative Commentary Track – Another commentary and another good reason to watch the movie again.
• Paths To Pixar Editorial – This is one of those very self indulgent things that Pixar is so fond of. I like hearing about making movies, but they seem to fancy themselves as very important and their careers at the company are somehow an inspiration to people in some way….no more than any other creative success story in my opinion, but if you are a Pixar junky, this will make you oogle.
• 3 Studio Stories – These are like hand drawn animations that tell some movie making stories about the people behind the immeasurable time and effort it takes to tell one of their stories. We get to hear about shaved heads, a cereal bar, and a hidden room. I like these a lot, more more more more.
• DVD/Digital Copy/Blu-Ray – Yes, you can have Toy Story 3 with you no matter where you go in life, isn’t that comforting…? Not really, it’s like having a digital stalker that repeats the same thing over and over and over on your phone, your laptop, your computer, in your car, on your TV…yike…:)

The Movie: 8/10
Barbie is so funny. Ken is hilarious. Lotso looks and sounds amazing. Spanish Buzz is so sexy. Andy is grown up. Bonnie embodies the feeling of being a kid at play and is adorable. Hmmm what else? There are so many things that appeal to me with the Toy Story movies, and with this third and final installment it seems like I can’t type fast enough to get them all out of my head.

I”m not a sucker for Pixar exactly. I mean, I do enjoy their movies a lot. I appreciate what they seem to be offering as a company to their employees and some kind of legacy, and all that. Beyond that I think I see these movies as being more about the individuals who are writing down, acknowledging, dredging up, putting into words and actions a lot of very human life wonders, tragedies, triumphs, moments, and more. That sounds like a clip from some news release, but that’s just how it seems to me. People who want to, yes, make a lot of money, ok that’s out of the way. But these people also seem to want to tell good stories with heart and meaning, and humor, and a bit of a kick in the pants.

I didn’t love Wall-E so much because I felt it was a real exploitation of the idea that it’s acceptable to think of overweight people as lower class, less important, lazy, etc. I still fault it for that even if no one else ever will I stand alone and am proud of it. I did appreciate the story though, the ideas, the exploration of so many human living attitudes, beliefs, faults, and strengths.

Toy Story 3 touches on themes like abandonment, growing up, letting go and hanging onto your youth, friendship, family, and even a bit of accepting the inevitability of death…oh yea. Those things are all portrayed with humor, dignity, honesty, and so much so that I’m guessing that one scene in particular brought a hidden tear to even teenage young men’s eyes when the reality of what is being explored hits home.

I would talk about how it looks, but come on, it’s Pixar, we all know how it looks. The sound is awesome too, all around goodness if you are lucky to have speakers placed strategically around your room.

I did cry. Yes. Life is difficult sometimes and people often complain and worry about the here and now, bills, money, politics, etc. What some like to avoid, the bigger things, death, change, people in our lives growing apart from us, kids growing up, parents growing old, the exuberance of life and the end of life, I do think about these things a lot more often than the percentage of my mortgage, or whatever. Pixar folks tap right into that vein and out comes tears of joy, and thoughfulness, and sadness. Don’t get me started on the opening to UP..oh my goodness.

It’s an adventure for sure. Toy Story 3 takes us to lots of amazing places, some gross and dark, some bright and amazing. There is probably about 10 more views of the movie for me in the future years so I can see everything that the world is made up of, just so I can appreciate it all.

Overall I think you can tell, I liked it a lot. It didn’t change my life or introduce me to emotions I haven’t tapped into before, but it made me happy to think it was maybe getting some of those thoughtful topics into other people’s minds. Like, never lose that kid inside you even if someone didn’t let you be a kid when you were young, find it and keep it. Life’s too short to be a miserable friggin’ grown up until the end!!!





Audio & Video: 10/10
Another year another Pixar Blu-Ray release but what a stunner Toy Story 3 is. This disc is the epitome of what a HD transfer should look like and Disney have done it again. Come to think of it when have Pixar ever put out a bad HD release. Screened on our large projection screen in 1080P visually the movie was flawless, shadow detail was impressive and no signs of banding or compression were evident. I don’t think I have to say more this is showcase material.

Audio was also impressive, the first third of the movie doesn’t have much happening in the rear speakers but during the rest of the movie the sound really wakes up and becomes very directional. Noteworthy scenes are the trash compactor which along with the stunning visuals makes you actually feel hot under the collar. The opening couple of minutes really give your subwoofer a workout (watch out for the Monkey Nuke). Overall I cannot recommend this disc highly enough if you are 8 or 80 there is something here for everyone.


Value: 9/10
You do get a good value on this purchase. I have to say that right up front. If you find it for twenty bucks and your kids watch it about 500 times, well, you do the math but you get a good value for each viewing. As for adults who obsess over Pixar, still a good deal since you will probably watch it about 499 times. I would like to see Disney throw it out there for about 15, just as a nod to our loyalty through the years, but with a cash cow like Toy Story I can’t see them skimming any more off the price just to make ME happy.

Overall Score 9/10

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• Lake Natron Diaries Behind The Crimson Wing - This collection of 5 shorts totals about 20 minutes in length, and it is a solid making of feature.  We get to hear about the process and challenges of filming in Africa, as well as the thought process that went into the music score, and a whole bunch of insight into the making of this documentary.  This is actually a decent little making of collection.
• Living Planet – We again get a globe with some hot spots that can be selected that feature information about our planet.  This was also featured on the Oceans Blu-ray, and includes local time and temperature.  The hot spots include factoids about various animals and the earth itself.  Kind of neat, even if there was not much to choose from.
• Filmmaker Annotations – This little picture-in-picture extra includes more interviews with the cast and crew about their little adventure in shooting this movie.
• The Crimson Wing Screensaver – This is kind of a strange little inclusion, but it works well.  We basically get a screen saver of shots from the movie that are looped.  Included is music from the movie itself.  It sure beats a Disney logo moving silently around the screen.
• Blu-Ray & DVD – We get both the Blu-ray as well as the DVD version of the movie.  Like I stated with the Oceans release, I can’t imagine wanting to watch this type of documentary on standard DVD when you have a Blu-ray player.

The Movie: 7/10
I think it would have helped, at least for those kids watching, to explain just what mystery we are going to examine about the flamingo, before we really jumped in.  That being said, DisneyNature’s third release, Crimson Wing Mystery of the Flamingos is another great nature documentary release that shows the life and habitat of the pink flamingo.  Set in Tanzania at Lake Natron, this documentary focuses only on the flamingo, which is a departure from the last two DisneyNature releases which rifled through different animals at a lightning quick pace.  Here we are given 78 minutes on the flamingo, and while the amount of information that is tucked into this documentary is staggering, the pacing at times is slow, especially if you are watching this with little kids.  The opening sequence was lengthy, and there are times where we get shots of the group of flamingos parading around the lake, and it seems a bit too much.

We are shown the landscape that gives rise to this unique lake, where red algae grows.  Nothing else seems to survive in the toxic lake, as it sits under a volcano, and is supplied by an underground spring that is full of salt.  The effect is a surreal red-fire water that looks as if it were computer generated.  We learn that the algae is the main source of food for the thousands and thousands of flamingos who flock to the lake bed as the African summer dries the lake up to a salty white, barren wasteland.  this wasteland is the perfect place for the communal birds to court and lay eggs, and the fantastic cinematography catches the birds every move.

Crimson Wing also details the life span of the birds, as they hatch and begin their journey away from Lake Natron, to other more pletiful areas of Tanzania, where the small birds grow and take on their environment, first by walking, and then by learning to fly.  We get an in depth view of the flamingo, in a manner that has not been shown before.

Crimson Wing looks and sounds amazing, and the story is more solidly presented here than in DisneyNature’s Oceans, which seemed a bit scattered.  The shots of the brightly colored birds runs the classic range from beautiful to funny, with every emotion wrapped within.  There are quite a few shots of predators having some of the young flamingos for meals, which seemed to me to be a bit more gruesome than the last two releases, and had a bit of a negative effect on my son, but overall the presentation was good.  The voice over is done this time by Mariella Frostrup is well done, if not a bit quiet for my liking in parts.

Overall this is another high quality DisneyNature release that deserves a watch.  It is not my favorite of the three, but it still is a stunning look at an animal that many know little about.





Audio & Video: 9/10
The audio and video are once again superb.  The high definition presentation is spotless, and the only barrier to the clarity is the color palette of the African landscape, that seems strangely muted, especially when contrasted with the bright red/pink birds.  The 1.85:1 AVC/MPEG-4 presentation is breathtaking.  The audio is also quite well done, with the sounds of the birds surrounding you throughout, without going overboard and being annoying.  The use of the surround sound was good, if not as dramatic as the other two DisneyNature releases (I could maybe attribute this to the constant bird squawking).  I liked the calm voice of the announcer, but there were times that I thought the mix should have had her demure voice a bit louder, as we did turn up the volume one or two times.

Value: 7/10
I didn’t love Crimson Wing as much as the other two DisneyNature releases that I have seen.  The pace was too slow, and even though it overall was a great little documentary, I was a bit spoiled, especially by the Oceans release, which had pace and flash, even without a great story.  This release felt as though it took too long, as we got numerous shots that all appeared to be too similar before we got to a new aspect of the flamingo’s lives.  Again, a solid release, and definitely entertaining and educational, but it seemed a bit slow and a bit gruesome for little kids.

Overall Score 7/10

• Living Menus – The menu is a kind of interactive map of the earth, and includes information about your location and time and date.  I like this sort of interactive menu, as it is a big change from the drab regular menus.
• Filmmaker Annotations – The annotations from the French filmmakers is done in a picture-in-picture manner, which is decent.
• Make A Wave Music Video – This music video is just plain out of place, and while I sort of understand the Disney infatuation with including Disney teen stars doing music videos for some of their releases, a documentary is just not the place for it.  This video includes Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas.
• Disney & Nature – This 8 minute extra discusses the Disney involvement in the earth’s conservation.  A great message for kids and adults alike, but a short, strange presentation.  The documentary goes into some of the littering that has occurred in the world’s oceans, and this is along those lines.
• DVD & Blu-Ray – It is nice to be given both versions of this documentary, but I can’t imagine watching this on regular DVD.  The Blu-ray is simply too amazing to revert back to the old technology, unless you don’t have a Blu-ray machine.

The Movie: 8/10
DisneyNature’s Oceans Blu-ray is a loosely strung together compilation of the various animals and aspects that make up the blue oceans of our world.  Presented in stunning high definition, and narrated by former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, the work by French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud is breathtaking.  The scenes show everything from schools of dolphins and sea birds feasting on sardines, to the effect of pollution on our oceans.  We are given glimpses of massive Whales as they sleep, and small crabs as they move across the ocean floor.  There are shots of seals playing in the ocean, and both sharks and dolphins as they leap from the sea up into the air.  The cinematography is stunning, and does a nice job of giving us glimpses of the creatures everyone knows and loves, along with strange unknown fish like the blanket octopus.

Pierce Brosnan is given some strange lines at times, but overall his presentation is spot on.  The premise is to explain just what the ocean is, and while the only real way (according to the movie) is to experience the ocean first hand, it really is just a bunch of separate scenes that combine for a visually impressive documentary.  I watched the documentary with my 5 year-old son, who was just as fascinated as I was at the creatures and plights of some of the animals.  You actually laugh as a shrimp grabs sand out of his “house” and throws it on to his lawn, and as the baby sea turtles scoot across the sand trying desperately to make it to the alleged safety of the water, you really get emotional as the sea birds pick them off one-by-one for supper.  Oceans is a stunner of a documentary, and one that really is easy to sit through, even though the premise is a bit weak overall.

Disney’s continued foray into nature documentary releases is solid, as they seem to put forth the same effort that they do in their animated releases.  The presentation and execution are top notch, and I can’t wait to see more.

Audio & Video: 10/10
The video is simply stunning.  The 1080p MPEG-4 is just short of perfect.  This is a Blu-ray that you put on to show those few who don’t know about Blu-ray just how brilliant the images can be.  If they still think this looks just like a standard DVD, they need to get their eyes checked.  The colors and shots are sharp and bright, and the colors just simply pop.  The audio is also amazing, as the sounds envelope you, and Peirce Brosnan’s even-keel voice is up front and razor sharp.  This is just an amazing presentation.


Value: 8/10
I can see watching this a few times, just to see the amazing splendor that is the ocean.  I am one of those that just loves the sea and the creatures that live there, and this to me is just a great little nature documentary.  While the premise is weak, and the supposed story doesn’t really flow, the overall viewing is more than enjoyable.  Just to see the wonders of the ocean in this high definition presentation is fun.  While not for everyone, this is like the Planet Earth presentations that we have all come to know and love, and this DisneyNature release is on par with Planet Earth.  It is a great viewing for kids and adults.

Overall Score 8/10

• 3 Versions Of The Film – Talk about inclusion!  Disney has included the theatrical version, a version that includes an extra “Human Again”sequence where the crew sings about what they will do if and when they are ever changed back to being their old, human selves, and then a version of the movie where a pop-up scene talks about various aspects of the story and the movie itself.  A very inclusive list here, and I really liked the extended version with the Human Again song adding some more depth to the talking household appliances.
• Disney Sing Along Mode – Disney includes a sing along mode, for those who like to have a go at some of the movies better known songs.  Not my cup of tea, but this could be fun for some musically talented familes, unlike my own.
• Audio Commentary – We also get a a commentary from directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trudeau, as well as producer Don Hahn, all of whom were involved in the development of this 1991 Disney classic.  Along with a special appearance from musical composer Alan Menken, they do a great job of keeping the commentary on track and somewhat lively.
• Composing A Classic – This feature includes the background of getting the movie made, as it was originally a Broadway classic.  The feature includes composer Alan Menken, Don Hahn, and a Diney officianado Richard Kraft, as they break down the journey from the stage to the screen.
• Broadway Beginnings – This is a rather strange inclusion in my opinion, of interviews and memories from various stars who appeared in the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast, and how the musical and story have affected their lives.  We get interviews with Donny Osmond, Debbie Gibson, and even Joe Jonas.
• All New Music Video – There is a short music video brom Jordin Sparks, who was an American Idol contestant, singing Beauty and the Beast, with clips from the movie intersperced with shots of Jordin Sparks singing.  Disney loves these remakes and I just wonder if they will hold up, as a lot of the younger stars who they pick to do the songs may not have the same longevity as the movies themselves.  In 20 years are we going to remember who ordin Sparks was?  Ah, but I digress, as the song is well done by the young singer.
• Alternate Opening – A very long alternate opening sequence is included here complete with an introduction.  The scene is too long in my opinion, and we only get to see the incomplete version, but it is worth a watch.
• Deleted Scene – A second deleted scene is offered up here, which is for “Belle in the Library.”  In this 9 minute scene that was only ever storyboarded, we get to see Belle interact with 4 other characters who were once human.
• Beyond Beauty The Untold Story – This is a magnificient 2.5 hour piece that goes into massive depth about the movie itself.  It is featured on a second Blu-ray disk, and is presented in high definition.  You are given the opportunity to chose different scenes to watch, and the overall experience is incredible.  The expansive material includes the original version of “Be Our Guest” as well as storyboards and a background story about the first time that they attempted to make Beauty and the Beast into a feature lenght movie.  Truly an incredible feature.
• Enchanted Musical Challenge Game – Again, another musical triva game.  These are great for kids, if you can get them to play, but in the world of Nintendo and Playstation games, these just don’t have enough zing for my son to want to play, when he can grab a Mario game for his DSi and be engorssed in action a minute later.
• Bonjour, Who Is This Game – This is a BD-Live trivia game, which is just so-so.
• All DVD Features From Classic Release – The DVD version of the movie also includes the 3 seperate versions of the movie, and all of the original extras from the DVD release.  The Diamond Edition is really an expansive presentation with everything but the kitchen sink included (except for a digital version of the movie.)

The Movie: 9/10
Often time I wonder if my memory of certain films lives up to the reality.  In the case of Disney movies, and this one in particular, my memory of a movie that came out in 1991 was nowhere near the reality of the movie.  In this case, the movie was far better than I remembered, which doesn’t always happen.  Beauty and the Beast originally came out in 1991, when as a younger lad (the ripe college age of 21) I really did not have much interaction or reason to check out the release.  I had no ties whatsoever to the movie, and while I know that I saw the release at some point, the real memory that I have of the movie is the Angela Lansbury song for the title, and “Be Our Guest,” which is both surprisingly catchy and surprisingly annoying all at once.

It was not until many years later when I happened upon my future wife and her 5 year-old daughter (now my step-daughter) who both just happened to be in love with the movie, that I got to see the movie for what it was.  It truly is a magnificient story mixed with anger and laughter, with a great mix of characters and music.  After not seeing the movie for so long, I truly was able to enjoy the movie again, with all of its high definition glory, in the Diamond Edition release from Disney.

The story is a simple one, that starts off in the movie being told through the use of a voice-over and stained glass, kind of in the same vein as Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.  A young prince who refuses to allow a haggard old woman shelter in his castle during a storm is turned into a beast by the woman, who is in fact a beautiful witch.  Everyone and everything in his castle is transformed, and the prince is destined to stay a hideous beast unless he can fall in love with a female who can also fall in love with the prince, even though his outward appearance is detestable.  Only by finding his inner beauty, and allowing another to find the same, can the prince and his castle be transformed back, but he only has until the last petal on the enchanted rose, given to him by the witch, falls on his 21st birthday.

Enter Belle, who is the daughter of an inventor.  Belle is viewed by the local French townspeople as somewhat odd, if not beautiful.  She loves to read and clearly loves her eccentric father, regardless of what the townspeople think.  She is truly dreaming of getting out of her provincial surroundings, and when her father gets lost on his way to a fair, to show off his invention, Belle arrives at the castle where the prince has captured her father.  A trade is made where Belle agrees to stay with the beastly prince in exchange for her father’s release.  The beautiful Belle, who has already attracted the attention of the town’s local narcissist Gaston, tries to settle into a seemingly dull life as captive of the prince, when she learns all about the other enchanted aspects of the castle, including a candlestick Lumiere, and many other wonderful little characters who are just as trapped as Belle, as they are doomed to live life as household appliances unless the prince can break the spell and get Belle to fall in love with him.  As the two grow together, the story unwinds and changes, and the overall effect is really well done.

The video presentation here is stunning, and even though the movie for me seems more like a classic Disney tale like Sleeping Beauty, as opposed to the newer fare like Lion King, the 1991 movie is great.  There is a lovely mix of humor and darkness, and a decent mix of music and story here.  It feels like it is an older Disney classic, but the use of newer animation techniques, as well as a visual sharpness both indicate that this movie is part of the newer genearation of Disney classics.

Beauty and the Beast is a great Disney release, and one for the ages.  It is another in a long line of amazing stories that Disney has given us, and to see it again, as an older adult (basically not a college aged male with other things on his mind) is truly amazing.  Beauty and the Beast is a gem of a movie, and can be enjoyed by all.

Audio & Video: 9/10
The audio and video for the Diamond Edition are just about as close to perfect as you can get. Disney really knows how to nail down the details for their Blu-ray presentations, and Beauty and the Beast is no exception.  The 1.78:1 widescreen presentation is super sharp, and the colors are wonderful.  From the opening scene where the pre-story is told in stained glass, the hyper-colors and dizzying sharpness are apparent.  This truly looks phenomenal.  The same can be said for the DTS-HD 7.1 Surround Sound audio.  The beauty is in the songs, but the overall mix is quite well done, with my only gripe being the seemingly non-existent use of the rear speakers in some sections where I would have expected more surround.  That is a very, very small gripe, as I think it is complete nit-picking, but I did indicate the absence in my notes, even though I thought overall the mix was stellar.

Value: 8/10
The Diamond Editions are really some of the most expansive Disney collections, and the amount of material and goodies is staggering.  If you are a collector of Disney on Blu-ray, these editions are hard to pass up.  They truly seem to include everything.  As with most Disney movies, the movies themselves are impressive, and the combination of the great film with such a complete package is hard to pass up.

Overall Score 9/10

• Deleted Scenes – We are given 5 deleted scenes, each with introductions from the director Bradley Raymond.  They are so-so, and aren’t really much needed.
• Music Video – The obligatory Disney music video is included here, complete with Disney Channel star Bridgit Mendler singing.  Mendler is on the very popular Suite Life On Deck.  The music video is your average fair for this type of release.
• Design A Fairy House – We are also given a brief glimpse of several kids building their own versions of fairy houses while at Disney’s Epcot Center, complete with director Bradley Raymond discussing the set-up.
• Fairy Field Guide Builder – This is kind of an interesting extra, as it is based on the fairy field guide that Lizzy makes in the movie.  It is full of trivia and while it is aimed at small kids, it was interesting to see  how they turned this into an interactive game.
• DVD & Blu-Ray – Disney includes both the Blu-ray and the DVD release, and if you have read any of my other reviews of children’s movies, you know that I am a fan of having both.

