A United Kingdom Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jack Davenport, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton
• Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Surround)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 111 minutes

         Though restrained in its scenes of large emotional outbursts and rousing speeches, A United Kingdom faces the unfortunate problem of being released the same year of another subtle interracial romance based on true events. Loving was so expertly made without the need of melodrama or sentimentality that even sparsely used in A United Kingdom, these moments ring a bit contrived. Along with teary speeches and somewhat contrived feel-good moments, there is also a redundancy in Guy Hibbert’s screenplay and a surprising blandness in Amma Asante’s visual style, so that the one-note themes of A United Kingdom begin to wear thin, regardless of how convincing the chemistry is between the leads.

Operation Mekong Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Eddie Peng, Xudong Wu, Baojuo Chen
• Director: Dante Lam
• Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
• Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.0), Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 124 minutes

         Although inspired by real-life tragic events, Operation Mekong works better as a mindless action film than it does as a respectful tribute to the lives lost. Even when the movie does give reverence to the Chinese characters engaged in the operation, it feels more like nationalist propaganda than a realistic depiction of actual people who gave their lives for justice. Director Dante Lam has had trouble with the spectacle of his films conflicting with the message in the past, and though this is not the problem with Operation Mekong, survivors of the victims may wish it were. On the other hand, those who merely want a few hours of intense procedural action will likely be pleased with the non-stop spectacle.

Aftermath Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hannah Ware, Kevin Zegers, Scoot McNairy, Mariana Klaveno
• Director: Elliott Lester
• Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

         I thought I knew what to expect from Aftermath, as there have been countless dramas about the process of grief. Cinematically speaking, these narratives tend to focus on the process of healing, and although there are certain character arcs in this regard, this is far from the focus of Aftermath. In fact, the moments when the characters truly are recovering remain off-screen, allowing the audience to view nothing more than the devastation and the destruction. The result is a film that feels like a news story, tragic and pointless, recreated in a fashion fitting a Lifetime movie.

The Assignment Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver
• Director: Walter Hill
• Format: Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 98 minutes

        Enraging many in the LGTBQ community (although, in all fairness, these days someone is always enraged about something on the internet), the basic premise for The Assignment sounds like a comedy, or at the very least, a campy parody of a politically incorrect grindhouse film from the 1970s. In fact, the film likely would have worked far better had it taken itself less seriously. It is still laughable, but not intentionally so, and the film noir formula is so bleak that there isn’t even any “so bad it’s good” enjoyment to be found. I don’t know how it’s possible for a film so controversial to simultaneously be so dull, but that seems to be The Assignment’s only real accomplishment.

Bambi Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Hardy Albright, Peter Behn, Tim Davis, Donnie Dugan, Ann Gillis
• Director: David Hand
• Writers: Vernon Stallings, Melvin Shaw, Carl Fallberg, Chuck Couch, Ralph Wright
• Format: NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G
• Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 70 minutes

        There are several classic Disney movies which were far more interested in capturing the magic of a specific location than in the plot of the story. While many of these involve humans and their specific location of inhabitation, some of the most popular give human qualities to animal characters, often playing out like animated nature films. The Lion King showcases the plains of the African Serengeti, The Jungle Book takes us into the jungles of India, and The Little Mermaid gave us a tour of underwater wildlife (with the addition of the mythical creatures of the title), not to mention the numerous films that show us the life of animals existing in human worlds (Dumbo, 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, etc). Bambi may be the most straightforward of all of these, however, with more emphasis on the movement and behavior of the animated animals than any kind of traditional storyline. It ends up playing like a feature-length “Silly Symphony,” but with realism as the focus instead of expressionism and music.

Kill ‘Em All Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Peter Stormare, Maria Alonso, Mila Kaladjurdjevic, Autumn Reeser
• Director: Peter Malota
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Czech, Slovak, French, Portuguese, Croatian, Polish, Arabic, Korean, Hebrew, Slovene, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, Icelandic, Romanian, Thai, Greek, Turkish, Spanish, English, Serbian
• Dubbed: French, Hungarian, Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 96 minutes

        It’s time for another derivative direct-to-home release from Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Kill ‘Em All is as uninspired as nearly everything else in the last decade of the action star’s career. Try as the film might to add in some mystery with an overcomplicated non-linear narrative, seemingly compensating for the unimpressive action sequences, every twist can be seen a mile away. Even with Van Damme’s signature kicks peppered into the fight choreography, Kill ‘Em All feels like a dozen other cheap action films starring numerous other bland martial arts personalities.

Sky on Fire Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Leon Lai, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Daniel Wu
• Director: Ringo Lam
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
• Language: Mandarin Chinese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 100 minutes

        There are a few great action sequences in Sky on Fire, but they are buried within an overcomplicated slog of a film. With too many characters and too little time to care about any of them enough, Sky on Fire is more work than the enjoyable elements are worth. So much of my time watching the film was spent trying to remember or figure out the motivations of the large cast of characters, which is made more complicated by the fact that several of them seem redundant and unnecessary. Even when a decent scene of action would arise, I was unable to enjoy the spectacle amidst my confusion over what was occurring and whose side everyone was on. While director Ringo Lam certainly proves once again that he is a capable action director, movies of this type shouldn’t be so much work to enjoy.

