Green Zone: Blu Ray Review
Green Zone
Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Pictures
The
team behind the successful run of Bourne movies have reunited for this thriller
set in Iraq after the 2003 war.
Matt Damon is
Captain Roy Miller, who's in charge of the hunt for WMDs - but every lead
they're following turns out to be a dud; each time they're sent in, there's
absolutely no trace of anything.
So with
suspicions aroused over duff intelligence, Miller starts to follow his own leads
- and finds himself slap bang in the middle of a major conspiracy.
Matt Damon continues to push his image as the
dependably stoic and intelligent everyman that has seen him become a big screen
success; Green Zone itself is a conspiracy thriller which takes a little while
to unravel but if you have your wits about you, you can see where it's going -
and how it will end.
Overall it's a solid thriller
with some great set pieces and a certain level of tension - once again, it's
another good performance into Matt Damon's career.
Extras: Behind the scenes, commentary with director
Greengrass and Damon, docos on how the making and how Damon prepared - a good
solid bunch.
Rating: 8/10
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
Remember Me: Blu Ray Review
Remember Me: Blu Ray Review
Remember Me
Rating: M
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
R Patz aka Robert Pattinson returns to the screen in this romantic drama.
He's Tyler, a rebellious student in New York in 2001, who's got a strained relationship with his lawyer dad (an aloof and emotionally hard Pierce Brosnan) ever since his brother committed suicide.
Tyler is a bit of a closed book drifter, a one night stands kind of guy who won't emotionally open up - but that all changes when a twist of fate brings him to Ally (Lost's Emilie de Ravin).
Ally too is emotionally damaged - having seen her mom murdered on the subway when she was 11, she isn't initially too keen to let Tyler into her life.
But the pair's paths are intertwined and fate has a way of playing these things out&
Sure, the story may be the usual tale of brooding teen love but thanks to pitch perfect performances from Pattinson and De Ravin along with the rich ending of Remember Me which emotionally shocks you by knocking the wind out of your cinematic sails, this is quite the surprise - it's unexpected, powerful and may well leave you agog.
Extras: Cast and directors commentary plus a making of.
Rating: 7/10
Remember Me
Rating: M
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
R Patz aka Robert Pattinson returns to the screen in this romantic drama.
He's Tyler, a rebellious student in New York in 2001, who's got a strained relationship with his lawyer dad (an aloof and emotionally hard Pierce Brosnan) ever since his brother committed suicide.
Tyler is a bit of a closed book drifter, a one night stands kind of guy who won't emotionally open up - but that all changes when a twist of fate brings him to Ally (Lost's Emilie de Ravin).
Ally too is emotionally damaged - having seen her mom murdered on the subway when she was 11, she isn't initially too keen to let Tyler into her life.
But the pair's paths are intertwined and fate has a way of playing these things out&
Sure, the story may be the usual tale of brooding teen love but thanks to pitch perfect performances from Pattinson and De Ravin along with the rich ending of Remember Me which emotionally shocks you by knocking the wind out of your cinematic sails, this is quite the surprise - it's unexpected, powerful and may well leave you agog.
Extras: Cast and directors commentary plus a making of.
Rating: 7/10
Toy Story 1&2: Blu Ray Review
Toy Story 1&2: Blu Ray Review
Toy Story 1 and 2 - Blu Ray/ DVD Releases
Rating: G
Released by Disney
The claw, the aliens, Jesse, Prospector, Al's Toy Barn, Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend in Me"; there's so much to remember and love from the Toy Story series.
The story of Tom Hanks' Woody, the lovable cowboy toy, so beloved by his owner and his friendship and rivalry with Tim Allen's space age toy Buzz Lightyear have thrilled generations of kids - both young and old.
These rereleases on Blu Ray are definitive - both the stories and a whole wealth of extras make for essential viewing - and a chance to lose yourself completely in the toy world.
While it's great to see Toy Story again, personally, it's Toy Story 2 which soars - I'd forgotten how close to tears the story of Woody finding his compadres Jesse, Bullseye and the Prospector brought me. There's humour aplenty in the first film but there's a confidence in Toy Story 2 that eclipses the animation and gives it a humanity which is hard to resist.
Extras: Wondrous entertainment for all the family - and all new special features ensure these releases don't feel like rip offs.
