Film

Steven Seagal plays John Hatcher, a DEA officer who after accidentally gunning down the naked prostitute that killed his partner (seriously…), realizes he has become what he most despised. He retires from the force and decides to go back home and live with his sister. Obviously, trouble has a way of finding its way back into Hatcher’s life when he gets mixed up in a drug war between the mafia and a Jamaican gang run by a mysterious, possibly magical villain named Screwface (again seriously… I can’t make this up).

Screwface is played deliciously over-the-top by actor Basil Wallace. He’s one of those slightly insane bad guys that even gives his own men the creeps. Although, who could blame them. There is a scene in the movie where Screwface is in the middle of a game of dominos when he receives some upsetting news. He freaks out, flips the table over, rips off one of the table’s legs and proceeds to beat one of his men almost to death with it. And of course, he is believed to have magical powers or something. Who knows? Still, he’s one of the more entertaining bad guys to ever chew scenery around a Steven Seagal movie. I imagine Tommy Lee Jones (Under Siege) and Michael Caine (On Deadly Ground) somewhere giving Wallace a pat on the back. “You’re in the cool club now boy!” one of them would say. I know Marked for Death came out before those other movies, but I can dream it can’t I?

The movie is competently directed by Dwight H. Little, the man behind the camera on movies like Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. The guy seems to be able to handle any genre with ease and this movie has a real strong pace. The action scenes are very well choreographed, with Steven Seagal using his aikido techniques to take on as many as six guys at once almost effortlessly. There is a particularly good scene that takes place in a Tiffany’s and involves Hatcher throwing people through numerous glass display cases. As well, the final battle between Hatcher and Screwface literally has to be seen to be believed. (Spoiler Alert!) All I’m going to say is that if you have already turned someone into a blind paraplegic, you don’t also have to throw him down an elevator shaft. (Spoilers end)

Excellent fights scenes, mixed with an interesting Voodoo element and you got yourself Marked for Death, a classic ‘movie for guys who like movies’ complete with a funky reggae soundtrack. Steven Seagal fans already know this movie as one of the better early ones and they won’t be disappointed. It still holds up after all of these years. Although, the problem with bad stunt doubles lately in his movies, now clearly seems to have always been a problem.

As a P.S., it’s funny seeing actor Danny Trejo as a goon Steven Seagal casually beats up and throws into the trunk of his car in an early scene in this movie. Although they would also star in the direct to DVD action flick Urban Justice together, ironically enough, this fall, twenty years after the release of this movie, Steven Seagal would star in his first theatrical release in nine years as a villain in Machete, opposite Danny Trejo as the lead. Hopefully, the magic will strike twice.

Video

Marked for Death’s video is displayed in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 using the AVC MPEG 4 codec. The film is one of those catalogue titles that doesn’t get much care or restoration, but at least the negative is a pretty clean one.

Colours are a bit plain and skin tones are reddish at times. The palette is pretty neutral, which is a staple of early 90’s flicks as well as the indoor scenes have that awesome foggy looked created by actually using a fog machine to fill the set with a hazy smoke to soften the image.

Besides having some dated attributes the film’s video quality isn’t too bad, scenes that are shot in daylight look really great with little to no visible grain and even some of the lower lit indoor scenes are pretty clean. However when we move to the late night scenes, especially during the Jamaican assault the grain is noticeable.

The image is pretty sharp and some scenes really display some great detail, such as the pores and texture of an actor’s face in a close up, but a lot of early 90’s did their best to soften the image, such as the fogging technique. There’s definitely not an issue with an overly soft image, but it would’ve been nice to have a slightly crisper display.

Audio

Marked for Death’s audio comes at us using the DTS-HD Master audio 5.1 mix, but as we’ve learned many times before; having one of the best audio codecs doesn’t mean we’re getting some of the best audio and this film is no exception.

We’re given a pretty straight forward mix with little to no “outside-of-the-box” play. A lot of the sound effects come through the main speaker and the low end frequencies don’t come out that much. A lot of the explosions and crashes that occur barely register, but regardless we get a very clear mix nonetheless.

The dialogue is clean, while staying in the center. The score, which just screams early 90’s action flick, stays in its place and doesn’t overshadow the sound effects. The sound effects themselves are somewhat flat, but do have some pop considering the film is 20 years old. A bit of irony in the mix is that the Jamaican assault near the end of the film uses mostly silenced weapons, so it was interesting to try and critique the sound effects when there were none.

Special Features

Although this is the 20^th anniversary of Marked for Death, we don’t get a single special feature.