The Shack Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw, Avraham Aviv Alush, Radha Mitchell
• Director: Stuart Hazeldine
• Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: May 30, 2017
• Run Time: 132 minutes

        Faith-based films are slowly improving, getting better scripts and actual actors to play the roles. Gone are the days of Sherwood Pictures, which would make movies with volunteers treating the production like a ministry rather than an art form. But even with these improvements and some actual directors being chosen to helm the projects, there is often still a glaring issue with the motivation of these films. They are often so single-mindedly preoccupied with evangelizing to the audience, they end up feeling more like propaganda than art or entertainment. While The Shack is better than most at this, it still manages to be a slog of a film to sit through. Easily 30-minutes too long, this faithful adaptation of the best-selling book also feels largely unnecessary.

Snitch 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Michael K. Williams, Melina Kanakaredes
• Director: Ric Roman Waugh
• Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 112 minutes

        Snitch was proof that Dwayne Johnson could make movies that didn’t rely on his large physique and ability to handle fight scenes. Despite a few intense sequences, one involving a car chase and some gunplay, Snitch is largely a drama about an average man taking extraordinary measures to protect his son. While this may have done wonders for the credibility of the wrestler turned actor, Snitch is also a bizarre choice for a film to suddenly be chosen for 4K Ultra HD upgrade. Even though it is a competently made thriller, there is really only one scene in nearly two hours of run-time that utilizes the enhanced presentation. That is, unless you find it worthwhile to upgrade merely for HDR of Johnson’s worried face.

Ex Machina 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Chelsea Li, Corey Johnson
• Director: Alex Garland
• Disc Format: 4K, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 108 minutes

        Independent science fiction film Ex Machina is the most inexpensive film to ever win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, which makes it an obvious choice for a 4K upgrade, despite the simplicity of the narrative. Even with the accolades, Ex Machina is a thoughtful film focused on the characters and overall themes rather than moments of special effects. The effects are secondary, though there is no denying the visual enhancement of Ultra HD makes it all the more easy to become immersed in the story.

Dredd Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Langley Kirkwood
• Director: Pete Travis
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: June 6, 2017
• Run Time: 96 minutes

        If audiences found Judge Dredd (1995) too campy and cartoonish in its portrayal of the violent comic book hero, Dredd (2012) heavily overcompensated. The violence level was increased to the point that it felt more like carnage than action, and it was all done with stunning 3D visuals. Even without the 3D (which is available on the Blu-ray disc included in the package), the 4K Ultra HD presentation is among the most impressive I have seen. The only problem is that some of these spectacular visual effects are so horrendously violent that it may be difficult to enjoy how good it looks.

Outsiders: Season Two DVD Review

• Actors: David Morse, Joe Anderson, Gillian Alexy, Ryan Hurst, Kyle Gallner
• Producer: Larry Rapaport
• Disc Format: AC-3, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 23, 2017
• Run Time: 594 minutes

        “Outsiders” is a show that is as frustrating as it is addicting, mostly due to the complete inconsistency of its quality and characters. There are more plot holes than beards and it often feels as though the writers and show-runners are changing mid-season, with the direction of the narrative and the personality of each character shifting at the drop of a hat. Season two made this more apparent than ever, quickly killing off the protagonist from the first season, only to turn two of the main villains into good guys. This is not even taking into consideration how one of them was seemingly resurrected from the dead after being shot in the season one finale, which is accomplished by conveniently changing the location of a point-blank gunshot by at least a foot.

Rock Dog Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, J.K. Simmons, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson
• Director: Ash Brannon
• Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Rated: PG
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: May 23, 2017
• Run Time: 90 minutes

        Rock Dog resembles one of those generic cartoons you put on for children, the kind that are not meant for adults and provide only basic distraction for its intended younger audience. Don’t anticipate any of the characters becoming a household name. If your child is old enough to remember any of them, they are also likely too old to enjoy it. More than anything, Rock Dog feels like a poor amalgamation of several far more successful films in recent past. Imagine Kung-Fu Panda combined with Sing (and a little bit of Zootopia), but without any catchy music, none of the awesome martial arts, and very few laughs. The animation also feels like it was made a decade ago.

Alien Vs. Predator: ANNIHILOCALYPSE Bursts Online!

Just in time to celebrate the release of Alien: Covenant, editor Michael Prince has put together a fan-cut of two past Alien films for your viewing pleasure. Alien Vs Predator: ANNIHILOCALYPSE combines Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) into a master cut, minus the human characters, in order to allow the enjoyment of the iconic face-off without the unnecessary bits. It's campy and fun, while enhancing all of the alien carnage that made fans look forward to the release of these films in the first place.

