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Reviews for DVD Releases

Sex and the City 2
Karen Posada
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2010/10/25 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Sex and the City 2

10.25.2010 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: R for some strong sexual content and language.
Release Date: 2010-05-27
Starring: Michael Patrick King
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website:

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They weren’t kidding when they said SPARKLE. Sex and the City 2 was completely extravagant and exaggerated, which is what in a way made it fun. This movie does more justice to the series than the original movie did. It is not full of ‘Carrie’ drama, like the last one. Instead we get to go away on a fabulous trip with the girls. It is a Cinderella story, they have to live and enjoy their time quickly before the clock strikes midnight. We travel to a world of fantasy, it is predominantly what we go to the movies for anyway, to dream and live vicariously through others.

It all starts with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) taking us back in time to when she met each one of her girlfriends; Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). The first main scene reunites them at a fabulous gay wedding. To describe it as a sparkly dream wedding is an understatement. We see how the girls lives have changed, Carrie living the Mr. & Mrs. Married life, which to her is getting boring and she wants to bring the sparkle back in the relationship. Charlotte has 2 little girls, that are driving her crazy and has a super hot nanny that makes her worry her husband might stray. Miranda is still the same workaholic she’s always been, but soon realizes what she’s missing out on. Samantha is fighting off menopause by taking 1.000 natural pills and keeping up with her sexcapades. The only man in the movie that doesn’t have a short appearance is Mr. Big (John James Preston) (Chris Noth); we see how he’s still trying to please Carrie even after they are married. The other men are barely showed in the film at all, it is after all about the girls. The best guest appearance was the one of Liza Minnelli; it was perfect; she does a fun dance performance. Penélope Cruz also does a cameo, she looks gorgeous and sexy more so than in her own movies. 

I think what this movie gives the true fans of the show is a chance to spend more time with the girls, get away with them without all the drama. They go on a trip to a foreign land – Abu Dhabi, where Carrie bumps into her old flame Aidan (John Corbett), Samantha has a new set of hot boys to go crazy after, Charlotte gets a chance to rest from stressful motherhood and Miranda finds her fun self again. This trip brings them closer together and strengthens not only their relationship but the ones with their loved ones as well.  One of the most interesting scenes of the film is when the girls are discussing how they perceive Muslim women as well as themselves. There’s a hint of feminism with a sprinkle of humor, which makes the subject light hearted.

There are several aspects that take away from the movie, there are a lot of ridiculous scenes, which might be meant as just fun, but it makes one laugh out loud sarcastically. The characters have become pretty predictable, which is the reason why there should have been no movies after the show ended; it takes away from the element of surprise. The women have become a parody of themselves, which takes any essence of reality left away from them. Lastly, although there is character growth the sole purpose of this movie is to make money; there was no need for a sequel, there’s nothing new that we learn from the characters.

If you were a fan of the show I recommend you watch it but you can certainly wait for it to come out on DVD, unless you have the time and the money to kill at a movie theater (it is pretty lengthy, maybe a little too lengthy). Samantha is definitely what makes this movie fun; if it wasn’t for her friends restraining her, the movie would be hilarious! Truth is that we all have girlfriends that are like any one of these women, which is what made the show so successful and it is what makes it so fun to watch. Just take the movie for what it is, a world similar to ours except that it is nearly perfect and beautiful but it was created for the sole purpose of entertaining. Ladies my only advice is not to torture your boyfriend with this film, go watch it with your girls.

Agora
Jack Rico
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2010/10/18 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Agora

10.18.2010 | By |

Rating: 4.0

Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2010-05-28
Starring: Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA, Spain
Official Website: http://www.agoralapelicula.com/

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One of my favorite directors in cinema is Alejandro Amenabar (The Sea Inside, The Others, Abre Los Ojos) of Chilean-Spanish descent. His new film, Agora, is perhaps his most ambitious movie of his career, but not necessarily will it be his most popular.