Final Thoughts

If you’re into classic mindless action, then look no further than Steven Seagall. The audio and video presentation on this disc makes my old VHS copy look like it had taken a karate chop from Seagall himself; it’s a great presentation for a catalogue release and although it doesn’t stand out as showcase worthy it could’ve been a lot worse.

Film 

To be as brief as possible, The Illusionist is suspense filmmaking at its finest. Although a bit slower paced that most newer films of this genre, the film pulls you right into the story. In this regard, it is a bit Hitchcockian if you will. It is very subtle in the way it snares you You know that something it afoot. You may even know what. What you don’t know is the how. In this regard, the director of the film, Neil Burger, is a bit like the illusionist in the film, Eisenheim, in that he is able to suspend your belief and pull you into the story, even though you may know better.

Ed Norton, Jr. is cast as Eisenheim and gives a wonderful performance as the illusionist, who while performing in Vienna in the 19th Century before Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) who is the future head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, meets up with his long lost childhood sweetheart, Sophia (Jessica Biel) at one of his performances. Sophia just happens to be the fiancee of the Prince who offers her up as a volunteer for one of Eisenheim’s illusions. Eisenheim and Sophia rekindle their long lost romance and Sophia confesses that she wants to escape the clutches of Leopold who is abusive and who wants to depose his father the Emperor and rule the Empire with her at his side.

Eisenheim then concocts an ingenious plan at great personal risk to do just that, keeping one step ahead of the Vienna Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) who is a friend and confidant of Leopold. The film has several wonderful performances. In fact, the entire cast turns in top notch performances. The film features a great script and wonderful direction and was a thrill to experience in high definition. The Illusionist is very highly recommended.

Video 

All things considered, I was quite pleased with the video presentation of The Illusionist on Blu-ray. The film is mostly shot at night or dimly lit interiors, illuminated only by candle light. Not surprisingly, the image during most of the film is fairly soft. However, despite this softness, detail is fairly good, although falling a good deal short of the best looking films on Blu-ray. This is not the result of the encoding process but is just how the film was shot.

Comparing the Blu-ray version of the film with the DVD that is also included with this release, is no contest, with the DVD looking like a muddled mess in comparison. The level of clarity and detail on the Blu-ray encode is miles ahead of that on the DVD. The films’ color palette is rather subdued with the exception of the very end of the film. The rest of the film has a bit of a sepia tone, with skin tones and the image in general having a brown tinge. Fine film grain is also well preserved. I did not detect any obvious examples of digital noise reduction or edge enhancement. This is a fine encode of some difficult material and should please fans of the film.

Audio 

The audio design is rather simplistic being front heavy with sparse use of the surrounds. The surrounds are used to mostly to provide some subtle interior ambiance with the occasional sound effects such as galloping horses. While I was far from impressed with the audio design, I was more than impressed with the audio fidelity here, which is rich, smooth and full and really easy on the ears. The musical score is also presented with excellent fidelity with silky smooth strings, rich and full bass and excellent imaging and transparency. I also found the fidelity of the dialogue track to be just as impressive and proving the sense of real voices in real space which I find to be very appealing. While I would have preferred that the film had a more immersive sound design, the overall fidelity of the sound is so good that I found it easy to overlook the less than sophisticated sound design.

Special Features 

If you are looking for much in the way of extras, this is not the release for you. The Blu-ray disc that is part of this two disc combo pack contains no extras at all. The extras, such as they are, are located on the DVD edition of the film and were also included with the prior DVD release of the film. They consist of a feature audio commentary with writer/director Neil Burger and two featurettes.

The first of the two is “The Making of The Illusionist” consisting of interviews with the four lead actors in the film. The “Jessica Biel on The Illusionist” consists of a very brief interview with Jessica Biel, 99% of which is included in the prior featurette. Both of the featurettes are very short, lasting only a few minutes. I am not really sure why they bothered with the second one.

The extras also include some trailers for other films and are hardly worth a mention. As I noted above, the Blu-ray release of The Illusionist is a two disc combo pack containing a DVD edition of the film which is really the only extra worth considering.

Final Thoughts  

The Illusionist is great film that is well worth your consideration and is very highly recommended. Do yourself a favor and add this release to your collection. You will be glad you did.

This being said, I can at least watch a movie and determine if it is safe for parents to let their kids watch, and if it’s something the parents can stomach for the 90 minutes they’d maybe want to spend watching it with their kids.

At first blush, this film doesn’t look too promising.  It has an anthromorphized animal, Bindi Irwin (yes, Bindi the Jungle Girl, daughter of the late Steve Irwin), and a surprisingly slim Beau Bridges.  It is also the fourth film in a series that should have only been one movie long, and was direct-to-video.  So, can this movie rise above this dubious pedigree? 