The Movie: 7/10
The presentation for Tinkerbell & the Great Fairy Rescue is amazing, and the story strives to be really good as well, but the pacing is just a bit off.  It takes way too long to get to the meat of the story, and then it is over in a flash, which for kids movies is the wrong thing to do.  Picking up as the third release in the Tinkerbell Disney franchise, this movie again reprises the fairy world, and Peter Pan’s little troublemaker fairy Tinkerbell in her own surroundings.  The gang is again all here as Tinkerbell is captured by a human girl named Lizzy, whose father is a scientist in the England countryside.  Lizzy has made a fairy house, and Tinkerbell stumbles into is, and is caught by the young human, who takes the opportunity to study the fairy.  Lizzy creates a journal where she documents every aspect of Tinkerbell, as the two slowly become friends.

Tinkerbell’s friends (who in past movies have been almost enemies at points) come to rescue her, and when they do, Lizzy’s father manages to capture one of the fairy crew.  Being a scientist, he decides that he will unveil the little creature at a conference in London, which would thus out the little creatures once and for all.

This movie is extremely beautiful looking, and the story, while thought out, seems to meander at the beginning  before exploding in a whirlwind at the end.  It really made  for a difficult viewing, as the pacing was slow, then frantic, and then over.  I thoroughly enjoyed the detail in every scene, and it looks like Disney really spent a lot of time and effort in making this release (like all of the Tinkerbell releases so far) look and sound great.  This third release is a great little movie, and will be enjoyed by those who have seen the first two.  The voice acting is strong, the video is stunning, as is the audio, and the story is quite good, even if the pacing is a bit weird.  Disney has really made a strong showing in the Tinkerbell line, again, and Tinkerbell & the Great Fairy Rescue is another solid little Blu-ray release.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Stunning, even for a straight to home release type of movie.  Disney spares no expense in the Tinkerbell line of movies.  They have the crisp look and feel of a big budget theater release, and they are amazing on Blu-ray.  The sound is rich and crystal clear as well.  There is ample use of the rear speakers, and the video clarity is amazing.  I liked this release even better than Tinkerbell & The Lost Treasure, which itself was my favorite in the Tink series.


Value: 7/10
These releases are aimed at a very young female audience, but amazingly they are done in a manner that is fun to watch for boys and girls.  My son who is now 5, is still balking at watching this release, but I reminded him that he watched that last Tinkerbell movie with me and he really enjoyed it.  (He has not asked since to re-watch that one, which every parent will note means that he did not REALLY love the movie).  As he is now “older” he seems to have firmly drawn a line in the sand about which movies are for boys, and which are for girls, but I think I will be able to sneak this one in for a viewing, just to let him know a real boy can watch all types of movies, and he will more than likely get into it.  Tinkerbell & the Great Fairy Rescue is a great little release, and worth a watch, especially if you happen to be of the very small female persuasion.

Overall Score 8/10

• Cine explore Mode - You can watch the movie again and use the pop up sword thingy to access each extra, or go to the index and choose them straight from a list. I like the list. The segments are only a couple of minutes each and they are well made. It’s behind the scenes, interviews, how shots were created, how actors were trained for certain combat and movement. It’s a fairly substantial collection and enough for me to fill in my vast curiosity about this movie. (hmm)
• Deleted Scene - ONE deleted scene that seems harmless enough, but could have changed the audience’s whole view of a certain character, and thusly the entire story and other characters.

The Movie: 6/10

I’m saying Prince of Persia is just above average for 3 reasons specifically:

1. The accents
2. The bad CGI
3. Too many attempts at comedy, too much trying to be serious, no balance.

The accents were just strange. An almost all British cast with no attempts at accents other than their native English twang. We get one American who has miraculously grown a British accent just for the ocassion. Why does he have to sound like the rest of the cast if the rest of the cast doesn’t even sound like the people who are being portrayed in the first place?

The bad CGI through the movie was so obvious and ugly it was a real disappointment at times. A rolling sand storm looked like a copy and paste big chunk of tan on the screen. There was no blood, I’m not a blood fan most of the time, but you coud have turned this story more dark and had more blood and I think it would have been better.

Too many lame ‘comedy’ lines are tossed in to lighten the mood. I just do not like a flick that puts all those bullshit one liners in wherever there might be a few seconds of more subtle humor. It seems like either a big action movie with a hint of wit either works or it doesn’t For me, the eye-rolling chuckle wannabes in this movie, do not work.

As for the good stuff;

• The sets are amazing
• The performances are all good
• It’s epic
• I like the concept of the story

The sets are rich and the costomes are detailed, this is the mark of Mr. Bruckheimer. The lushness of every scene, even in the desert, makes the movie feel bigger and more substantial than it really is. I loved looking at the market, the city, the landscape, the soldiers, citizens, everybody. They fit into a world of color and shapes and design that made me want to crawl into the picture. That is if they could promise that it wouldn’t be hot and sweaty, and I don’t think they could do that considering they were filming in Moroco and it’s flippin’ hot in that corner of the world.

The performances range from too silly to very serious, but no one does a disservice to the movie. The corny factor goes up pretty high sometimes, it’s not the fault of the actors though. I say the director and the big mamoth Disney needed to let things be more fun and less “hardy har har” sometimes.

This story spans a desert, goes to an amazing city or two, and aside from the fact that you can turn back a little bit of time, it feels like it lasts a lot longer than it is, but in a good way. I was’t in love with the movie, but it feels substantial and around every other line or scene i found something liked.

The concept of the story is a valient fairy tale of sorts. The sands of time are protected because if released they can destroy everyone. The king found on little pitiful kid in the market interesting, and orphan who became a prince….yada yada yada. You get the idea. It’s about kings and princes and brothers of kings who are Ghandi. You can see it’s got a lot of room for good quality story telling:) Actually, it has it’s ho hum elements but I did care about what would happen more than I didn’t care. That sounds cruel and vague, but it’s honest and vague.

Overall it’s a fun time at the movies if you don’t mind the bits that are irritating me more and more as I think about them, and if you like adventure, sword fights that look a bit too staged, and watching a tough young woman kick some ass once in a while, you need to give it a try.





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
As with most Disney releases Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is a beautiful AVC encoded transfer. In fact, for such a mediocre movie the transfer is so good it elevates the movie a little. From start to finish Dastan’s journey looks incredible. The fine layer of film grain present retains a film like quality that most modern movies do not exhibit. No signs of ringing, DNR, or edge enhancement get in the way of this STELLAR looking disc.

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is no slouch either with a rocking LFE channel that will bring the action right to your home theater. The only complaint I do have here is the opening narration on the movie is mixed a little loud and there are occasional “looping” issues but that is not the fault of the disc. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time might not be an art film, but what you get here is a brain off, summer rollercoaster ride right in your own home.


Value: 5/10
I want to say watch it for the fun of it, but don’t buy it. It’s a great one to rent for the weekend and enjoy along with the extras and then return it and get on with your life. If you are a Jake Gylenhal fan deep in your soul, fine, purchase the darn thing and keep it under your pillow.

Overall Score 5/10

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• Set Tour With Bobby Coleman – This is pretty fun little extra that includes little Bobby Coleman, who plays Jonah, who is adorable.  The whole tour is cute and fun, and at 5 minutes it is a nice short time for this feature.
• Making Of The Music Video When I Look At You By Miley Cyrus – Miley Cyrus herself takes us through the the making of the video.
• When I Look At You Music Video By Miley Cyrus – My wife was overly excited about the fact that this video is included on the Blu-ray.  The soundtrack only include two Miley Cyrus songs, which I thought was a good idea, as the rest of the soundtrack is quite good.  This song is not bad for Miley Cyrus, and the video is pretty average.
• Alternate Opening Sequence With Director Commentary – The alternate opening sequence includes an extended sequence of the church burning.  It really changes the tone of the movie, and I like the original better.
• Deleted Scenes – We get about seven minutes of deleted scenes here.  There are a lot of Greg Kinnear scenes as well as a nice scene with the fire jugglers.
• Audio Commentary – The audio commentary includes director Julie Anne Robinson and co-producer Jennifer Gibgot.  It is a light, cheery commentary, and the two females are very into the movie and the process.  It is not one of my favorite commentaries, but there is a lot of information.

The Movie: 7/10
The Last Song is a Miley Cyrus coming out movie.  I could not help think of Crossroads, the movie that was supposed to launch Britney Spears movie career, which this movie has a lot of similarities with.  I rate them very close as movie, for this type of teenage female romance movie.  Miley seems to be ready to break out of the Hannah Montana mold, and this is a good vehicle for doing just that.  The main difference between Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears is that Miley is much more of and actress than Britney was, and so her movie career may be slightly easier because of it.

The Last Song is a movie about Ronnie Miller, played by Miley Cyrus. who is set to to spend time at her fathers house on the beach in Georgia.  Ronnie, a once amazing music talent, has not forgiven her father for leaving her and her mother and brother.  Her father (Greg Kinnear) is just happy to have Ronnie and her younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) visiting, and while things go great with Father and son, Ronnie is intent on making the stay difficult.  She stay out late, and refuses to engage with her dad.  Her stay includes hanging out with a bad group of friends, and she ends up meeting Will, who plays beach volleyball and works numerous jobs.  He is a hard worker, and he has a thing for Ronnie, who plays coy, as she doesn’t trust his intentions.

They eventually start a relationship, which develops slowly, and helps melt Ronnie’s anger towards her father.  As the summer goes on, her relationship with her father, as well as with her brother, evolves and thaws to the point where things are going well, and just at that moment, her father breaks down.  Ronnie learns that her father has cancer, and at that point she realises just how much family and love means to her.

The Last Song is a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book, and the writing is quite well done for this type of movie.  Miley Cyrus does a decent job acting in this movie, but there are times where she overacts, or at least seems to go too far to sell an emotion.  Liam Hemsworth, her real life boyfriend, is good as well, but Greg Kinnear and Bobby Coleman are excellent.  Without Kinnear this movie would not have the same feel or realness.  His acting really brings a lot to this movie, and I don’t think I would have liked it nearly as much as I did without him.

The Last Song is a nice change for Miley Cyrus, and you just hope that her movie choices are as solid, and as well done as this one, so that she can break out of the Hannah Montana mold.  She seems both grounded and talented, and her future should not be solely defined by her Disney Channel character.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The video for the Last Song is quite solid.  The 2.35:1 widescreen presentation is clear and sharp.  The colors are great and the scenery is quite well done, with some beautiful beach scenes.

The audio was very well done also, and the DTS 5.1 presentation is upfront and music heavy.  The dialogue is clear and there seemed to be a nice mix of ambient sound, like the ocean sounds.  It was a nice presentation overall.

Value: 6/10
This is a straight up teenage romance movie, with teen superstar Miley Cyrus, so it will appeal to those who are the type who watch Hannah Montana and the Disney Channel.  It was well done for this type of movie, which probably has to do with the fact that it is based on a Nicholas Sparks book.  The Blu-ray looks good and sounds good, and there is enough here to enjoy for anyone who likes romantic movies.  The addition of Greg Kinnear really helped this movie’s credibility.  For those who like this genre of movie, this is a decent one.

Overall Score 6/10

• Spike The Aunts Interactive Game – Oh, it sucks. Take my word for it, or better yet, try it and see just how right I really am.
• Behind The Scenes Look At The Making Of The Film -I’m sorry, did they say “behind the scenes”? I disagree. This is a produced commercial for the movie with a few mentions of the fact that they were making a movie and there might be some behind the scenes happening.
• Good News Music Video Performed By Randy Newman – Ugh
• Original Theatrical Trailer – Trailers are only good for me if I didn’t see them originally and if I care. In this case, I don’t. I love the movie for what it is, no commercials needed for me to enjoy it.

The Movie: 8/10
I can’t help myself…it’s just so damn sweet. There ya go, I broke down and did the dirty deed, called a movie sweet! I can back it up, so bare with me. James is a young boy forced to live with horrible aunts after his parents are mysteriously killed. Does every child tale of strength and independence start with a dead or missing parent? I think the answer is yes.

This isn’t a solid classic film, the way I imagine it should be. I’m not sure why, but there are a few things floating around it that bring it down. I won’t dwell on the negative, but let’s just say the look of the film can be too dark, the live action sequences at the beginning and end are drab, boring, and should have been animated, and the musical numbers don’t excite me much.

On the good side of things the story is a lovely tale of a boy finding his independence from the evil hateful things that the adults in his life have put upon him. The lessons of confidence and true family are, um, pardon the corniness, heartwarming. I appreciate the theme of finding people, or bugs in this case, in life who build you up, give you something to live for, something to fight for against all odds. Among the bugs James encounters there is a spider who could eat everyone but doesn’t, a glow worm who is hard of hearing, a grasshopper who plays classical violin, a centipede with a Brooklyn accent, a northern England worm with lots of insecurities. They are a motley crew, but they need each other to get through the long journey they take across the big pond and when the poo hits the fan they defend and protect each other.

I think what I like about James and the Giant Peach is more than just the nice story, but on a grander scale it takes on the task of showing a person who happens to be young, or a child in other words, that they have value and can be a part of something big, something important. I think we do a lot of holding down, pushing back, discouraging, and underestimating of our younger human selves and it might just be the thing that holds us all back….bigger topic for another day.

I love the stop frame animation. It’s very lively and makes me smile. Like I mentioned though, the movie is quite dark so a lot of the magic gets lost in the shadows. Other than that it’s a lovely movie to watch, feast your eyes on, so to speak. I wish the live action parts weren’t there, but hey, I didn’t have a say in the matter..





Audio & Video: 6/10
James & The Giant Peach is three years older than A Nightmare Before Christmas and looking at these two Blu-Ray’s side by side you would think it was the other way round. While this transfer does preserve the theatrical presentation (Cidtalk saw it in Theaters when it was released) it does look very rough around the edges. From the opening scenes it’s obvious that high definition isn’t going to do the movie any favors. Plenty of issues are evident such as ringing, poor shadow detail, soft focus and a strange flickering that happens every so often. Overall while the movie does look better than the included DVD just because of the improved resolution it doesn’t look THAT much better.

Audio is a different kettle of fish so to speak,  Disney uses the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track well and unlike the picture this sounds great MOST of the time. There are a couple of occasions where Pete Postlethwaite’s narration is drowned out by the music but that was the only complaint I had.

Overall I was pretty disappointed with James & The Giant Peach on Blu-Ray. It’s odd because every other Disney release we have looked at has been outstanding. The lacking picture quality and lack of extras means I can only recommend this to die hard fans of the flick.


Value: 5/10
The extras for this “special edition” are not special at all. If you find it for like seven bucks buy it!! If it’s above that consider a rental. The only caviate is that if you have young children who will watch over and over, it might be worth a bigger investment. It’s a lovely story, lovely cast, and all the other elements all come together for a sweet movie, but this Blu-Ray doesn’t do it justice.

Overall Score 8/10

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• Deleted Scenes - We get a few minutes of deleted scenes that are truly forgettable.
• Bloopers - Some of the bloopers are decent, but I wouldn’t call these great by any stretch.
• Music Videos – There are two different music videos included on the Blu-ray.  The first is for the song “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry, and also “Stupid Love Letter” by the Friday Night Boys.
• Crazy Casanovas – This extra features the guys who have fallen for Beth, talking about the movie.  This short (12 minutes) feature also has the crew discussing aspects of the movie.
• Alternate Opening and Ending- There are seven minutes of a different opening, as well as a different ending to the movies.  The ending was quite good, but I didn’t love the alternate beginning.  Nice to see different takes on the movie though.

The Movie: 6/10
When in Rome starts off with a completely staged and fake looking party, and you can immediately be thrown out of the movie.  The movie and the acting does get better, but during the party scene, I was nervous about this movie.    When in Rome is a story about Beth, who is a (stop me if you have seen this before in a romantic comedy) female who is so focused on her job that her love life is forced to take a back seat.  Her younger sister announces that she has met an Italian and fallen in love, and who she is marrying in Rome after two weeks of courtship.  Beth of course agrees to come to the wedding, even though she is not sure that they two should get married due to the short amount of time that they have known each other.  Beth’s mean boss (Angelica Huston) is not thrilled at the thought of Beth leaving, as she is a curator and is in charge of a major upcoming exhibit, which is not going as planned.  Beth promises to stay on top of the exhibit from Rome, and her Italian adventure (until she returns for most of the movie, back to New York).

Beth jets off to Rome, where she meets her brother in law’s college roommate Nick (Josh Duhamel), who is also from New York City.  Beth decides to try to spark up a relationship with Nick, who also seems interested in her, but when Beth sees him embrace a beautiful female in a red dress, Beth loses it and gets drunk near the famous Fontana de Amore, where she picks up coins that have been tossed in by people wishing to find true love.  The drunk Beth figures that she is saving them from broken hearts.  The problem is that the local folklore states that a coin taken from the fountain immediately makes the person who threw the coin in the fountain fall hopelessly in love with you.  Beth somehow manages to pull coins out that only men have thrown, and only (for the most part) men who are from New York and were apparently visiting Rome, like her.

From there we get to see Beth as she deals with the unwelcome advances of various males who are convinced that she is the one.  The various suitors range from Dax Shepard as a male model to John Heder as a magician.  We also get to see Danny Devito playing a sausage king who, like the rest of the New York suitors, is crazy about Beth to the point of being stalkers.  Beth is convinced that the last coin, a poker chip pulled out of the fountain, belongs to Nick.  When things start to really go well between the two, Beth convinces herself that Nick is not in love with her – it is just the folklore and the coin.

When in Rome is a decent little movie, even though it is predictible and not nearly as funny as it should be.  It is worth a watch if you are a romantic comedy type of person.

Audio & Video: 7/10
The video looked pretty decent overall.  I thought a lot of the scenes that focused on the character’s faces seemed a bight orange or overly tan, but overall the colors were pretty good, and the picture sharp.

The audio was pretty well done, with lots of focus on the soundtrack.  I didn’t overly notice much use of the rear speakers, but when I did it was well done and full.  A pretty good Blu-ray presentation.

Value: 5/10
I have seen worse romantic comedies, but When in Rome is really predictable and the acting was pretty forgettable.  I thought the premise could be really funny, bu it just got a bit ridiculous and unbelievable.  My wife is not a fan of sci-fi movies with their “mystical magical” aspects, which I think is rampant in this movie as well – just in a slightly different manner.  I didn’t hate When in Rome, but it was not one I will watch again soon.

Overall Score 5/10

• Finding Alice – How do you cast for what will be a new and very attention-grabbing take on one of the most beloved stories of all time? Find a young woman with a lovely smile, self confidence, and who will be willing to be small, tall, and everything in between. It’s about casting Alice, get it?
• The Mad Hatter – The hatter mixed with Tim Burton’s mind, the only outcome is to put Johnny Depp in that awesome costume and do his face and eyes just  a bit insane and voila!! Hatter it is.
• The Futterwacken Dance – A guy on YouTube caught someone’s eye. That someone told Tim Burton and there ya go, instant Futterwacker stand in for a dance-shy Depp.
• The Red Queen – Tim Burton and Helena Bonama Carter are together not just in movies but in life. She said she didn’t think she would have the part until he showed her a drawing of a very angry little red haired queen and she agreed, that was her.
• Time Lapse Sculpting The Red Queen – It takes a long time to get these actor people into costume and make up. Who would have thought someone could sleep in the chair with people slapping stuff all over ya, but I guess after many years of being a professional, Helen figured it out.
• The White Queen – She’s come a long way from the early days of sweet and quirky characters…or has she. Ann Hathaway is an excellent semi-crazy ‘good’ queen. She talks about how she found the character and what it was like to develop her trademark glidelike walk.
• Scoring Wonderland – Danny Elfman at the side of Burton is not a new pairing. He talks about the challenge and the fun of writing a score for the latest fall down the rabbit hole…couldn’t resist.
• Effecting Wonderland – How do you make blue caterpillars, cats who’s heads can come and float around, a queen with a swollen head, an ever shrinking-growing Alice? Lots of green screen and many many computers.
• Stunts Of Wonderland – Alice had to be small enough to fit on the rim of a hat as it flew through the air. Crispin Glover had to walk on stilts to get his character’s eye line to be the right height for everyone to respond to, and there is lots of falling, flying, jumping, running, and general activity befitting Underland.
• Making The Proper Size - I have seen many movies in my life in which characters are smaller, bigger, giant, tiny, than they “should” be. Some times it works out of sheer charm, and some times it’s a disaster (eh hem Lord of the Rings). Tim Burton and his crew got it very right in this 21st century telling of a girl who is “always to small or too tall.” The attention to detail about the scale of everything from her clothes to the eye line of all the other characters she needs to interact with, they did a really good job of not making me go, “ugh”.
• Cakes Of Wonderland – Hmm I’m not that big on this extra. The best part is to see the large amount of sweets they had to make to set the tea party scene and how they gathered all the bits and pieces to set the big table. I wasn’t that interested in the cake makers themselves, sorry to say, but I’m sure it was a big deal to be on such an iconic “cakey” kind of movie.
• Tea Party Props – This pretty much blends with the cake makers, with the gathering of goodies and dishes for the long table scene in which they get trampled on by the Mad Hatter.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – Nice for those car rides in cars that have those fancy traveling DVD players, or however Disney has decided you will be using your extra disc.
• Digital Copy Of The Movie – Ok, can’t have too many copies of the same movie I always say….not really.