Rating: 9/10
Toy Story 1 and 2 - Blu Ray/ DVD Releases
Rating: G
Released by Disney
The claw, the aliens, Jesse, Prospector, Al's Toy Barn, Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend in Me"; there's so much to remember and love from the Toy Story series.
The story of Tom Hanks' Woody, the lovable cowboy toy, so beloved by his owner and his friendship and rivalry with Tim Allen's space age toy Buzz Lightyear have thrilled generations of kids - both young and old.
These rereleases on Blu Ray are definitive - both the stories and a whole wealth of extras make for essential viewing - and a chance to lose yourself completely in the toy world.
While it's great to see Toy Story again, personally, it's Toy Story 2 which soars - I'd forgotten how close to tears the story of Woody finding his compadres Jesse, Bullseye and the Prospector brought me. There's humour aplenty in the first film but there's a confidence in Toy Story 2 that eclipses the animation and gives it a humanity which is hard to resist.
Extras: Wondrous entertainment for all the family - and all new special features ensure these releases don't feel like rip offs.
Rating: 9/10
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Step Up 3D: Movie Review
Step Up 3D: Movie Review
Step Up 3D
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Rick Malambri, Adam G Sevani, Sharni Vinson
Director: Jon Chu
So it's back to the heady world of street dance for a third time.
This time we're back in Nooo Yoik, with Adam G Sevani's Moose about to start college - Moose, a nerdyish kind of kid who reminds you of Bruno from the original Fame because of the curls...well, that and the dancing.
Moose is going to college to study engineering - but his heart's really in the street dance. When he finds himself slap bang in the middle of a dance off during orientation he catches the eye of Rick Malambri's Luke, a chiseled chinned wonder who's like the foster dad to the street dance community.
You see, Luke's parents used to be dancers - and Luke carried on their dream by opening a club and training ground for his street crew The Pirates and generally nurturing the dancing talent in the city.
Unfortunately though, the bank's about to foreclose on the club and their only shot at survival is to win the World Jam Championships and take on their arch rivals The Golden Samurai.
Throw into that teen mix, the arrival of dancer Natalie (Home and Away's Sharni Vinson) who catches Luke's eye but harbours a terrible secret - and the showdown's set.
Look, Step Up 3D is clichéd, full of quite frankly terrible dialogue (You were born to dance is just one of the clunkers) and twists that you can see coming a mile off.
The characters are relatively 2D and have a penchant for at times seeming wooden - but let's be brutally honest, a film like this isn't about the plot - or even the acting.
That's simply secondary to the dance sequences themselves - and the majority of the film segueways from one heavily choreographed dance section into another.
The 3D brings some of those sections to life (although you can already envisage how it'll be used - a hat flies in the air) and while some of them are impressive -particularly the final dance off section - they feel a little too heavily choreographed and just didn't engage me. That's not to knock the commitment and passion of the cast while they're dancing - they give 110% in the dancing stakes.
Some of that I think could be the age difference - I'm clearly never going to be a B Boy busting out some phat moves in a dance crew showdown.
Though it has to be admitted that there will be certain sections of the teen audience which will lap this up and want to head home to copy da movez.
Ultimately the 3D element in this Step Up is a little wasted and doesn't really bring much to the genre - but your teens will adore it and may well be inspired by it all.
Step Up 3D
Rating: 4/10
Cast: Rick Malambri, Adam G Sevani, Sharni Vinson
Director: Jon Chu
So it's back to the heady world of street dance for a third time.
This time we're back in Nooo Yoik, with Adam G Sevani's Moose about to start college - Moose, a nerdyish kind of kid who reminds you of Bruno from the original Fame because of the curls...well, that and the dancing.
Moose is going to college to study engineering - but his heart's really in the street dance. When he finds himself slap bang in the middle of a dance off during orientation he catches the eye of Rick Malambri's Luke, a chiseled chinned wonder who's like the foster dad to the street dance community.
You see, Luke's parents used to be dancers - and Luke carried on their dream by opening a club and training ground for his street crew The Pirates and generally nurturing the dancing talent in the city.
Unfortunately though, the bank's about to foreclose on the club and their only shot at survival is to win the World Jam Championships and take on their arch rivals The Golden Samurai.
Throw into that teen mix, the arrival of dancer Natalie (Home and Away's Sharni Vinson) who catches Luke's eye but harbours a terrible secret - and the showdown's set.