Film

Bindi plays Kirra, an Australian girl who appears to have an idyllic relationship with her veterinarian father.  However, after he is injured in an accident and hospitalized, Kirra is forced to go to South Africa to stay with her “crazy Grandpa Gus”.

In Gus, we find the type of irresponsible adult who always shows up in these types of movies.  Owner of a decrepit seaside pirate-themed amusement park, he has had life issues, and didn’t even attend his daughter’s funeral (Kirra’s mother’s).  Although he wants to befriend Kirra and get to know his granddaughter, she is moody and petulant, and generally unhappy with being stuck at Pirate’s Cove.

However, fortune shines on the pair when a storm washes a young killer whale into the sheltered waters of the park.  The baby orca does two things – it provides Kirra with an escape from her problems, and provides Gus with a valuable revenue stream.  Unfortunately, the rival owner of a proper amusement park, Rolf (played creepily by Stephen Jennings) is determined to get Willy from Gus, offering him a substantial amount of money for the whale.  Meanwhile, whale experts state that Willy has not fully developed his necessary senses, and will die if returned to the wild without his pod.  They also state they will need to eventually euthanize the whale.

Will Gus sell Willy?  Can Kirra teach Willy the survival skills he’ll need to be returned to the wild?  Can Gus really reform for his granddaughter?  Will Willy’s pod return in time?  Guess you’ll have to see the movie to find out.

Despite my trepidation, this ended up being one of the better family movies I have seen in some time.  The chemistry between the always good Beau Bridges and surprisingly good Bindi Irwin seems sincere and heartfelt; they feel like family, not like actors.  The supporting characters also act like real people, and aren’t just caricatures (with the exception of the villain Rolf).  Even the plot has a natural feel to it; nothing feels overly contrived or forced.  Of course the movie may be a bit too idealistic and sentimental, but these are not bad things in a family movie. 

There are a few small niggles with the movie, such as the whale CGI and animatronics, but these are small niggles indeed.      

Video

This is a very nice looking title.  Mind you, shooting in bright sunlight by an ocean almost always makes for an excellent Blu-ray picture, with nice color saturation.  The presence of natural looking grain was in the film, but was never excessive, even in lower light shots.

Black crush, artifacting, and video noise were all absent from the film, giving the viewer a very pleasant overall experience.  Although this is not a reference quality disc with some shots being a bit soft, there is little to complain about.

Audio

The DTS-MA presentation of the movie had very good dynamic range, and level balancing was done well.  However, as a family movie, it was quite talky, and did tend towards being front-loaded.  There was also little use of the LFE channel, though the storm that washed Willy in was so rumbly, it made me jerk from my chair.

 All in all, a perfectly acceptable presentation, though somewhat limited by the source material and subject matter of the movie.

Special Features

The special features included with the disc are thin, and a bit fluffy.  The disc includes two whole deleted scenes, one whole outtake, three light HD featurettes totaling fifteen minutes in runtime, and a pop up text trivia game (grandly advertised as the “Free Willy Pop-Up Fun Track”).  However, my disc earns a full bonus point due to coming with a Digital Copy; a very welcome addition as I am sure my animal-crazy daughters will watch this movie a few times.

Final Thoughts

It is not very often that I can consider a good family movie to also be a good movie, period.  Some rise above the genre, such as The Iron Giant or The Princess Bride, while some cannot escape the forced constraints of a “family movie story arc”.

In the case of Free Willy: Escape From Pirate’s Cove, it does not rise above the genre of family movie; I have difficulty imagining someone without kids picking this up for a date night.  That being said, it is one of the better examples of a family movie; kids will love it, and their parents will enjoy it as well.  Highly recommended.

After reading the books, I was excited to discover that an animated version of the book existed, and lobbied hard to get my buddies to rent it when we were having a movie night.  And after we all sat back and viewed the movie, we looked at each other with the same expression on our faces: “What in heck was that?”

So the question is, after 28 years of watching various forms of animation, have I gained a new appreciation for Ralph Bakshi’s labor of love?  Does being on Blu-ray make the movie any better?

Film

Thinking back on all the animation I’ve watched over the years, I have difficulty recalling any animated movie that is quite as intrinsically ugly as this one.  Being on Blu-ray actually exacerbates this problem.  Washed out and stylistic backgrounds, inking issues, and the horridly ugly rotoscoping (using live actors as the basis for animation) makes this a visually unappealing movie.

