Act of Valor Review

Act of Valor

Year: 2012
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 HR, 51 MIN

Director: Mike McCoy & Scott Waugh
Starring: Nameless Active Duty Navy Seals & Real Actors With Names You Won't Recognize

Film Rating: 2 out of 5

A lot of emphasis has been made about the use of real Navy Seals as the stars of Act of Valor along with the authentic weapons and tactics featured in the film. When I hear keywords like "authentic" my mind automatically starts to think of uncomplimentary words like "stale" and "dry" and when you have real Navy Seals as the stars I start to think of military propaganda. So is Act of Valor an entertaining film based in reality or large budgeted recruitment film?

The plot of Act of Valor is a secondary concern to the realism the filmmakers are trying to capture. Act of Valor has more in common with a Modern Warfare video game than it does any conventional military film I've ever seen. The Seals are whipped around the world at a dizzying speed to fight American hating Arab and Euro-trash terrorists all around the globe. This is done with all the finesse of a major platform video game without any prompting to save your game between levels while firmly nailing home the pro-American, pro-family, and most importantly the pro-Navy Seal message.

Technically Act of Valor is badass and delivers riveting action in spades. On more than one occasion I was impressed with the realistic stunt work which showcased some interesting military maneuvers and technology that I had never seen outside of programming seen on the Military Channel. Audiences that have grown tired of endless hand held camera usage that is sometime nauseating won’t find any relief here but I thought it accomplished what it was aiming to do which was put ‘you’ into the action. Where the action stumbles is with the first person footage that really hits home the Modern Warfare feel of the film. I’ve never been a big fan of gun mounted camera footage since it screams “gimmicky” to me and Act of Valor did little to change that opinion. The good aspects of the action far outweigh the gimmicky aspects and in a film that relies so heavily on the action that’s important.

Where Act of Valor falls flat is with its script and acting. A “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” conundrum is created by 300 writer Kurt Johnstad’s and the Navy Seals/actors. My causality dilemma follows the logic that Navy Seals are bad actors to begin with and that a cliché ridden script does them no favors and makes their acting seem even worse. I feel bad criticizing real soldiers for not having much acting talent but there’s no way around the fact that when the Seals are forced to act with words and not guns Act of Valor feels like a big budget America’s Most Wanted segment. Making matters worse is the film is peppered with real actors which makes you feel like you’re watching three different films; a clichéd military film with really bad actors, a film about terrorists with real actors, and a well made action film with real soldiers. It’s a very disjointed experience which as a whole doesn’t work well together.

I’m not sure if any screenwriter would have been able to write a script that the Seals would have been able to make work. The Navy Seals have particular skills that make them excellent Navy Seals but not good actors just as some real actors have the skills to be great actors but if they were soldiers they would only be cannon fodder. Casting real Navy Seals did add authenticity to the action but their amateur acting robbed the film of realism everywhere else.

Not helping matters either is the film’s heavy handed message of duty, honor, and family which should have been utilized like a sniper making a silent kill but instead is thrown into the film like a hand grenade. It takes a certain amount of finesse and skill to weave narration into a film not only from the writer but also the actor tasked with telling the story. The narration throughout 300 worked; here it feels forced and exceptionally corny. The clichéd war movie dialogue wears thin and is exacerbated by the amateur acting that can’t even come close to making any of it sound natural. Thankfully Act of Valor falls short of becoming a fully fledged Why We Fight style propaganda film or Top Gun-esque recruitment film but that doesn’t mean you won’t smirk and quietly chant “USA! USA! USA!”

I'd be remiss not to mention that at least one real Navy Seal had some decent acting chops.  The bearded team leader that interrogates the Euro-trash bad guy is a downright joy to watch especially compared to his fellow Seals.  I dunno if he's a better actor because he has to 'play' a role when interrogating in real life but he was the only Seal with significant lines that didn't immediately remind me of the fact that I was watching a film filled with amateur actors.

Act of Valor isn't a terrible film but a terrible mistake was made by casting real soldiers to play the leads instead of seasoned actors.  The action sequences throughout the film are engaging and the stunt work is well executed but the film suffers from a clichéd plot, cringe worthy dialogue delivered by amateur actors, and a slightly propagandist tone.  Keep your expectations in check; go and enjoy action but don't be surprised if you're rolling your eyes a lot once everyone holsters their weapons.