Between Us DVD Review

• Actors: Olivia Thirlby, Ben Feldman
• Director: Rafael Palacio Illingworth
• Disc Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI Home Video
• DVD Release Date: May 16, 2017
• Run Time: 96 minutes

        Long-term relationships are difficult to get across on film, which is more accustomed and equipped to handle the thrill and passion of love in its early stages. With the average film length typically being no longer than two hours (this one being 94-minutes), it is tricky to convey the comfortable monotony that comes with the day-to-day existence alongside another person, specifically one that began as the aforementioned early love. Between Us is less interested in displaying the effects of falling in love, instead focusing on what it means to love someone long after the fire has subsided. In that regards, it is wholly successful, though many of the scenarios that filmmaker Rafael Palacio Illingworth puts his characters through often feel cliché and contrived.

Duck Dynasty: The Complete Series DVD Review

        In a surprisingly short amount of time, “Duck Dynasty” became more than just a reality TV show; it became a full-forced franchise. With all of the promotional material, clothing, novelty items, and toys for sale, one might assume this series nearly rivals any kid’s series or superhero in popularity. While I know that can’t be true, their following seems to at least have a fraction of the same dedication, if only because they became icons for a section of middle-America rarely represented in the entertainment industry. The product coming from these rich right-wing rednecks may not be anything special, and certainly never resembles reality, but the ideology gave many a reason to support the show. There was some controversy over racist and homophobic comments made by these God-fearing white folks, but that seems to have been what catapulted them into fame rather than hurting their popularity. I may be oversimplifying this some, but in many ways the success of this show also foreshadowed the rise in popularity of Donald Trump.

The Space Between Us Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino, Britt Robertson, BD Wong
• Director: Peter Chelsom
• Writer: Allan Loeb
• Producer: Richard B. Lewis
• Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish, English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Release Date: May 16, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        From the trailer of The Space Between Us, I anticipated an inoffensive (albeit uninspired) movie that would likely appeal to a small demographic of younger teens. What I wasn’t expecting was a film that has absolutely no audience, as the content is questionable for impressionable youths but filled with too many groan-inducing moments for any adult to enjoy. Imagine the polar opposite of an intelligent science fiction film like The Martian (2015) mixed with contrived fish-out-of-water romance elements stolen from Starman (1984) and you may have a chance at anticipating how bad The Space Between Us actually is. I can say without hesitation that this is the worst film I have seen in 2017 thus far, and this is a year that even had a Fifty Shades of Grey sequel.

Fifty Shades Darker Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes
• Director: James Foley
• Writer: Niall Leonard
• Producers: Michael De Luca, E L James, Dana Brunetti, Marcus Viscidi
• Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• Release Date: May 9, 2017
• Digital Copy Expiration Date: May 2, 2018

        They have made it far too easy to bash the Fifty Shades of Grey film franchise, simply by deciding to adapt books that are absolute garbage. The narrative itself is flawed from the very beginning, even more so than the first film. Here’s where reviewing Fifty Shades Darker gets tricky; while the filmmaking has noticeably improved since the first outing, the story being adapted in the second book is even more pointless than the first time around. There is virtually no plot, the characters are poorly developed and often contradictory, and somehow even with increased sex scenes it has become even more blandly forgettable.

The Salesman Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, Mina Sadati
• Director: Asghar Farhadi
• Producer: Asghar Farhadi
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: Farsi
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: May 2, 2017
• Run Time: 124 minutes

        There are numerous ways to approach thinking about The Salesman, a deceptively simple film from Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and the winner of Best Foreign film at this year’s Academy Awards. Although resembling a basic revenge narrative, it is also a film that is distinctly Iranian. At the same time, the film comments on the differences between East and West in the depiction of an Iranian stage adaptation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” But the beauty of Farhadi’s work is not simply that it is a revenge narrative, nor that it has commentary on cultural differences, but in the way that it accomplishes both of these tasks with subtlety and ambiguity. Even as I continue to think about the end, I am constantly faced with shifting certainty about the events in the film and their meaning.

Tunnel DVD Review

• Actors: Jung-Woo Ha, Doona Bae, Oh Dal-Su
• Director: Kim Seong-Hun
• Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
• Language: Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Dubbed: English
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• DVD Release Date: May 2, 2017
• Run Time: 127 minutes

        Disaster films are a difficult sub-genre, relying on the effectiveness of filmmaking to build suspense even when the narrative itself rarely offers many surprises. If it is a disaster film about tornados, the audience is anticipating the specific destruction they will bring. Tunnel has an even harder task, limiting the cast and the number of things that can happen in a confined space after a tunnel collapses as our protagonist is driving through it. In fact, only the first portion of the film actually feels like a disaster movie, with much of the run-time being more of a confined survival narrative.