The Movie: 9/10
It’s a big Disney blockbuster that doesn’t need me to sit here and rave about it. I know, it’s got all the praise and blubbering one movie can stand. SO, here’s some more. I was enchanted, yes, enchanted from the moment I saw that the story was starting with a good strong show of who our Alice is becoming as a young lady. I was almost sitting there with my mouth hanging open as she became an individual figuring out that she does not fit in and does not want to fit into the rigid rules that are supposed to define her life. I always appreciate that sentiment. As Alice feels a bit put-upon by an impending engagement something has to give and of course, where do you go when you need to get away and gather your thoughts to make a rational decision? Down a rabbit hole is a good place to start.

This isn’t Alice as a little girl going into a fantastical world in which she’s a poor helpless child. She’s nearly 20 years old and venturing into that time of her life when she must decide who she is, and falling into a world where playing cards are soldiers and a cake can make you shrink seems to be just the right place to make the transition to adulthood.

I don’t think it’s easy to write about movies that I truly love. I can’t define for you exactly why I fall so hard for movies like this. I did the same thing when I saw Sweeny Todd for the first time. They aren’t on my best movies of all time or anything even remotely close to be honest, but for the time I’m watching I am captivated, completely. The darkness and the twist from what seems to be a friendly kind of place to a more sinister flip side of ‘reality’ attracts something in me. The colors are muted, and yet are amazing. The creatures we meet are all not plausible, but I still am convinced of their place with Alice in the big scheme of things. Some movies throw fictional beings in with humans and it doesn’t quite grow together the way they’ve done it for Alice in Wonderland.

The queen has an enlarged head. Her evil side-kick is tall, skinny, skinnier than is naturally possible, and there is a cat who can float, smile, and make his head the only part of him you can see. I love it. I think of it now and I just know that feeling I have when something ‘gets to me’ in a way that stays. I want to revisit it again and again. The theme of becoming who you are, an individual who has to make her own path in life. The tip of a hat to the somewhat less than standardized vision of a filmmaker like TIm Burton. He’s a real man in a real job in an industry that’s out to cash in on people like me who love movies…fair enough, but I think he’s got a lot of the mad hatter in him and I see beyond the Disney logo. I might be blinded by the amazing world of Underland, Johnny Depp’s awesome and strange portrayal of the Hatter, and by the big smile on my own face, and that’s fine with me.

It’s a lift out of real reality for a bit and in the best way. Excellent imagination, good sense of humor, a glimmer of darkness, and a hero who has her whole life to figure out that she is not one to wear corsets and stockings just because society decided she has to….oh how I do understand.

I don’t want to come off as if I think the special effects are what makes this movie good. I’m totally blown away by the cast to be quite honest. Everyone is just right in their parts, taking it into that fantastical but modern kind of territory. (whatever that means) Helen Bonama Carter steels the show if you ask me. She’s incredibly vivacious and funny and wicked. Everyone really does pull it all together. The voices of the animal characters are spot on, even if you don’t recognize some of them because they are British :)

If I had more to say it would be all fluffy and grossly exaggerated praise for just this little movie that will come and go and be setting on DVD shelves for years to come. You might pull it out once in a while to relive the tale of the girl who goes through the looking glass. You might watch it again in a few years to laugh at the special effects the way we do with other movies from our cinematic past. You might pop it in the player when Johnny Depp is an old man and you want to revisit the glory days….whatever the reason you probably won’t have that “take a deep breath and enjoy the ride” feeling I know I’ll always have, which is a shame. If you do feel it, don’ t apologize for it. It’s Alice in Wonderland for goodness sake!





Audio & Video: 8/10 (By Ascully)
What an incredible visually spectacular movie Alice In Wonderland is, Tim Burton injects a huge sense of style and grandeur into this modern day retelling of a classic story.  As always Disney have a great Blu-Ray presentation here with a flawless 1080P VC1 encode that is easily in the top ten of this year’s best. Alice is a stylized film that is mostly computer generated. The Blu-Ray retains the theatrical vision perfectly. I have read several review’s that complain about an overall softness to the image, but it’s obviously director intended as the image is razor sharp when Alice is in the real world and slightly defocused during the Wonderland scenes.

The Blu-Ray version of Alice comes with a 5.1 DTS HD Master audio track that would even wake a Jabberwocky. From the opening scenes where Alice falls down the rabbit hole to the awesome climax the soundtrack has demo material written all over it. A special mention should be made of Danny Elfman’s score which sounds like a creepy version of the main Batman theme.

Overall I loved this movie and it takes away the sour taste Charlie and the Chocolate Factory left in my Tim Burton loving brain. The Blu-Ray is an essential purchase with the DVD & digital copy all included inside the box, and with stellar picture and sound it’s hard not to love this version of Alice.

Value: 8/10
As much as I obviously love this movie, I desperately despise that it’s over 30 bucks for this Blu-Ray. Yes, I understand it was expensive to make. I understand it has awesome extras. I get it. The thing is, someone keeps forgetting who you are making these movies for. Families don’t always have $30 to toss away on a movie. How about a smash hit movie like this being automatically $10? Why is that so bad? You have made your billion plus, why not give the rest of us a break? That being said, I would, and probably will watch this movie more times than a grown woman should admit so it’s a purchase for me.

Overall Score 10/10

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Features: NA/10

• Theatrical Trailer – Ok
• Teaser Trailer – Someone didn’t look up the definition of “teaser”.
• Aerosmith Music Video – A music video, OK, blah.

The Movie: 6/10
I cannot tell a lie. This movie is a good time. That’s just how it is with a movie like Armageddon. I really dug it way back when it hit the theaters the first time and I can say it’s still a lot of fun. It’s just not a very intellectually stimulating kind of film but let’s face it, WHO CARES? It’s got heroes and comedy and the Earth in peril, what more can you ask from an action movie?

I have never understood why people have always been so quick to rip apart the science of Armageddon. I don’t know what an asteroid would look like up close. Do you? I don’t know that drilling into one and dropping a nuclear bomb inside wouldn’t do the trick of saving our planet, do you? I mean, a team of oil drillers going to outer space with barely any training, charged with saving civilization while their deepest thoughts are gambling, strippers, and screwing the boss’s daughter, it all makes perfect sense. You know why? IT”S A FRIGGIN’ MOVIE PEOPLE!! Get over it.

Yea, Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck are arguably at the peak of their glory days of action/comedy/heroness and it’s not much of a showcase for their acting skills, but that’s fine with me. If I want some good/entertaining performances from them I’ll watch Chasing Amy and, dare I say, Die Hard (not great acting, but I like Willis better in that than in anything else I think.) The rest of the cast are a bunch of heavy hitters with Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clark Duncan, and more. They all ham it up to the best of their action packed abilities. My favorite in the whole thing is Steve Buscemi playing Rockhound as he starts losing his little spacey mind. “Hey guys, it’s time to embrace the horror.” :)

The special effects hold up really well all these years later. I have seen movies in the past 5 years that do not measure up to the look of Armageddon, so that’s saying something. it was a big experience at the time. Back in the mid-90′s we had some heavy hitting boltering to the Action Adventure genre and amongst the historic collection will always be this cheesy but fun story of a group of fish out of water saving the planet. It can’t be all that bad with total world annihilation as the threat and Ben Affleck cracking wise and being sweaty with very white eyeballs and teeth throughout…now can it? :)

Audio & Video: 8/10
I have owned two different versions of Armageddon on DVD over the years and both were non anamorphic widescreen (letterbox & pillar-box at the same time) which is less than stellar on today’s modern HD sets. Thankfully Armageddon on Blu-Ray disc rectifies this issue with a stunning 1080P anamorphic transfer which while not perfect is the best Armageddon has ever looked on a home video format.

Audio has been substantially overhauled from the DVD releases with a TrueHD 5.1 track that I would describe in one word “Loud”. Armageddon is 12 years old and it does not compare to a 2010 release when it comes to audio but the mix is crisp, clear and very loud, so loud in fact I had to dial down my receiver a couple of notches from it’s usual listening level.

While most scoff at the movie it’s easily my favorite Michael Bay film. Turn off your brain strap into your favorite popcorn chair and enjoy it for what it is a fun ride that has aged really well. In fact, if you are thinking of getting the new 2012 movie skip it and get Armageddon instead.


Value: 7/10
This is an old movie. I mean, it’s more than 10 years now and it’s not exactly a classic. I mean, it’s kind of a classic,but not enough of one to justify me spending more than around 10 bucks for the Blu-Ray. That’s right, not even the Blu-Ray should set me back on this puppy. It’s got no extras, and it’s more than a decade old…then again, I’m willing to pay nearly $100 for Wizard of Oz, so go figure. It’s a great night at the dummied down movies if you want to have an explosive, flimsy story, kind of time, so rent it along with several other of the same types of flicks and it will be well worth the cash.

Overall Score 6/10

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• So You Think You Can Sleuth Game – This 5 minute “game” features quite a bit of sleuthing background, and is just average in terms of extras.
• The Making Of The Great Mouse Detective - This 8 minute or so behind the scenes is what you would expect from such an old movie.  Not bad, and a decent little watch, which really demonstrates the hand drawn format that we miss so much these days.
• The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind Sing Along Song – Here we get to sing along to Ratigan’s theme song, which is the best song in the movie by far.  I still don’t know about singing it though.
• Dylan & Cole Sprouse Blu-Ray Is Suite – This is a promo for the Suite Life, on Blu-ray.
• Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go With Disney File - This is another promo, this time for how to use the included digital copy that is found on so many of the Disney releases.

The Movie: 6/10
The Great Mouse Detective is one of those movies that I remember watching as a kid, but I didn’t remember the details.  It is based loosely on Sherlock Holmes, and it s based more prevalently on the children’s book Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone.  From the beginning of the movie we get a much more ominous feel, as the scary introduction of the movie sees a toymaker snatched form his toy shop by a one legged bat, right in front of his hidden daughter Olivia’s eyes.  The little mouse sets off to find Basil of Baker Street, the renowned detective, who she feels will surely find her father for her.

Along with Dr. Dawson, another mouse who finds and leads Olivia to the quirky detective, the group sets out on a caper to find Olivia;s father, who we discover, through Basil’s keen intellect, has been taken and forced to work for the evil Professor Ratigan.  Ratigan just so happens to be the arch nemesis of Basil (and Ratigan is played by Vincent Price).

The Great Mouse Detective is one of those movies that clearly demonstrates that the Disney formula is not always spot on.  It is a curious mix of story and music, with a strange little musical number featuring Vincent Price singing.  I enjoyed the movie, but it falls in along with other notable Disney mouse movies like the Rescuers Down Under, which to me is similar in many ways to this one.  It is not a bad movie, but the Great Mouse Detective is nowhere near a classic.  Fun for a watch, this one is not a movie that I would recommend to everyone.

Audio & Video: 7/10
I was pretty impressed with the video for such an old movie.  the colors were pretty nice looking (there are some real discrepancies at times though – keep an eye on the green frog, who many times looks tan).  Overall I was quite impressed though.

The audio was not quite so nice.  It was very drab and un-dynamic, even in in 5.1 Surround Sound.  I was less than impressed, and the use of the rear speakers was minuscule at best.  I know the movie was made before audio was so important, but this is a real downer for a movie like this, even taking into account the age of the movie.


Value: 6/10
The Great Mouse Detective is one of those Disney movies that is merely decent, and not great.  It falls squarely in behind some of the classics like 101 Dalmatians and even Sword in the Stone for me.  That is not to say that it is not fun to watch, but it really demonstrates the difference between some of the better stories and characters that have been done by the animation giant.  It is worth a watch, but there is not a lot here, including scarce extras, that would warrant a buy.

Overall Score 6/10

The menu is pretty well done with a kind of antique effect being placed over video from the movie.  It really adds a nice feel to what could otherwise be a boring menu.  I am also a fan of the Ace of spades card that is used for a loading icon.

Features: 3/10

• The Making Of Tombstone – This is a three part making of series, featuring a look at the cast of the movie, which is impressive, along with an examination of the look of the movie, and finally a glimpse at the gunfights.  A decent little offering, even if it is the only real meaty extra on the disk.
• Directors Original Storyboards – Here we get a glimpse at the storyboards that were used to design the movie.
• Trailers & TV Spots – Not really much of an extra, but we get to see various trailers and adverts for the movie from back in the day.  It just seems like they threw this offering together, given the lack of in-depth extras and the mediocre transfer of the movie to Blu-ray.

The Movie: 8/10
I was excited to see that I had been assigned Tombstone on Blu-ray by Ascully.  This is one of those movies that I really identified with.  It was another cowboy movie from the 1990′s, but it featured such a great ensemble, and it was cool.  While the eagle eyed Kurt Russell played the hard as stone Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer was the epitome of no-holds barred cool, as the drunk, sick Doc Holiday.  Kilmer, in a movie of great actors, stole the show, and in my mind it is one of the greatest roles that he has played to date.

Tombstone is the story of retired Kansas law man Wyatt Earp, as he walks away from the job to search his own fortune in Tomsbstone, Arizona.  Earp is joined by his brothers Virgil (Sam Elliot, who should be in every cowboy movie made) and Morgan (a young Bill Paxton.)  The crew settles into Tombstone, a booming town on the edge of the frontier, who struggles to keep the peace as a group of outlaws who call themselves the “cowboys” seem to govern the town, even though they do little more than terrorize and steal from the good people making an honest living.  the boom of the gold rush has seen Tombstone prosper, and the Earp brothers, along with doc Holiday, who is suffering from tuberculosis (and Whiskey-itis) are attempting to become businessman, leaving the law to the local sheriff.

Tombstone is a gritty movie about how the Earp brothers and Holiday get dragged back into fighting for justice, even though it is the last thing they wish to do.  The entire cast is solid, and the story and acting is fun and well paced.

Almost everyone who I spoke to about doing this review (many who had seen the movie were males, I will confess) spoke highly of Tombstone.  It is fun, and a good movie to sit back and enjoy.  Watching the story unfold, with such great acting as done by Russell, Kilmer, and the likes of Dana Delaney, Powers Booth, Michael Biehn, and even a young (somewhat larger) Billy Bob Thornton (I recognized his voice before I recognized him.)  Tombstone is a great little movie, and a lot of fun just to sit back and watch.





Audio & Video: 6/10
I will admit, I was less than impressed with the video transfer of Tombstone.  There are moments where the video is super sharp and crystal clean, and others where it just seemed like the whole screen was fuzzy and soft.  Perhaps I expected too much from such an old movie, but it was just hit or miss for me.   I can understand if it was soft overall, but it was just inconsistent, which is confusing to me.  It is presented in 2.35:1 AVC encoded widescreen.

The audio was really really good though, making up for some of the strange video inconsistency.  It was very well done and there was great use of the rear speakers.  Not bad for a movie from the past.


Value: 6/10
This is a hard one to place a value on.  If you have seen Tombstone, then more than likely you have a soft spot for this movie.  There is nothing mind blowing about Tombstone, but it was a movie-lovers movie, with solid acting a lot of style, which is why I dig this movie so much.  If you have seen it, it is worth another visit, but the Blu-ray presentation is not what I wanted it to be.  I wanted this to be a top notch, lots of bells and whistles release, and it is not.  It is a good release, and the Blu-ray looks decent enough, and sounds good, but there is nothing here that wows me or makes me want to recommend this to everyone.  See it on Blu-ray for sure, and if you like the movie like I do, it is worth picking up, but I just wanted a little bit more that would make this pop.  Tombstone is a great, stylish movie; I just wish the Blu-ray was great and stylish also.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu again features artwork from the design stage of the movie, which is pretty well done.


Features: /10

• Commentary – We again get a strong commentary from John Lasseter and company, as they discuss the progression from toy Story to Toy Story 2.  The Pixar commentaries are quite good, and this is no exception.
• Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Characters – In this, the second sneak peek, we get to see more about the new and old characters that have been created for Toy Story 3.   Along with the old favorites, we get a nice view at some of the new creations (some that were created in theory back when Toy Story was being made.)  I for one am excited about this summers Toy Story 3, and this really helps get people in the mood.
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station – This is another mission log featuring Buzz and friends, this time focusing on the International Space Station.  We get the guys inter cut with actual shots from out in space.
• 3 Animated Studio Movies – These are just like the studio stories of the Toy Story release, and they are funny little remembrances from the people involved in making the movie.  the craziest one involve the almost deletion of the hard drives that were storing the movie at Pixar.  great little bits.
• Pixar’s Zoetrope – This 2 minute short introduces us to Pixar’s new illusion that is created using a Zoetrope.  it is hard to describe and very cool.
• Making Toy Story 2 – This 8 minute extra covers the, well you probably already guessed it, making of the movie.  it is a good short focused piece on the making of the movie, and is short enough to be tolerable.
• Toy Box Outtakes & Deleted Scenes – These are some of my favorite outtakes, and just like the other Pixar releases, they are funny.  We also get a few deleted scenes that did not make it into the movie.
• Deleted Scenes & Design Galleries – We get numerous art shots for the development of the movie, and it is just fun to see the progression.  A lot of work went into designing this little movie.
• 60 Minutes More Bonus – There are numerous odds and ends that are included here on the Blu-ray.  We get to see the new stuff, divided up from the old DVD extras, which are also included.  Toy Story 2 is, like Toy Story, just chick full of Pixar extra goodness, and it can take a while to get through everything.  For this movie, I don’t mind taking time to see everything, because it  is worth it for these movies.
• DVD version Of The Movie – As with the other release, this one only features the DVD and not a digital copy.

The Movie: 10/10
The toys are back, and in addition to all of your favorites, we get the introduction of Woody’s horse Bulls eye, Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammar.)  The characters are again spot on with their voice acting, and the outcome is superb.  In this second toy Story release, which was initially released in 1999, we get a stronger, more rich story, where Buzz attempts to rescue Woody when he is stolen from a yard sale and Andy’s mother won’t sell the family toy to Al, a unscrupulous toy dealer who literally steals Woody.

We find out that Woody (Tom Hanks) again is actually a rare doll created from a classic television show that was cut short when the US/Soviet space race began back near the late 1950s.  Woody was part of a crew that had a television show called Woody’s Roundup, and Al has stolen Woody in an effort to complete the group, only to be sold to a museum in Japan for big money.  Buzz and the gang journey out into the real world in an effort to rescue Woody from the grip of the evil chicken man Al.

Even though Toy Story was wonderfully done, Toy Story 2 really raised the bar by adding what seems like a bigger story, as well as a bigger art direction.  Everything just feels bigger and better in this sequel.  For the three people who have not seen Toy Story and Toy Story 2, the sequel is actually better (if that is possible) than the first.





Audio & Video: 10/10
Just like Toy Story, this Blu-ray is ridonkulous in both appearance and sound.  Crystal clear is the phrase of the day, with the stunning visuals parading in high definition, and the sound that is nearly perfect in its 5.1 HD format.  These two movies are truly brilliant on Blu-ray.  The colors are brilliant, and the black levels are noticeably spot on.  The use of the ambient sound is perfectly  mixed, as is the dialogue.  This is just a great Blu-ray release all around.  These types of movies are just made for the high definition treatment, and Disney nails it on both special edition releases.