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This Means War Review

This Means War

Year: 2012
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 HR, 38 MIN

Director: McG
Starring: Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, Til Schweiger, Chelsea Handler, and Angela Bassett

Film Rating: 2 out of 5

Films released in time for Valentine’s Day usually have a way of being avoided by me completely as evidenced by the fact that I have not and will not be reviewing The Vow.  I have very little interest in that kind of film which I tend to associate with lonely women with too many cats trying to find an excuse to be out of house filled with sadness and broken dreams.  On the other end of the lonely spectrum, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was released this past weekend to entice the oily, crumb covered, mouth breathing Casanovas out of their mother’s basement for a few hours over this love filled holiday weekend.  For everyone that could scrounge up a date that hadn't taken the poverbal 'suicide by film' route This Means War was the obvious choice.

To put it simply This Means War is Sweet Home Alabama with spies but slightly less time is spent with Reese Witherspoon and there is more emphasis put on the male leads.  To be fair it’s not quite that simple but it’s also not too far from the truth.  CIA Agents FDR Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) are put on desk duty after their latest assignment isn’t as covert as their boss would like.  Meanwhile, Trish (Chelsea Handler) creates an online dating profile for her beautiful, successful, and extremely lonely friend Lauren (Reese Witherspoon).  Initially horrified by the prospect of online dating Lauren quickly changes here tune after seeing the ‘stunning’ photo of Tuck and they agree to meet.  Equally horrified that his partner is meeting a woman off a dating service, FDR wants to back Tuck up in case the date turns out to be a disaster.  Luckily for Lauren and Tuck their date goes superbly, unfortunately FDR runs into Lauren afterwards and inadvertently asks Lauren out not realizing that she was Tuck’s date.  Lauren of course doesn’t know what to do and the boys eventually find out they’re both dating the same girl and they proudly announce that… This Means War.

As an action film This Means War is a failure; aside from a brief and incoherent gun battle at the beginning and the phoned in and equally brief and incoherent gun battle at the end of the film This Means War is little more than a romantic-comedy.  Before viewing This Means War I was assuming it would be more action than romantic comedy; the type of film that a guy could try and convince a girl to go to because of the romance.  As it turns out the girls should be trying to convince the guys to see it with the argument that "It’s a romantic-comedy... with action… there’s something for both of us."  To a certain extent that's true, This Means War isn't an action extravaganza by any means but the witty dialogue between Pine and Hardy is a blast and the dueling date montage keeps an otherwise mediocre film afloat.

What sinks This Means War more than the lack of action is the recycled rom-com plot.  As I mentioned earlier it has a very non-complimentary Sweet Home Alabama feel to it.  I found that plot to be somewhat offensive because of the sexual double standard it presented and ten years later it still bothers me.  Imagine if This Means War centered around a good looking single man that was dating two beautiful women.  Both women, at least on the surface seemed like genuinely good people but he hid the fact that he was dating them both until he could base his decision on their sexual performance.  Let that sink in for a moment... that sounds a lot more like a late night Skinamax flick than a big budget Hollywood romantic-comedy doesn't it?

This Means War is directed by action hack McG who has previous works include the manic Charlie’s Angels films, the uncharacteristic We Are Marshall, and the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ puss-fess Terminator: Salvation.  I can honestly say that This Means War is probably his most enjoyable film thus far but unfortunately that’s not high praise because it’s just as manic and two-faced as most other McG films.  People are always very tough on director's like Michael Bay for their disjointed action sequences but I'd say McG is even worse.  For all of Michael Bay's considerable faults I think he usually delivers on at least half of what he advertises which can lead to a (stupidly) entertaining film, simply put McG continues not to deliver.

Pine and Hardy are very enjoyable in their respective roles and their dueling dialogue keeps the paint by numbers story from being completely devoid of entertainment value.  The script was handled by the creative minds behind Role Models and Sherlock Holmes which are two films that also include a lot of 'brotastic' dialogue.  Not nearly as enjoyable is Reese Witherspoon who is perfectly cute but who's personality is as unattractive as the film is action packed.  Rounding out the main cast is the loved and hated Chelsea Handler who I thought did pretty well in a one-dimensional role, not fairing as well is Til Schweiger who is equally one-dimensional but is completely wasted being the boring European villain.

I didn't hate This Means War but I certainly didn't love it either.  The Sweet Home Alabama plot, morally bankrupt leading lady, and lack of action outweigh the Chris Pine and Tom Hardy's enjoyable banter.  I doubt I'll ever watch This Means War again because it's a fundamentally flawed film with far too little working in its favor. 