Look, Step Up 3D is clichéd, full of quite frankly terrible dialogue (You were born to dance is just one of the clunkers) and twists that you can see coming a mile off.
The characters are relatively 2D and have a penchant for at times seeming wooden - but let's be brutally honest, a film like this isn't about the plot - or even the acting.
That's simply secondary to the dance sequences themselves - and the majority of the film segueways from one heavily choreographed dance section into another.
The 3D brings some of those sections to life (although you can already envisage how it'll be used - a hat flies in the air) and while some of them are impressive -particularly the final dance off section - they feel a little too heavily choreographed and just didn't engage me. That's not to knock the commitment and passion of the cast while they're dancing - they give 110% in the dancing stakes.
Some of that I think could be the age difference - I'm clearly never going to be a B Boy busting out some phat moves in a dance crew showdown.
Though it has to be admitted that there will be certain sections of the teen audience which will lap this up and want to head home to copy da movez.
Ultimately the 3D element in this Step Up is a little wasted and doesn't really bring much to the genre - but your teens will adore it and may well be inspired by it all.
Soul Kitchen: Movie Review
Soul Kitchen: Movie Review
Soul Kitchen
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu
Director: Faith Akin
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2009, Soul Kitchen is the tale of Zinos (Bousdoukos) a German restauranteur whose life is at a crossroads.
His girlfriend Nadine is about to fly to Shanghai for a job, his ex con brother Ilias (Bleibtreu) is on parole and his Hamburg hangar based restaurant, The Soul Kitchen is facing a crisis with a lack of patrons.
One day Zinos hires a new chef - and despite the initial frostiness towards the cordon bleu chef's offerings, somehow the kitchen manages to take off and become the hip centre of town.
But when Zinos' back gives out, he realizes he has to try and heal his broken heart and head to Shanghai. So he leaves the restaurant with Ilias - and that's when everything starts to go wrong.
Soul Kitchen is a vibrant comic film with a bustling cool soundtrack (it's got one of the best opening scenes I've seen in a long time in terms of hooking you in and getting you grooving)- it's also possibly one of the most over the top pieces of cinema I've seen in a while, thanks in part to the apparent overacting of Bousdoukos at odd moments.
Yet it is a great performance from him - he really anchors the whole drama/comedy and the shambolic relationships of those around him.
It's really about the importance of family and home - for Zinos, his family is at the Soul Kitchen (although he doesn't realize it) and the collection of oddballs who come and go during all hours.
There's screwball moments, warmth and heart in this kitchen - and the final result is somewhat of a crazy yet very digestible and insanely enjoyable mix.
Soul Kitchen
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu
Director: Faith Akin
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2009, Soul Kitchen is the tale of Zinos (Bousdoukos) a German restauranteur whose life is at a crossroads.
His girlfriend Nadine is about to fly to Shanghai for a job, his ex con brother Ilias (Bleibtreu) is on parole and his Hamburg hangar based restaurant, The Soul Kitchen is facing a crisis with a lack of patrons.
One day Zinos hires a new chef - and despite the initial frostiness towards the cordon bleu chef's offerings, somehow the kitchen manages to take off and become the hip centre of town.
But when Zinos' back gives out, he realizes he has to try and heal his broken heart and head to Shanghai. So he leaves the restaurant with Ilias - and that's when everything starts to go wrong.
Soul Kitchen is a vibrant comic film with a bustling cool soundtrack (it's got one of the best opening scenes I've seen in a long time in terms of hooking you in and getting you grooving)- it's also possibly one of the most over the top pieces of cinema I've seen in a while, thanks in part to the apparent overacting of Bousdoukos at odd moments.
Yet it is a great performance from him - he really anchors the whole drama/comedy and the shambolic relationships of those around him.
It's really about the importance of family and home - for Zinos, his family is at the Soul Kitchen (although he doesn't realize it) and the collection of oddballs who come and go during all hours.
There's screwball moments, warmth and heart in this kitchen - and the final result is somewhat of a crazy yet very digestible and insanely enjoyable mix.
Precious: DVD Review
Precious: DVD Review
Precious
Rating: R16
Released by Warner Home Video and Icon Entertainment
Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe as Claireece Precious Jones, an overweight, illiterate 16 year old girl in New York's Harlem.
Verbally, mentally and physically abused by her mother on a regular basis and sexually abused by her father, Precious does what she can to get by.
