REAL MOVIE NEWS

Dirty Dancing DVD Review

Actors: Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger, Tony Roberts
Director: Wayne Blair
Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region 1
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: June 27, 2017
Run Time: 135 minutes

Dirty Dancing is a film which has had lasting success, despite being of questionable quality. It is the type of film that has a dedicated fanbase willing to ignore any critical shortcomings, and we have seen this taken advantage of with countless anniversary releases, a sequel (by name only), a stage version, and now an ABC original TV movie adaptation of the original. Wholly unnecessary, horrendously miscast, and torturously overlong, fans of the original were quick to denounce this remake when it aired on television just over a month ago. Rather than extending the embarrassment any longer than necessary, the film has quickly been released on DVD for suckers mistaking the similar cover art for the original campy cult classic.

Wilson Blu-ray Review

Actors: Woody Harrelson, Shaun Brown, Brett Gelman, Sandy Oian, James Robert Miller
Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Dubbed: French, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Rated: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Run Time: 95 minutes

Wilson, the title character embodied by actor Woody Harrelson in this dark independent comedy, exists above the formulaic aspects of the narrative. Grumpy and prone to angry rants against the state of humanity, Wilson is also lonely and often breaks all social boundaries in order to make connections with any random person he encounters, making him a contradiction of personality quirks. And yet it all somehow works, and Harrelson is able to flesh the man out in a way that feels sincere, even if the film that this character exists in often has even less of an idea what to do with him than the strangers he encounters. In the end, this feels like a comedic character study lacking clear direction, and as a result it often reaches for formulaic resolution to unique set-ups.

Railroad Tigers Blu-ray Review

Actors: Jackie Chan, Jaycee Chan, Zitao Huang
Director: Ding Sheng
Disc Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
Subtitles: English
Dubbed: English
Region: Region A/1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Rated: Not Rated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Run Time: 125 minutes

Jackie Chan has often named Harold Lloyd as a major influencer in his career of physically demanding action comedy, but it seems like Buster Keaton may have had more of an impact on his latest film, Railroad Tigers. Along with a healthy dose of humor parodying the Japanese that once occupied China, Railroad Tigers has endless scenes of action hijinks aboard a train, bringing to mind Keaton’s iconic masterpiece, The General. Even though these films share a great deal, including a finale with a massive train crash, Railroad Tigers is likely to leave many longing for the cutting edge filmmaking of 1926, mostly because of how much more convincing the effects were back then. Although Railroad Tigers has some practical effects and physical stunt-work to keep it engaging, there are also enough sequences of mediocre CGI to destroy any suspension of disbelief needed for the desired emotional impact.

Altitude Blu-ray Review

Actors: Dolph Lundgren, Denise Richards, Greer Grammer, Chuck Liddell
Director: Alex Merkin
Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Run Time: 88 minutes

Bad low budget action movies starring Dolph Lundgren have become increasingly common, as we rarely see the chemical engineer turned actor on the big screen (outside of The Expendables franchise) anymore. Those prepared to be disappointed by another project obviously done for the paycheck are going to be let down even more by the fact that Lundgren isn’t even the leading actor or the hero. Instead, Lundgren is demoted to the role of generic bad guy, while Denise Richards inexplicably attempts to fill the role of hero. Those who were baffled by Richards’ attempt at playing a nuclear physicist in the James Bond franchise (coincidentally the same franchise that gave Lundgren his start in the film industry) will be just as baffled by her casting as an FBI hostage negotiator, who single-handedly thwarts a plane hijacking in Altitude.

Life Blu-ray Review

Actors: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Producers: David Ellison, Julie Lynn, Bonnie Curtis, Dana Goldberg
Language: English
Subtitles: Portuguese, Malay, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Indonesian, Cantonese, Thai, Spanish, English
Dubbed: Portuguese, French, Thai, Spanish
Audio Description: English
Region: All Regions
Rated: R
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Digital Copy Expiration Date: December 31, 2019
Run Time: 104 minutes

There isn’t much that is original about Life, including the name (not two years ago the same title was used for a film about a James Dean article written for Life Magazine, and let’s not forget the Eddie Murphy period prison comedy from 1999), but this is still one of the most entertaining films to come out in 2017. It is basically just Alien with cinematography that feels heavily inspired by Gravity, but it provides purer thrills than were found in the actual Alien sequel released this year. It won’t be winning any awards and has no chance of the same cultural impact, but Life does provide a gripping viewing experience for those willing to let go and enjoy the ride.