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New to Blu-ray on February 21, 2012

New to Blu-ray on February 21, 2012

Last week was a bit of a disappointment with only a few new releases and only one notable catalog release.  This week has more new releases but it's still a bit of a mixed bag with one of last years better animated films being released plus two films that received very mixed reviews.  Also being released this week are two well reviewed independent films, new seasons from two of Showtime's most popular shows, and a James Stewart classic.

New Releases

Puss in Boots- The Shrek spinoff makes its way to Blu-ray courtesy of two releases that both feature deleted scenes, an animated short, and other interactive features;

• Puss in Boots 3D (3D Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy)
• Puss in Boots (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy)

Tower Heist- Special Features include

• Commentary track with director Brett Ratner, editor Mark Helfrich, and co-writers Ted Griffin & Jeff Nathanson
• Featurettes
• Alternate endings, deleted scenes, and alternate scenes
• Gag reel 
• Blu-ray Execlusives include a Tower Heist video diary, a U-Control picture-in-picture feature, and The Music of Tower Heist feature.

J. Edgar- Clint Eastwood’s latest biopic comes to Blu-ray with very few special features aside from an 18 minute long documentary called The Most Powerful Man in the World that goes into greater detail about the career and personal life of the J. Edgar Hoover. Also available: J. Edgar (movie-only edition)

Other New Releases: Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Way, Nurse Jackie: Season Three, Weeds: Season Seven, and London Boulevard

Catalog Release(s)

Anatomy of a Murder- Available from Criterion who has meticulously restored both the video and audio and has created a large assortment of special features including:

• New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• New alternate 5.1 soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio
• New interview with Otto Preminger biographer Foster Hirsch
• Critic Gary Giddins explores Duke Ellington's score in a new interview
• A look at the relationship between graphic designer Saul Bass and Preminger
• Newsreel footage from the set
• Excerpts from a 1967 episode of Firing Line
• Excerpts from the work in progress Anatomy of "Anatomy": The Making of a Movie
• Behind-the-scenes photographs by Life magazine's Gjon Mili
• Theatrical Trailer, featuring on-set footage
• A booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick Pinkerton and more

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New to Blu-ray on February 14, 2012

New to Blu-ray on February 14, 2012

There are slow weeks and then there are SLOW WEEKS and this definitely qualifies as the latter.  There’s only one major new release, followed by two art house films, and two television shows making their Blu-ray premiere.  What’s even more disappointing is that there is only one major catalog release; thankfully it is an extremely distinguished film that deserves to be seen in High Definition.

New Releases

The Rum Diary- A very average movie comes to Blu-ray very light on extras for Hunter S. Thompson fans that might have been hoping for some more insight into the eccentric author’s life.  Read my review of the film HERE.

Human Centipede II: Full Sequence- More sewing of people’s assholes to other people’s faces.  I haven’t seen it and I don’t expect to see it anytime soon.

Take Shelter- Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Shannon stars as a man who is suffering from apocalyptic visions and takes drastic measures to keep his family safe in an underground shelter.  Includes a commentary track with director Jeff Nchols & Michael Shannon, a behind the scenes featurette, and Q&A session, and deleted scenes.

Other New Releases: Beavis & Butthead: Volume 4, Hawaii Five O: The First Season

Catalog Release(s)

All Quiet on the Western Front- One of the earliest anti-war films comes to Blu-ray after being meticulously restored.  This digi-book edition also includes a standard definition version of the silent film version from the Library of Congress.  Also included is the theatrical reissue trailer, a restoration featurette, an Academy Award featurette, and a film introduction by TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne. Also include a DVD and Digital Copy of the film.

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Star Trek The Next Generation - The Next Level Blu-ray Review

Star Trek The Next Generation

The Next Level

Blu-ray Review

Later this year Star Trek: The Next Generation will celebrate its 25^th anniversary.  Twenty-five years is a long time, if you recall the Star Trek franchise was only 21 years old when TNG premiered.  I, on the other hand was a little over 5 years when ‘Next Gen’ blew into my life at warp speed and irreparably changed my taste in TV & movies forever.  As a kid and even well into my teens I was never really bothered by the relatively poor quality of the show because I didn’t know any different.  With each passing year home video technology has improved, it is now to a point to where a show that I once thought looked cutting edge now looks decidedly poor and without any of the glory it once held.  Thankfully due to several factors including the success of 2009's Star Trek reboot, the Original Series successful high definition restoration, continued interest in TNG, and TNG's upcoming 25th 'birthday' Paramount and CBS Films decided last year to commit to restoring The Next Generation so that future generations may enjoy for years to come.