However, she's kicked out of school when it's discovered that she's pregnant for a second time - and is given the chance to enroll in a special school, Each One Teach One, run by Miss Blu Rain (Paula Patton).
Can Precious turn her life around?
Precious took 2 Oscars and it's not hard to see why such a tale struck a chord with the Academy - but honestly this remains a difficult watch the second time around. It's not because of the acting - Sidibe's towering performance as Precious commands your attention - as does Mo'Nique's horrifying abuser - but it's the real life content which makes it such a hard film.
It's supposed to be inspiring but I just felt grateful I don't have such adversity in my life -then again maybe that's the message it wants to get across in this film which has become such a passion project for those involved.
Extras: Audio commentary with director, featurettes on the cast and the film being made as well as a nod to Oprah Winfrey who was such a champion of this film getting out there.
Rating: 6/10
Precious
Rating: R16
Released by Warner Home Video and Icon Entertainment
Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe as Claireece Precious Jones, an overweight, illiterate 16 year old girl in New York's Harlem.
Verbally, mentally and physically abused by her mother on a regular basis and sexually abused by her father, Precious does what she can to get by.
However, she's kicked out of school when it's discovered that she's pregnant for a second time - and is given the chance to enroll in a special school, Each One Teach One, run by Miss Blu Rain (Paula Patton).
Can Precious turn her life around?
Precious took 2 Oscars and it's not hard to see why such a tale struck a chord with the Academy - but honestly this remains a difficult watch the second time around. It's not because of the acting - Sidibe's towering performance as Precious commands your attention - as does Mo'Nique's horrifying abuser - but it's the real life content which makes it such a hard film.
It's supposed to be inspiring but I just felt grateful I don't have such adversity in my life -then again maybe that's the message it wants to get across in this film which has become such a passion project for those involved.
Extras: Audio commentary with director, featurettes on the cast and the film being made as well as a nod to Oprah Winfrey who was such a champion of this film getting out there.
Rating: 6/10
The Hurt Locker: DVD Review
The Hurt Locker: DVD Review
The Hurt Locker
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
The soaraway winner at this year's Oscar ceremony, The Hurt Locker is finally on DVD.
It's the story of a team of bomb disposal team in Iraq whose lives are put in constant jeopardy on a daily basis - and is based on freelance journalist Mark Boal's accounts of when he was embedded with an American bomb squad.
Relative unknown Jeremy Renner plays Sergeant First Class William James, who's brought in as the leader of the Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit which heads to just about every perilous situation on the streets of Iraq, never knowing if this is the moment their lives will be forfeit.
But James is an adrenalin junkie who only knows how to get by with the thrill of the unknown on the streets - and soon, his squad starts to wonder if they'll survive with this new guy at the helm.
Simply brilliant, The Hurt Locker is tense, thrilling and captivating from the very first moment - you're never sure who will survive this game of cat and mouse and who will not walk away.
As I remarked when I saw it at the cinema, this is emotionally gripping, viscerally thrilling, and an edge of your seat powderkeg of tension - and more so, The Hurt Locker remains one of the best films of the year.
Extras: An exclusive to DVD commentary with director Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal as well as a featurette.
Rating: 9/10
The Hurt Locker
Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
The soaraway winner at this year's Oscar ceremony, The Hurt Locker is finally on DVD.
It's the story of a team of bomb disposal team in Iraq whose lives are put in constant jeopardy on a daily basis - and is based on freelance journalist Mark Boal's accounts of when he was embedded with an American bomb squad.
Relative unknown Jeremy Renner plays Sergeant First Class William James, who's brought in as the leader of the Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit which heads to just about every perilous situation on the streets of Iraq, never knowing if this is the moment their lives will be forfeit.
But James is an adrenalin junkie who only knows how to get by with the thrill of the unknown on the streets - and soon, his squad starts to wonder if they'll survive with this new guy at the helm.
Simply brilliant, The Hurt Locker is tense, thrilling and captivating from the very first moment - you're never sure who will survive this game of cat and mouse and who will not walk away.
As I remarked when I saw it at the cinema, this is emotionally gripping, viscerally thrilling, and an edge of your seat powderkeg of tension - and more so, The Hurt Locker remains one of the best films of the year.
Extras: An exclusive to DVD commentary with director Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal as well as a featurette.
Rating: 9/10
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