Mine Blu-ray Review

Actors: Tom Cullen, Armie Hammer, Annabelle Wallis
Directors: Fabio Resinaro, Fabio Guaglione
Disc Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (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 13, 2017
Run Time: 106 minutes

Mine attempts to do something unique with its survival tale, keeping the protagonist stuck in the same spot for most of the film. There are two reasons it is not entirely successful, and the first is that this idea is far from original. The easiest comparison to make would be 127 Hrs. and recently released The Wall, though moments may also call to mind Buried, All is Lost, and even Vehicle 19 or Locke. The second reason that the film eventually overstays its welcome is a reliance on hallucinations/dream sequences and flashbacks over the tension of the situation at hand. There may be little excitement in watching a man stand stationary for over an hour, but there is even less in the melodrama of his ordinary life.

3 Generations Blu-ray Review

Actors: Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Tate Donovan, Linda Emond
Director: Gaby Dellal
Disc Format: NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG-13
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Run Time: 92 minutes

While I appreciate a film attempting to address hot button topics, this needs to be done in a way that is intelligent and thoughtful. It is not merely enough to make a movie about a transgender teenager as she navigates the tough road to becoming transsexual. Some might argue that any film with this topic is a step in the right direction, because at least these characters are being depicted onscreen, but the film also has to be good in order for people to see it. If nobody sees the film, it doesn’t much help the conversation, and I definitely would not recommend 3 Generations to anyone, in or out of the LGTBQ community. This is a poorly made film full of contrivances and unsympathetic characters, badly written and lazily directed. Worst of all, the transgender character is not even the main focus of the narrative, despite being at the center of it.

Chapter & Verse DVD Review

Actors: Daniel Beaty, Loretta Devine, Omari Hardwick, Selenis Leyva, Marc John Jefferies
Director: Jamal Joseph
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: June 13, 2017
Run Time: 100 minutes

Chapter & Verse suffers from a familiar narrative, which leads audiences down expected paths to an inevitable conclusion. The predictability of the story could easily have rendered the film irrelevant, but it somehow remains compelling thanks to a screenplay co-written by star and director, which feels poetic without being overworked. It has the raw honesty and realism that Barry Jenkins was praised for last year and the social realism that Spike Lee built his career upon, even if missing the distinct directorial style that each of these directors put in their films.

Alone in Berlin DVD Review

Actors: Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Brühl
Director: Vincent Perez
Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: R
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Run Time: 95 minutes

Actor-turned-director Vincent Pérez was already facing an uphill battle when he decided to make a film based on Hans Fallada’s novel about a middle-aged Berlin couple quietly resisting against the brutality of the Nazi regime. As intriguing as the concept sounds, the form of resistance taken was as unexciting as possible. There are no battles against the violence, speeches about the terror, or collaboration with enemies fighting the Nazis directly. Instead, the film centers on a silent resistance against Nazi propaganda, which means the primary action involves our protagonist writing postcards.

Bitter Harvest DVD Review

Actors: Max Irons, Samantha Barks, Barry Pepper, Terence Stamp
Director: George Mendeluk
Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region: Region1
Rated: R
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Run Time: 103 minutes

Ever since James Cameron successfully mixed a fictional love story in with true-life tragedy in Titanic, there have been countless other failed attempts to do the same. Peal Harbor copied the formula almost exactly, even including an unnecessary love triangle to take over the narrative. You might think that filmmakers would realize that this is a misstep, and almost seems to trivialize the real-life events, but Bitter Harvest compounds these mistakes by placing them in a film about one of the largest genocides in history. Rather than focusing on the massive scale of the real-world atrocities, director/co-writer George Mendeluk mistakenly spends a majority of the film narrowing the scope to the fictional experiences of a single couple.

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.

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