Wreck-it-Ralph is a great animated-comedy-adventure the entire family will enjoy and, at least for the past couple of years, rivals some of Pixar’s own works. It’s a fresh and imaginative story and the animation is wonderful.
Live Nude Girls, from my perspective, seems to be a predecessor to “Sex in the City” with a lot of girl talk and girl drama. I wasn’t a big fan of the movie but realize it has a core set of fans which makes this Blu-ray release to be somewhat popular to that segment.
Scooby-Doo!: Mask of the Blue Falcon is a wonderful entry into the long-running franchise. The voice casting is well done as always and the story for once holds at least a little mystery, albeit by the third act it’s pretty obvious who the culprit is.
Anna Karenina is yet another film with plenty of potential but failed thanks to a lifeless script and oft stilted acting from what is normally a respectable cast. This is the epitome of style over substance as Wright attempts to give his portrayal a different flavor than those that have come before.
Deadfall is a simplistic and predictable drama-thriller but thanks to a suspenseful performance from Eric Bana makes for an engaging flick which is well worth at least one viewing.
In Like Flint is a fun comedy for sure although it does overstay its welcome by a good 15-20 minutes. Still, James Coburn is charming once again as the title character and there’s just enough sly fun to keep one’s attention until the end.
A Star is Born is a well acted music-drama by Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand who both share wonderful chemistry.
The Running Man is certainly dated but still a lot of fun in that cheesy fashion that the 1980s and Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for.
Pony Soldier is a well-made Western though mostly remembered for its Technicolor beauty rather than a weak storyline and modest performances from the cast.
Skyfall is a fun entry into the long-running James Bond series. Daniel Craig is still a fantastic Agent 007 and while it’s entirely possible this movie gets more praise thanks to lower standards of the previous outing, I still found it to be highly entertaining. Javier Bardem makes for a great villain and Adele’s theme song is one of the best and really brings back that classic feeling.
Highlander 2: Renegade Version still has many problems which of course were not fixable without major reshoots but I do at least give credit to the editors for trying to present a half-decent movie. No doubt, it’s still not a very good movie although it would make for a fun Friday night drinking game, rife with many scenes worthy of mockery.
A Late Quartet is the surprise gem of 2012 featuring four great performances, one of which from Walken deserving of more recognition, and a story which is rich with great drama, even when certain scenes get on the melodramatic side.
Monsters, Inc. is a great film that the entire family can enjoy. The story is cute and the voice talent Pixar puts together is once again done to perfection.
Celeste and Jesse Forever does have some things going for it like the chemistry between Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg but how the main character, Celeste, was written (partially by Jones herself) made her come across as awfully self-centered and the key scene where she seeks redemption doesn’t help matters as it takes place at her best friend’s wedding.
I enjoy Playing by Heart for what it is, a fun, if not overly dramatic, ensemble with some good performances as well as clichéd storytelling, especially in one of the storylines. That being said, this is the poorest excuse of a Blu-ray release I’ve ever come across.