Black Sails: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper
• Directors: Steven Boyum, Alik Sakharov, Lukas Ettlin, Stefan Schwartz, Neil Marshall
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: Spanish, French
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 3
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 29, 2017
• Run Time: 596 minutes

        Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean is a franchise born from an amusement park ride, and has the same dedication to accuracy in the portrayal of its subject. Dedicated more to the supernatural and fantasy elements than an accurate depiction of pirates, these films failed to capitalize upon the more adult aspects of the men who inspired myths. While “Black Sails” is not entirely born from truth, it embraces realism and stories about actual pirates in the telling of a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.” The first couple of seasons were slow to pick up the pace, leaving some to complain about the numerous scenes of dialogue and minimal activity at sea, but season four is a brutal and emotional resolution to the running narratives from the three before. This means plenty of action and a number of surprising deaths, all leading to an ending that blends seamlessly into the classic work of literature.

Born in China Blu-ray Review

• Actors: John Krasinski, Xun Zhou
• Director: Chuan Lu
• Language: English

        Born in China is another Disneynature film release, which means that the wildlife docudrama is primarily being directed at young audience members, leaving out the bigger issues and harsh realities. It isn’t exactly that the depiction of wildlife has been censored, because there are many tragedies to occur to and around the animals the film chooses to focus on, but the demise of animals is implied rather than explicitly shown. While this may sanitize the film for its G-rating, all parents know that human children are as inquisitive as the baby panda in the film. This inevitably forces the parents watching the film with their child to have the conversation about death that Born in China avoids with some pandering to the common religious beliefs of the region, conveniently aligning with the studio’s “circle of life” philosophy. But this is likely to mean little to young children, who simply want to know what happened to the animals when the camera cut away.

Heal the Living Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Tahar Rahim, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Dorval, Bouli Lanners
• Director: Katell Quillévéré
• Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: August 29, 2017
• Run Time: 104 minutes

        I may not have literally rolled my eyes when I read the description of Heal the Living, but I was certainly in no rush to put the Blu-ray in my player. The plot description reads like a propaganda piece advocating for the importance of a specific medical practice, and the approach of “three seemingly unrelated stories” is taken from the playbook of countless classic experimental foreign films (and a few American imitations), leading me to believe that I knew everything about the film before it even began. And this may have been entirely true, if not for the finesse and artistry of director Katall Quillévéré’s approach to the familiar formula and predictable narrative. Equipped with motifs and metaphors carried through the film in the spectacular imagery of Tom Harari’s cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s resonant score, Quillévéré is able to elevate the simple concepts of Heal the Living script into a true cinematic wonder. 

Kiki DVD Review

• Director: Sara Jordenö
• Disc Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: MPI Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 22, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        In 1990, the documentary Paris is Burning chronicled New York’s drag scene in the 1980s, while examining the significance and success of the balls and the voguing dance style that dominated them. But more than just a film about the LGTB art culture, Paris is Burning was a film that examined the struggle of those perceived as different, adding the struggle of being a racial minority to the judgment about their gender and sexual identities. Paris is Burning was such an important film that Kiki automatically fights an uphill battle of relevance. Choosing the exact same topic and themes, Kiki is a follow-up film that doesn’t dig as deep or add much new to the topic. It is still significant, but somehow feels less important.

Never Let Go DVD Review

• Actors: Angela Dixon, Nigel Whitmey, Rami Nasr, Velibor Topic, Lisa Eichhorn
• Director: Howard Ford
• Producers: Howard Ford, Laura Jane-Stephens, Amir Moallemi
• Disc Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 22, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        For those who thought Kidnap was just a sillier imitation of Taken, Never Let Go provides the same premise with a new low of entertainment standards and logic. Comparisons to the plot may be inevitable, but this film is so bad that it even makes the Taken sequels look like masterpieces by comparison. Never Let Go is highly melodramatic, full of ridiculously bad performances, and void of even a single scene without faulty logic and contrived situations. It seems improbable that there wouldn’t at least be one scene or element that accidentally works, but this is easily the most incompetent filmmaking I have been forced to endure this year.

Kill Switch Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Dan Stevens, Bérénice Marlohe, Tygo Gernandt, Chloe-May Cuthill
• Director: TimSmiT
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 22, 2017
• Run Time: 92 minutes

        There is nothing more disappointing than seeing a promising premise destroyed by failed execution, and that is exactly what we have with Kill Switch. Despite a science fiction narrative that is fairly clever and more original than a majority of this summer’s blockbusters, the bland characters and an unwise decision to film a majority of the movie in first person destroys much of what works. Even with some impressive special effects, this is yet another first-person film to completely disappoint. At the very least, if a film is going to present itself like a film version of a video game, there should be more action and spectacle to justify this decision.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
• Director: James Gunn
• Writer: James Gunn
• Format: NTSC, Subtitled, 4K
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Unknown), Spanish (Unknown)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• Release Date: August 22, 2017
• Run Time: 136 minutes

        I can still remember when people thought that making a film for the Guardians of the Galaxy was a risky choice, and it surprised everyone in its success. Somehow, in the short time since that release, none of the Marvel releases feel even the slightest bit risky. Every film to come out of Marvel Studios feels like a safe bet, guaranteed to make money but also generically mediocre as a result. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 is a perfect example of this, essentially just rehashing the same plot in the same way that The Force Awakens blandly revived the Star Wars franchise. The takeaway seems to be fairly simple; anything owned by Disney will be treated as more of business commodity than an artistic creation. The safe choice is now standard.

