Choose Your Format: Captain Marvel

Deciding whether or not to watch a movie in theaters is only the first of many choices audience members now have, especially when it comes to the blockbuster releases. Which theater chain, where to sit, and what to snack on remain choices that have long existed, but now audiences have multiple options in regards to the actual presentation of the film. In an effort to help audience members make the best choice, we will discuss the specifics of each available option for Captain Marvel.

       

Second Act Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, Treat Williams, Milo Ventimiglia
• Director: Peter Segal
• Writers: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham
• Producers: Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham, Benny Medina
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 26, 2019
• Run Time: 103 minutes

        Second Act earned a certain amount of respect from me, but that had more to do with film history and marketing choices than the quality of the movie itself. Although the promotional material sold the film as a comedy about class differences, there are plot twists that quickly veer the narrative into more melodramatic territory. And I don’t use the word melodrama as an insult, but rather as the genre which was popularized in the 1940s, primarily dealing with stories of motherly love and loss. Sadly, Second Act is the rare exception of a film that doesn’t spoil these reveals in the trailers.

Mortal Engines 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery
• Director: Christian Rivers
• Writers: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens
• Producers: Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker, Deborah Forte, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 12, 2019
• Run Time: 129 minutes

        Just in case anyone was asking for a landlocked version of Waterworld, Mortal Engines released into theaters with the odd expectations that there was an audience for this film. A big-budget theatrical experience if ever there was one (shown in 3D, IMAX and the usual perks offered to those willing to watch it on the big screen), Mortal Engines has all of the pieces to make up a blockbuster, except one. There is an apocalyptic sci-fi storyline (which has proven successful in multiple franchises), action, humor, romance, and plenty of special effects. The only thing missing was audience interest.

Green Book 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
• Director: Peter Farrelly
• Writers: Peter Farrelly, Brian Currie, Nick Vallelonga
• Producers: Peter Farrelly, Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Nick Vallelonga
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2:1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: March 12, 2019
• Run Time: 130 minutes

        Green Book is not the film I ever expected to see director Peter Farrelly make when I first watched There’s Something About Mary many years ago, and it certainly isn’t the film I expected to win Best Picture for this past year. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprise, considering this makes three years in a row that the Academy has given the award to a film about diversity and discrimination (The Shape of Water may not directly be about race, but I think the allegory is clear). Green Book seems far from the best film of the year, but it is a safe choice in terms of balancing audience enjoyment and social message.

Burning Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Steven Yuen, Ah-in Yoo, Jong-seo Jun
• Director: Lee Chang-dong
• Disc Format: Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1), Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   Unrated 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: March 5, 2019
• Run Time: 148 minutes

        I honestly had no idea what to expect from Burning, up until the credits started to roll. Although there are moments that the movie seems to resemble others, or starts to conform to genre conventions, this may all be red herrings and MacGuffins to the overall film experience. And I truly believe that the experience director Chang-dong Lee intended audiences to have is one of questions, not answers. It is fitting that the inciting incident of the film’s narrative involves the house-sitting of a cat that never shows itself. Many who have debated the meaning of the movie have argued the possibility that the cat doesn’t exist at all. I believe that the point is that the cat both exists and doesn’t exist, because the film itself feels like a cinematic representation of Schrödinger’s cat.

Rampant Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jang Dong-Gun, Hyun Bin, Kim Joo-hyuk
• Director: Kim Sung-hoon
• Disc Format: Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1), Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   Unrated 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: February 26, 2019
• Run Time: 127 minutes

        There is a quote on the back of the Rampant Blu-ray comparing the film to “Game of Thrones meets 28 Days Later,” and while I know this was meant as a marketing selling point, it did more harm than good to have these preconceived notions in my head. For one thing, “Game of Thrones” already has zombies, so the addition of 28 Days Later to the comparison is redundant at best. Also, nearly every element that is can be compared to “Game of Thrones,” including swordplay, politics, and zombie-like attacks forcing the living to band together, has been done better by the HBO series. While the quote on the back of the Blu-ray may inspire additional rentals and purchases, it is also likely to lead to more disappointing viewing experiences.

Mary Queen of Scots 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant
• Director: Josie Rourke
• Writer: Beau Willimon
• Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 26, 2019
• Run Time: 124 minutes

        There is no question that Mary Queen of Scots is a good movie, well made in every technical aspect. The 4K Ultra HD edition highlights this fact, particularly in terms of the design elements. It is a good looking film, with a timely story (to the point that it occasionally feel on-the-nose) acted out by a handful of capable actors (albeit, many of which are made unrecognizable underneath too much stagy make-up), and yet there are also enough annoyances (as pointed out in these interruptions to the sentence) to prevent me from fully appreciating the quality. Mary Queen of Scots also has the misfortune of inevitable comparisons to The Favorite, a film which satirizes the very ideas that this film treats with melodramatic seriousness.