Moreso, I could also criticize the color palette used, the lack of quality control of the animation, the bad 1970’s era sound effects, and the poor visualization of the scenes and characters.  In glorious 1080p, all of these flaws are held up for the viewer to see, and they become so distracting that they affect one’s ability to watch and enjoy the movie.

What is most egregiously lost in this film is the beauty and emotiveness of Tolkien’s writing in the Lord of the Rings.  An attentive reader can feel tranquility, compassion, happiness, apprehension, awe, and fear through Tolkien’s beautiful narrative.  This emotional resonance is mysteriously absent from the movie; it feels rushed, grim, and unhappy.  Worst of all, this film takes characters that we love (or hate), and makes us feel apathy for them.  Then, in culmination of this, it only tells the first half of the Lord of the Rings story – this move was not successful enough for the studio to green light the second half.

Being upfront, I am not a huge fan of Ralph Bakshi’s work.  Although I do have a age-based fondness for his somewhat psychedelic Spider-Man TV series, I thought Fritz the Cat was exploitive rather than groundbreaking.

Mr. Bakshi stated that he was a fan of the books, motivating his desire to make this film.  However, there had to be some sort of external pressure (budget?  Release date?) that resulted in this movie being as poor as it was.

For someone who loves the books, this film is a bitter disappointment.  For one who has never read the books, the film is incomprehensible.

Video

This is, bar none, the worst looking Blu-ray I have seen to date.  Unfortunately, I believe this is not due to the transfer and encoding – it is mainly due to the poor quality of the masters.  Considering the limited appeal of this release, it is difficult to imagine a circumstance under which  Warner Brothers would put resources into a full restoration of this film.  And they didn’t disappoint, with the film looking like it came straight out of a 1970’s film canister.

As mentioned in the “Film” section, there are quality control issues with inking throughout the movie, there is noise and dust speckles in almost every dark area, animations lack a certain grace, and the backgrounds are washed of life and color.  Worst of all, the rotoscoping that looked horrible on VHS looks even more horrible in Blu-ray.

It has been suggested that the rotoscoping was done to save money, as it was a quicker and easier process than drawing frames from scratch.  To me, rotoscoping looks like someone solarized a real person, and inserted their image into the film; something that looks absolutely horrid, and out of sync with the rest of the movie around it.

Audio

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio presentation of this movie was actually quite good considering the age of the material.  As can be expected, the dynamic range was very limited, missing that sharp clear top end and firm rolling bottom end.  A lot of the sounds happen in the midrange section of the audio spectrum, and a lot of them happen in the front speakers.

Generally not a bad presentation.  Although the voice acting is rather tepid, it goes well with the poor quality 70’s era sound effects.  Generally, I’m not quite sure how any Hobbit wearing the ring could stealthily disappear with a giant flash of light and a magic sound straight out of Hanna-Barbera’s Shazzan.

Special Features

Not much here for special features – just a half-hour SD documentary about Ralph Bakshi’s career, his impact on Hollywood, and his making of Lord of the Rings.  Generally this is an okay piece, but nothing special.  Even though my review copy also came with a Digital Copy, I’m not sure (considering the movie) that it adds much value.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes different films we view impact us differently depending on where we are in our lives.  Moves that I found funny as a teen I now find juvenile.  As a parent, teen movies give me the shudders, as I wouldn’t want my kids engaging in the behaviours I see on screen.  And movies that I didn’t appreciate as a younger person can often resonate with me now in a way they couldn’t when I was young.

Unfortunately, some movies that disappointed me when I was younger continue to disappoint me when I am older.  Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings is one of these.  Summed up in one sentence, this film is an ugly, gloomy, emotionally flat disservice to one of the best fantasy stories ever written.  Even a $0.99 7-day rental might be a bit overpriced for this film.

Film 

I will go out on a limb here and speculate that I will be the only on line reviewer to rate this films as anything other than a 5 star film. After all, given the boffo box office receipts, it has to be a great film, doesn’t it. Well….. not exactly. Don’t get me wrong, the film has stunning visuals and reference audio as noted below. However, the story is another matter. I have seen this story before and have seen it done better. The best way I can think to describe the film is that it is Dances With Wolves meets Aliens meets Greenpeace.

I am sure that all of you know the plot. The film takes place on Pandora, a moon of the planet Polyphemus (think of a blue Jupiter) in the Alpha Centauri, which is a 6 year journey from Earth. Humans have arrived at Pandora to mine a mysterious mineral named Unobtanium (couldn’t Mr. Cameron have come up with another name?) which seems to have antigravity properties and is worth a boatload of cash. The only problem is that Pandora is inhabited by the Na’Vi, a race of blue tall and thin humanoids, who will not leave their home, a giant tree (and I mean a giant tree) which happens to sit on a massive deposit of Unobtanium.

