Found 69 posts tagged as "DVD Reviews"
Albert Nobbs
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 5/10
Headlining this week's DVD picks is the exquisitely nuanced period drama, Albert Nobbs. Nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Janet McTeer), and Best Makeup, Nobbs is a beautifully crafted film whose themes of gender, social identity, secrecy, and self-perception transcend the barriers of time and place. Returning to the nominal role she first played on stage, Close delivers a subtle yet powerful performance as a woman posing as a male butler in late 19th Century Dublin. If you didn't get the chance to see this movie in theatres, I highly recommend you do so now. Despite its slow pace, Albert Nobbs is well worth your time in the end.
Underworld: Awakening
Movie Rating: 6/10 Disc Rating: 8.5/10
Like the other three films in the franchise, Underworld: Awakening is a guilty pleasure of mine. I just can't help it; there's something about them that draws me in. Sure, in terms of their overall feel and video game-like atmosphere, each instalment is more or less the same, but with slick direction, impressive action scenes, and Kate Beckinsale kicking ass in a tight leather suit, who are we to complain? With that said, it should come as no surprise that Underworld: Awakening followed in the tradition of the franchise and delivered on all the abovementioned goods.
Haywire
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 7/10
With today's Blu-ray release of Haywire, now is your chance to watch (or revisit) MMA star Gina Carano's first leading role performance. To those who haven't seen the movie yet, it should come as no surprise that in playing the revenge-seeking black ops super solider, Mallory Kane, Carano is ice-cold in her delivery. For the most part, her style works relatively well, but that's not what makes Haywire a memorable flick. What really makes this action-thriller work is the stimulating manner in which its script, cinematography, editing, score, and sound design all fuse together under the helm of Steven Soderbergh to create something fresh.
Contraband
Movie Rating: 5/10 Disc Rating: 5.5/10
While it would be all too easy to classify Contraband under the redundant heading of "it is what it is", doing so would only be granting it an unwarranted pass. More than just a messy, derivative, clichéd caper saga, this Mark Wahlberg vehicle piece exhibits a trait far more sinful for run-of-the-mill action flicks: monotony. Building off a simplistic conflict in which Wahlberg's brother-in-law is in need of protection from a ruthless drug lord (Giovanni Ribisi), Contraband grows in absurdity with each passing sequence, leaving us in the end with nothing more than a Yogi Berra feeling of "déjà vu all over again".
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 9/10
Yes, the dialogue is hammy to the point of inducing sighs and groans, and the story and characterizations are as flat as ever, but nonetheless, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the biggest, boldest, and all around best instalment of the MI series. The bombing of the Kremlin; Tom Cruise's Burj Khalifa Tower stunt work; the Dubai Sandstorm Chase: all these superb action sequences and more are what make Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience.
Into the Abyss
Movie Rating: 7/10 Disc Rating: 5.5/10
Werner Herzog's Into the Abyss is a poignant and meditative documentary that quietly weaves its way through one of the most contentious of all social/political issues: capital punishment. Chronicling convicted killers Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, the former of whom was sentenced to death for a triple homicide while the latter received a life sentence for the same crime, this powerful film contains elements of bizarre humour, colourful eccentricity, and vintage Herzog randomness. However, in slightly disappointing fashion, Into the Abyss merely glosses over its inherently broad subject matter, without ever really specifying a particular model of framework.
War Horse
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 8/10
Steven Spielberg's War Horse is an unabashedly sentimental World War I epic whose old-fashioned sense of tone, storytelling, and visual style serve well as a delightful sendup to old-school Hollywood cinema. Beautifully shot by two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, this agreeable family film is a powerful if somewhat disjointed melodrama that may not hang together perfectly well, but will likely choke up even the most cynical of moviegoers.
Casablanca
Movie Rating: 10/10 Disc Rating: 10/10
Here's looking at you, Warner Bros. A movie as beloved and cherished as Casablanca deserves nothing but the best when it comes to Blu-ray restorations. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as one of moviedom's most famous onscreen couples, Casablanca is widely regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the greatest movies ever made. As of tomorrow, you can own the film the American Film Institute voted as the greatest romantic movie of all time, with Warner Bros.' superlative 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Box Set. Believe you me: of all the transfers, in all the formats, in all the world, this is the Casablanca for you.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 9/10
Topping this week's Blu-ray/DVD releases is the superb three-disc BD/DVD set of David Fincher's remake of Niels Arden Oplev's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Based on Stieg Larsson's wildly popular novel of the same name, Fincher's Tattoo is a slightly inferior yet worthy remake of its 2009 Swedish counterpart–one whose digitally shot images make for a rather smooth transition to HD Blu-ray format. The film itself, of course, is a powerfully acted piece of cinema whose dark subject matter and bleak visuals make it one hell of a disturbing ride.
The Adventures of Tintin
Movie Rating: 8/10 Disc Rating: 9/10
Movies like The Adventures of Tintin need to be seen on the big screen. Still, when it comes to the home theatre Blu-ray experience, Tintin's breathtaking transfer is about as good as it gets for the next best thing. Part action-adventure, part mystery, part detective story, and all fun: Steven Spielberg's exuberant motion-capture animated adaptation of Hergé's beloved comic book series is a whimsical cinematic treat for all ages to enjoy. While Tintin's frenetic pacing can be a bit overbearing, its jaw-dropping visuals and adventurous spirit help make it one of the best movies Spielberg has made in many a year.
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