 

The plot centers on the life of the philosopher Hypatia, played brilliantly by Rachel Weisz, who lived in Alexandria in the 4th century AD when Christianity had been adopted by the Roman Empire and was displacing the prevailing paganism as a religion. Orestes (Isaac), a slave who clings to the new religious doctrine with the hope of finding in it the aspirations of freedom he craves and one improtant matter, he loves his master and teacher Hypatia.

 

The theme of Agora to me is fascinating, provocative and intellectually stimulating, but I will not deny that the pacing is dead slow and its middle arc a bit boring. Technically, the art direction and costume design is breathtaking. The performances are worthy of applause. It contains enough conflict and action to make it commercial. Amenábar has created his Quo Vadis, but I think in the end, it is a difficult film to digest for the masses.

Predators
Jack Rico
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2010/10/18 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Predators

10.18.2010 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: Not available
Release Date: 2010-07-09
Starring: Alex Litvak & Michael Finch
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.predators-movie.com/

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Predators, a re-invention of the film that was made popular by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987, is what should have been Predator 2 from 1990. For me, Predators, with an ‘S,’ is a cross between a remake and a sequel.

The plot is very similar – a group of murderers are best hunted in a game by three aliens known as Predators.

The film is not as good as the original version. While for DVD it’s entertaining, I hope you didn’t spend your money for it in the theater.

The action is a bit weak and there are no charismatic characters as Arnold was. Not much here to please.

The film features a modest cast: Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Alice Braga and Adrien Brody.

Oceans
Jack Rico
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2010/10/18 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Oceans

10.18.2010 | By |

Rating: 4.5

Rated: PG
Release Date: 2010-04-23
Starring: Christophe Cheysson, Jacques Cluzaud
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:France | Switzerland | Spain | Monaco | USA
Official Website: http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/

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Disney is once again at it, creating rapturous sea imagery in ‘Oceans,’ their second cinematic effort distributed through there newly minted Disneynature Studios. If you are glued to the National Geography or Animal Planet channels, you won’t see anything different or innovative here, but what you will see is never before seen footage of sea creatures that we never even knew existed. That one fact makes all the difference in the world.

Documentaries don’t really have scripts, but the ‘plot’ here is the chronicling of the mysteries of the sea the way no human has ever seen it before. Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind—exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Actor Pierce Brosnan, an active environmentalist, narrates some of the most fantastic and surreal scenes on Earth.

The filmmakers began my sea experience through the eyes of a boy as he lays his eyes on the beach for the very first time. He’s overwhelmed. Brosnan begins speaking about what questions the boy, as well as us, might have about the crystal, deep blue sea.

What is remarkable and astounding is the onerous production in making a doc like this. Filmmakers traversed all five of the Earth’s oceans and devoted two full years to the preproduction process. That was followed by four years of shooting, with 75 excursions to dozens of the planet’s most untouched spots. It took nearly another year of postproduction to winnow down the 480 hours of footage. Overall, the task took seven years to create all for the price of a movie ticket.

Many of the sites visited where in Latin America such as Costa Rica, Panamá, Argentina, Galapagos, Venezuela and Mexico. The beauty that still lies there is ethereal.

For a mere 83 minutes, “Oceans” manages to extract some emotions from me by putting me in the middle of the action with a great white shark shredding to pieces a lovely sea lion, or watching a symphonic ballet of traveling tuna and awing me with the spectacle of exotic creatures that looked like something out of a Phillip K. Dick novel – The Blanket Octopus, The Spanish Dancer, The Manta Shrimp, The Ribbon Eel and the Leafy Seadragon.

This is beyond art, it is the best nature film I’ve ever seen of the sea. Oceans along with IMAX: Hubble 3D are by far the best documentaries of the year.