Value: 10/10
It is hard not to gush when you talk about Toy Story 2.  This is just a great movie, and just like the Toy Story Blu-ray release, it doesn’t get much better than this.  The audio and visual aspects are remarkable, and when coupled with the sensational story, this is a must have Blu-ray if there ever has been one.

Overall Score 10/10

The menu features a ton of the design artwork and bits of the sketches that were used in the formation of the movie.  I have to add that the Etch A Sketch loading animation was really good, and a nice break from some of the more simple loading icons that we get on Blu-rays.


Features: 10/10
In addition to the regular DVD extras, we get a whole new slew of features that are only here on the Blu-ray.  A great mix of old and new.  They are nicely divided up on the menu as such, which makes this a great way to peruse.

• Toy Story 3 Sneak Peek: The Story – The highlight of the extras on the Blu-ray has to be the inclusion of a sneak peek at the new Toy Story 3, which is out this summer in 3D.  On this release, we get a glimpse at the story, whereas the Toy Story 2 Blu-ray covers the characters.  there are great glimpses into what surely is going to be another Pixar classic.
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: Blast Off – This is a short 3 minutes exrta that features Buzz and some of the gang talking about NASA.
• 3 Animated Studio Stories – These are great little shorts pieces that talk about the experiences that some of the studio guys had making these movies, and working at the Pixar studios.  We get to hear about scooter races around the massive Pixar studio, baby AJ, who won a Halloween contest, and one of the guy’s cars.  These are excellent little inclusions, even if they may only be 99% accurate memories.
• Buzz Takes Manhattan – This is about the Buzz Lightyear parade float, which is both interesting and a bizarre inclusion on the Blu-ray release.
• Making Toy Story – This was included on the DVD release, and is a 20 minute making of feature, that is informative and interesting.
• Filmmakers Reflect – another DVD extra, this features some of the main guys involved with Toy Story, like John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton.  This is about 17 minutes long, and it includes four of the main guys talking about the movie and its history.
• Deleted Scenes & Design Galleries – Of course we get scenes not included in the theatrical release, and storyboards and bits of the art used to design Toy Story.  All Pixar movies should include these relics.
• Over 90 Minutes More Bonus Material – There are all sorts of goodies in the Blu-ray release.  We get to see a version of the movie that was played for studio execs early on in the creation of the movie, that is so bad that there was talk of scrapping the whole movie.  The extras are phenomenal, and well worth a visit.
• DVD Version Of  The Movie - As with many of the Disney releases, we also get a standard DVD of the film included.  I am big fan of the inclusion of these different forms of the movie, but I am a bit curious as to why there was no digital copy.

The Movie: 10/10
Toy Story is a classic animated movie, and for that matter, it is just a classic movie.  The toys in Andy’s room are some of the classic toys that we all had (an Etch A Sketch, Mr. Potato head, army men) and they come alive when humans are not around, and drop like rocks when they are.  the toys literally come alive when nobody is around, and each toy is a separate character, with its own voice and personality.  Toy Story was pure fun.

For those few who have not seen the movie, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) is Andy’s favorite toy, and when Andy gets a new toy, Buzz Light year (Tim Allen), Woody feels a bit threatened.  Woody tries to push buzz behind the bed, but instead Buzz falls out of the window, and Woody ends up trying to get Buzz back before the family moves.

The characters like Rex and Mr. Potato head are what make toy story so endearing, as they each add something unique to the story, which itself is pretty fantastic.  When you couple that with the computer generated, high definition visuals, Toy Story simple shines.  It is as funny now as it was back then, and even though this is a children’s movie, it is wonderful for all ages.  I love it as much now as I did back then, and watching it with my kids is just fun.  Toy story is truly a great movie all around, and in Blu-ray, it is superb.





Audio & Video: 10/10
The only thing to say upon viewing this Blu-ray is wow.  Show this release to anyone who says that Blu rays and DVDs look the same, and they will change their mind.  This looks and sounds incredible.  The transfer is flawless, and the textures and detail sparkle.  The sound is powerful and crystal clear.  This movie release is just wonderful.

Presented in 1.78:1 wide screen, and 5.1 DTS HD audio, it doesn’t get much better than this.


Value: 10/10
This is a classic Pixar release that is every bit as good today as it was when it was released 15 years ago.  You will watch it again and again if you have kids, and probably even if you don’t have kids.  This is truly a classic animated release, presented in mind blowing high definition.  With the releases included, this is a total must-have Blu-ray.

Overall Score 10/10

• Creating Catastrophe: The Effects Of A Global Blackout – Granted this is a television show, and the discs are pretty chock full with the episodes, but the features are slim.  The 7 minute piece shows us the effort that went into the beginning of the show, complete with shutting down a Los Angeles highway.  It is a decent little extra, and interesting to see the amount of work that went into the opening shot, which is powerful.
• FlashForward: A Look Ahead – This 4 minute “look ahead” is exactly what you think it is; a peak into the next episodes of the show.  Hopefully the show, which apparently has seen some discussion of cancellation, will make it in the end, as the show does have some potential.

The Show: 8/10
So I am reviewing a television series DVD release again, which is pretty rare.  I have to admit up front that I don’t watch too much regular TV, and so when I do review shows (or watch them for that matter) I like to have the DVD of a season, which just makes it easier.  For this review, I get part 1 of the first season of FlashForward.  Part one apparently consists of 10 separate episodes, thankfully commercial free.

The show starts off with Mark Benford (Joseph Feinnes) waking up in an upside down SUV that has obviously crashed.  As the camera pulls out while Mark struggles to clear his head and escape the overturned vehicle, we see destruction and chaos everywhere.  It appears that there has been a massive wreck.

As it turns out, Mark Benford is an FBI agent, and as we see, this is not an isolated car crash, but instead, the world has experienced 2 minutes and 17 seconds of blackout.  Everyone in the world (well almost everyone as we learn later) has simply blacked out for the same amount of time.  Literally people just dropped all over the world, which of course led to car wrecks, downed airplanes – you name it – destruction.

To top it off, each person experienced a sort of flash of the future, 6 months ahead, to what they would be doing.  Of course this view into the future creates issues with the individuals, and Mark’s vision involved an investigation into the cause of the blackouts.  Set with this information, his FBI group starts off an investigation into the mystery surrounding the origin of the blackout, and each character that we are introduced to is part of this intricate show.

Mark, a recovering alcoholic, also sees himself drinking again, which is a major problem, seeing as his wife Olivia (Sonya Walger) has said that if he drinks again she is leaving him.  Olivia’s vision has her with a strange man who she has intense feelings for, which of course just adds strain to their marriage.

Each character gets their own treatment, and part of the fun of the show is finding out how each plays out, and how they attempt to deal with their “foreshadowing.”  It immediately raises the question of whether the characters can change the future, or at least change the outcome of their own future, by altering it so that their visions don;t come true.  Take for example Demitri (John Cho) who is one of the few characters that literally does not have a vision.  Does this mean that he is dead, or is asleep, or is he lying?

FlashForward is a very well done, interesting show that kind of roped me in.  I was drawn in by the opportunities, and while FlashForward has been compared to Lost, a show I have never seen, I was at least intrigued.  I think the story is presented in a heavy handed way, and I am not in love with Joseph Feinnes’ seemingly heavy acting method, but overall I thought the acting was good.  The characters are well done, and the story, with its questions, is a pretty fun affair.

I have read that FlashForward may be in some trouble as ABC may or may not being considering canceling or shortening its run, which would be a shame for those who are invested in the journey.  Of Course the main question is what caused the blackout, which I presume is being held for the end of the show, but it is really fun to see some of the story unfold as the episodes roll by.

Overall I am not sure this is something I would watch faithfully week after week, but presented in a DVD format like this, it makes it fun to sit down and consume.  I am not sold on the half season DVD, but it is better than watching on TV.  FlashForward seems like a decent little television show, with a pretty good story, and decent acting.





Audio & Video: 6/10
For a televisions show, this DVD looks pretty decent overall.  This is not high definition, but the episodes look pretty clear, with only an occasional grainy shot here ant there.  The show is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic wide screen, and the cinematography is varied and nicely done.

The audio was good, but not spectacular.  I kind of thought the surround would pop, but it was not really anything that wowed me. 

Value: 6/10
This is the way all TV shows should be watched; without commercials, and with the ability to rewind and review, especially for a show like Lost or FlashForward.  This type of show, with hints and secrets scattered about often takes a second viewing for people to get into it, so that they don’t miss the subtleties of this show.  While it is yet to be seen if FlashForward makes the same type of impact that Lost has, the two are very similar.  I am not 100% sure I like the idea of a “half season” DVD release as much as a full season, but this is a great intro into this show.  It is not for everyone, and while you can surely record these show as they come out, a DVD release is quite nice.  It is hard to say if this is a great investment due to the fact that the show is supposedly having some issues at the network.  I would hate to invest in this DVD only to have the show canceled without answering any of the questions that are raised here.

Overall Score 6/10

• Deleted Scenes – There are four scenes that were left out of the movie for various reasons.  The Directors/co-writers John Musker and Ron Clements resent and explain the scenes and why they are not included in the final cut of the movie.
• The Making Of A Princess – In this extra, we get 22 minutes breaking down the roles of the Directors, as well as different aspects of how the movie was made, and the direction the story went.  This is a pretty good little extra, even though it seemed a tad long for what it presents.
• Conjuring The Villain – Dr. Facilier is the main baddy in the Princess and the Frog, and we get to see him as he was originally drawn.  This 2 minute extra shows how he was brought to life.  For me, Dr. Facilier was a great villain, and he was kind of reminiscent of Baron Samedi, the voodoo bad guy from James Bond’s Live and Let Die.
• The Return Of Hand Drawn Animation – This 3 minutes short is too short, as it discusses the film’s departure from computer generated animation, as it returns (gloriously) to the old hand drawn style.  I could have watched hours on this aspect alone.  The return is great, and I hope we see more like this.
• The Disney Legacy – This extra is pretty familiar territory for anyone who has seen Disney movie extras.  This is a simple 3 minute bit on how Disney got started and how the focus has been on strong story telling and presentation throughout the history of the company.
• Disney’s Newest Princess – This is a great little introduction to Tiana, the unlikely new Disney Princess, as we get to meet Anika Noni Rose, who voices the character.  Another very short extra at about 3 minutes.
• Bringing Life To Animation – This extra is kind of cool to see unfold.   Musker and Clements walk us through some live action captures and show us how the animation is made using the live action sequences.  I live stuff like this, and it is a nice 8 minutes inclusion.
• Art Galleries – I was amazed at the sheer volume included here in the art gallery.  There are tons of drawings, photos, and bits included here, and it can take a little bit to peruse.
• Music Video By Ne-Yo – Here we go again.  the classic Disney music video.  There must be a group of kids that love this sort of thing, but I still don’t fully understand the music videos on these discs.  This one is by Ne-Yo, for “Never  Knew I Needed.”
• The Princess Portraits Game – This is an interactive game that was just so-so.  Not much here for the kids to delve into.
• Audio Commentary – The audio commentary by Musker and Clements, and Producer Peter Del Vechio is a great commentary, with loads of information included.  It is entertaining without being too loose, and it presents mountains of information about the setting, the art direction, and all of the minute choices and directions that these guys took this movie as they made such a great little film.
• DVD and Digital Copy – I had to include these as extras, as again, with this Blu-ray, they add to the value of the movie.  I like the inclusion of both with my kids/family Blu-ray movie, for ease and portability.  If you have a 4 year-old, you understand.

The Movie: 8/10
I loved the Princess and the Frog, and so did my 4 year-old son.  As a matter of fact, everyone in my family loved this movie.  It is a strong Disney tale with exceptional presentation, and overall it is up their with some of the best Disney animated releases.  My son was not sure about sitting down to watch this movie, simply due to the fact that it had “Princess” in the name.  It is not that he doesn’t love a female protagonist (he can watch Mulan all day long), but the inclusion of the word “Princess” was tough for him to swallow.  Having said that, this is not what I would call a girly movie by any stretch.  It is a solid movie that appeals to all involved, even though my son said his least favorite part was “all the kissing.”  Oh how times will change.

The story involves a beautiful little girl names Tiana, who lives in New Orleans and dreams of opening a restaurant with her father.  Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) and her family are struggling to make ends meet and we see how Tiana’s dreams of owning her own restaurant seem to stay a dream, as she transforms from a little girl into a woman, who is still struggling by waiting tables to save up enough money to put a paymen down on her dream restaurant.  Tiana has inherited her work ethic from her father, who has cine passed, and the girl has never been one to rely on the ideas of fairy tales or princes who show up to make everything perfect.  To Tiana, hard work is what gets you to your goals, not kisses from charming princes.

When at last Tiana seems to have reached her goal of saving enough money to realize her dream, the rug is yanked out from under her, as she finds out someone has outbid her on her dream spot for the restaurant.  Enter Dr. Facilier, a wicked voodoo man, who has targeted Tiana’s rich childhood friend Charlotte, and her Daddy Warbuck’s dad as easy targets for quick cash.  Dr. Facilier intercepts the visiting Prince Naveen, who is penniless after being cut off by his parents, who is set to meet Charlotte, in the hopes of finding love.  Dr. Facilier uses his voodoo to turn Prince Naveen into a frog, and he attempts to have the Prince’s disgruntled overseer fool Charlotte into marrying him (he magically looks like Naveen) so that the Dr. can get at the money.

Tiana finds Prince Naveen, who convinces her to kiss him, and he will return to his normal princely state and pay for her restaurant, but things go horribly wrong when the kiss turns her into a frog also.  From that point on the two careen across the bayou in an attempt to return to their normal human state.  We get the introduction of a brilliant Jazz loving, trumpet playing alligator who agrees to help them (and not eat them) as well as a Cajun lightening bug named Ray, who is a excellent little Disney humor infused sidekick.

The journey is fun and New Orleans infused (where is Harry Connick Jr., Disney?) and overall the movie is very very good.  The return to hand drawn animation is breathtaking and really makes me long for more like this.  I enjoyed every minute, and I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys good animated movies.  To me this is an instant Disney classic.





Audio & Video: 10/10
I must sound like a broken record by now (or a skipping CD for those not as old as me).  The audio and video for most of the Disney Blu-ray releases are incredible.  They really have brought a whole new standard to the table, and the Princess and the Frog is no exception.  The video is razor sharp and colors are intense.  the black levels are perfect, and overall it is just an eye-popping visual experience.  The 1.78:1 AVC encoded 1080p image is robust and near perfect.

The audio is again spectacular.  The DTS-HD 5.1 Surround Sound is amazing.  The music as well as the entire dialogue is spot on.  Use of the rear speakers is well done, and as always, nearly perfectly mixed.


Value: 8/10
What a great little movie.  Disney’s return to hand drawn animation is simply fun.  This movie is great, and a fun watch for all.  My only real complaint are that there seem to be a little bit of what I would call a slight disconnect between the audience and the characters, which I am not sure if it is the stop go pacing of the movie, or just a little lack of character development.  I just felt like I should relate a little bit more to the main characters.  Aside from that, and the fact that this is presented more as a “girl” movie, the overall film was a blast, and a classic Disney film for sure.

Overall Score 9/10

The menu is a strange mishmash of license plates and camp trinkets, with a few shots form the movie and a few scenes mixed in.  Again, just kind of thrown together without much direction.


Features: 6/10

• Young Dogs Learn Old Tricks – This is a nice little interview session where John Travolta’s daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn ask the questions.  At about 3 minutes, it is short and entertaining.
• Bryan Adams Music Video – This really is a Bryan Adams video for the song “You’ve Been a Friend to Me.”  Disney absolutely loves the music videos, and since this is a Disney family movie, we get a few.  I am not sure who watches all of these videos, but apparently someone is.
• Bloopers – There are a few bloopers here that are kind of funny.  This is a short 2 minute extra, so it is bearable.
• Deleted Scenes – There are not many deleted scenes, but we get to see an alternate ending, and a few scenes that really didn’t fit with the overall movie.  Not much here, and not missed from the movie.
• John Travolta & Ella Bleu Travolta “Every Little Step I Take” Music Video – Another music video; this time for the song “Every Little Step,” which is John Travolta and his daughter singing together.  Just for your information, this is song number 2 that John Travolta has slipped past us on a Disney release, as he did a duet  on Bolt.  Be careful or he might release a whole CD soon.
• Audio Commentary By Director, Producer & Writers – This commentary is a bit light on info and a bit rough to listen to.  The commentary features Director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay, and the co-writers David Diamond and David Weissman, who all struggle at times to fill the commentary with meaningful insight.
• DVD Version Of The Movie With Extras – Like the digital version of the movie, I love having a DVD version so the kids can watch these family movies wherever they go.  Right now only one set of grandparents have a Blu-ray player, so it is nice to be able to take our movie to both houses and not worry.
• Digital Copy Of The Movie – I have said this before, and I stick by it; family movies are great movies to take on trips if you have kids.  I fully welcome most Disney movies in digital format.  My wife is taking the kids on spring break, and you have no idea how happy she is to have a few Disney movies on the i Phone for the 8 hour drive.

The Movie: 6/10
Where to begin with Old Dogs, the new family release from Disney?  If you have seen the trailer, then you have seen a majority of the truly funny bits, which I admit can be funny.  There were only a few surprises in the film which had me unexpectedly laughing out loud, but overall the main laughs have been shown up front in the trailer, which is disappointing.

Old Dogs is a movie featuring John Travolta and Robin Williams, who are two sports marketing guys who have been friends for  most of their lives.  They are no longer youngsters, and are looking to sign a huge marketing deal with a major Japanese company that will set up the two guys nicely for the rest of their lives.  Dan (Robin Williams) and Charlie (John Travolta) are best friends, but they are completely different types of guys.  Charlie is a ladies man who still thinks he is 22, and Dan is much more reserved and is kid of the brains behind their company.  Charlie is the people person who tells stories to break the ice before Dan takes the stage to explain the details of their company – a strange relationship, but it works for them.

Their lives kind of hit a road bump when Dan is confronted with the reality check that he is a father of seven year-old twins, who are the result of a fling Dan had after his first divorce.  The kids are forced to stay with Dan as their mother (Kelly Preston) is forced to spend two weeks in jail.  In order to impress her (and due to the fact that he has injured the hands of thieir wonky-eyed, hand model baby-sitter) Dan agrees to take care of the kids for the two weeks, which just happen to be the same two weeks where Dan and Charlie are trying to woo the head of the Japanese company that is deciding on whether to hire them.  The rest is a jaunt down semi-slapstick Disney family humor, that sometimes works, and sometimes  seems just to wander aimlessly without much purpose.

I will cut Old Dogs some slack due to the nature of the movie – a Disney Family movie in the same genre as other films like Wild Hogs and College Road Trip, where they bring in big named stars and try to force the humor on us.  These types of family movies are usually good for a few laughs, and they can be enjoyed by all ages,without having too much intellectual stuff flying over the heads of the kids who watch them.  This is definitely one of those types of movies, and while it really is not great, they work for what they are.

I thought  Old Dogs had some truly funny bits, and then some that were groan worthy, which is about on par for this type of movie, and what anyone who is older than 12 should expect.  These are truly movies that are made with the entire family in mind.  Old Dogs is not a great movie, but it is a nice view when you are with your kids and want to take a break from animated movies.  There were enough laughs here for all ages to make watching it worthwhile, but you really have got to remember that this is family movie, so check your expectation level at the door, and just enjoy what you can.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Once again Disney delivers in the audio and video department.  The 5.1 Surround Sound is used quite well here, and there was more sound coming from the rear speakers that I expected.  It really perked up some scenes.  Everything was mixed really well, and I really enjoyed the audio immensely.

The video was presented in 1.85:1 wide screen, AVC-encoded 1080p transfer, which as always, shines.  Detail and color is once again ridiculously vibrant and rich.  These movies are just a joy to watch, regardless of how good the actual movie is.


Value: 5/10
It is hard to put a value on Old Dogs.  There were parts that I really liked, and parts that I did not like, but overall I had a decent time watching this with my kids.  They enjoyed it, but will not be keen to watch it again.  Robin Williams and John Travolta are pretty good in this slapstick comedy, as are the rest of the cast.  Overall I am neutral on Old Dogs, so I am giving it a 5 for value, but I can’t say this is more than a rental.

Overall Score 5/10

The menu is basically static, and again, just seems to miss the mark, with such an amazingly different type of film and artwork.  I was just left wanting more, and the cover and menus feel like a bit of a  let down after watching the movie.