Star Trek The Next Generation is beaming down on Blu-ray courtesy of a sampler disc that is not so cleverly titled 'The Next Level' that includes three TNG episodes housed on a single Blu-ray disc.  The three episodes chosen for this sampler disc are the feature length pilot episode Encounter at Farpoint, the third season episode Sins of the Father, and the fifth season Hugo Award Winner The Inner Light. 

Film Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Both casual and die hard fans of the show might be left a little perplexed as to why these particular episodes were chosen.  I can't say with any certainty why these three episodes were chosen; Paramount and CBS Films have been rather tight lipped about their reasoning but I do have a few theories.

Encounter at Farpoint-  Most Star Trek fans would agree that TNG's pilot episode isn't a very good episode.  It does a pretty good job of introducing all of the characters including one of the franchises more enduring villains but in a lot of ways it's a very bad episode.  The writing is very wooden, some characters bare very little resemblance to the characters they would later become, and the show's look on a technical level leaves a lot to be desired.  The first two seasons of TNG have a much softer look than the remainder of the series and that's especially true during Encounter at Farpoint.  Not only are the special effects incredibly soft but the entire episode is very soft even when compared to other first season episodes.  A lot of this has to do with the how TNG was shot which was quite a departure to how most shows were done at the time.  TNG was shot on film but was edited on video which led to the show's soft look.  Eventually the technology and the process involved improved and in terms of overall quality the shows began to look much better by season three.

The fact that the first episode is a logical place to start a sampler disc and that Encounter at Farpoint is one of the series "ugliest" episodes is why I think this episode was included on the disc.  Encounter at Farpoint is not one of TNG's heavier action packed, special effects filled episodes but it will be one that will showoff the improvements that remastering the show in HD can pull off.  Like the Original Series, TNG is receiving retouched special effects; shots featuring the Enterprise have been re-scanned from the original camera negatives because editing the show on video rendered those effects unusable because they are forever stuck in a 480P/SD purgatory.  Some CGI has been applied but it so far does not look out of place and as you'll see later actually makes many shots looks a lot better because it replaces some of the TNG's cost cutting special effects butchering like reusing old effects from previous Star Trek movies like The Search for Spock.

Click to enlarge any picture

For more screenshot comparisons from Encounter at Farpoint click HERE.

Sins of the Father-  This is one TNG's first continuing storylines which is something that the franchise had been avoiding due to Gene Roddenberry's desire to have the series have self contained episodes where everything is neatly wrapped up for the next episode.  Sins of the Father isn't heavy on special effects but it does have the honor of being the first episode to show the Klingon homeworld brought to life courtesy of matte paintings that now look great after being remastered in HD.  The opening shot of the Enterprise and the Klingon Bird of Prey has also been improved by replacing the old Bird of Prey footage from Star Trek III with a new CGI Bird of Prey that looks light years better than its SD counterpart.

Click to enlarge any picture

For more screenshot comparisons from Sins of the Father click HERE.

The Inner Light-  Widely considered to be one the series best episodes and is Patrick Stewart's favorite episode.  This might be the most perplexing episode on the sampler disc since it has very few typical Star Trek special effects such as space battles or phaser fights but it does have some impressive remastered matte paintings and complex aging makeup especially in regard to Picard.  It might not be the most obvious choice for the sampler disc but it does show off how good the writing is on TNG and how subtly the re-composition and CGI can reinvigorate an aging show.

Click to enlarge any picture

For more screenshot comparisons from The Inner Light click HERE.

Video Quality: 5 out of 5 stars

To say this Blu-ray is a revelation is an understatement.  It surpassed my expectations in almost every conceivable way.  The most notable improvement is in terms of resolution but to a certain degree the added resolution is a double edged sword.  The added clarity is for the most part wonderful but you'll also notice a lot more imperfections in the sets, uniforms, and in the show in general.  With that said none of those imperfections bothered me one bit as I felt it added a bit of old school charm to the show.  Aside from the dramatic improvement in resolution you'll also notice that colors pop; if you need proof just take a look a look at the red, blue, and gold uniforms and how they compare to their washed out SD cousins.  Black levels are also greatly improved with shots being damn near inky instead of just a dark, dark blue or grey.  There's a thin layer of grain present that might catch some viewers off guard, it's perfectly natural and just wasn't visible before because of the low resolution of Standard Definition.