Ralph Breaks the Internet Blu-ray Review

• Actors: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
• Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 7.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: WALT DISNEY ANIMATION
• Release Date: February 26, 2019
• Run Time: 112 minutes

        Wreck it Ralph was a unique concept, but I wasn’t all that impressed with the film itself. While it had a colorful design and a helpful message for younger audience members, it didn’t have enough originality or cleverness to keep my mind occupied for the entire running time. Not only is Ralph Breaks the Internet a better film in nearly every regard other than the title, but I actually found myself appreciating it more with additional analysis. In short, Ralph Breaks the Internet may be filled with shameless Disney self-promotion and is clearly another cash-grabbing sequel, but it also happens to be a pretty great film.

Iceman: The Time Traveler Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Donnie Yen, Wang Baoqiang, Simon Yam
• Director: Raymond Yip
• Disc Format: Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Cantonese (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   Unrated 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: February 19, 2019
• Run Time: 88 minutes
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        What do you do when you make a film that ends with a cliffhanger, but absolutely nobody has any interest in seeing the resolution in a sequel because of how awful the original was? If you are the producers of Iceman, the 2014 martial arts action film starring Donnie Yen, you push forward with a sloppy sequel that makes the first look like a masterpiece in comparison. Even if you can get past the ridiculously bad CGI effects used throughout the film, the characters are silly and 2-dimensional, built for action scenes and dumb comedic relief rather than any true character development. Between Iceman and The Monkey King, 2014 was an awful year for Donnie Yen, and Iceman: The Time Traveler somehow surpasses both of those films as his worst.

Haunted Hospital: Heilstätten Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Sonja Gerhardt, Milam Farooq, Tim Oliver Schultz
• Director: Michael David Pate
• Disc Format: Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: German (Dolby Digital 5.1), German (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   Unrated 
   Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: February 12, 2019
• Run Time: 89 minutes

        The origins of the horror genre can be traced back to Germany, and the most successful of early American horror films often imitated them. The success of American horror relied on the imitation of German filmmaking, so it is disheartening to watch Heilstätten, a film which simply feels like a cheap German imitation of The Blair Witch Project. Derivative in every aspect of filmmaking and narrative, Heilstätten has a few sincere scares but offers absolutely nothing new to the genre. Even in terms of the sub-genre of found-footage horror, it lacks any originality beyond a clever third-act twist.

Bohemian Rhapsody Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello
• Director: Bryan Singer
• Disc Format: Blu-ray, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Release Date: February 12, 2019

        Biopics have become as expected during award season as superhero movies during the summer (or any other time of the year, at this point), and Bohemian Rhapsody fits the bill perfectly. Not only does it have the usual narrative trappings of a musical biopic and a performance that carries the film, the last twenty-minutes of the film are basically just a recreation of Queen’s most iconic concert. It is also ironic that so much dedication was spent on accurately recreating this concert when basic life events are incorrect in the screenplay. Although this was most certainly done for dramatic effect, the very same people who would be most likely to appreciate the accuracy of the Live Aid section might also be annoyed by the changes made to Freddie Murcury’s life story.

Peppermint Soda Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Anouk Ferjac, Eléonore Klarwein, Odile Michel
• Director: Diane Kurys
• Producer: Serge Laski
• Disc Format: Blu-ray
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 12, 2019
• Run Time: 97 minutes

        Before Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, there was Diane Kurys’ Peppermint Soda, a French coming-of-age film in the tradition of The 400 Blows. Like many of the best coming-of-age films, it is largely autobiographical and therefore extremely personal, and yet there is also something extremely universal about the narrative. Despite being specific to the era that Kurys grew up in (the film takes place during the early 1960s) and made in the late ‘70s, there is something that will always be timeless about growing up.

Alita: A ScreenX Experience

        CJ 4DPLEX is a technology company that is probably best known for their 4D technology, which started in South Korea but has expanded across the globe with increasing momentum over the last decade. Although 4DX is certainly impressive enough, ScreenX is an even more recent innovation in the efforts toward a more immersive cinematic experience. I have heard ScreenX described as IMAX, but with the image being wider instead of taller, though this doesn’t quite do the experience justice. While IMAX may give you more to look at, ScreenX is more about utilizing peripheral vision in order to feel as though you are inside the film. I think a more apt description would be to compare it to 3D, without the need for glasses or the use of cheap gimmicks.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury
• Directors: Scott Mosier, Yarrow Cheney
• Writers: Michael LeSieur, Tommy Swerdlow
• Producers: Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy
• Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: February 5, 2019
• Run Time: 86 minutes

        Maybe I’m the real Grinch, because I was instantly annoyed by the news that Illumination Entertainment had decided to adapt the classic holiday cartoon into a feature-length animated film. The material had already been stretched out before, for Ron Howard’s live-action version, which I was also an adamant critic of. Only the news of Benedict Cumberbatch providing the voice gave me hope that the film might have a deep English accent to remind me of Boris Karloff’s iconic narration. From the moment I heard Cumberbatch’s annoying American accent for the Grinch, I knew I was destined to hate the film. Equally disappointing was Pharrell Williams as the narrator, who sounds like a dad reading a book to his kids with the purpose of getting them to fall asleep.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web DVD Review