In order to try to convince the Na’Vi to move and to gather intelligence on their society and defenses, the humans or Sky People as the Na’Vi call them, the humans create human-Na’Vi clones known as Avatars are created which humans can inhabit via some sort of wireless mind link while placed in a pod on their base. The Avatars are created using a combination of human and Na’Vi DNA and as such are tailored to a particular person. However, one of the men for whom an Avatar was created as murdered on Earth and was replaced with his brother, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a marine who lost the use of his legs in battle. However, his DNA is so similar to that of his brother that he was “inhabit” his brother’s Avatar.

As Jake enters the Na’Vi community, he earns their respect and love all the while collecting intelligence on their defenses which is relayed to the military on base. When it is clear that the Na”Vi will not move, the military goes in to move them out, with extreme force, which causes Jake to have to make a choice between his new found “family” and the Sky People.

While the film has its moments, it has a very heavy political message and contains a story that has been the subject of quite few movies. Even some of the contraptions and creatures in the film look very familiar to those in other films including Aliens and even The Incredibles (take a gander at those helicopters). The film is very predictable and way too long at 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Did I enjoy the film? Sure, but not to the extent to give it more than 3 stars out of 5. All the incredible CGI aside, the script itself is just not all that great. Despite my issues with the plot, I still have to give this release a must buy recommendation as the video and audio quality is so spectacular, that it belongs in the collection of every film fan and home theater geek. Avatar is a must buy.

Video 

I must say that I am hesitant to give the video a 5 stars rating as it deserves an even higher rating. In fact, the video on Avatar is in a league of its own, being the best looking film I have yet to experience at home. On scale of 5, it is fully worthy of a 6 star rating. It is simply spectacular and is reference from star to finish. The bright colors, the deep blacks and spectacular level of detail and clarity is amazing and must be seen to be believed. The level of depth and three dimensionality here is the best I have ever seen. One can clearly see the added depth that was included for 3D as it is clearly visible in 2D. The video on Avatar is perfect in every way. Yes, I said perfect. Need I really say more?

Audio 

The audio on Avatar is every bit as good as the video and is also of reference quality from the start of the film to the very end. The sound is smooth, full, detailed, effortless and natural sounding and transports you from your home to Pandora. I can’t think of a film that I have seen at home that sounds this good. The sound design on Avatar is as good as it gets. I just keep coming back to the word effortless. No matter how loud you crank up with volume the film sounds great. Unlike many films, the higher the volume, the better this film sounds.

Dynamics are off the charts with deep and natural sounding bass that doesn’t have even a hint of bloat. The highs are smooth and open with reference levels of transparency, imaging and detail, from the softest sound to the loudest, all clearly audible and all well placed in the sound field. The surrounds are active throughout the film creating a sense of total immersion. It is the sense of immersion that really caught me by surprise as the surrounds, while actively and aggressively deployed, never call attention to themselves, sounding as true to real life that I have ever heard at home. The audio here is reference in all respects and is, dare I say it again, perfect!

Special Features

This was an easy category to score as there are now extras whatsoever. The folks at Fox have advised that there are no extras because they maxed out the bit rate for the audio and video and there was no space available for extras. They could have included extras on a second Blu-ray disc but chose instead to include a second disc that is contains a DVD edition of the film. This is probably a good move as it will no doubt greatly increase the sales for the Blu-ray version of the disc, as you can get both formats for the price of a DVD. Still, for such an anticipated release, one would have expected many extras and all in HD. I will hazard to bet that the extras will be included on the 3D later in the year. The lack of any extras is the only flaw that I can point to regarding this release.

Final Thoughts 

Avatar is in a league of its own when it comes to its video and audio presentations, both of which are the best I have yet to experience at home. Avatar on Blu-ray is a must buy for all film fans and home theater geeks like me. If you want to show off your system to friends and family, Avatar is the only film that you will need. It is that good.

Film 

The Blind Side is a wonderfully written and directed film that can best be described as uplifting and a tad sentimental. Call me an old softie, but I really enjoyed The Blind Side. Perhaps is was due to fact that football is prominently featured in the film. I, on the other hand, would prefer to think that it is the script, the story and the performances that had more to do with it! T

The Blind Side tells the true life story of Michael Oher who was able to escape the ghetto in Memphis, attend a Christian private school with little in the way of a formal education, and with the help of the Tuohy family, graduate school and attend Ole Miss on a football scholarship, become an All-America left tackle and a first round draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens.