To follow Jack Rico’s film review check him out on Twitter at @jackricofficial

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Jack Rico
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By

2010/10/05 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

A Nightmare on Elm Street

10.5.2010 | By |

Rating: 2.0

Rated: R for strong bloody horror violence, disturbing images, terror and language.
Release Date: 2010-04-30
Starring: Wesley Strick, Eric Heisserer
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.nightmareonelmstreet.com/

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If anyone remembers the original ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ from 1984, you’ll most likely remember how scary it was. Not the case with this vapid, inconsequential remake.  Like Rob Zombie’s Halloween, this film is part prequel, part remake. This re-imagining of the horror icon Freddy Krueger, a serial-killer who wields a glove with four blades embedded in the fingers and kills people in their dreams, resulting in their real death in reality, is bland and absent of the fright the original possessed.

The reason this version doesn’t work is mostly due to miscasting. Jackie Earle Haley is too small and frail for the part, in contrast to Robert Englund’s lanky, slim frame. Haley looks like the “classic” Freddy in silhouette, but the illusion disappears in close-up. His make up appears vaguely reptilian, like an old guy with a bad skin condition. I’m not going to get too in depth with this, but know that Haley isn’t scaring anybody.

For those of you that love the Krueger and are curious to see for yourself how unscary this new Nightmare is, go ahead and watch it. It’s fate should’ve been the DVD shelves to begin with.

Splice
Jack Rico
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2010/10/05 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Splice

10.5.2010 | By |

Rating: 1.5

Rated: R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language.
Release Date: 2010-06-04
Starring: Vincenzo Natali & Antoinette Terry Bryant
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.splicethefilm.com/

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‘Splice,’ is in this critic’s opinion, one of the worst, if not arguably the worst movie of 2010. There are so many wrong things with it on so many levels I don’t even know where to begin. Actually, I do know where to begin. Let’s start with the plotline that Warner Bros. has up on their press website for the film:

Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, Clive and Elsa secretly take their boldest experimentation underground — risking their careers by pushing the boundaries of science to serve their own curiosity and ambition. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature of uncommon intelligence and an array of unexpected physical developments. At first, Dren (spelled ‘NERD’ backwards, wink, wink). exceeds their wildest dreams. But as she grows and learns at an accelerated rate, her existence threatens to become their worst nightmare.

The story sounds compelling and gripping, piquing ones interest of the outcome. Regrettably, when you finish experiencing this disjointed effort, the results are baffling and incomprehensible. There are numerous leaps of logic – instances when the protagonists act in a fashion that only characters in a comedy would. It’s as if the screenwriters wanted to hammer home how idiotic these scientists really are. Ultimately, our heroes actions in the second act are aberrations of consistent implausibilities.

The character of Elsa played by Sarah Polley is a vexing figure who is pigheaded, ambitious and arrogant. She’s not a likable character, you don’t root for her but rather against her. Her behavior towards volatile situations and tense moments are obtuse and supercilious. Brody on the other hand is cautious, correct in his ways, but eventually turns out to be a milksop of a man who lets his unstable woman take charge of critical situations and of his morals. The movie finally collapses when several Freudian occurrences transpire without any rhyme or reason. I can only describe them as some of the most preposterous, unlikely and outrageous twists I have seen in movies (‘Orphan’ by Spaniard director Jaume Collet-Serra comes a close second).

The fright horror we were putatively in for was diminished to only special effects editing and dimwitted risible scenes of absurdity, nothing more. Not once was I scared (unlike The Strangers or The House of The Devil recently). I kept placing my hands on my face, but in disbelief for the inanity unfolding before my very eyes. The trailer is patrly the culprit. It misleads us into expecting a flat out terror film full of suspense building sequences matched with high-intense graphics. Rather, it delivers a science fiction drama of the likes of Species, to be exact. Horror is only a secondary thought here.

Guillermo Del Toro served as a producer and did a descent job in creating Dren and most of the special effects with the budgets he was provided. Director Vincenzo Natali shot a beautifully dark and mysterious production that is visually appealing, but the payoff is painful not only to the viewing experience but to the pocket as well. If you can, stay away from this film, unless you want to see how bad it is. That sometimes happens to me too.

