Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
Beverly Hills Cop is quintessential 1980s action from the electronic score to the basic look and feel. It also was the perfect vehicle for a then on the rise Eddie Murphy who probably was at his best. The Blu-ray itself has a passable audio track, video that is certainly ahead of the curve compared with the DVD and features which are nice but nothing special.
Love & Other Drugs is propelled by the leads rather than the story. I give major credit for the brave performances by Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal as they don’t go overboard with characters that could’ve been walking movie clichés. Now, the script itself is serviceable but nothing special, in fact it sticks pretty closely to the formula.
These Sherlock Holmes movies have their place in history and all things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. Basil Rathbone is the quintessential British man I’ve always envisioned both polite yet determined while the stories have certain replay value in them.
Continue reading “The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection Blu-ray Review”
Written and Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles is one of Pixar’s jewels. It’s one fun film for the entire family with pitch perfect voice casting and a thrilling adventure story that rivals any live action film.
Tangled is a great and perhaps slightly underrated film that shows that Disney is more than just Pixar and that their in-house studio can still produce quality work with interesting stories and humor that relates to both kids and adults alike.
Tangled is a great and perhaps slightly underrated film that shows that Disney is more than just Pixar and that their in-house studio can still produce quality work with interesting stories and humor that relates to both kids and adults alike.
Aside from my issue with plot, Blow Out is a film that should be seen along with Coppola’s similarly themed The Conversation starring Gene Hackman which came out in 1974.
Continue reading “Blow Out: The Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review”
Scream 3 isn’t a terrible film and in some ways has gotten a tad better over time but the killer reveal at the end will always keep it from being on the same playing field as the first two. I will say that the film never feels stale and only gets me excited for Scream 4 and maybe some of the elements the filmmakers will hopefully rectify.
As far as sequels go – and with horror sequels specifically –, Scream 2 is a success. Yes, it utilizes much of the same formula as the original transplanting high school for college and adding some depth to those who went through those events, but the suspense aspects more so than horror or cranked up a notch.
I can’t say it enough that the original Scream is right up there with Halloween and Friday the 13th with an amazing cast ensemble and a production that overcame the odds and made an iconic movie.
Yogi Bear is a soulless picture with a terrible script and acting from people who knew they weren’t making high class family entertainment. The visual effects were at least half decent but everything else was either dumb or unfunny, a deadly combination for any comedy.
Scooby-Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster certainly is not a very good film. The acting is subpar at best, the CGI horrid and the main freakin’ title character isn’t even in various and important scenes. While it’s not as bad as I had expected because I did manage to chuckle a couple of times and Hayley Kiyoko makes for a hot Velma that anyone can fall in love with, it’s still not wasting your time on either.
Continue reading “Review: Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster DVD”
S.W.A.T.: Firefight isn’t a great movie by any stretch and in fact has a simple story, but for what it is and for my own expectations going in, I thought it was entertaining enough. Of course, this doesn’t mean it’s worth shelling out $25+ for this release but it may be worth the cost of a 1-night rental.
Faster is your standard revenge flick offering little new to the formula yet still succeeds thanks in part to a surprisingly good performance by Dwayne Johnson who is in his element while Billy Bob Thornton gives is usual off-kilter performance we all know and love.
Unstoppable may not bring anything new to the action-thriller genre and indeed Tony Scott’s direction does tend to be over-the-top but it’s still very entertaining thanks in large part to the cast headlined by Denzel Washington, proving once again the charm he brings to any production, and Chris Pine whose own star is on the rise.