While there is a lot going on in the film, the film focuses on two main characters, Michael Oher (played by newcomer Quinton Aaron) and the real star of the film, Leah Anne Tuohy, wonderfully played by Sandra Bullock, which earned her the Oscar for Best Actress. While Michael is a very large and very quiet man, it is the character of Leigh Anne that really takes up the most screen space. She is quite a character, a gun toting, evangelical Christian woman who is about as sassy and confident as they come, a real pistol you might say.

It is clear from the extras that Sandra Bullock captured Leigh Anne’s persona perfectly. Whether her performance was worthy of the Oscar is up for debate, at least in my eyes. Regardless, her performance is wonderful and the highlight of the film, along with the performance of Jae Head as Leigh Anne’s young son S.J, who is a real chip off the Leigh Anne block.

The film quickly introduces us to Michael and his travails at school, from his lack of parents, to a lack of clothing and him essentially living on the streets. Leigh Anne sees him and invites him into their home and feeds and clothes him and provides him with what he has never had before, a home and a family. With her help and the help of the rest of the family and a full time tutor Miss Sue (Cathy Bates), he is able to pull his weight at school, and earn a full scholarship to Ole Miss. The rest as they say, is history.

The film is based on the book by Michael Lewis of Money ball fame. The director John Lee Hancock was able to distill the essence of the book into a wonderfully warm, moving and inspirational film that is well worth a look.

Video 

The best way I can describe the video here is solid if unspectacular. The film features a bright and warm color palette that is a bit too warm for my tastes, especially the skin tons which are a bit too golden and tan for my tastes. However, this is how the film looked in the theater and is reproduced perfectly in this encode. Blacks are deep, stable and inky.

Clarity and detail are good but far from reference. The close-ups in the film look great with a sharp and detailed picture. It is the distant shots and dimly lit shots which are a bit soft and lacking in detail, looking a bit fuzzy in comparison with the close-ups. On the plus side, I was not able to detect any obvious evidence of the application of edge enhancement or digital noise reduction. Technically, this appears to be an excellent encode that faithfully captures how the film looked in the theater which, when you come right down to it, is all that we can really ask.

Audio 

As was the case with the video, I would have to describe the audio or at least the sound design of The Blind Side as good but not spectacular. I have two main quibbles with the sound. The first is a bit of overall brightness which while minimal is still noticeable on revealing equipment. The second is the sound design which is a little too front heavy for my tastes. While the surrounds are active throughout the film, they are rather subtle for the most part, with two exceptions, the football game sequences and the car crash scene all of which had excellent dynamics, heft and punch sounding quite realistic.

The dialogue track is well recorded and well placed in the mix and is always intelligible. With a smoother richer sound and a more aggressive use of the surrounds, the sound on this release would have earned a higher score, but as they say, “It is what it is” and worthy of 4 stars out of 5.

Special Features 

I must say that I enjoyed the extras here more than normal, perhaps because of the interview of the real Leigh Anne Tuohy conducted by Sandra Bullock. While the interview segments are brief, they really provide you with an insight into just who Leigh Anne Tuohy is and exactly how well Sandra Bullock captured her in the film. The release contains two discs, the first being the Blu-ray version of the film and the second, a DVD combo disc, containing a DVD copy of the film along with a digital copy compatible with all portable media devices.

The extras include several featurettes including “Acting Coaches: Behind the Blind Side” which feature interviews with the several college football coaches featured in the film, including Phillip Fulmer formally of Tennessee. Lou Holtz then of South Carolina, Nick Saban, then of LSU, Tommy Tuberville of Auburn, Houston Nutt then of Arkansas and Ed Orgeron of Ole Miss.

Also included is a featurette “The Story of Big Quinton” which details how Quinton Aaron was selected for the role of Michael Oher. There are several short interviews broken down into different topics between Sandra Bullock and Leigh Anne Tuohy as well as screen writer and director John Lee Hancock and author Michel Lewis. I found each of these segments to be very informative and well worth your time.

We also get an interview with the real Michael Oher as well as a few deleted scenes. All of the extras are presented in high definition and look quite good.

Final Thoughts 

The Blind Side is a wonderfully warm and inspiring film that features an excellent Oscar winning performance by Sandra Bullock and is well worth a look. Highly recommended.

As a general rule of thumb, movies based on video games tend to well, lets say, not quite meet expectations. Although there are exceptions to the rule (like Pokémon, or Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within), for each good movie there is three or four bad ones (like Street Fighter or Super Mario Brothers).

This being said, a quick read of the cover jacket piqued my interest, as this Blu-ray was a compilation of seven stories told through eight anime shorts. As a lover of anime, I find that the art form (when done well) has both emotional and aesthetic resonance that stays with the viewer days afterward.

