Ride Along 2 is no better or worse than the original. You’ve pretty much got the same type of jokes and the performances from its core cast isn’t anything special, though presumably they at least had a good time while filming. The action is rather ho-hum and although I don’t mind Kevin Hart, even he seemed to be going through the motions.
Julia (1977) is a well made period drama featuring strong performances by Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, along with Jason Robards well. This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray released by Twilight Time isn’t exceptional yet the video and audio transfers are both well done and the new commentary with Fonda is interesting.
Concussion is, technically speaking, a well made film and features a good performance from Will Smith, but in spite of what works, at its core the movie is missing a soul. In the hands of a more skilled filmmaker it could’ve been emotionally charged and instead it’s rather forgettable.
Suspicion isn’t one of Hitchcock’s better known movies, coming before the likes of Strangers on a Train, Rear Window and Psycho, but it’s a well made, if not uneven, little thriller featuring solid performances from Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine and Cedric Hardwicke.
Date A Live II is probably a middle-of-the-road anime but it does at least feature a nice voice cast (both Japanese and English) and some lovely looking animation, however, it is on the forgettable side and pales compared to the strong anime series.
Uptown Girls is a breezy but nice little comedy featuring pleasant performances by Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning to go along with an interesting enough plot. The Blu-ray released through Olive Films has some actual features to go along with the so-so video and audio transfers.
“Tokyo ESP” isn’t the most innovative anime or anything and borrows more than a few ideas from the likes of “X-Men” but it’s still an incredibly fun and entertaining one-off series with some great voice work on both the Japanese and English sides while the animation, albeit basic, is still fairly nice to look at.
Lilies of the Field is a feel-good and very well made drama about the human spirit and features such a fantastic performance from the revered Sidney Poitier who was just at the beginning of his incredible career, or at least prior to iconic roles in To Sir, With Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Hardly perfect and having a few of the problems I had with something like Maken-Ki, I found “CS: CubexCursedxCurious” is a fun and charming little anime series that I found entertaining in spite of moving a bit too fast in its storytelling and unfortunately fits in all the plots and characters into one season.
It’s really a shame that, as with Dying of the Light, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see what director Gee Malik Linton’s original movie was like although I have read some have seen his cut. Instead, we get a hodge-podge mess of a film slapped together by the studio and the result was an utter mess of a film.
Alexander the Great is a well made if not ultimately forgettable epic action-adventure that features strong performances by Richard Burton, Fredric March and Claire Bloom, not to mention impressive costume and production designs.
“Maken Ki! Two” does have some impressive animation but the stories are, at best, thin and only serves to fulfill men’s fantasies, but beyond that, the jokes, such as they are, fall completely flat and it was tough sledding to get through the season.
John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned has its good moments, propelled by a solid ensemble cast from Christopher Reeve to Michael Pare, and a bit of the cheese factor that is kind of amusing. This Collector’s Edition release by Shout Factory offers well done video and audio transfers and a nice selection of bonus material to peruse.
Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie, in spite of the lame subtitle, is an entertaining addition to the fascinating and enjoyable franchise that takes many cues from previous versions but tries out a different message. The animation is still fantastic and although new viewers will easily be lost, as a casual fan, I still found it well done, even if it’s a big step back from the “old” TV series.
Sibling Rivalry is a quirky fun, if not also forgettable, 1990s comedy with a semi-impressive cast of who’s who of that era. While the plot doesn’t work and performances that aren’t always the best, it’s still one of those watchable flicks that you probably won’t regret afterward yet have little interest in re-visiting anytime soon.