Features: 8/10

• The World Of Ghibli – This is kind of a collection of several short extras, that runs the gamut from talking about the music, to a sit down with Hayau Miyazaki and Pixar’s John Lasseter.  There are numerous short  bits with all sorts of bits of knowledge here, and they are quite good.  We get to see the voice actors, some of the other movies released by Studio Ghibli, as well as a quiz for kids to see just which movie character (from 4 different movies) they most closely identify with.  This is a plethora of short, interesting bits, and I like the way that they are divided up for easy access.
• Meet Ponyo – This is a 3 minute introduction to Ponyo and the Disney/Studio Ghibli relationship that runs before the movie if chosen.
• Storyboard Presentation Of The Movie – This is a very cool picture in picture storyboard feature, where the storyboards appear on screen as the movie is playing.  It can get a bit old, but it is a neat little feature.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – We get a DVD version of the same movie, but interestingly no digital copy, which to me seems strange, especially considering that this movie was made with 5 year old as its target audience, which is perfect for the digital on-the-go copy.

The Movie: 8/10
Ponyo is a crazy little movie about a boy named Sosuke, who is 5 years old, and lives with his parents on a hill near the sea.  His father spends time away from Sosuke and his mother because he is a ship pilot, and Sosuke often times sends Morse Code signals to his dad using a flashlight out of his window as his father’s big ship lumbers by the island.  Sosuke finds a small goldfish like creature who is trapped in a jar that has made its was to the bottom of the sea.  The little creature, which Sosuke rescues, is not really a fish, and when Sosuke names her Ponyo and starts to take the little creature with him everywhere he goes, the small fish-like animal starts to bond with the boy.

Ponyo is actually the daughter of Fujimoto, who is a sort of human/magical creature who lives in the sea, and desperately wants her returned safely.  When he finds out that she has used some of her magic to heal a cut that Sosuke obtained in breaking the glass jar that Ponyo was stuck inside, he worries even more, as Ponyo is then able to use her magic to turn herself into a human, which she does when she is taken from Sosuke by the evil water spirits that Fujimoto has sent to get her.  Ponyo longs to return to be with Sosuke, and she does in the midst of a typhoon that raises the sea to flood most of the island, with the exception of just a few areas, one being Sosuke’s house.

It this sounds a bit crazy, you need to remember that it is.  Ponyo is a magical tale spun by Hayau Miyazaki, the mastermind behind such animated classics as Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.  The truly Japanese aspect to the movie makes it feel so different, yet so inviting, that you can’t help but get drawn into the story, which admittedly is bizarre.  The lavish visuals are perfect for this type of story, and the Blu-ray presentation just adds to the rich experience.

As Ponyo and Sosuke explore the flooded island in search of Sosuke’s mother, the two youngsters set off fearlessly in a new world, and their expedition is truly magical.  The fish turned little girl is bright eyed and curious about her new surroundings, and takes in everything with a fearless attitude that rivals Sosuke’s own exploration.  the two are charming, and the presentation is unique.  Miyazaki likes to use rich backgrounds that are dramatically different (and more realistic) that the more cartoon-like characters.  The results are fantastic, and so different from what we are used to that Ponyo is a joy to take in.  Truly a different, and beautiful, movie experience.





Audio & Video: 8/10
The visual presentation here is wonderful.  I just finished watching the Princess and the Frog, which had breathtaking visuals, and this parallels that stunning release.  The colors pop, and the animation is sharp and amazing, and truly is leaps and bound over the DVD disc that is also included.  The AVC encoded 1080p, 1.85:1 widescreen is, like I have gushed, stunningly beautiful.

The audio is also excellent, with insane use of the ambient sounds, and just a very “alive” mix.  The only issue that some might have is that the English dub gets the DTS-HD Surround Sound treatment, while the original Japanese language choice is only in Dolby Digital 5.1.  To me, since this is the English version of the film (the Japanese release gives the Master Audio treatment to the Japanese language version after all), but some might have wanted the original Miyazaki version to get top billing.  Not a big deal for me, but it should be noted.


Value: 7/10
The Miyazaki movies, as well as many of the Japanese animation movies, can be hard to get into if you are not used to them.  They truly are a different breed than what we are used to.  Having said that, once you get it, the unique style and stories that are presented in some of these movies is exceptional, and they can be enthralling.  Miyazaki is a truly talented storyteller, and his movies are so visually breathtaking that they are worth a visit.  Having seen the movie Spirited Away, Ponyo is yet another amazing story and tale told in the same amazing visual style.  I truly loved Ponyo, and I was interested to see how my 4.5 year old (he is almost 5 – he will tell you) would take to it.  He was mesmerized from start to finish, and while some of the far fetched ideas were foreign to him, he really got into the story and identified with the characters.  Ponyo is a good movie, and well worth a viewing, if for no other reason than to see how things are done by Miyazaki, a genius movie maker from another culture.

Overall Score 8/10

The same can be said about the menu for the movie, which features more still shots of Frank’s family.  It is a static menu (this is a DVD) and it is presented on a tan background, which makes it seem even more dull.  The cover and menu are average at best.


Features: 4/10

• The Making Of Paul McCartney’s “I Want To Come Home” – In this almost 10 minute long making of video, we get to see Paul McCartney as he explains the process of writing a song for the movie.  You have to love Paul McCartney, and he just seems to always enjoy life and what he does.  A nice little extra, if not 100% movie related.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes – There are several scenes that did not make it into the actual movie that are included here.  We get to see Frank as he interacts with smaller characters, as well as some extended scenes that deal with the way he handled his kids as they were maturing.  These are some good scenes, and any extra scene with Robert DeNiro is fine by me.  Unfortunately these two extras are the only things included.  They are good, but they are not enough.

The Movie: 6/10
Everybody’s Fine is an interesting movie.  On its face it should have been a gigantic hit.  Robert DeNiro, teamed up with such big names as Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale, how could it be anything but a hit?  Well the movie going audience didn’t see it that way as it had a disappointing run at the box office.  Upon seeing movie trailers I remember thinking that I would like to see it simply based on the type of character that Robert DeNiro seemed to be playing, and the whole thing seemed interesting, but then it came and went in the box office and I didn’t hear much about it.

The movie is all about DeNiro’s character Frank Goode, whose wife has recently passed away.  Frank is a quiet guy, who plans for a family get together at his house, and he genuinely seems excited about seeing his kids, who seem a bit estranged from him.  As it turns out, nobody seems to be able to make the trip, much to Frank’s dismay.  In his effort to get back in touch with the family, he decides that he will surprise each of them by showing up on their doorstep unannounced, which of course is always the best way to rekindle lost relationships.  The results are at times tough, and Frank sees that his kids are in the throws of their own life journeys, and he finds that his kids are desperate to show their father that they have made something of their lives.  Each of his kids wants to impress their father, as he apparently was a stern father and one who demanded a lot from each of them, especially his son Robert (Sam Rockwell).  As Frank travels to see his kids, he learns that perhaps what they have told him about their lives is not necessarily the truth, but instead what they think he wants to hear.  Robert, for example, is not actually the conductor of the orchestra like he has told his father, but instead plays an instrument in it.

It seems as if Frank’s entire family is eager to send him on his way, as they view the old guy with disdain.  His daughters Amy (Kate Beckinsale) and Rosie (Drew Barrymore) are the same way, as they can’t seem to get rid of Frank fast enough (even though his grandson is genuinely happy to see Frank).  Frank is forced to deal with the fact that his kids are not exactly thrilled to see him, and the reason is perhaps the way he brought them up, with harshness and high expectation.  The result is not exactly what I would call a feel-good comedy, but it is a decent movie and a nice lesson in family values.  (As a father, this one makes you think about how you raise and love your kids).

Overall Everybody’s fine is a great title, because nobody in this family really is.  It is a tough movie at times, and there are some real heartfelt, tearjerker moments.  The acting was quite well done, and while this was not the best of DeNiro’s movies, it is nice to see him in this type of sentimental role.  Overall this movie was good, but not great.





Audio & Video: 6/10
I was not overly impressed with the somewhat dull video presentation.  Presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic wide screen, the video presentation was good but not great.  I understand that this is not a Blu-ray, but overall it just seemed dull in spots and somewhat fuzzy at times.  The coloring was pretty good, if not a tad warm, and while there are some really nice scenes overall (lots of outside shots are good), overall I was unimpressed.

The audio was pretty good, in contrast with the video.  It was muted (as is the movie) but there was nice use of the 5.1 Surround Sound when needed.  Dialogue was spot on.


Value: 5/10
Everybody’s Fine is not a great movie.  It is a good movie, with some good acting, and a good story.  The movie is not what I would call a comedy, which seemed to me to be the way they tried to sell this movie originally.  I liked all of the cast, including Robert DeNiro, who I feel showed a side that we don’t always get to see from him, which was a saddened, every-man type of character.  Everybody’s Fine is worth a rental if you can live with the fact that it is not going to blow you away.  It is a tearjerker, and a good display of good acting, but don’t expect to walk away feeling like it was the best movie you have seen, because it is not.  Just try to take it for what it is, which can be at times a bit somber.

Overall Score 6/10

I also want to point out the nice use of color in both the cover and the menu.  There is a beautiful gold/tan that seems to permeate this movie, with shots of golden fields, and colored light, which they have captured in both the cover and the menu.  Just a nice added touch, that brings all of these together.  I noticed it immediately, and it is nicely done.

Features: 6/10

• The Boys Are Back: A Photographic Journey With Optional Commentary By Director Scott Hicks – This is a very nicely put together slide show that runs about 16 minutes long.  It is a collection of photos form the making of the movie; a kind of behind the scenes collection that is simply beautiful.  They have animated  the shots to “move” in a very nice manner, that makes the slide show just flow together.  Director Scott Hicks does a very nice job of talking us through some of the details that went into the movie, including the feel that he wanted to portray, as well as the little details that make the movie seem more real, like shooting in Hick’s home state in Australia.  This is one of the nicer extras I have seen in a long while, and it is short and sweet, but detailed and easy to watch.
• A Father & Two Sons On Set – This is another excellent extra, which sees Simon Carr, the author of the book that this movie is based upon, as well as his two sons, as they meet with Director Hicks and the two actors that portray the brothers in the movie.  It clocks in at under 2 minutes, but in that short time we are given a  glimpse of just how the actors’ personalities almost mimic the personalities of Carr’s sons, who are much older now.  Another powerful extra, and my only complaint is that there is not more of these great extras included on the DVD.  Such good stuff makes me want more, so only 2 extras just seems unfair.

The Movie: 8/10
The Boys are Back is one of those movies that seems to take a really long time to get where is wants to go, and at the end you are not 100% sure that you know where it went.  It is one of the types of movies that I think people will complain that it was “too slow” and while they are correct, the journey here is well worth the wait.

Based on the 2000 book of the same name by Simon Carr, the movie captures the story of Carr’s life as his second wife passes away.  In the movie, sports writer Joe Warr (played brilliantly by Clive Owens) finds himself living in Australia with his second wife and his second son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty), who is 6.  Warr is originally from England, and has moved away from his first son Harry (George MacKay) who is a teenager, ans is still living with Warr’s ex-wife.  Joe finds himself struggling when his present wife dies suddenly of cancer, forcing Joe to become the sole caregiver for young Artie, who struggles to deal with his own loss of his mother.

As the two try to reconnect, Joe’s other son Harry flies in to stay with them, adding a third person to the mix.  Joe, trying his best to deal with the situation, often times consults with his dead wife, who appears in front of him at times and offers advice.  The struggle to work, parent, and find time to deal with his own emotions takes a toll on Joe, who drinks too much, and adopts a “just say yes” attitude, in an attempt to makes things right with his boys, and keep his family together.

The resulting mix is at times frowned upon by his family and friends, and we see the internal struggles that the boys have as they try to make the strange situation work.  Joe makes decisions that are sometimes cringe-worthy, but his only real focus is on his kids.

The movie is both heart-wrenching, and at times uplifting, and the cinematography and acting are superb.  Owen, and the boys are wonderful, and their relationship seems real and close and it really makes the movie work.  All of the supporting actors also give performances that add to the genuineness of the movie.

The Boys are Back really hit a chord with me.  I can’t say that it is excellent, and there are times when it does seem to meander too much without focus, but overall it is a strong story with strong performances, and when mixed with such a beautiful presentation, I got sucked into the whole thing.  I can see how some might complain about the lack of focus and the pace at times, but if you can make it past those small issues, the Boys are Back is a wonderful film.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The cinematography that is presented in the Boys are Back is truly wonderful.  The sweeping shots of Australia and bright household that is central to the movie just look inviting and wonderful, and make for a great backdrop to this type of movie.  The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic wide-screen, and the presentation for a standard DVD is really well done.  I loved the luminescence that is portrayed throughout the movie, and the blacks and colors are well balanced and crisp.

The audio was good also, with only a few spots where I felt things might have been better delineated.  There is some really nice use of the Surround Sound speakers with outdoor wildlife, but overall this is a very well done audio package.  The Boys are Back is presented in 5.1 Surround.

Value: 7/10
This movie really resonated with me, perhaps because I am a father of  a young boy and a teenage daughter.  I feel that this movie features great performances from all involved, and the cinematography mixed with the story are just too good to pass this up.  I highly recommend this to anyone who is not afraid to sit through what at times can be a slow burner.  I don’t know about watching this over and over, but I would really recommend seeing this at least once.

Overall Score 8/10

The menu is a bit better, with lots of colors and photos of the guys blinking in and out of the shot.  It is obvious who they are marketing to, and it is not 30-something year-old males.


Features: 3/10

• You’ve Been JoBro’d – In this lone extra, the brothers Jonas play a prank on Jordin Sparks, who just happened to be on tour with them.  Clocking in at about 10 minutes in length, the guys set up a fake interview, in the style of Punk’d, where things do not go as planned, before letting Sparks in on the gag.  Mildly funny, but not quite what I would have described as “hilarious” as the cover suggests.  I can imagine that with the rabid Jonas fans, this one extra is not nearly enough of the behind the scenes type of material that they would crave.

The Movie: 8/10
This is really a collection of 7 Jonas Brothers episodes from their Disney Channel show, and not really a movie.  As I wrote, I had never been introduced to the three bothers before this.  I know I have seen ads on the Disney Channel for the show, and I do remember seeing them in the Miley Cyrus concert DVD, but this is the first time I got to see the show itself.  I was admittedly a bit apprehensive at taking on another Disney Channel show, with a full dose of “the Suite Life With Zach and Cody” fresh on my brain from a weekend with a sick 4 year-old about 3 weeks ago.  What I found out almost instantly was that the Jonas Brothers show is a little bit different from the rest of the Disney Channel shows I am used to.  Granted, it is close to the rest of them, but it feels like it is smarter in a way, and more polished than some that I am used to.

Starting off with the initial intro to the show, it is apparent that these three boys are talented musicians.  I was genuinely impressed at the songs that were featured throughout the episodes, which is a nice starting point for this type of show.  The boys are charming, good looking guys who seem to really have fun with the show, and not take themselves too seriously.

The show is based on the Jonas Brothers themselves, who are world famous pop-stars, who are trying to lead as normal of a life as they can.  The brothers are managed by their father, who is a quirky, if not somewhat geeky individual, who sets up interviews and meetings for the boys.  The three brothers, Nick, Joe, and Kevin, all attend high school, and try to get through their days like normal teens, except for the demands of playing concerts and doing press duties.  Their fashion coordinator Stella (Chelsea Staub) attends the same high school, and is somewhat smitten with lead singer Joe.  The two have been friends for years, and it seems that these shows on the I Heart Jonas Volume 2 DVD seem to accentuate this developing love story.  The two are constantly trying to sort out their friendship/relationship, with neither wanting to mess up what has been a great friendship, or mess up the band.

The stories are a bit shallow overall, but they are entertaining, and at times relatively funny, without going to outlandish.   I thought the acting was pretty decent overall, and basically the whole tone of the shows was clever and fun, without all of the goofiness that is present in some of the other Disney shows that I have seen.  The inclusion of the original songs is a nice touch, and it is easy to see why so many kids enjoy this show.

It is hard to fault these three kids for being so sought after, as they are good looking, talented, and they seem relatively down to earth, which is nice.  While I may not DVR the entire series, I am sure that while this is the first time I have watched the Jonas Brothers, it will not be the last.

Audio & Video: 7/10
I am so used to Disney releases being  so stellar that it is a rare day when I see just an average release, which this seems to be.  Now granted, this is a DVD release or television episodes, but I was only kind of impressed by the audio and video.  The video is presented in fullscreen 1.33:1, which is not the greatest transfer, with some artifacting noticeable.  the colors are pretty bright and the picture is decent for standard DVD.

The audio is pretty well done, with 5.1 Surround Sound that is sparingly used throughout.  The music presents very well, and the dialogue is front and center, but the Surround is used pretty sparingly with the exception of the music.  Overall decent, but not what I am used to from Disney.

Value: 6/10
You have to be a fan of the Jonas Brothers to really want to own this short collection of their shows.  I will admit I was very impressed at how much I liked the show, with its slightly more grown up feel that the Hannah Montana show.  Overall you really have to be a fan to own this collection, but that is exactly who this is being marketed to.  I thought overall it was a nice collection of Jonas Brothers shows, and I can now say that I know which brother is which, which has got to be good for something.

I can honestly say that I am kind of a fan of the Jonas brothers now, which might mean I have to hand in my “man” papers, but I am already married, so I guess I am fine with that.

Overall Score 7/10

• Deleted Scenes – These deleted scenes should be put back in the movie. There are actual plot points that are missing from the movie, in my opinion, that are here laying on the digital cutting room floor.
• A More Perfect You: The Science Of Surrogates – How they connected the reality of android technology as it stands in the 21st century with their fictional world. It’s a talking heads, promo piece, but it’s got some good information about robots and science, limited but enough to maybe make you want to go do some research of your own.
• Breaking The Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes To Life – This is the original author and artist involved in the graphic novel that started it all. There are some bits of the book animated while the dudes talk about the process of making the story hit the big screen.
• “I Will Not Bow” Music Video By Breaking Benjamin – Ugh
• Feature Audio Commentary By Director Jonathan Mostow -He’s a pretty good talker, very detailed and very into the science behind the fiction.

The Movie: 5/10
The idea is bigger and better than the movie is able to present it. That sums up my whole experience of Surrogates. I really do like the ideas, the concept behind the big cultural message that’s being shoved into this action flick. Well, the action is fairly limited and not very satisfying, if I’m totally honest. It’s the adventure part I did enjoy. A trip to the near future where we have designed, built, bought, and become dependent on robots who look like us, or some representation of who we want to be in the world.

We, the human race, have subsequently become sloths who lay around in stemchairs all day in our pajamas and let our surrogate bodies take all the risk, do all the work, become US in everyday life. It’s not a perfect plan. I mean, you still have to lay in that damn chair all the time with crazy eye covers and hooked up to a computer, but hey, at least you’re laying down.  So, as you move in the virtual world of what your mind sees through your surrogate they act, behave, talk, look, feel, react, human. I was wondering though, is it all mind control? Like, do I just think I’m walking and my surrogate walks, or am I laying in this chair thing moving my legs? I guess I’m hung up on mechs, or something like that. Oh well, it’s just one distraction of many through the movie.

I would say that the experience of watching the movie wasn’t as good as reliving it and talking about it later with  my husband, the esteemed Ascully. We had more fun laughing at the loopholes, talking about the big ideas, contemplating the implications of how automated versions of ourselves in the real world, not just in Science Fiction movies. That’s saying something about a film, it stimulated a lot of thinking and conversation. It just had so many little things I can pick at that it was hard to see past them.

Why is the world the same if 99% of all humans stay in their homes and send surrogate robots out to live their lives? You would think that it would be a pretty wild, or generic place. Why does the writer try to convince us that there is hardly any crime and yet there are still Police, FBI, and even a scene where we see two men surrogates trying to rape a woman’s surrogate in a hotel room. It doesn’t hold together under much scrutiny, so I recommend the “go with the flow” approach and appreciate the good things.

I LOVE the idea, it’s not new, but it’s good to explore. We are disconnected from each other more, but connected and addicted to technology, ego, vanity, all wrapped up in a thriller kind of story. it’s not very thrilling, I’ll be honest, but I did care about the characters and what their ends would be. I can’t say that about most movies anymore.

The cast is fine, a little stiff…hahaha get it, they are acting like robots, stiff…get it? ohhh funny. No, I’m kidding. I did like almost everyone. I’m not a big Ving Rames fan, and he’s not much to write home about in this movie. Other than that everyone was totally watchable. It’s a bit melodramatic, so again, go with it or you will be rolling your eyes regularly.