There have been some complaints about TNG's aspect ratio not being updated to 16:9 to fit widescreen televisions and instead being left in its original 4:3 aspect ratio.  As a bit of a film purest I have absolutely no issue with the show being kept in its original aspect ratio because it retains the original director's and cinematographer's composition.  Changing TNG to 16:9 would require re-framing the entire show by zooming in and cropping the 4:3 image and a large portion of the original onscreen information would be lost which is just as unacceptable to me as colorizing a black & white movie or what George Lucas has done to Star Wars.  What eagle eyed viewers may notice however is the image is slightly larger than the Netflix or DVD counterpart.  A very small amount of cropping was applied to the top and bottom of the frame while the left and right portions have been expanded to include just a little more information.  It's only really noticeable through direct side-by-side comparison but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Audio Quality: 4 out of 5 stars

Back in 2002 when TNG was released on DVD a big deal was made of it being remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 but unfortunately it wasn't as big of a deal as Paramount made it out to be.  TNG was originally broadcast in stereo but even after a 5.1 remix the soundtrack was extremely front heavy with the surround speakers only being used sparingly.  For this release and for future complete seasons TNG will be released in DTS-HD MA 7.1 and in DTS-HD MA 2.0 soundtracks.  Both sound excellent; the 7.1 soundtrack still doesn't sound as good as any of the Star Trek feature films but at the same time none of these episodes are particularly action packed.  Photon torpedoes, the jump to warp speed, and the general noises of the Enterprise all sound great however and the ambient noise is more precise than the 10 year old DVD counterpart.  Jerry Goldsmith's opening credit theme and the show's normal music also sound better than I've ever heard them before with perhaps the exception being when I've heard Jerry Goldsmith's theme in several theatrical presentations.  Dialogue is always crystal clear, well focused in the center channel, and appropriately punchy when need be.  For those looking to enjoy TNG in a more 1987 sort of way the 2.0 track will more than suffice.  The 2.0 track isn't quite as good; your subwoofer and surround speakers won't get as much of a workout but the main sound stage is perfectly serviceable and dialogue is still clear as a bell.

Special Features: 1 out of 5 stars

If you're looking for a lot of special features than you're going to be disappointed but keep in mind that this is only a sampler disc which is meant to "wet your whistle" for the upcoming full seasons.  The only extras included on this release are:

• Star Trek The Next Generation Season One Trailer
• There are some new clips from several season one episodes.
• Star Trek PADD
• iPad App Promo
• A Hint of HD "Star Trek: The Next Generation" HD Teaser Promo
• Original promo for the Sampler

Conclusion: 4 out of 5 stars

So should you pick up this sampler disc?  Truthfully I don't know, it depends on how big of a Star Trek fan you are.  It's not particularly expensive, it can be picked up for about $15 but it does only contain three episodes with almost zero special features.  In my honest opinion if you're fan of the show this is an easy way to show your support (and interest) in seeing The Next Generation on Blu-ray.  CBS and Paramount are spending a lot of money on remastering this series and their continued support might come down to how well this disc and TNG's first season sell later this year.  For me it was a no-brainer and now that I've seen some of the finished project I'm even more excited about TNG on Blu-ray than I was before.  While the episodes they chose to put on this sampler disc might perplex some the end results are nothing less than spectacular.  This is as close as you're going to get to experiencing The Next Generation again for the first time outside of suffering from amnesia or Alzheimer's.  I highly recommend it... Make it So!

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Safe House Review

Safe House

Year: 2012
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 HR, 55 MIN

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Rubén Blades, Fares Fares, Liam Cunningham, and Robert Patrick

Film Rating: 3 out of 5

Last year I was rough on Ryan Reynolds, his performances in The Green Lantern and The Change-Up were both terrible and I questioned why he was still considered a box office draw.  After The Green Lantern I also questioned his abilities as a dramatic actor and whether he could lead a film that didn't require him to play the thirty something version of Van Wilder.  My conclusion was that he couldn't.  Today it appears I'm going to eat some humble pie, I'm not going to eat the whole thing but I'm going to admit something I didn't think I'd ever have to admit here... Ryan Reynolds didn't ruin Safe House.

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a young, inexperienced CIA Agent stationed at a secret 'safe house' in South Africa.  He is desperate for a transfer to Paris that will allow him to move with his girlfriend that is completely unaware that she is dating a spook.  Weston's boring day-to-day life is interrupted when he receives the call that he is receiving an unexpected guest in the form of the disgraced CIA Agent Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) who mysteriously turned himself in to US Authorities.  During his interrogation the safe house is breached by insurgents and Weston is forced to escape with Frost in tow.  Now on the run Weston must keep Frost safe and in custody but Frost has an agenda all his own.