Therefore, I optimistically sat down to view this Blu-ray with an eager air of anticipation – even though it was based on a video game, I knew there was an opportunity to enjoy the work of at least seven different anime directors.

Film 

There is always some difficulty in reviewing anime, as I do find the animation art form we are raised with in North America affecting our frame of reference. As we are conditioned to enjoy Chuck Jones-style slapstick or Scooby-Doo stupidity, I have often felt there are many levels to anime films that the North American viewer fails to appreciate.

As a Halo neophyte, I found the order of the shorts and the information provided to be more than adequate to understand the stories. However, I should caution that this is from the perspective of an experienced anime viewer – I am used to not having everything explained in detail to me. For someone who has not watched anime, or is unfamiliar with Halo, they may find some of the shorts challenging to enjoy, as they’re too distracted trying to understand what they are about. For this segment of the population, an advance visit to the Special Features before watching the shorts is advised.

I can thankfully report that this Blu-ray covers the anime waterfront – from linear and traditional (Origins, Part I and II), to incredibly stylistic and emotionally powerful (The Duel), to heavy and self-reflective (Homecoming), to mecha (Prototype), to action (The Babysitter), and to humor (Odd One Out). Even the viewer who is inexperienced with anime should find something to like here. The only short that seemed really out of place on the Blu-ray was the CGI-rendered “The Package”, which was more like Star Wars I through III, and less like traditional anime.

A very powerful theme that runs through the best anime is that of redemption – that a flawed character is eventually redeemed through making amends, self-sacrifice, a redemptive act, self-awareness, or choosing not to engage in an act. Of the eight shorts, redemption was at the fore in four, and was considered in two others. This gave the Blu-ray a credibility and weight far superior to what it should have from the source material.

Overall, this disc was very well done. If asked to pick favourites, “Odd One Out” appeared at a great time on the disc, adding a needed levity after some heavier segments. “The Babysitter”, “Homecoming”, and “Prototype” were also equally well done, and fit very well into a traditional anime mold. However, special praise is reserved for “The Duel”, a short that is stylistically unlike anything I’ve seen previously.

In “The Duel”, each scene looked like a shifting watercolor painted by a master like Renoir: sharp enough to suggest the scene, diffuse enough to allow your mind to add the details, yet having one fine detail at all times (like eyes) that jars and focuses the viewer. It has to be seen to be understood; my words do not do it justice. On top of this visceral beauty, the story dealt with strong concepts such as honor, power, loyalty, belief, murder, and revenge, very impressive in a short this length.

All in all, this was a very entertaining disc. Although the Spartans (of which Master Chief is one) and their war are what tie this movie together, the variety of settings, character perspectives, and anime styles are what make the disc such a treat.

Video 

As can be expected from any animated picture, the transfer was incredibly clean and sharp. Colors popped off the screen, yet tones were not lost, especially important when the color itself was being used to convey emotion. This is especially noted at the beginning of “Prototype” (when tones are used to set a somber mood) and when the Spartan returns home in the middle of “Homecoming” (the bright clear sky and fountain convey joy in a way words cannot).

It is difficult to nit-pick this Blu-ray, as the video is superb and smooth, with no artifacting, black crush, or noise to be seen. The only challenge is that with such different art styles and directorial visions, there would have been some compromise in color balancing the disk. This shows up in a few of the paler shorts, mainly “Origins I” and “The Babysitter”.

Although this is not a reference disk (like Wall-E), it is very, very close, and looks superb.

Audio 

As mentioned in the Video section, there can be a challenge when bringing together eight different shorts, yet getting them sonically balanced. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of this Blu-ray did a surprisingly admirable job of doing so.

Dynamic levels were exceptionally good (considering the variety of anime presented), and dialog came through crisp and clear. Combat scenes had thump and power, shell casings landed all around the viewer, and surround channels were used regularly and appropriately. For DD 5.1, it was one of the best I’ve heard, and better than some True HD mixes.

My only complaint is the presence and mixing of the score. Much of the music is beautifully composed, and adds to the mood and atmosphere of the disc. However, there is too much of a good thing at times – the score can occasionally be invasive through the rear channels in some segments, and there is simply too much of it.

One of the things I appreciate about anime is that there does not always need to be a constant cacophony of dialog, music, and action noises. Some of the best scenes in may favourite anime are where there is silent and contemplative reflection (anathema to the Hollywood studio). Think of the trolley scene in Spirited Away or the train station scene with Shinji and Misato near the end of episode four of Neon Genesis Evangelion – there is a beauty to these scenes that North American studios would mangle.

