Ransom is a well made crime-thriller propelled by some great performances from Mel Gibson and Rene Russo and the story never gets old or is overly complicated and instead plays it straight as a thrilling cat-and-mouse game.
Barbarella might not be everybody’s cup of tea, it certainly wasn’t mine, but there are certain aspects one can appreciate beginning with Jane Fonda’s performance. Otherwise, the film is a bit too far “out there” though it does have some great, memorable, scenes.
Seeking Justice is a serviceable film that’s not going to challenge the brain, especially the plot, but because of a thankfully subdued Nicolas Cage and an impressive supporting cast, it’s at least worth checking out even if it’s only a rental. The Blu-ray isn’t anything to write home about either with a superficial featurette and a trailer. The audio and video transfers are fine if not unexceptional.
The Meatballs Blu-ray release is a mixed bag with decent audio and video transfers but disappointing in the features department especially considering the making-of featurette was not transferred over (no doubt due to the rights being with Sony).
Call it strike two for Sony trying to launch a Ghost Rider franchise. The PG-13 might be constraining for the directors but even with an R-rating, I can’t see it being that much better. Nicolas Cage continues his downward slide with his Rock and Leaving Las Vegas days looking like a distant memory, albeit once in a while he can surprise. Even so, I can’t really muster the energy to hate Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. To me, indifference is worse than hating a movie
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a satisfying sequel but at nearly 130-minutes, it does get a bit long in the tooth by the two-hour mark. Even so, the continuing chemistry between Downey and Law is fantastic and the new additions of Jared Harris and Noomi Rapace makes this at least a worthwhile rental.
Safe House may not offer anything new in the spy-thriller genre but it’s at least entertaining primarily because of Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, both of whom turn in respectable performances.
Perfect Sense is not a movie for everybody but the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Eva Green as well as a compelling story makes it at least worth watching at least once. Unlike a movie like Contagion, this deals almost entirely on human emotion and little to nothing about the actual epidemic, its causes and possible cures. Similar to Never Let Me Go which is about cloning, that film as well centers on human relations than the ethics of cloning.
U.S. Marshals isn’t a bad film and actually has a few decent scenes throughout. It’s competently made for sure, but that’s about it as the film is as by-the-numbers as it gets. The acting is fine, although even Tommy Lee Jones looked like he couldn’t give a rat’s ass and was merely there for a nice paycheck (reprising an Oscar-winning role, after all).
The Sting is a timeless movie one can watch over and over again. The biggest reason for its placement with other classics is mainly due to the fantastic chemistry between Paul Newman and Robert Redford not to mention top notch work on the production design.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island actually isn’t too bad of a movie. Even as an adult, I found it to be fairly entertaining and although I’d hardly say anything in the acting department was great and the characters are paper thin, the adventure and fantasy elements, along with a breezy plot, makes up for any of the movie’s flaws.
There are many reasons I should dislike, even hate, Gone from the simple story to the one-dimensional supporting characters, but there’s something about Amanda Seyfried that elevates this from forgettable made-for-television drivel to semi-forgettable, slightly entertaining, direct-to-video release. For sure, that’s not high praise but I think if you’re a fan of Seyfried’s, then it might be worth checking out, especially for a slow Saturday afternoon.
Bettie Page: Dark Angel is an all around bad movie, poorly acted and gives no insights into the character and instead is more of a porn film than anything of substance. The lead actress certainly has the look down but the acting is poor, although I can’t blame her too much given the director doesn’t have much going for him.
Dark Tide receives high marks for its underwater camera work but the story is lame and the acting is sometimes even worse. Halle Berry for her part is OK with a limited role.
The Father of the Bride two-movie collection is a nice set with two very good movies with more than adequate video and audio transfers which are a solid upgrade over their DVD counterparts.