While it doesn't re-event the wheel by any means Safe House is a decent action thriller.  Even with Ryan "Van Wilder" Reynolds being the secondary leading man Safe House has an amazing cast.  Denzel Washington's portrayal of Tobin Frost is 3/4ths Creasy from Man on Fire and 1/4th Alonzo Harris from Training Day.  His performance actually elevates the normally weak Reynolds into a respectable co-star in much the same way as the cast of Smokin' Aces made him seem decently 'un-lame.'  It was a pleasant surprise not having Reynolds playing his normal nauseating character that always has the same shit eating grin and cocky smart ass attitude.  I actually have a small amount of respect for the man now because he really appears to have put some work into Safe House and it shows.  I am somewhat disappointed in the fact that it did take less than a minute for Reynolds to find an excuse to take his shirt off but I guess they wanted to appease the ladies in the audience quickly.

The majority of the supporting cast is filled with actors that are comfortable playing both bit parts as well as being in a leading role like Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, and Sam Shepard.  When Washington and Reynolds aren't on screen the film doesn't suffer from sufficient star power but it does suffer a telegraphed script that is insultingly transparent.  Characters are given blatant dialogue that only serves to try and mislead the audience but it's so poorly executed that it almost caused my eyes to roll right out of my head.  Equally cringe worthy are the moments when the camera lingers too long on a particular character not so subtly hinting at an ulterior motive.  It's a shame that an otherwise interesting plot is hindered by some lazy and obvious plot points.

While the storyline featuring the secondary characters might be a bit lame the Washington-Reynolds plot works very well.  As I mentioned earlier, Reynolds manages not to ruin the film and Washington continues to show why he's still a bankable star.  Where Safe House really excels is in terms of action and is one of the better R-rated action films I've seen in recent memory.  The main siege on the safe house is incredibly intricate with a great looking set and a well choreographed gun battle.  The safe house attack is the most impressive action piece but it's by no means the only one.  There are several exciting car chases, some brutal hand to hand combat, and gun battles galore that help Safe House overcome some of its plot deficiencies.  Setting Safe House in Johannesburg, South Africa is also a huge bonus as it's an unusual and striking location.  As an added "bonus" you'll get to hear the World Cup musical instrument of choice, the vuvuzela in all of its annoying glory on the big screen

I don't think this lovely scene made it into the final scene but... here it is anyways.

Great action sequences, another great performance by Denzel Washington, and some surprisingly tolerable acting by Ryan Reynolds helps make Safe House an entertaining diversion.  Unfortunately, some poor script decisions hamper the film and in the long run keep it from being an outstanding example of the genre.  With that said if you're an action fan with reasonable expectations then it's a pretty safe bet that you'll enjoy Safe House (pun intended).

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New to Blu-ray on February 7, 2012

New to Blu-ray on February 7, 2012

Last week was a huge week for Blu-ray releases with some great films being released.  This week doesn't feature as many big releases but there are a few titles of interest including the latest adventure of Harold & Kumar, a Disney animated classic, several interesting catalog titles, and on Friday everyone can get their Bella, Edward, and Jacob fix with the release of the latest Twilight film.

New Releases

02-07-12

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas- Available as a Movie-Only Edition (with an UltraViolet Digital Copy) or in the ‘A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas’ which includes an extended cut of the film running six minutes longer than the theatrical cut, several featurettes, and deleted scenes.  The 'A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas' also includes a DVD & UltraViolet Digital Copy.  

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas- Same set as the 'Extra Dope Edition' except it includes a 3D copy of the film.  Read my theatrical review of A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas HERE.

Other New Releases: Anonymous

02-10-12

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I- Terrible film, read my full review HERE.  Extras include:

• Commentary by director Bill Condon
• Bella and Edward's wedding video
• Three Twilight character features:- Jacob's Destiny
• Edward Fast Forward
• Jacob Fast Forward
• Six-part behind-the-scenes documentary

Catalog Releases

Lady and the Tramp- Two separate releases with the same special features including deleted scenes, a never before seen musical number, and several new featurettes.

• Lady and the Tramp (Three Disc: Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy)
• Lady and the Tramp (Two Disc: Blu-ray and DVD)

Other Catalog Releases- Dangerous Liaisons, Casino Royale (1967), Love Story, Throw Momma From the Train, A Star is Born, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003), and Dreamgirls

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