I would have liked it to be more dark, gritty, more ugly, but as it is it’s bright and kind of glossy. I guess making a world full of fake humans needs a bit of shine, but I harken back to movies like Strange Days, Blade Runner, Dark City, dark adds some mystery if it’s done right and Surrogates could have benefited from a sprinkle or two of that.

Overall I liked it enough to say rent it for some modern interpretation of the “technology is causing humans to go to hell in a hand basket” theme. I even liked it enough to keep talking about it with Mr. Ascully….not all movies stimulate that much chatter, so that’s a good thing.





Audio & Video: 8/10
Surrogates is a very interesting looking movie. The filmmakers use a variety of make-up techniques to make people look like their surrogate selve’s. You would think that would make for a DNR nightmare as trying to make Bruce Willis look 20 years younger is no easy task. This is simply not the case as if you look really closely you can see film grain even on the most extreme closeups of Mr. Willis. The movie also has a overall blueish tinge that makes the world look a little stylized. Some might think this is a transfer problem but it is the  director’s intent. Overall Surrogates fairs really well on Blu-Ray disc it almost has a cartoonish feel and blacks are consistent throughout.

The DTS-HD Master audio track is actually quite masterful in parts. Your sub woofer will really come to life during the helicopter sequence and car chase scenes. Dialogue is also handled crisply and clearly A prime example is the amazing opening sequence which uses cobbled together news and radio clips to set the scene. I quite enjoyed Surrogates. It’s not a masterpiece by any means, but if you like a bit of Sci-Fi this is a uncanny look at the way we are heading in this technology filled world. (side note I am writing this from my Stemchair and I am also wearing my PJ’s.)


Value: 4/10
This is one of those movies that seem made to be rental. It’s a good night at the movies for some Sci-Fi action and interesting ideas. I wouldn’t pay more than a few bucks to experience it though. The extras are moderate and even though I would watch it again, .

Overall Score 6/10

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• 10 Things I Love About 10 Things I Hate About You 10 Years Later – This is an excellent look back at the movie, with interviews with the Director, the writers, and many of the cast.  This was really informative, and very well paced.  I have to add that the interviews with Heath Ledger are a nice view at the young actor as he started on his path to stardom.  There are also test scenes with Ledger and the stories that rookie director Gil Junger tells just shows the passion that he still has for this little film that hit a note with so many people.
• Writers & Cast Audio Commentary – The audio commentary here includes Director Gil Junger’s commentary, as well as commentary by the two writers, Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah.  Also included are many of the actors, who all reminisce about making this movie.  The talk tends to focus on how much fun was had on set, as well as some information on the late Heath Ledger.  This is a fun commentary, and the inclusion of so many people  gives this a kind of party atmosphere which is refreshing, and poignant for this type of movie.
• Digital Copy – Ah, a digital copy of the movie.  Again, no complaints here.  I love the ability to watch my movies on my IPhone.

The Movie: 8/10
I remember seeing movies like 16 Candles, the Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, back when I was much closer to high school than I am now.  What made those classics funny was that a majority of people could easily identify with not only the characters, but also the cliques that were portrayed.  Those movies were so great and funny because those stories, which were far fetched, were believable.

10 Things I Hate About You is the same type of movie.  A high school story, with a bad boy, a cheerleader, the dork, the independent female, and a slew of other types of kids that could have been in anyone’s high school.  The movie came out in 1999, and while I was not a teenager at the time, it was one of those movies that was just fun to watch.  It has been a movie that my step-daughter has periodically watched, as well as my wife and I, whenever it was on TV.  It is one of those movies that is easy and fun, and can be enjoyed by teenagers as well as adults, who have lived through the high school experience, and remember it for what it was.

Based loosely on Shakespeare’s the Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is the story of Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is a new student at Padua High School.  Of course Cameron is knocked off of his feet by Bianca, a cheerleader type who only has eyes for the resident regional model Joey (Andrew Keegan), who is the type of guy who brags about his tube sock shoot that is coming up (I think everyone knew of a guy like this in high school, who modeled for the local ads, and thought he was headed for GQ.)

In order for Cameron to date Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), he is going to have to overcome her overprotective father’s restrictive rules.  Mr. Stratford (the ever funny Larry Miller) will not allow his youngest daughter to date, unless her older sister Katerina (a very young Julie Stiles) is dating also, which he figures it not going to ever happen, as Kat deplores high school and seemingly all of the child-like males who attend her school.  Kat is a feminist by nature, and her father feels that the restriction on Bianca will keep her safe from any unwanted problems that boys can bring on his little girl (he is a single father, obstetrician, that often makes his daughter wear a fake pregnant stomach, just to remind her how uncomfortable being pregnant can be.)

Cameron and his new friend Michael (David Krumholtz) concoct a way to get Kat to date, so that Cameron has a shot at dating Bianca, and it involves finding someone crazy enough to date the “shrew.”  Their choice is the new guy, who is said to have spent time in jail, and to have eaten a whole live duck (except for the beak and feet).  The new guy is a long haired, leather wearing loner named Patrick (Heath Ledger).  Patrick agrees to help out by trying to date Kat, and Cameron and Michael finagle the model Joey into paying Patrick, in the hopes that Cameron can move in on Joey, and get Bianca to fall for him.

It is a great little story that ends up with Kat actually falling for Patrick, and him doing the same for her.  The acting is decent, and it is very apparent that Stiles and Ledger are standouts right from the start.  Overall this is a fun little movie, with some great comedic elements, as well as a touching story, especially for a high school comedy.

10 Things I Hate About You is one of those films that just seems to hit a nerve with those who have seen it.  When I told people that I was reviewing this movie, many of them proclaimed their love for this 10 year old movie.  I really put this up their with the Hughes’ classics, and I for one will definitely be watching this movie again.





Audio & Video: 7/10
The newly remastered anamorphic 1.85:1 wide screen looks pretty bright and sharp overall.  It is not perfect, and I would have liked to have seen this on Blu-ray, but for a standard DVD it looks pretty decent.

The audio is also pretty clear even though the 5.1 Surround Sound is sparingly used.  The music sounds good, and was always a big part of this movie, and it again sounds great.  A marked improvement in at least the video department (and from what I can hear, a slight improvement in the audio) from the older DVD release.


Value: 6/10
If you already own the original 10 Things I Hate About You DVD, I am not sold that this is worth buying again.  I love this movie, and it is a favorite in my household, but there is just not a ton that can be done with this release to make me say that buying it again, on regular DVD, is worth the price.  If you don’t have the older version, and even if you have not seen this movie (shame on you) this is a great little high school comedy in the flavor of the John Hughes’ movies, and it is well worth a watch.  This is definitely a movie that will get played over and over in my house, and it already has.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu is themed with some kind of old school company software or something. I can’t really describe it. It’s an attempt to charm the menu up a bit, but with so little to look for in the way of features, well, it might be a touch of semi-flash over substance.


Features: 4/10

• Deleted Scene – 37 seconds of chopped neutrality.
• Extended Scenes – 4 minutes of a line here or there which were cut out of various scenes. There’s not much missing, I’ll tell ya that much. The stray humorous line from Affleck or Bateman hit the digital floor, but nothing that would have enhanced the movie.
• Mike Judge’s Secret Recipe Featurette – It’s short. It’s kind of packaged. It has a brief look at how and why the movie was made including interviews with some cast and the director/writer Mike Judge. I like it, it’s just shorter than I like these things to be. Isn’t that just like a woman?

The Movie: 6/10
I want to like this movie sooooo much more than I do. I’ll say it has cemented my fan status in the Jason Bateman arena! That’s a good thing. The best thing about the movie is Bateman, no doubt. I shouldn’t give the idea that I didn’t like it or it’s not a good flick. It’s a great little movie, if that can come off without sounding snotty. I enjoyed it. I didn’t feel satisfied by it.

The characters are all well played. The setting is pretty cool. It’s an extract bottling plant where the workers have their own little culture, as is the case with any working environment. The thing is, the working aspect of the story isn’t enough. We don’t get the fulfilling glimpse into factory working life. There are some very two dimensional characters who chime in, and they start to be pretty funny and identifiable, but then it drops off and they are left as side characters.

I wanted more drama or activity, or character development, or something in the world of working at the factory. It seemed like a little side bit of the movie rather than the main event. The romance between Bateman and his wife is the heart of the movie. It’s not very compelling for me, so that left the almost blah feeling I have to admit blankets my whole impression of the film. It’s not blah, lots of things happen, lots of laughs, good dialogue, classic characters touched on, but there might be too much without enough umph in anyone element.

You can identify with the marriage that’s gone stale. Yes. I like to see how humor comes out of the more mundane aspects of life, when the romance fades, what’s left and how can you look at the institution of marriage with some comedy but enough real life to “get it”? I just didn’t get that whole picture from Judge this time around. There are a lot of excellent bits and pieces, but add them all up and it’s not as substantial as I would love for it to be.

I recommend it for some laughs. I didn’t come away with those moments to remember, quotes, scenes, nothing stands out to me so it might fade too quickly from my movie watching brain





Audio & Video: 7/10 (By Ascully)
I enjoyed Extract but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me like Office Space did. That last sentence sums up pretty much how I feel about the movie now onto the audio/video.

Extract is presented in 1.85:1 wide screen and picture quality is fairly soft and inconsistent throughout. I think this might have been Mike Judge’s intention but the transfer does look like a lot of the movies we are seeing on Blu-Ray remastered from the 1980′s. Its not totally awful it’s just a little disappointing for a movie made in the last year.

Audio uses the DTS-HD Master audio codec and is anchored in the front speakers as the movie is mostly dialog. Even the scenes that take place in the factory (a great opportunity to use surround sound) do not seem to light up the rear speakers at all. But the dialog is crisp, clear and there is never a moment you cannot hear what anyone is saying.


Value: 4/10
I’m not a lover of Extract. I want to gush and spew great things about it, but it all comes out kind of wishy washy and middle of the road. I definitely recommend this as a rental for loads of folks. It’s charming and humorous and Jason Bateman is awesome. I’m not going to say it needs to live on my DVD shelf though, at least not for the full price. If they knock the sucker down to about 7 bucks…..I’m all over it.

Overall Score 6/10

The menus starts off like a computer CGI outline program, highlighting the supposed secret work done with all sorts of animals, including the Guinea Pigs.  It then changes to a sort of computer workspace (much like the control area that Mole uses in the movie) with live action scenes and your choices.  Pretty decent, even if it takes a long time to load up.

Features: 7/10

• Cine-Explore With Darwin, Blaster & Their Creator – In this extra, we get a kind of inside look at G-Force with the creator of G-Force, and a few of the “team” stop by during a kind of picture in picture feature that plays over the film itself.  It is a strange mix, with Sam Rockwell and Tracy Morgan flittering in and out of the audio while in character.  Very informative though, and a solid extra.
• Bruckheimer Animated – Bruckheimer animated is a 4 minute or so bit where Jerry Bruckheimer talks about some of the more memorable CGI scenes from his movie career, and how they kind of set the stage for the CGI in G-Force.  We get to see footage from some of the movie in Bruckheimer’s vault.
• Access Granted Inside The Animation Lab – Hoyt H. Yeatman, Jr. again takes us on with him on a tour, this time of Sony Image works studios.  We are shown the computer generated images at various stages of development.  A very cool, 8 minute extra.
• Bloopers & Flubs – We get your classic flubs and bloopers.  This is short but funny.
• Deleted Scenes – We get 6 deleted scenes, that are very mediocre and are definitely not missed.
• Music Videos – There are 3 different music videos here, and they include videos from Flo Rida and Steve Rushton.
• Blaster’s Boot Camp – Tracy Morgan, as Blaster, gives us a short review of the gadgets and gear that are used by the G-Force team.
• G-Force Mastermind – We are introduced to the Guinea pig that was the basis for the G-Force movie.  Hoyt H. Yeatman, Jr. also talks about the development of the story and how the movie evolved (and also how the creatures stayed  close to the original concept.)
• DVD Copy Of The Film – The standard DVD is again much appreciated by people like me with kids.  I can let him take this DVD to the grandparents house, who don’t have a Blu-ray player, or he can watch this just about anywhere.  Having a Blu-ray copy only might be tough when it comes to kids movies, so I thoroughly enjoy the DVD inclusion.
• Digital Copy Of The Film – The old standby – this is going to be great for long trips, where I can add G-Force to my i Phone for my son.

The Movie: 7/10
G-Force is a movie about secret agent, talking guinea pigs.  Digest that, and if you are still reading, chances are you are going to be able to swallow this movie.  This movie is farcical, and it is funny, and it looks and sounds great.  Basically a group of guinea pigs, lead by Ben (Zach Galifianakis), who is in charge of training the different “super” animals for undercover missions.  Ben is aware that the FBI is close to shutting down the secret animal wing, and in a last ditch effort to show just what the G-Force can do, he sends the team in to retrieve valuable information from the head of the electronics conglomerate Saber, as they are attempting to overtake the world through the use of microchips that are in every electronic device sold across the world.  The head of Saber is Leonard Saber, played by Bill Nighy, who seems to be the evil genius character in many modern movies.

The G-Force team is comprised of  several guinea pigs and a mole.  Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell) is the head of the team, and the brains behind the outfit.  Blaster (Tracy Morgan) is the hip weapons expert, who has a thing for the beautiful Juarez (Penelope Cruz), who confuses the boys as she plays coy to Blaster’s attention.  The team picks up another guinea pig in Hurley (Jon Favreau) who is a bit out of shape, but wants desperately to join the crew, and at least shows some effort.  Finally, Speckles (Nicholas Cage) rounds out the crew as the only mole, who can’t see very well without his glasses, and runs the operation from a collection of computers.  I almost forgot Mooch, who is a part of the team and runs eye-in-the-sky recon, as he is a fly who is equipped with cameras.

The team is able to steal data pertaining to the Saber world domination plot, only to have it disappear when the new FBI chief Kip (Will Arnett) shows up and ends up closing G-Force down.  From that point, the team, who is forced to scatter at the FBI attempts to get rid of any evidence that the program existed, is on their own.  They are forced to save the planet themselves, and they use their wit and skills to their advantage, while at the same time trying to avoid getting caught by the FBI, who want to literally terminate the team.

G-Force is a fun, lighthearted little romp.  It is funny for all ages, and while this is not an instant classic by any stretch, there is enough here to really enjoy.  The voice acting is decent, even though the stereotypes can get a bit old at times, but the action and story just work, even though it is a bit far fetched.  Overall it was a fun little movie, and I am positive that I will see it over and over again with my son.  For a 4 year old boy, what is cooler than talking animals that have secret agent weapons and gadgets?  For that matter, it is pretty cool even for an almost 40 year-old boy also.





Audio & Video: 9/10
Again, Disney simply lays out beautiful high definition audio and video, and it simply sparkles.  The video is crystal clear throughout the entire movie, and the colors are vibrant and rich.  the dark shots are clear, and overall this is just a solid video experience, even with all of the CGI.  We are given a very nice 1080p AVC encoded transfer, which is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen.  (The standard DVD also looks very very good.)

The audio was fantastic, with booming sound effects and sharp dialogue.  There is ample use of the Surround Sound, and it was crystal clear and sounded very good.  It is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Surround Sound, and I was very impressed with the mix and the actions sequences.


Value: 7/10
This is a great family movie and a great Disney release.  There is enough here to make this a movie that both kids and adults can watch, which really benefits the parents in my opinion.  Unlike my review last week, this movie was enjoyable and it makes sitting through numerous viewings tolerable.  I really am starting to view these Disney releases with some respect, for the quality of the Blu-ray releases, and I really have started to look forward to reviewing them.  At a suggested retail price of around $45.oo, this can look very expensive, but if you look around near the release dates for these movie, you can normally find them for around $19.99, which for the Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy, seems to be a nice price for a Disney release.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu for this movie is again Christmas themed, as can be expected.  I do have to note the loading screen, which was a really cool string of Christmas lights, that turned on one-by-one.  It was a pretty cool loading screen.

Features: 2/10

• Sing Along To Christmas Carols With The Buddies – This extra is just a bunch of sing along Christmas songs, where you get to play karaoke with the Buddies themselves, who sing the classics.  You follow the bouncing paw that hovers over the lyrics, and are treated to scenes of the movie and the singing dogs.  Not my favorite extra, but I guess for those who love to go carolling, this might work nicely.  Grab some hot cocoa and belt out the standards with the Buddies.
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Music Video – This is a music video by artist Steve Rushton, with scenes from the movie mixed in.
• DVD & Blu-Ray Versions Of The Film – For this release, we get the Blu-ray and the DVD versions of the movie, and the extras are the same (with the exception of the BD-Live content, which offers Disney previews and details about other Disney movies.)  There is no digital version of the film, which seems weird, but is probably not a bad idea for this type of seasonal movie.

The Movie: 6/10
Ah, another Buddy flick.  The Buddies have come into their own with Disney releasing several of the dog movies on DVD and Blu-ray.  Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws is the latest, and as you probably can tell, it is a holiday themed release.  Our heroes return to save Christmas in this somewhat revisionist take on Santa and his thus unheard of canine friend Santa Paws.  (We seem to learn more and more about the famous big guy with each passing year.)  I had no idea that Santa Paws was so important to Santa Claus’ big delivery day, but when Santa Paws’ son Puppy Paws get disenchanted with the whole idea of Christmas, ans decides that he just wants to shirk his duties and become a “normal” dog, he hits up the Buddies, who steer him back onto the holiday trail by showing him the true meaning of the holiday.

B-Dawg, Rosebud, Mudbud, Buddha, and Budderball return as the Buddies.  These five lovable puppies each have their own nuances, like Budderball living up to his name as he is hungry all of the time, and eats just about anything.  Rosebud is the female, glamour girl, and Mudbud has a pension for dirt.  B-Dawg is a sort or rapper puppy, while Buddha, the team leader of sorts, is a zen master of sorts, and the most focused one of this little posse.

The Buddies are given the tack of helping Puppy Paws, as he gets into a sort of battle royale with the local dog catcher, played by ever-quirky Christopher Lloyd.  The dog catcher captures Puppy Paws, and while Santa Claus and Paws both are trying desperately to find the missing puppy, who alone can save Christmas, the Buddies are the ones who end up with the task of saving the little dog, and therefore Christmas itself.

This type of movie is a bit much for me, and while I can understand that these are geared more towards children, I usually can find my way through just about any of the kid’s movies that I review.  I am not going to sugar coat it: I have a rough time with the Buddies’ movies, but I have come to realise that this is not necessarily a bad thing, as they really are geared more for kids than adults.  My 4 year-old son was fine with Santa Buddies, and the story and characters really were on his level, and he connected with the whole movie.  Now I don’t think it is a great movie by any stretch, and I didn’t love it, but it was just fine for my son, and that is the audience. 

Audio & Video: 8/10
I was very impressed with the video on this release.  The 1080p 1.78:1 wide screen AVC encoded image is bright and crisp, and it really looked festive.  The Christmas colors are vibrant, without being overly hyper-realistic.  The scenes are solid throughout the movie, and for Disney this is a kind of straight to home release, which usually means (for other companies) skimping on the picture and sound.  Disney did not skimp in either department.

The audio was solid, but the DTS-HD 5.1 Surround Sound presentation was a bit lacking in the ambient sound area.  While dialogue was good and clear, this was really front based, with little rear sound.  The music was decent though, and overall the audio was quite good.


Value: 6/10
It is really hard to review children’s movies being as adult.  I will admit that my wife states numerous times that I act like a child, but honestly some of the movies that kid’s really enjoy, us adults are just not able to grasp.  I am afraid that these Buddy movies are just out of my comfort zone.  They are cute, well done, and my 4 year-old really follows them intently, and he has connected with the characters.  He liked the movie, but didn’t love the movie.  I on the other hand fought to stay with Santa Buddies, and I just think that this is a good kid movie, but not a great family movie.  While some children’s releases are great for both kids and adults, I would argue that the Buddies movies are aimed squarely just at kids, and that is fine.  It seems to work, and I know that this will be on again in my house before Christmas, so it seems to have worked.

Overall Score 6/10

I will comment on the included “Stone of Dreams” key-chain that comes with the “Extended Edition” of the movie, which is basically a mood ring on a key-chain, complete with a wizards guide to wishing.  It is a nice addition, and while not exactly tempting as a collectible, for young kids it is something “magical” that adds to the feel of the whole experience.