The Lincoln Lawyer 4K Ultra HD Review

• Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo
• Director: Brad Furman
• Format: 4K, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 15, 2017
• Run Time: 119 minutes

        The Lincoln Lawyer is a mildly entertaining courtroom thriller, which doesn’t actually spend much time in court. Instead the film relies on many twists and turns of the plot, along with extreme personality traits of the characters, to keep the plot moving forward. Somehow this works in making for an entertaining, albeit slightly predictable, thriller. The decision to rely on the charisma of the cast rather than strengths of the screenplay, however, results in plot developments don’t hold up to repeat viewings. Even in the first viewing of the film, the audience is likely to be less surprised at the revelations of the story than the characters within them. While this may make for mildly distracting viewing, it is hardly an argument for owning the film on home video, much less 4K Ultra HD.  

How to Be a Latin Lover Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raphael Alejandro, Kristen Bell, Rob Lowe
• Director: Ken Marino
• Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 15, 2017
• Run Time: 115 minutes

        Studios are baffled at the decreased ticket sales to blockbusters this summer, despite their efforts to market to the largest demographic possible. Most of the summer blockbusters tried so hard to appeal to a broad audience that they ended up with watered down results from everyone. It didn’t work for many of the comic book action movies, and it doesn’t always work for comedies either, as is evidence by How to Be a Latin Lover. Despite offering innocuous entertainment with sporadic laughs, it is a film that ultimately attempts to appeal to too many audience demographics with varied success.

Wolves DVD Review

• Actors: Michael Shannon, Carla Gugino, Taylor John Smith
• Director: Bart Freundlich
• Disc Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: August 8, 2017
• Run Time: 109 minutes

        Despite a predictable climactic sequence involving an important championship game and countless scenes discussing basketball, Wolves is hardly a sports movie. While it may rely on many of the clichés found in the sports genre, even including Herculean efforts to overcome injury in order to save the team from defeat, Wolves is far more preoccupied with Oedipal melodrama than the action occurring on the court. The title of the film says it all, because even though ‘Wolves’ is the name of the high school basketball team at the center of the film, far more of the film is spent dwelling on the predatory behavior of those surrounding the star player.

Kung Fu Yoga Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Jackie Chan, Aarif Rahman, Lay Zhang
• Director: Stanley Tong
• Format: 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
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: August 8, 2017
• Run Time: 108 minutes

        The appeal of Jackie Chan films used to be his lack of special effects to accomplish the stunts, many of which resulted in actual injury. His days of death-defying stunts are likely long gone, and it is not uncommon for his films to now feature CGI enhancements, but none quite so much as Kung Fu Yoga. The reason for this is not necessarily because of Chan’s age, however, but the decision to make it a co-production between China and India. Bollywood is known for the kind of ridiculous action that uses so many wires and CGI that it never comes close to resembling reality, which is the polar opposite style to Chan’s classic films, many of which were ironically helmed by Kung Fu Yoga director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop).

The Dinner Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny
• Directors: Oren Moverman
• 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: August 8, 2017
• Run Time: 120 minutes

        As the third adaptation of Herman Koch’s novel about the collapse of morality in a civilized society, The Dinner has more than just the source material to compete with. Despite provocative efforts by filmmaker Oren Moverman to adapt the source material in a way that relates to modern American society, it also feels like a movie too aware of the uphill battle it faces, often adding more than the narrative can handle. Ultimately, while individual ideas within the film show flashes of brilliance, the full experience is more over-stuffed than four protagonists after the meal they consume during the two-hour run-time.

The Exception Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Lily James, Jai Courtney, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Marsan, Ben Daniels
• Director: David Leveaux
• Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 8, 2017
• Run Time: 90 minutes

        Mixing fiction with true events and characters based on real people, The Exception is a World War II narrative full of juxtaposition, some more successful than others. It is part thriller, part drama, with a bit of unconvincing romance also thrown in for good measure. The problem is that the film spends much of its running time trying to figure out which of these will take focus, and in the end they all feel substandard. More a success than a failure, The Exception is also entirely forgettable save supporting performances from Christopher Plummer and Eddie Marsan.

The Circle Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt
• Director: James Ponsoldt
• Film Format: AC-3, Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 1, 2017
• Run Time: 110 minutes

        The Circle has potential in its message to carry searing message or political commentary, but screenwriters James Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers (adapted from his novel) are as uncommitted to a single viewpoint as their film is to a genre. Bouncing back and forth between playful satire and sci-fi melodrama, The Circle never actually delivers on the suspense that was promised by the marketing campaign. The result is the feeling that the movie ends before ever digging beneath the surface of its own premise, an error that no amount of opportunistic casting can save the film from.

