“iZombie”: The Complete First Season is an incredibly fun series that takes more than a few cues from the likes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Veronica Mars” just taking advantage of the zombie craze. Still, this primarily unknown cast works so well together and Rose McIver is a star in the making.
Neither The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave nor The Red Queen Kills Seven Times are ‘great’ films, though I’d probably give the nod to Red Queen, they are at least passable Italian giallo flicks however anyone new to the genre would be better served checking out Blood and Black Lace (also available on Arrow Video).
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout is pretty much in line with their other entries: the storytelling isn’t great, animation standard and the focus is primarily geared towards kids though adults will find it semi-entertaining.
Anesthesia is a bit uneven in its storytelling with some elements not quite coming together as others, but the performances by Sam Waterston and Kristen Stewart, with honorable mention to Gretchen Mol, makes for a more than watchable drama particularly for those who enjoy ensemble pictures.
Search Party may not be awful of epic proportions but it does come across as bottom of the drawer from writer/director Scot Armstrong, recycling much of his material from Road Trip and The Hangover Part II. Problem is, there’s not many, or at least consistent, laughs and is utterly forgettable.
The Pack isn’t a particularly memorable flick, with a few genuinely frightening scenes, yet it does at least have its moments and the acting isn’t half bad. The Blu-ray released by Shout Factory is pretty standard with a throw away featurette and trailer while the audio and video transfers were above average.
Kung Fu Panda is perhaps one of the better franchises outside of the Pixar/Disney brand and certainly well above the likes of Madagascar and Ice Age. Still, as family friendly as this third entry is, to go along with a positive message, I wasn’t nearly as entertained though admittedly I found the first two to be merely above average fare anyway.
Based on a 1970s TV series, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl is an enjoyable little superhero spoofish film with passable performances with two leads in Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart share some fun chemistry with one another. The DVD release offers solid video, so-so audio and a decent enough selection of special features.
Slow and drawn out in spite of its short running time, 600 Miles isn’t great but at least can be admired for the performances by Tim Roth and Kristyan Ferrer so at least with them it’s worth watching.
Stressed to Kill is a fun, satirical crime comedy featuring a great performance from character actor Bill Oberst Jr. and some sharp writing to boot. The DVD released through MVD is basic with so-so video/audio transfers and sadly no bonus material.
Code of Honor is one of the worst movies I’ve come across this year and easily the worst of Seagal’s now free-falling career. The acting was at best average from a supporting cast that at least were trying while Seagal was sleepwalking, action scenes that were poorly shot and laughable post-production work with bad CGI.
This is your basic made-for-TV movie that doesn’t really offer anything new and being based on Braxton’s own memoir, skewed one way thus is a bit biased. Still, the performances aren’t half bad led by newcomer Lex Scott Davis and for fans of the singer, they might get something out of this, otherwise skip.
Joseph & Mary isn’t a good movie, in fact it seems like a poorly acted stage play. Even the inclusion of Kevin Sorbo, who can be charming, doesn’t help. I suppose if one was religious they might get something out of it, and to be fair, it is a safe movie, but I have to think there’s better material out there…
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 wasn’t a necessary sequel, at least 14 years after the original, but there were some amusing moments and although I never laughed out loud, I never found myself bored and I suspect fans, and those with large, tight-knit, families will appreciate it far more.
Star Trek: The Next Generation”: The Complete Series would make the perfect set… for the few who don’t already own the individual releases. While it is nice to have the series in one box, I actually kind of prefer the season sets as they are easier to handle, but as it is, and if you can get it at a good price, it might be worth picking up.