Features: 2/10

• Insider’s Exclusive On Location – I had to check to make sure that my disc was working, as there is only one extra included in the “Extended Edition” of this movie.  This is a Disney release right??  No music videos by Selena  Gomez?  Nothing but a 10 minute making of feature.  It is a decent extra, but I was blown away that this was it.  I mean if they are going to package this with a key-chain, I would have at least expected a bit more in terms of extras.

The Movie: 6/10
I have seen the Wizards of Waverly Place show a few times, and I understand the premise.  The show seems a bit of a lower budget ordeal than some of the Disney Channel shows, but overall it seems to be a strong show for the channel.  The Wizards of Waverly Place is about the Russo family, which features David Delouise (Dom’s son) as Jerry Russo, who was a Wizard, but left that life basically behind when he fell in love and married Theresa (Maria Canal-Barrera), who is a regular human woman.  The couple had three children Justin (David Henrie), Alex (Selena Gomez), and Max (Jake T. Austin).  The siblings are all wizards in training, and the ongoing battle of the show (and the movie) is that only one wizard can emerge from each family, so their really is sibling rivalry in this crew.

The movie starts off with the Russo family preparing for a Carribean vacation, and mom Theresa, who is sick of the magic and the bickering, deems the trip to be magic free, which of course enrages the kids.  As the family embarks on their trip, the kids want little to do with the sight seeing and family activities, and at one point, the enraged Alex makes the statement that she wishes her parents never met.  Unfortunately for her, she is holding a magic wand tat the time, and a spell is cast which does exactly that.  We then see the kids try to get the two adults to fall in love all over again while at the resort, as the kids slowly start to fade from reality (think Back to the Future.)

The movie starts off rather slow, but it picks up speed as the story unfolds, and while there are hints of numerous other movies mixed in (and even a kind of Brady Bunch in Hawai’i theme), the overall movie ends up being decent.  The production value is quite good and the removal of the canned laugh track does wonders for this movie.  Overall the feel is quite good, and while the story is a bit goofy, the end result is decent.

The acting is not bad either, and the fact that the family pulls together in the end is a nice touch.  Overall the Wizards of Waverly Place movie drew big numbers when it debuted on the Disney Channel, and for good reason.  It is not a type of movie that you should wade into without knowing the background of the television show, but don’t expect the show to look this good.

Apparently the “Extended Edition”  includes about 4 minutes of extra footage, which is enough to call this an extended version of the movie, but not by much.  I like the movie much more than I thought I would, but I still have a hard time watching the show on the Disney Channel, with its low production values and laugh tracks.  Perhaps the fact that the movie did so well means that the fans of Waverly Place might get to see some additional money spent on the television show.  This is not a movie that I will readily watch again, so I guess the real measure of how well you will like this movie depends solely on whether you are a fan of the television show or not.  If not, this movie is probably not for you.

Audio & Video: 7/10
Both the audio and the video for this standard DVD release were really good.   The movie is presented in wide screen 1.78:1, which is different than the television show, and the production value is very high, with nice rich location shots.  The audio is also very nicely done, with crisp, 5.1 Surround Sound which is adequately used.


Value: 6/10
You really have to be a fan of the television show to run out and buy the Wizards of Waverly Place Movie, and while the movie is leaps and bounds above any of the shows that I have seen on the Disney Channel, this is just okay as a movie.  I will say that it got better as the movie went on, but it still was not what I would call a great Disney Channel movie.  Add to that the one extra feature, and this “Extended Edition” just doesn’t add up to a purchase.

Overall Score 6/10

Cover Art and Menus: 6/10
The covers from all three movies are the same art that’s been used before, so nothing exciting there. The box that holds all three discs is a pretty bold image of Kevin Smith in some kind of superiority complex pose bathed in a very ominous yellow. I like it. I would love it if the box were big enough to put ALL Kevin Smith movies in…..hmm what an idea.

There’s not much to say about the menus. They are all designed in the spirit of the movies they are representing. Chasing Amy is designed to match style of comic book art that’s a big part of the story, my favorite of the three.

Features: 9/10

Clerks 15th Anniversary Edition

• Introduction By Kevin Smith (Blu-Ray Exclusive) – Kevin Smith explains why he put the crummiest looking movie ever on Blu-Ray. He also sets up the next extra we take a look at.
  
• Oh What A Lovely Tea Party: The Making Of Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back (Blu-ray Exclusive) – This Documentary (89 Mins) made by Kevin’s Wife, is a fly on the wall look at day to day life on the set of Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back. This documentary has been in limbo for quite some time and it’s great to see it here on the Clerks Blu-Ray.
  
• Theatrical Version Of Clerks – The original Theatrical version of the movie we all know and love.
  
• Classic 95 Commentary – The commentary from back in the day with Kevin, Scott, Mewes and more. It’s a typical View Askew commentary not particularly heavy on information but funny all the same.
  
• Enhanced Playback Track With Trivia & Cast & Crew Quotes – A pop up video style extra that plays throughout the entire movie, it’s much more informational than the commentary and quite a fun way to rewatch Clerks.
  
• The First Cut Version Of The Film – The original cut of Clerks had a much much darker ending than the one we know and love. This is that cut in it’s entirety in glorious LOW definition. I have to warn you this cut looks and sounds rough it’s certainly not showcase material even for VHS standards.
  
• First Cut Commentary – Commentary on the first cut of the movie, this was included on the Clerks X DVD so chances are you have already heard it.
  
• 2004 Kevin Smith Intro – A short intro by Kevin from back when the DVD came out, it’s your usual Kevin Smith humor if y0ur a fan you will dig it.
  
• Clerks The Lost Scene Animated Short – An animated “Lost Scene” which features Dante & Randal  Pretty cool stuff for a Clerks fan the short runs about 10 minutes.
  
• The Flying Car – Dante & Randal discuss flying cars for about 8 minutes. I think this was originally shown on The Tonight Show.
  
• MTV Spots With Jay & Silent Bob – The obligatory MTV spots used to promote the movie to the nations teenagers.
  
• Theatrical Trailer – The trailer for Clerks looks worse than the actual movie in terms of quality, still I like having trailers on discs just for completions sake.
  
• Soul Asylum Music Video – The “You Can’t Even Tell” music video from the band Soul Asylum that was featured in Clerks. The most interesting part of this video is the introduction by Kevin Smith.
  
• Clerks Restoration – I love restoration features, The Godfather & The Wizard Of Oz are some of my favorites, this one not so much, they talk about the restoration for about half a minute then Kevin & Scott go on to introduce the DVD for almost 10 minutes. So in short I wouldn’t call this Clerks Restoration more like Clerk’s DVD introduction.
  
• Original Clerks Auditions – Four different audition tapes which run around 10 minutes. The Dante & Randall ones are actually quite funny.
  
• Snowball Effect The Story Of Clerks – One of the best extra’s on the Clerks disc a 90 minute full length documentary about the making of the movie, this is less a fly on the wall more of a E true hollywood story look at how the movie got made and even it’s entry into the Sundance film festival.
  
• Mae Day The Crumbling Of A Documentary With Intro By Smith & Mosier – A bit of View Askew history right here with Kevin & Scott’s original film school short about a planned documentary about a transexual that did’t go as planned. If you are a fan of Kevin this is his original work right here.
  
• Outtakes From Snowball Effect – Some bloopers and unused parts from the aformentioned documentary.
  
• 10th Anniversary Q&A – The Q&A session from the Clerks X DVD, it’s pretty similar to the Chasing Amy Q&A but deals with Clerks (Obviously)

Chasing Amy

• Audio Commentary With Kevin & Scott – A brand new commentary with Kevin & Scott which is exclusive to Chasing Amy on Blu-Ray. This is very different to the commentary on the old Criterion DVD release and comes off more like a lost episode of the Smodcast.
  
• Tracing Amy The Chasing Amy Doc – The star of this disc is right here ladies and gentlemen. This feature length documentary which is a retrospective on Chasing Amy with all the cast members 10 years after the fact. It’s really insightful and at times revealing. I really enjoyed hearing Joey and Ben talk about the movie. I think Tracing Amy is worth the admission price of this set alone.
  
• Was It Something I Said A Conversation With Kevin & Joey – Kevin & Joey sit down on the 10th Anniversary of Chasing Amy at the secret stash to discuss the film. I would have preferred an interview with Joey alone as Kevin tends to talk over her so it’s not as insightful as it could be. This is very cool though as Kevin and Joey were dating during the film and seem to be friends all these years later.
  
• 10 Years Later Q & A With Kevin & Cast – A 30 minute Q&A session recorded at 2005′s Vulgarthon. After seeing all the other extra’s there isn’t any new information here but Ben Affleck steals the show with some amusing comments. Apparently this Q&A was a lot longer than 30 minutes perhaps we will get to see the rest on the 20th Anniversary disc.
  
• Deleted Scenes – Ten deleted scenes that were also included on the DVD of Chasing Amy.
  
• Outtakes – A couple of funny moments onset.
  
• Trailer -For completions sake the trailer from back in the day.

Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

• Audio Commentary With Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier & Jason Mewes – An OK commentary but why oh why is this the only extra included on this disc? I feel like they had lots of copies of the Blu-Ray hanging around and decided to repackage them in this set to get them out of a warehouse somewhere. Perhaps down the road we will get a Jay & Silent Bob Strikes back anniversary edition of some sort and we can pay Kevin some more money for the privilege.
  

The Movies:

Clerks 9/10
A guy has to work on his day off. He works in a convenient store in New Jersey. His best friend works in the crappy video store next door and two drug dealers hang around outside the door all day. This is the premise of this 90′s classic. My lame description doesn’t begin to sum up the epic day that Dante has while he constantly refuses to accept that he’s working on his day off.

Randall is the snarky friend who points out lots of deep life wisdom while not doing his job, reading magazines, and generally further corrupting Dante’s bad day.

Clerks is a movie you have to just see to believe. It’s not easy to describe, but here we go. It’s black and white, which makes it feel cheap and artsy, for better or worse. It’s not artsy, but it is cheap, in a good way. Low budget is a good thing though. It brought out the young movie maker creativity in Mr. Smith.

There are no bells and whistles to distract from the deceptively uncomplicated series of events taking place. Depending on your age and how many times you have seen Clerks, you will find more complex themes and ideas as you dig behind the potential crass-factor.

I sit here trying to think of what to say. It’s not that I don’t love the movie. I absolutely do. That’s my problem, that and I’m a little tired after working all night and this is supposed to be my day off!! Just kidding. It’s hard to sum up all the laughs, all the insanely iconic moments that live in the world of the Quick Stop.

Why are they iconic? I have no idea. I mean, my mother won’t think they are, nor will most of the people I know. In fact, I bet if I took a poll about 20% or less of all the folks I associate with will have heard of it and even less will have seen it. Yep, that’s how I role, with the “What’s wrong with Catwoman? Halle Berry is soooo good in that.” crowd…(shudders at the thought). HEY, that explains it perfectly. Most of the people I know don’t “get it” and I feel somewhat superior and more cool because I’m a Clerks minion.

Clerks is that ‘accidental’ stepping on the foot of someone you don’t like followed by an insincere apology. Whatever that means. I just realized this after twelve odd years. Even while I watch it again I have that feeling that I’m in some exclusive, very exclusive gaggle of humans who linger on Randall’s every word. I love thinking that so many people would have that question mark expression during the singing of Berzerker, or the discovery that Dante’s girlfriend and a dead….um….well, there’s an event in a darkened bathroom at the back of the convenient store. I’ll let you find out what it is and then, if you think it’s awesome and funny you belong to the secret Clerks Appreciation Society. It’s so secret no one but me knows it exists. If you find the humor of Clerks unfunny, well, that makes me feel smug and cool and ever-so-slightly above you. Win Win.

Don’t be fool my review reading friend, Clerks scratches a very specific itch for those of us in the View-Askewniverse. My life is forever changed. I vow to never search for the best milk expiration date, and just the other day the CLERK at the store had to send my eggs back to the cooler with the other CLERK because I don’t examine the carton for cracked shells.

Snooch to the……nah, just kidding.

Chasing Amy 10/10
This guy I met on the internet about 12 years ago gave me a list of his favorite movies to watch. On that list was Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy, among others. I watched. I liked them all. We got married.

So you see boys and girls, Kevin Smith and his little universe of movies played a big part in my happy home. Therefore, my ability to be rational and unbiased has just chucked itself out the window and I’m free to gush and wallow in luxurious musings about this, one of my all time favorite flicks.

That same internet guy is patiently waiting for this review as I sit here typing it two days late. He won’t bark or complain, just smile and say “thanks love”. That’s the kind of marriage that’s built on a foundation of shared love for movies, at least that’s how I like to think about it.

Why are we tortured by emotional garbage as we go through our lives? I know, it’s a big question, but I feel like I’ve been on a bit of a journey looking for that answer with the whole of Kevin Smith’s collection of movies, live ‘discussions’, and podcast through the years. I’m not a fangirl, if that’s what your thinking. I do find Mr. Smith to be quite hard to handle sometimes with his own superficially stunted emotional growth. As for Chasing Amy, he has presented some of the most compelling relationship nuances in a unique way, cheap and funny and brilliant. Yes, brilliant.

Chasing Amy focuses on a young man’s feelings of sexual, and I would argue, personal inadequacies in the face of a growing relationship with a woman who has had “a past” he can’t come to terms with. It’s not touchy feely at all and I hope I don’t give that impression. Some of the conversations are incredibly real, not that I’ve have the same topics of discussion in my life, but the FEELINGS are the same.

Holden and Alyssa meet, he falls for her immediately. He finds out she’s a lesbian. He falls in love. They begin a relationship, only to hit that stumbling block of her past and his ego colliding, big time. Every time I watch it I’m more and more impressed with the raw sensitivity that Smith writes into the more intense scenes. Holden can’t handle a past sexual exploit that Alyssa does not apologize for in a parking lot argument that looks, sounds, and feels like many we have all either been in the middle of or seen from a distance. Just thinking about Ben Affleck’s reactions and forging through the dialogue as if it weren’t on a page somewhere but from his own experiences, and Joey Lauren Adams heart wrenching, almost suffocatingly frustrated crying and desperate but unyielding yelling through her tears, it’s on my list of one of the greatest movie scenes ever.

I won’t go into the rain scene. Ohhh it’s awesome, but it’s the most talked about, I reckon, in the whole movie, so you’ll just have to see it for yourself to soak up the goodness.

Everything is good in this movie, not polished and perfect, but solid and even with those flashes of brilliance that I would say only crawl into a few people’s psyche. Not everyone will “get it” the way I do, or the way my husband does, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s got a few hard knocks here and there with Banky, played by Jason Lee, and his unedited spewings about the situation, but that’s part of the juicy goodness. I have never felt this is a story that caters to whimpy emotional types or hard core cynics, but that cross over group stuck somewhere in the middle.

Thanks to Chasing Amy, and by extension Kevin Smith, (and a few other factors if I’m honest:)) I, the mid-western chick who views the world through some pretty skeptical specs these days, have a wonderful husband and memories of fictional characters brought to life by someone else’s very personal exploration of life and love and sex and whatever else. Which all adds up to me having a very hidden, buried, tiny little glimmer of optimism in this life…. Thank you sir.

Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back 5/10
I wasn’t a big fan of Jay and Silent Bob in their own movie. It’s got tons of bit parts by big Hollywood types, which is cool-ish, but it also makes it feel a bit TOO Hollywood. The story does lend itself to that though. The stony duo make their way to Tinsel Town to find out about a movie that’s being made from the comic they star in from Chasing Amy, Bluntman and Chronic.

It’s a road trip movie. It’s a buddy flick. It’s a slap stick comedy. It’s a fanboy’s wet dream. Kevin dumps almost every niche icon from his other movies, while parading lots of other movies into one action comedy mega-meal. I think it was just too much dazzle for me to appreciate.

I do really enjoy watching Jason Mewes. I always like his style, even if it’s derived from some unmentionable sources in his ‘real life’. So, in terms of that I get my fill for sure. I just don’t love the hop from one crappy jokey moment to another. It’s like stolen laughs, or forced laughs, if you know what I’m saying. As if my brain knows I like Kevin Smith, and his movies, so I have to find the good stuff to appreciate. While my inner skeptic and all round cynical core is barking, “This isn’t funny. Do not patronize the man with those fake giggles!” Oh, the struggle within.

Catching glimpses of again now while watching the documentary behind the scenes, I realize the scope of the thing. Geesh, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamil, Bartleby, Jason Bourne, Chris Rock, Banky/Brodie, 90210 chick, Will Ferrell, and then there’s the heist, the explosion, the light saber battle, the ET ripoff moment, the f-word about a zillion times, chimpanzees, flashbacks, seriously it’s a massive undertaking. I think I appreciate the complications more now that I look at it from the point of view of a fan of Kevin Smith. By that I mean that I think of him as a low key kind of writer director who has awesome ideas and seems to tap into something special with every relationship he writes into his stories. As a big time action dude I guess I just wasn’t ready for more flash and less substance.

I have to just sit back and let it be what it is, comedy, action, and fan service to those of us who do admire and follow Mr. Smith on his movie making journey. Gimme that disc….I’m watching it again with a new attitude!

Audio & Video: 6/10
I was very interested to see how much better two of my favorite movies, Clerks and Chasing Amy, would look on Blu-ray. I wasn’t expecting miracles and I pretty much got what I expected. Clerks was filmed on a really low grade film stock in black and white and is still as soft as the DVD release. The only improvement I see here is the blacks are blacker and there are no compression artifacts which did show up in spots on the previous DVD releases. Chasing Amy, from a technical standpoint is essentially a color version of Clerks. The video is very soft and not up there with the HD video you will be used to. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, on the other hand, looks the best of the three with some excellent flesh tones and a razor sharp image.

All three of the movies are given the full TrueHD sound treatment, but still Clerks and Amy have some scenes where dialog is unintelligible. I do not think this is a problem with the transfer though as the DVD’s are the same. I would say it was a problem that happened during filming (Kevin was new at this back then, perhaps the budget didn’t stretch to good microphones).

Overall two of these movies are in my top 100 of all time and are worth the purchase. The Blu-Ray presentations are as good as these movies are going to look so don’t think holding out for a future double dip will get you a better deal. If your a fan of Kevin Smith or new to the View-Askewniverse this box set delivers two of Kevin’s best movies and one of his worst in a convenient box.

Value: 10/10
If you find this three movie set on Blu-ray for around 50 bucks, I think that’s a good deal. There are tons of extras, excellent documentaries of the making of all the films, and a lot lot more. If you haven’t bought them already it’ll all be new and shiny to you. I would say it’s a great starter Kevin Smith kit, BUT you have to get Mallrats, Dogma, Jersey Girl to watch as a View Askew marathon. It’s a must have in this household, in fact I think we have every release of each movie lining the “S” section of the alphabetized shelf

Overall Score 10/10

The menu is straight forwards also, with scenes form the movie in one corner while the options are presented on a static layout.   Kind of predictable and basic, but for this type of release it works fine.


Features: 6/10

• Magical Guide To Pixie Hollow – In this feature, we are presented with the fairyland, and how things come to life with fairy dust and magic.
• Pixie Hollow Comes To Walt Disney World – Here we are shown the new ride at Disney centering on Tinker Bell.  It runs about 10 minutes long.
• All New Music Video – Here we get the classic music video by a Disney Channel star, and this time it is Demi Lovato giving us an earful.  I still don’t love the inclusion of these music videos, but then again they are definitely not made for me.
• Deleted Scenes – There are quite a few scenes and bloopers that did not make it into the movie that runs close to 20 minutes, with intros.
• DVD Version Of The Movie – I have said this before, but I do like the inclusion of a DVD copy of kid’s movies for the simple reason that they can take it with them wherever they go, without having to worry about there not being a Blu-ray player.  Tinkerbell includes a DVD copy, but not a digital, which I am okay with.






The Movie: 7/10
Tinker Bell has been portrayed in a few different ways in the past – jealous, vindictive, funny, and as Julia Roberts, which was weird.  In Tinker Bell & the Lost Treasure, we get to see Tinker Bell in her own element, and she again is shown as smart if not somewhat clumsy.  Again she is portrayed as slightly edgy and short tempered, but it is with an eye on the rest of the fairies, and with no nod whatsoever to Peter Pan.

The story begins as Tinker Bell is shown trying to “tinker” but not really having a good time with it, as her creations seem to always go awry.  Her friend Terrence tries to help her, but again, she just seems to have good ideas that don’t seem to come to fruition.  She is eventually summoned to see the fairy queen, who entrusts her with making the scepter for autumn, which must contain a delicate moon stone, that when hit just right by the rays of the moon, produces enough blue fairy dust to help keep the fairy tree alive, which protects all of the fairies in Pixie Hollow.  The story really takes life when Tinker Bell breaks the moonstone accidentally, blames Terrence, and sets off on her own to try to fix everything.