• Actors: Claire Foy, Sverrir Gudnason, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant
• Director: Fede Alvarez
• Producers: Amy Pascal, Scott Rudin, Berna Levin, Elizabeth Cantillon, Ole Søndberg
• Disc Format: Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Thai, English, Khmer, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Portuguese, Thai, Spanish, English
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region 1 
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: February 5, 2019
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2020 
• Run Time: 115 minutes

        Some films demand a second viewing, because they are extremely complex or because they are simply that good. The Girl in the Spider’s Web is neither of these. It is a film that demanded a second viewing, because it is that forgettable. Despite having seen it in theaters mere months ago, I found myself struggling to remember even basic plot elements. The one thing I had a distinct recollection of, even before repeat viewings, was the drastic changes to the narrative from the original Swedish films. This is likely because this is based on the fourth book in the series, which was not written by creator Stieg Larsson. Also, as per usual, Hollywood has neutered and boxed in what was once an innovative franchise. Even more pointless than the first American installment, and lacking the distinct visual flair of David Fincher, The Girl in the Spider’s Web simply turns the dark series into a generic espionage action film.

The Wife DVD Review

• Actors: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons, Harry Lloyd
• Director: Björn Runge
• Producers: Peter Gustafsson, Rosalie Swedlin, Piers Tempest, Meta Louise Foldager, Claudia Bluemhuber
• Disc Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Dubbed: Spanish
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Audio Description: English
• Region: Region 1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: 
   R 
   Restricted
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 29, 2019
• Run Time: 100 minutes

        Seemingly coming out of nowhere for most audience members, The Wife has quickly become the frontrunner for one of the Academy Award’s biggest accolades, despite the fact that it was in and out of theaters before award season had even truly began. While there is only so much attention that needs to be given to award nominations, it is telling that Glenn Close has won several major awards for her performance, despite being in a nearly unknown film. While at least part of that seems to be the tendency to reward a career of performances rather than just the one nominated for, there is no denying that Close’s performance carries the film.

First Man 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll
• Director: Damien Chazelle
• Writer: Josh Singer
• Producers: Damien Chazelle, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, Wyck Godfrey
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Rated: 
   PG-13 
   Parents Strongly Cautioned
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 22, 2019
• Run Time: 141 minutes

        Having another film with a score filled with jazz music is not reason enough to consider Damien Chazelle to be an auteur, but the themes of First Man connect to the filmmaker’s last two works, despite each existing in a genre of their own. First Man is a biopic, through-and-through, but one that doesn’t fall into the usual narrative trappings. On top of that, First Man contains further evidence of Chazelle’s worthiness as an Academy Award-winning director, from the spectacular camera work to the effectively nuanced performances he gets from the capable cast. Every year, there is at least one film that is shamelessly ignored during award season. This year we have several (in order to make room for the films that made a lot of money), but I would put First Man at the top of the list for under-appreciated films.

Halloween 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner
• Director: David Gordon Green
• Writers: David Gordon Green, Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride
• Producers: Malek Akkad, Jason Blum, Bill Block
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   R 
   
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: January 15, 2019
• Run Time: 106 minutes

        There is something definitive about giving the latest Halloween sequel the exact same title as the original 1978 masterpiece. The expectations become even greater with the knowledge that it is not a remake, but actually a continuation of that first film. The hype leading up to this film’s release led me to believe it would be something original, when the reality is a lot closer to any of the early sequels in the 1980s. In a lot of ways, the kindest thing I can say about Halloween (2018) is that watching it felt somewhat like discovering an unseen sequel from the franchise’s past. Even with a female-empowered action climax, I was disappointed by the film’s lack of creativity and innovation.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic
• Director: Eli Roth
• Writer: Eric Kripke
• Producers: Bradley J. Fischer, James Vanderbilt, Eric Kripke
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1 
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: 
   PG 
   Parental Guidance Suggested
• Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: December 18, 2018
• Run Time: 105 minutes

        I’m certain if there are fans of the novel by John Bellairs, they will appreciate the nuances transferred over from that work. But for everyone else, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is likely to resemble numerous other fantasy family films from recent past. Because of the film’s use of magic, comparisons to Harry Potter are inevitable, despite being based on a work that came long before that British behemoth of a franchise ever existed. While this film adaptation of that classic children’s book is certainly watchable, assuming the audience member is old enough to handle the frightening elements, the most original aspect of the production is the choice of director. And he is likely the reason that younger audience members must be wary of the content.

4DX: Relief from Average Film Experience

        I complain about Hollywood blockbusters often. As a lifelong fan of genre filmmaking, a film critic and professor, I typically end up seeing everything that major American studios have to offer, and my experience is nearly always the same. Desensitized by constant emersion in the big-screen spectacle and bored by formulaic structure of the narrative, it feels as though I spend a sad amount of time unengaged while sitting in the increasingly comfortable chairs of my local multiplex. The movie industry has become just that; an industry, churning out a product with consistency that seems to be the death of creativity and innovation. For years, I have complained, and I thought that the only solution was for the films to get better. But after watching my first film in 4DX, my entire perspective has been changed. And not just about Hollywood blockbusters. The truth is, after experiencing the latest advances in public film exhibition provided by CJ Group, including their 4DX and ScreenX technology, I now see a new direction for the future of the art form as a whole.