The Final Word on Physical Media
Survival Code actually isn’t an entirely terrible flick but it is a low budget, made-for-TV affair with some standard action and fight scenes. Even so, some might find it to be mildly entertaining and with a short running time, makes for a quick watch.
“Enterprise”: Season Four was a big step forward for the series producing some of the best and most memorable drama maybe through all of the “Trek” series. Unfortunately, thanks to so-so ratings and a floundering network, it was too little too late; at least now it’s memorialized on Blu-ray high-definition and filled with a plethora number of features.
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The Deep End is a mostly well acted drama-thriller with Tilda Swinton giving a great performance while Goran Visnjic, attempting to follow in the footsteps of “ER” alum George Clooney, seems out of place but gives it his best.
Great Expectations is yet another well-intentioned adaptation and the cast on the surface appear to be right for their parts, but together with an uneven script and poor pacing makes for a film that never quite gels in spite of a respectable crop of actors. I can’t say this is a particularly bad movie but this certainly not something I will have any desire to revisit anytime soon.
The Terminal is a nice small yet big drama featuring yet another solid performance from Tom Hanks re-teaming with director Steven Spielberg. It is a bit long clocking in over two hours but it’s still an immersive film that has held up well over the 10 years since its release.
Johnson Family Vacation is a dud of a comedy though I can’t place a whole lot of blame on the cast, Cedric the Entertainer in particular, and more so on the dull and unfunny script. It’s one of those movies that isn’t fondly remembered and is more of an afterthought when comparing similar films.
I, Frankenstein is not only dumb movie but worse of all, takes itself far too seriously so you take something that could’ve been a fun little ride into a dark and dank film that instead is forgettable in nearly every regard save for Bill Nighy who is perhaps the only good thing in this mess of a film.
Amistad is another well made film from Steven Spielberg and features several good performances including Morgan Freeman, Djimon Hounsou and Matthew McConaughey who reminds you he’s always had the dramatic acting chops…
Flying Tigers is a well made war drama featuring some well done, for its time, special effects, to go along with strong performances by John Wayne and John Carroll. Unfortunately the Blu-ray release from Olive Films, while featuring respectable audio and video transfers, neglects any bonus features so the bang for the buck is not there, though if you are a fan of the movie, or war films in general, it might be worth the price.
Although hardly the strongest in the long line of DC Universe Animated Movies, Son of Batman still has a few things going for it from the animation, save for a couple lousy shots, and an interesting story that probably could’ve been expanded to make it more dynamic. On the negative side, I’m still not in love with Jason O’Mara’s voice as Bruce Wayne/Batman but it’s not as grating this go around.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a film with so much potential squandered for the sake of a buck using blatant in-movie advertising but instead of furthering the story, they only served to take one out of the film despite some good performances, particularly Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig, with honorable mention for Adam Scott for playing one of the biggest/best cinematic douchebag.
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The Legend of Hercules gets to have the distinct pleasure of being the first flop of 2014 at the box office and with critics and audiences alike and for good reason. There’s nothing here save maybe for Gaia Weiss who, albeit in a limited role, was decent (and easy on the eyes). Anyway, avoid this as there’s nothing redeeming, not even in the “it’s so bad it’s good” kind of way either.
Home of the Brave is another forgotten film that gets a HD treatment courtesy of Olive Films. And while the picture and audio are hardly anything to brad about, it’s nice for this to get a release. That being said, the price on a title without features is extreme at $30 but if you can find a deal and are a fan, then it might be worth picking up.
Sophie’s Choice is a harrowing drama set against truly haunting images. The performances from Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol are all fantastic.
The Suspect, despite a somewhat convoluted story, isn’t all that bad of a film thanks in large part to two great performances from Mekhi Phifer and William Sadler who play off one another so well.