Aaliyah is yet another trashy “biopic” (loosely) that doesn’t really have much to offer. The performances aren’t anything exceptional (even Alexandra Shipp didn’t have the charisma) but I can’t place that much blame on the actors with a bad script and generic made-for-TV direction.
Killers is a well made foreign film with a good psychological underbelly to the blood, gore and torture pitting two characters against one another to the bitter end, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone in the States didn’t try to remake it in some fashion.
As with Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and WWE: Stone Age Smackdown is another way for the WWE to reach a new generation which is smart business but the end game for casual viewers is pretty weak, though again, not a fan of the original show anyway…
Halo: Nightfall isn’t a half-bad series with decent performances, though the visual effects, some anyway, look to be a step below something you’d seen in a SyFy Original Movie. I’m not big into games so I can’t compare this to any of the “Halo” games but on its own, it’s at least enjoyable if not throwaway entertainment.
The Divine Move isn’t a great foreign crime-drama but it is well made and at least entertaining especially in the revenge sub-genre. I will say, the English dubbing is laughable so make sure you select the original Korean language. In any case, the Blu-ray release offered by CJ Entertainment has decent video, average audio and a fluff featurette along with the trailer.
Double dips isn’t anything new from studios and no doubt this 30th Anniversary Edition of The Breakfast Club is no different where what’s different from the release five years might not be enough to warrant a purchase if you already own that version. However, at a good price, the upgrade to a new video codec from the original 35MM film print might make it worthwhile.
“Star Trek”: The Original Series is a cheap option for those non-Trekkies to get a few solid episodes from the three seasons the show aired. Of course, if you are a fan, you already have all of these, even in high-definition for the Blu-ray releases, you get nothing out of this “best of” collection.
Life Partners isn’t a great movie but succeeds thanks to its cast, Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs in particular who have great chemistry together; it’s also a breezy film never overstaying its welcome.
The Humbling is a quiet and oft dull drama but Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig both give solid performances so for fans of either, with a couple good scenes, it might be worth a rental but nothing more. The Blu-ray released by Millennium Entertainment provides for good video and audio transfers but a throwaway making-of featurette.
Innocence isn’t awful and is passable entertainment but it’s the latest in the ‘tween vampire trend that began with Twilight. The acting is OK headlined by Kelly Reilly as the main villain and Sophie Curtis for her part wasn’t half bad the lead actress. Fans of this genre (or subgenre) might get something out of it, for others it’s destined for the Wal-Mart dump bin.
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast is another solid entry into the series though both of these movies are more centered on Fawn than Tinkerbell herself. The story this go around is darker and could be scary for kids of a certain age and it’s not the most heartwarming finale yet with that I actually appreciate the movie even more for not taking the easy route. The Blu-ray released by Disney might not have great bonus material but the audio and video transfers are both solid.
Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness isn’t the strongest of the modern animated movie line but it still has some entertainment value and if you have kids, they’ll probably eat every bit of it up. The animation itself isn’t bad either and the voice casting once again is well done.
The Musicals: 4-Movie Collection is an economical way for fans of these films to own with the low SRP. The set itself is well done contained in a nice box but I’m not a fan of the digibook style and wish the studio would’ve just released this in a standard Blu-ray case. And although the features aren’t great, it’s good enough with the two commentaries and well made documentary for Singin’ in the Rain (though that has been available for a couple of years).
This 10th Anniversary release of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is merely a repackaging of the old disc with commemorative packaging so if you already own this, or even the HD-DVD, there’s no need to pick this up. Outside of that, my opinion of the film hasn’t changed: I didn’t like it then and I still don’t like it today.
Love and Death is one Woody Allen’s more quirky outings but found his footing and voice with follow-ups including Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979), two of my all-time favorite Allen films (along with Match Point). The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time is simple with only a trailer but decent audio and video transfers.