While the story may seem a bit simplistic and unoriginal, it really was fun to watch, all things considered.  The presentation of Tinker Bell & the  Lost Treasure was quite exceptional, seeing as how this is a straight to DVD release.  The movie really looked good, which made the whole thing seem more appealing.

While this is not the best Disney movie I have seen, it was paced well and offered a lot of entertainment value, and while this is the second Tinkerbell DVD release, it was good enough to make a solid children’s movie.  (I have not seen the 2008 Tinker Bell release, but if it was on par with this, the franchise should be okay.)

This does not seem to add much to the Tinker Bell character in my opinion, but it is a decent release for younger kids.





Audio & Video: 8/10
For a non-theatrical release from Disney, Tinker Bell looks and sounds amazing on Blu-ray.  Presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p.  The colors are amazing, and the presentation is top notch, even when I kind of expected it to be a step down from what I would expect from a Disney or Pixar big release.

The audio was decent, with a nice mix and solid use of the 5.1 Surround Sound speakers.


Value: 7/10
This was a decent story and decent presentation for the Tinker Bell fans.  While geared more towards the younger female population, the inclusion of Terrence and the smart story will keep all of the very young kids entertained.  My 4 year-old son was quite happy watching this whole movie, and he told me afterward that it was pretty cool.  I would recommend it for a rental for sure, and it could easily be a little girl’s go to movie as it seems to hit all the right marks for that crowd

Overall Score 7/10

• Commentary By Director Pete Docter & Bob Peterson - We get lots of stories about making the movie, reference materials, and that Pixar vibe as we listen to Docter and Peterson chat through the movie. (I make it sound boring, well, there is only so much Pixar self-love one can handle with each movie.)
• Dug’s Special Mission - Dug is the dimwitted dog that finds our heroes on Paradise Island, and he’s got a certain flair for whacky antics, as delivered in this extra. It feels like a deleted series of scenes with the dogs, but it’s more cartoony than the rest of the movie, so it’s just for fun.
• The Many Endings Of Muntz - How many ways can we dispose of the bad guy? A fun jaunt through the minds of Pixar storytellers who have to keep it kid friendly, but have seen a few too many action/adventure baddies bite the dust in horrible ways.
• Partly Cloudy - Awe, that short they always include, they are always sappy and sweet and look awesome. Partly Cloudy is a little glimpse into the world of how babies are made, in the sky, by clouds and delivered by storks..right? Well, someone has to make the less cuddly, less cute little babies, and one little storm cloud with his brave stork take on that challenge. It’s lovely.
• Adventure Is Out There – A longish Documentary exploring all aspects of the making of the movie.
  
• Cine Explore (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - Watch the movie with added behind the scenes in the corner, all that Pixar goodness.
• Geriatric Hero (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - How to make an old man into an action hero, sort of :) Old men everywhere would revolt if the details weren’t just right.
• Canine Comparisons (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - So many dogs, so many pixels, not enough time, or money to do them all. How do you make a convincing dog in pixel form that’s cartoony and believably intimidating while keeping that cuddly factor?? Never work with kids and animals…
• Russell: Wilderness Explorer (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - What kind of kid is so determined to get his Assisting the Elderly badge that he will risk life and limb to get it? A lot of testing, a lot of drawings later, and Russell is born.
• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - More of the same with how they designed and came to the final drawing designs of Kevin, the famale giant bird in the story.
• Homemakers Of Pixar (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - How do you make a house look like it can be carried off by a couple hundred thousand balloons?  Make a real life model, including every detail of the underneath and then take lots and lots and lots of test photos and video on a miniature scale.
• Balloons & Flight (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - If you are going to convince us that a house can be carried away by a massive bundle of balloons, those babies better be good….and ohhh they are.
• Composing For Characters (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - Music music music…we gotta have it and here’s how the design it around the story and each character.
• Married Life (Blu-Ray Exclusive) - The opening to the movie had an earlier story, the early years of our lovely little couple. I’m very glad they didn’t used this original concept…not nearly as, um, sweet:)
• Global Guardian Badge Game (Blu-Ray Exclusive) – LEARN stuff! Maps of the world and your chance to identify countries, states, regions…good luck! It works great and it’s actually really fun to explore how much you don’t know about this planet.
• DVD & Digital Copy – Disney make sure they throw all the format’s in one box, something I really appreciate especially the DVD version which is great for on the go.

The Movie: 10/10
My heart, that’s it, the part of me that this movie woke up and gave it a nudge. Yea, emotional blackmail and all that, whatever. Tell me a story about love, lost opportunities, choices, and regret, and then mix that with an old man whose heart needed a little nudge too and man-oh-man…..I’m there.

Carl lived his life along side his true love. They lived with the promise that someday they would go to a place called Paradise Falls. Like most of our lives promises get shoved aside with life, other priorities, and other promises. As an old man Carl is alone and quite shut off from the world. To tell you the truth I can’t really capture the emotions of getting to know Carl. It’s one of those movie stories you just have to experience to understand. Just for the record, you have to be a cold-hearted prick not to be effected even just a little bit by this story.

It’s lovely, well told, very heartstringtuggingly good, and I don’t always dig that kind of thing. Not only is this a nice story that taps into those experiences that shape a lot of the more sad, more challenging things in life like aging, death, live’s spent without fulfilling dreams, etc. this is a laugh out loud movie that’s so much fun to watch. I can’t explain it very well, but the mix of touching human frailties with some outlandish action is awesome.

I never stop thinking about why Carl is on his adventure to a far away place with his house, aloft with thousands of balloons strapped to his back. It’s not just for the sake of adventure. He is driven by something I think a lot of people experience in their later lives. A motivation to DO what they always wanted to do but never took the chance. It’s not a new idea, I understand that, however, this time around it is told to me in a way that completely sinks into my heart. Awe, sweet.

The movie looks awesome, of course. The textures, the design, the details, it’s all rich and completely takes me into that world where dogs can talk ‘telepathically’ with their throats via some contraption, a house can be lifted by balloons, an old man and young kid help each other feel good about life, no more defeat, no more broken promises, no more being left behind.

I highly recommend UP for a lot of reasons, but the first and last is , my heart knows it’s good. (I cried, for all the right reasons.)





Audio & Video: 10/10 (By Ascully)
Like last year’s Blu-Ray release of Wall-E, Disney have pulled out all the stops with a pristine reference quality transfer that never falters. As far as I am concerned the best two Blu-Ray discs of the year are “The Wizard Of Oz” & “Up”. Both are great for different reasons but the 1080P VC1 transfer on this disc is the best you will see for a 2009 movie. To be fair, Pixar movies are always going to look good on Blu-Ray as they are taken from the digital files that the movie was rendered with but in the hands of a poor technician they could be a disaster. Another point worth mentioning here is that all the extras on the Blu-Ray are presented in 1080P HD. This is something other companies should take note of. There is nothing worse than buying a HD disc and all of the extras are presented in standard def.

Audio on this release is as stunning as the visuals. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is amazing. What is interesting in this soundtrack is how subtle it is. It’s not a overbearing action type soundtrack, more a quiet detailed pieces with some astounding heartfelt music sprinkled in for good measure. Whichever way you slice it though the soundtrack is perfect every piece of dialog is crisp and clear and when bass is needed your sub woofer responds accordingly.

I am always excited when this time of year rolls around and we are treated to a new Pixar movie on Blu-Ray. Next year I will probably be saying all the same things about Toy Story 3 which incidentally is in trailer form right at the start of this disc. Highly recommended :)

Value: 9/10
If you find it for around 18-20 bucks…go for it! It’s well worth it. You will watch it more than once, and so will your kids. It’s one of those movies I want on my shelf. I never know when I’m gonna need a good cry:) The extras are excellent, as always with Pixar offerings, so this is a great deal if you find the right price tag.

Overall Score 10/10

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The menu is beautiful though.  Painted scenes from the period in France make this a unique type of menu, and it really adds to the flavor of the movie without being too ordinary.


Features: 2/10

• Deleted Scenes – There are only two deleted scenes here.  They are both very short, and entirely unnecessary to the movie.  They honestly don’t add much in terms of any extra view into the movie as a deleted scene either.
• The Making Of Cheri – In this making of feature, we get about 9 minutes of background into the movie itself.  We get information about the writer, as well as the costumes and how the movie was made to reflect the period in France.  Short, and decent, but with the deleted scenes, woefully inadequate extras.

The Movie: 6/10
Cheri is a different type of movie.  Based in France in the 1920′s, this movie is a period piece based on a book written by Collette.  The story revolves around Léa (Michelle Pfeiffer) who is a middle aged courtesan.  Léa is dealing with the realization that she is getting too old to be courting men, and while she has enjoyed the money and excesses that her affairs with noblemen have afforded her, the thought of getting old has left her in a introspective position.  Due to her being a courtesan, her circle of friends is rather small, due to society frowning on her decisions, and so she spends time with Charlotte (Kathy Bates) who was once her rival, and now nothing more than an acquaintance, and not necessarily a real friend.  Charlotte’s son Cheri (Rupert Friend) is burnt out on his life, with all of the partying and girls, and Charlotte asks Léa to console him.

The two, who are years apart in age as Cheri is only 19, leave for the country and soon become lovers.  While it starts out as a short distraction from their everyday lives, it evolves into a rather strange, working relationship, and the two fall hard for each other.

The pair end up spending six years together, until finally Charlotte arranges a marriage for Cheri to the very young Edmee, who we see is nothing like Léa.  The marriage is forced and we see the toll that it takes on both Léa and Cheri, as they are forced to deal with being apart.

Cheri was an interesting story, and the acting was pretty decent.  I was impressed with both Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend, and slightly disappointed with Kathy Bates as Charlotte, which felt a bit forced to me (and I love Bates normally, but it just seemed like a wooden performance).  The tension between Léa and Cheri is palpable, and the ending of the movie was sad and realistic, and really added bite to this slow drama.  Overall I thought Cheri was a decent movie, but it did not overly impress me or draw me in. 




Audio & Video: 7/10
The video for this standard DVD is quite spectacular.  I was very impressed with the low light shots, and while overall it has a very soft feel to the shots, it works very well.  Cheri is presented in 2.35:1 wide screen, and the transfer is quite nicely done.

The audio was very front heavy, and while it was in 5.1 Surround Sound, it was just adequate.  For this type of movie not much else is needed besides a clear dialogue, and this release does provide that.

Value: 4/10
I am not sure that this is a repeat view disc.  It is slow, and the story is pretty straight forward.  for a period piece it is beautiful, and the acting is overall pretty solid, but there is not much here to keep you coming back for more.  When I shell out money for a movie, I plan on watching it over and over again, and this was just not strong enough for me to say that I will pop it in the player any time soon.

Overall Score 5/10

• Audio Commentary By John Canemaker – this is  different type of commentary.  It includes interviews with Walt Disney and John Canemaker, who is a film historian.  Pieced together for the 2001 DVD release, this is an interesting feature that gives quite a lot of insight into the success of the movie and the process of getting it made.
• All New Music Video – We get the obligatory music video by one of the Disney channel stars.  This time it is Tiffany Thornton’s version of “Someday My Prince Will Come.”  It is a throw-away video in my opinion, as I don’t love these extra music videos.
• Sneak Peek Of The Princess & The Frog – At almost 8 minutes in length, this is a serious look at the new movie the Princess and the Frog.  This is not your average sneak peek, and is a neat way of getting a head’s up on new Disney stuff.
• Disneyview – This was a strange one.  In Disneyview, one can watch the movie with a drawn border at the edges of the movie, that fill widescreen televisions.  It is a weird inclusion for a movie like this, and really does change the overall “black border” effect.
• Disney Family Play: What Do You See?/Mirror Mirror On The Wall/Jewel Jumble – These are basically four separate games that you can play.  There is a range, and my favorite is Jewel Jumble, which is like Bejewelled.  The problem with these types of games is that they rely on your clunky remote (unless you are on a PS3) and they can be frustrating.
• Backstage Disney: Snow White Returns/Hyperion Studios/The One That Started It All – Backstage Disney is a feature that is included on several of the Disney classics.  This section includes several storyboards and details the way in which some of these “extra’ scenes were conceived.  We actually get to see how some of the scenes would have looked if they had been fully developed.  We also get information on the original voice actors, a view of Hyperion Studios, and a great piece on the impact that this movie had on animation and Disney studios in general, entitled “the One that Started It All.”  Many of these extras listed here are on the second Blu-ray disk, which is chock full of movie info.
• Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game/ Heigh-Ho Karaoke Sing-Along – These are two more throw away games that are featured on the second disk  I don’t know how many people play these things, but I can’t imagine that 6 games are needed for a movie like this.
  Disney Through The Decades & More – This extra is a lengthy bit about the Disney empire, and how it has progressed.  A decent historical piece, and a definite must for all Disney-files.

The Movie: 8/10
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a special type of movie.  Like I told my son who watched this with me, I liked the movie, but I have never loved it.  Originally made in 1937, this movie is a classic Disney movie, with the songs, slow burn to the finale, and plenty of artistic, beautiful animated scenes.  Having said that, the old films, while nostalgic for some of us older “kids”, just seems to lack the fun and humor value that we have come to expect form the second coming of animation (like the Pixar movies have given us.)  It is great to see these movies, and to see how far we have some, but they just don’t seem to live up to my expectations.  Having seen many of these movies before, they have a special spot in my heart and memory, and having seen them again, sometimes I can be slightly disappointed.  Snow White, while a stunning feat in 1937, still holds up quite well and is a shining example of the animation wizardry that Walt Disney was able to pull off back in the day.

The story, for those who have lived under a rock for 70 or so years, revolves around Snow White, a princess whose mother the Queen is so vain that she speaks to a magic mirror every day to make sure she is the fairest in the land.  Knowing that Snow White is a beautiful girl, the Queen tries to dress snow White down in rags, to make her look less pretty.  When the mirror tells the Queen that she is no longer the hottest gal in the castle, the Queen orders her main huntsman to take Snow White out for a leisurely stroll in the woods, and kill her.  The huntsman cannot follow through, and Snow White ends up running away into the woods.

After stumbling nto a group of animals that lead her to an abandoned cottage, Snow White ends up befriending the seven dwarfs, who allow her to stay because she can cook and clean for the motley crew.  The queen leans of Snow White’s existence, and sets out to get her.

Overall this movie is a fun, classic movie that really is the one that started the Disney machine.  It is worth seeing if for no other reason to see just how this started.  It was enjoyable, and the extras are grand, but I am still not sure I loved it.

Audio & Video: 9/10
The video for this Blu-ray release is gorgeous, especially considering the source material was made in 1937.   Presented in 1.33:1, the movie expands on the 2001 DVD restoration, and the colors and animation are tight and beautiful.  The colors actually are a bit less vivid on this release, which apparently was closer to the original release than the 2001 version.

The audio is presented in 7.1 Surround Sound, and again is limited by the source material, which obviously was made before this whole home theater development.  It still sounds great, even if it is 70 years old and originally was a mono mix.

Value: 7/10
If you are a Disney fiend, this would be a nice addition to your Blu-ray collection.  This is a classic Disney movie, and definitely is worth renting and watching if you are just an average Disney fan.  Either way, with the extreme amount of extras, this covers the gamut for Disney-heads and casual viewers alike.

Overall Score 7/10

The menu is slightly better and more original.  It is a nice shot of the Alaska town where a big part of the movie is set, with some fall leaves drifting across the screen.  There is also bits of the movie playing in the corner of the screen. 

Features: 6/10

• Alternate Ending – In this strange, slightly more bizarre ending, we get to see Andrew trying to talk to Margaret while she is on a plane flying back to New York. It is a bit strange, and too long, but an interesting take on the movie.  I prefer the standard ending myself, but this ending had potential.
• Deleted Scenes, including a Blu-Ray Exclusive – There are a number of deleted scenes, that did not offer much to the movie itself.  There is one where Andrew and Gertrude get to talk a bit more by themselves, and it would have done a better job at explaining the failed relationship, but with the inevitable ending, it was best left on the cutting room floor.  The same can be said for many of these deleted scenes.  I am not sure which scene is exclusive to the Blu-ray, but the box states that there is one.
• Set Antics – This gag reel section was not all that funny, and was more of a funny face reel than anything.
• Audio Commentary With Director & Writer – The commentary by Director Anne Fletcher and writer Peter Chiarelli is upbeat and fresh, but pretty basic.  The two talk at length about the cast and the choices made for the Proposal, but it is pretty standard fare.
• Digital Copy – The obligatory digital copy is included for your enjoyment.  I am starting to get so many of these that I have not downloaded onto my PC that if I am not careful, the one year deadline will pass before I know it, and the digital download will no longer work.  I have got to get better about using these, or at least getting them onto my machine before they disappear.

The Movie: 7/10
I am giving this movie a 7, which  I will admit is probably a little high, but a 6 just seems too low.  I enjoyed the Proposal even though it has a few romantic comedy-type issues.  Both the story and the characters are just too unbelievable for this to be a great movie, and while yes, I know this is a romantic comedy, we can ask for some continuity.  The Proposal starts off with the timid Andrew Paxton getting coffee for his boss, a book publishing executive name Margaret Tate, who is basically the Tyrannosaurus Rex of her company.  As she enters the building instant messages are sent around warning people to look busy and that she is about to approach.  Andrew is Margaret’s executive assistant, or slave depending on how you view it, and he, like everyone else around, is terrified of the seemingly evil Margaret.

The fun begins when Margaret is told that she is being deported to Canada, and it is at that point that she concocts (without really discussing her plan with Andrew) a weeding to Andrew in order for her to stay in New York.   Andrew, again the supposedly ultra timid employee, agrees initially.  As the pair goes to get their license, they are confronted with a federal agent who is hell bent on proving that the two are simply engaging in fraud in order for Margaret to keep her job.  With the threat of lengthy jail time, Andrew is forced to go with the lie full force, and part of the deal is that Margaret and Andrew are heading to Andrew’s home town to meet his parents, which just so happens to be in the picturesque Alaskan town of Sitko.

The movie itself is pretty paint by the numbers, with the two eventually falling for each other, even though they initially had no feelings for each other.  Betty White plays Andrew’s grandma, who is funny and quirky, and the rest of the cast is pretty solid also.

There are lots of areas that could have been fleshed out further, like Andrew’s former fiancee Gertrude, who appears to regret calling things off with Andrew, only to see her fall by the wayside as the new love blossoms.  I guess what I am trying to say is that the story is a bit thin, and the characters seem to reverse roles way too quickly for they way that they are initially presented, but it still seems to work.

For some reason the Proposal is fun to watch, even with all of the classic shortcomings and issues that plague the movie.  I at first thought it was due to the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, but after watching some of the deleted scenes where the two kiss in a horrible unromantic manner, I realised the movie works because it is fun to watch these two actors work alone.  They make the movie fun to watch, and the humor is just enough to allow you to ignore the movie’s faults.  Bullock and Reynolds are not horrible together on screen, but they are better when they are on screen and not trying to act like they are in love with each other.

Overall the Proposal is a decent romantic comedy, but it is one that will be more enjoyable if you leave all expectations at the door, and just enjoy the semi-shallow story as it is.





Video and Audio: 6/10
There are some gorgeous outdoor shots of the Alaskan town of Sitko in the Proposal.  Presented in 2.35:1 AVC encoded widescreen, the overall video is decent, and the colors, while sometimes a bit overdone and too bright, are generally warm.  The indoor shots are solid and there is nothing here that I would say looked dull or blurry.

The audio is presented in  5.1 DTS HD, and is front heavy and slow to use any real surround effects (there are a few, but they are so sporadic that they become glaringly noticeable when used.)  The dialogue is very clear, and overall the mix is nicely done.


Value: 7/10
There are a lot of romantic comedies, or “chick flicks” that are turned out each year.  They seem to do pretty well, and while there are some standard tricks that are used over and over again, and the outcome is usually a foregone conclusion in most of these types of movies, sometimes the humor and chemistry between the two main characters can overcome quite a lot.  While the Proposal was not great, it was entertaining enough to sit through, and the semi-chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds was enough to make this funny.  Actually, it may not be the chemistry itself, but perhaps the fact that the two are charming enough on their own to carry this film past many of the other romantic comedies that are out there.  Worth a rental for sure.

Overall Score 7/10