The Lovers Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross
• Director: Azazel Jacobs
• Film Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: August 1, 2017
• Run Time: 94 minutes

        A comedy about adultery is a hard sell, and one that writer/director Azazel Jacobs commits too completely with The Lovers. Even when the charm of the lead performances begs for a more sentimental shift in the storyline, Jacobs stays dedicated to the ideas in his screenplay rather than the tradition of most romantic comedies or the desires of most viewers. In this sense, The Lovers is a completely successful film experiment that owes a great deal of its likeability to actors Debra Winger and Tracy Letts and their layered performances.

Phoenix Forgotten Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Luke Spencer Roberts, Chelsea Lopez
• Format: AC-3, Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Release Date: August 1, 2017
• Run Time: 87 minutes

        Found footage horror have dual goals that often work against each other. On one hand, after the success of The Blair Witch Project’s unique marketing campaign, there are great efforts by these films to appear as realistic as possible. This often means keeping the action minimal, building on suspense instead. But as they also exist in the horror genre, there is the expectation of some type of payoff and larger this spectacle is, the less realistic it often appears. This forces the filmmakers to do a balancing act that almost always leaves some audience members disappointed. Phoenix Forgotten runs into this problem, mostly due to the inclusion of an unnecessary secondary storyline whose only purpose is to give exposition and pad the run time.

S.W.A.T.: Under Siege Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Adrianne Palicki, Michael White, Ty Olsson
• Director: Tony Giglio
• Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Czech, Russian, Slovak, French, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Estonian, Croatian, Arabic, Korean, Latvian, Hebrew, Norwegian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, Icelandic, Romanian, Thai, Danish, Greek, Turkish, Spanish, English, Lithuanian, Serbian
• Dubbed: French, Hungarian
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Rated: R
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Release Date: August 1, 2017
• Run Time: 89 minutes

        With the low production values and TV actor cast, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege might as well be a pilot for yet another failed series based on a forgotten action film from recent past. Only the computer generated blood and a few four-letter word help distinguish it from something you would see in the saddest time slot of a network station. But as much as this film is poorly constructed, it is just another entry into the continuation of a film franchise that nobody asked for.

The Final Master Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Liao Fan, Jia Song, Wenli Jiang
• Director: Haofeng Zu
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
• Language: Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1), 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 Inc
• Release Date: July 25, 2017
• Run Time: 109 minutes

        There are so many entries into the Chinese martial arts genre that it is rare for a movie to find a unique approach to the material. Writer turned director Haofeng Xu has proved capable of making a traditional martial arts film with his previous films, but he gives audiences something wholly original with The Final Master. Not only does it abandon the traditional focus on honor and loyalty, but he also brings a distinct and realistic fighting style along with the flawed characters. Nobody flies in the air or does other impossible gravity-defying moves in battle, and the camera remains close enough to capture the speed of realistic movements. By allowing the characters and their fighting portrayed as more realistic, Xu makes the narrative more compelling than the average kung-fu film. Not only is this Xu’s best looking film thus far, it is also has the strongest story.

Black Butterfly Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Piper Perabo
• Director: Brian Goodman
• Disc Format: AC-3, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS 5.0)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R
• Studio: LIONSGATE
• Release Date: July 25, 2017
• Run Time: 93 minutes

        The only thing that is worse than a film relying on twists to wrap up its narrative is one that boasts them in the marketing campaign. It isn’t much of a twist if audiences are expecting it, and that is exactly what happens when a movie like Black Butterfly chooses a tagline like “A Killer Story with a Twist.” The solution that director Brian Goodman has is to pile the twists upon each other, each one more ridiculous and insulting than the last. It’s like a Russian nesting doll of bad narrative ideas, all built in a premise that has initial promise. But, I suppose all blame can not be placed on Goodman’s lap, as this isn’t even an original film, adapted from the 2008 French film of the same name. One must also blame the unwillingness of American audiences to watch foreign films, and now many of the same mistakes have been repeated in a different language.

Buster’s Mal Heart Blu-ray Review

• Actors: Rami Malek, DJ Qualls, Lin Shaye
• Director: Sarah Adina Smith
• Disc Format: Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Rated: Not Rated
• Studio: Well Go USA
• Release Date: July 18, 2017
• Run Time: 96 minutes

        Director Sarah Adina Smith describes Buster’s Mal Heart as being a mix of Donnie Darko and Bad Santa, but it mostly feels like a less structured imitation of Donnie Darko that merely features a character wearing a Santa suit. Anyone who has watched Donnie Darko knows of the open-ended ambiguity the film offers, but there are clues to help decipher its meaning with multiple views. Buster’s Mal Heart borrows that among a great deal of other things from Donnie Darko, even if the plots vary. Symbolism, religious metaphors, possible psychological breaks, a period setting, dark humor, and even a science-fiction wormhole amidst theories about the end of the world; all of these elements make Buster’s Mal Heart feel like a film made by someone who loves Donnie Darko enough to borrow heavily from it. But unfortunately, much as it tries, it is not Donnie Darko.