Get Him to the Greek
Jack Rico
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By

2010/09/28 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Get Him to the Greek

09.28.2010 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2010-06-04
Starring: Nicholas Stoller, Jason Segel
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/

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‘Get Him To The Greek’ is perhaps the best comedy of the year… so far. It’s competition in 2010 doesn’t match up against it – MacGruber, Hot Tub Time Machine, Cop Out.  Even last year’s ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall.’ is not as good. ‘Greek’ has much more likable and interesting characters and a mix of clever and low brow humor to titillate the senses. Also, the music industry is much more appealing and much more fun than the aforementioned flick.

‘Greek’ has nothing to do with mythology, but instead with a record company assistant (Jonah Hill) who is hired to accompany an out-of-control British rock star, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), to his 10th anniversary concert at L.A.’s Greek Theater.

I’m not a big fan of British comedian Russell Brand due to the vexing complexity he is. But there is a side to him I like, I just don’t know if it is an act. The first bag of exasperating tricks he bundles is his uncontrollable zest for being annoying (I saw an interview with him on Craig Ferguson, hated him), an accent that doesn’t allow you to understand anything he says and I feel he has no charm on the mike (thought his hosting duties at an MTV Video Music Awards show was pretty lame). So why then did I like him in his first full length feature? Unbelievably, he stops being a bane nuisance and becomes contagiously eloquent with a marvelous rhetoric that can pounce any argument. So which one is he really? I like the Aldous Snow character much better and less the real Brand. But if he continues to create work that resembles Aldous’ nuances, logic and verbiage and dramatic layers, I’ll seriously consider becoming a fan. For now, I’m a swing voter. His character Aldous Snow, a caustic British musician, had his first appearance in ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall.’ He was actually one of the highlights of that film along with Paul Rudd. I thoroughly enjoy his film performances.

Jonah Hill on his part, plays the innocent and impressionable Aaron Green, who is a fan of Aldous. I’ve also never been a fan of Hill, I just don’t think these guys are good actors. But again, Hill’s character surprised me. He nailed the personality of what guys trying to make it in the music industry are like and the humiliations they sometimes have to go through to get there. I worked in radio and MTV for several years and these execs really get a joy in making you suffer. This movie’s comedy relies on those moments that are very funny here in ‘Greek’.

There is this one funny scene in the limo where Hill is taking Brand to the Today Show. It’s perhaps the funniest piece in the film along with the ‘Jeffrey’ moment. You must watch out for them.

P. Diddy is good, but he’s no actor and makes Hill and Brand look like Academy Award winners. He is not as good as other critics and bloggers say he is. He has some good lines, but they could’ve been magic in the hands of a more experienced actor like Michael Shannon in ‘The Runaways’ (he was brilliant in that film).

Judd Apatow and Jason Segel are the producers of ‘Greek’ and did a damn good job. The director Nicholas Stoller created some snappy and attractive shots that I’m sure you’ll guys enjoy whole heartedly. I didn’t necessarily laugh in every single scene, but I must confess I had fun seeing all the tomfoolery unfold on this poor kid Aaron (Hill). The pop-rock soundtrack was infectious and catchy and I entertained myself, which is the point of going to the movies. I recommend you spend your flow and go with your friends. If you don’t like Brand or Hill, you’ll like them after you see this movie. Good times!

Babies
Jack Rico
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By

2010/09/28 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Babies

09.28.2010 | By |

Rating: 2.5

Rated: PG for cultural and maternal nudity throughout.
Release Date: 2010-05-07
Starring: Not applicable
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:France
Official Website: http://www.focusfeatures.com/focusfeatures/film/babies/

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I’m a fan of documentaries. It’s a great way to learn, in-depth, about a specific topic in a quick and efficient way. ‘Babies,’ unfortunately, wasn’t very insightful. It was extremely cute and adorable, but to pay $12 to see this, I’d rather recommend you string together 2 hours of cutesy YouTube videos of cuddly baby stunts and call it a day. Or just call your sister or friends who just had one and have them pop out their digital portraits of them. I’m sure the collection is already prepped and ready to go!

