This fourth and final volume of “Animaniacs” is full of funny episodes that are sure to satisfy fans and non-fans alike. The DVD however doesn’t offer any features which are a shame as it would’ve been nice to hear from the creators and/or writers but the audio and video transfers are good.
Peter Pan is not my favorite Disney cartoon but it is still a magical film for the entire family. The animation is, of course dated, but there is a certain charm which gives that special something extra the newer styles don’t have.
The Jazz Singer digibook is a fantastic release with a wonderful and historical film to go along with a plethora of special features and short films that anyone interested in the era will absolutely love. The audio and video transfers are also wonderfully restored which has never looked or sounded better.
Looper is an inventive sci-fi action thriller with two solid performances from Willis and Gordon-Levitt. The DVD has some decent features though the Blu-ray apparently has more to offer. Unfortunately we were only provided a DVD screener, so I cannot state how much more there is or the quality of either the features or the audio/video transfers.
Dick Tracy is hardly a perfect movie but star/director Warren Beatty does a tremendous job translating the source material into the feature film format. Between the art direction, production and costume designs, the visuals on the movie are fantastic and Beatty as Tracy was perfect.
The Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special isn’t anything profound or breaks new ground in terms of animation or anything, but with a short running time and a good message, this can be watched by the entire family.
Although the disc is pretty light on features – damn near empty, in fact – the fact that Deathtrap finally gets a proper widescreen release is good news for any fan, especially those in North America.
Ritual is a second-rate supernatural thriller that features a decent performance from the lovely Jennifer Grey. Is she enough for one to sit through 90-minutes? Probably not, but I suppose if you’ve enjoyed even below average “Tales from Crypt” episodes, you might find this to be an adequate outing.
Collision Earth is the typical SyFy Original Movie with bad CGI, poor or stilted acting, one-dimensional characters with zero personality and a plot taken from some fan fiction.
Catch Me If You Can is a cool and energetic crime-drama featuring great performances, a fascinating main character, an amazing score and excellent direction that holds up quite well today.
Much like the “DreamWorks Spooky Stories” released a few weeks back, this Holiday collection is great for the entire family. It’s especially cool to get the main actors to reprise their roles for the animated shorts while the animation looks amazing.
Snowmageddon is your typical SyFy Original Movie with average visual effects (showing how far the industry has come), a lame story and shoddy acting. Even so, the movie isn’t terrible and might be fun for some, though I won’t be revisiting it any time soon.
Sweet Home Alabama is a fine romantic comedy that at least at times breaks the genre mold. Reese Witherspoon plays her usual role as a sassy character but she’s still charming and for his part, Josh Lucas serves as a suitable love interest.
Contagion has some things going for it, but mainly from an acting and technical level rather than the story. The cast is mostly good despite having a limited amount of screen time and Soderbergh’s visual style, while nothing new from what he’s done in the past, still looks stunning and gives the film a certain gravitas yet at the same time I felt like I was more or less a spectator versus becoming involved or entrenched with what was going on.
The Client is a fulfilling suspense-thriller propelled by three solid performances, adequate direction from Joel Schumacher (arguably his last ‘good’ movie) despite a predictable script.