Because this is a documentary, there is no concrete plot, except that it focuses on one year in the life of four babies living on different continents: Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo and San Francisco.

The cameras capture the social, economic and cultural contrasts that each baby is provided. We also have a peek at how their parents raise them with the resources that life has made available to them. Besides the lovely tender moments of these infants, the film depends solely on the innocence of its four protagonists. The target audience is newly parents who will appreciate the idiosyncrasies that they have lived with their own children. It’s difficult to recommend you pay to see this in the theater. The wiser option for your pocket will be YouTube or when it comes out on DVD.

Iron Man 2
Jack Rico
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2010/09/28 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

Iron Man 2

09.28.2010 | By |

Rating: 3.5

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
Release Date: 2010-05-07
Starring: Justin Theroux
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

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‘Iron Man 2’ is very fun, but the story in this sequel isn’t as interesting as the first origin story. It also felt longer than the original. Why? Dialogue was heavy and the action sequences weren’t as prevalent. Overall, an entertaining experience, but my main criticism of the first one was that it needed MORE action at the beginning and in the middle. This new film has a brief stint of action a quarter of the way in, but then becomes laughable halfway through.

With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances — and confront powerful enemies (Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell).

Robert Downey Jr., is once again excellent as Tony Stark. He truly nails the caustic, pithy eloquence of Stark from the comic books. Don Cheadle was equivalently as good as Terrence Howard was in the original playing Rhodes. There was no real difference.  Mickey Rourke was fantastic as the main villain Vanko, and brought the gravitas that Jeff Bridges did in the first part. Scarlett Johansson on the other hand created a spark on screen, she was a highlight. She plays Black Widow (she was the sixteenth member of The Avengers), a sexy Russian femme fatale spy who works for S.H.I.E.L.D and whose job is to make sure Iron Man doesn’t stray for the worse. Sam Rockwell (Moon) was perhaps my favorite after Downey. He single handedly stole some scenes from Rourke and Downey himself. He’s really good and it is just a matter of time before he’s recognized for some gold hardware at the Oscars. Gwyneth Paltrow was slightly irrelevant. Funny enough, director Jon Favreau decided to put himself in the film for a few scenes. He’s funny and it seemed everyone else had a pleasant time shooting the film.

Some issues I had with this sequel had to do with the prolonged periods of comedy, or clowning around, that obstructed the flow of the story. The first Transformers movie did the same in the scenes where Optimus Prime is trying to hide in Sam’s backyard and I didn’t think it necessarily worked. When a film is taking itself serious and subtly injects humor into its storyline, it is fine, but when those moments of humor are prolonged and it becomes a centerpiece scene, then it can harm or ruin whatever solemn and credible moments the film was building from its inception.

The action sequences this time around, also coming in the final scenes as the first one, were more extended and much more action packed. The final half hour hit a climax well worth the ticket price. I saw this film on an mid-level IMAX screen and the resolution and sound were fantastic. If you can afford it, pay for it. Just in case you’re wondering, there is no 3D version of the film. I know, I was surprised too.

The Avengers storyline is in full swing here with Sam Jackson making a full appearance as Nick Fury, Captain America’s shield in another scene and…you must stay for the very, very end of the credits, where there will be a hidden scene about Thor’s Hammer. “Sir, we found it”.

 

Iron Man 2 is an exciting, funny, action summer film that everyone will like, even if it isn’t a classic.

El Secreto De Sus Ojos
Jack Rico
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2010/09/21 at 12:00am

DVD ReviewsReviews

El Secreto De Sus Ojos

09.21.2010 | By |

Rating: 4.5

Rated: R for a rape scene, violent images, some graphic nudity and language.
Release Date: 2010-04-16
Starring: Juan José Campanella
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:Argentina
Official Website: http://www.elsecretodesusojos.com/

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