Special Features 

It is a special disk which contains shorts that are so memorable, you’d rather watch them a few times more before reviewing the special features. But, the features must be reviewed. Such is my duty as your humble reviewer.

As a non-Halo fan, I did not find the commentaries really that interesting, and I’m confident enthusiasts will get more out of these than I did. Although discussions of the styles of the different directors were good, it was simply not enough to keep me interested.

For the same reasons, I did not find the “Gaming Evolved” featurette all that interesting either. Presented in 1080i, at least its presentation and run time was good, and would be a walk down memory lane for the itchy-fingered masses.

“The Story so Far” was an interesting featurette, and would be a good starting place for the Halo uninitiated to start. It explains a lot of the back stories (again in 1080i), and would be perfect for the person who needs to know everything about what they are watching. Again, I do not have issues with the partial-plot nature of anime, and found I enjoyed the shorts better by knowing less. However, this was a very good offering, and I could see how it would be appreciated by others.

To me, the cherry on the sundae was the almost hour-long “Making of” featurette which actually dissects each one of the shorts. This is one of those great “behind the scenes” features that allow you to understand the craft better. Recorded in 1080i, this is fully worth the time invested.

I was glad to see that Warner Brothers went the quality route with their featurettes on this Blu-ray. Although not all were to my tastes, my score for these reflects more the overall value that others (especially the neophyte) will likely get from this package.

Final Thoughts

Although apprehensive before viewing the movie, I was actually rewarded with a nicely crafted “variety pack” of anime. Through emotive storytelling and beautiful video/audio presentation, this disc surprised me with the depth, comprehensibility, and emotion of its stories. Even though the material was a bit uneven, there was much more good than bad on this disc. And when it was good, it was really good.

I would fully recommend this movie to those who appreciate anime, and to those who appreciate animation as an art form. Even those who aren’t anime or Halo fans are presented with quality special features that would allow them to fully enjoy the shorts.

In my experience, it is rare to be able to sample such a great variety of anime on one disk, especially one with such a high quality presentation. Highly recommended.

Series 

It’s hard to call “The Clone Wars” a series, mostly due to the fact that the story arcs don’t last more than a few episodes and it’s really a stab in the dark to tell when each storyline is taking place. Remember, I know as much about Star Wars as I do about quantum mechanics. However, even though these tangent storylines are short, they’re the perfect length to tell a quick story within the Star Wars universe without having to worry about infringing on canon set forth by the films.  Lucas knows how to please his fans in a way that is both exciting and completely null considering we know Anakin isn’t going to suddenly die in a storyline that takes place before the Darth Vader days… I may know a little about star wars.

When I started watching the first episode I was frightened when opposed to having your regular scrolling text like they do in the films, they decided to put in a narrator to recap the storyline. A bad thing? Not at all, time is tight on a 23 minute tv show… However when the voice of the narrator is that of a 50′s car salesman, perhaps your casting director should be fired. You get used to the voice over time though.

Throughout the different storylines we’re presented with a mixture of different elements. There’s great action scenes that contain amazing visual effects and very intense battles and then there’s these odd Saturday morning cartoon moments that really show you the seams of the production, this is a television show that needs to acceptable due to the fact it’s for kids. If you’re fearing that nothing tastes more bitter than a sugar-coated version of something you cherish like the Star Wars films, don’t worry. For the most part the droids are the main element that caters to younger audiences, from their silly dialogue to their slapstick antics… Did I laugh when a group of droids accidentally jumped to their death and the only droid who made the landing was subsequently hit by a train? Perhaps.

For the most part the series is a great watch mostly for the visuals, but the storyline isn’t as campy and cheesy as I feared. It’s definitely the perfect helping for a quick dose of some sci-fi adventure. The distribution of television series is probably my favorite aspect of being an avid movie watcher, because when you only have an hour to kill and can’t finish a full length feature, sometimes it’s nice to kick back and watch something short and sweet. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 1 is definitely short and sweet!

Video 

The Clone Wars comes at us in 1080p/VC-1 and surprisingly uses 2.35:1 aspect ratio for a television series. I was originally going to critique the animation at times throughout the series. I was going to say when you compare it to the amazingly fluid animation from other Lucas arts or ILM projects that the Clone Wars series seems a bit lesser in quality… but then I remembered THIS IS A WEEKLY TELEVISION SERIES! Considering they have to pump out 2 hours (roughly a Pixar movie’s length) worth of animation within a month is insane.

The animation is great, the backdrops are detailed and well designed, and the character models have this unique and almost anime look to them that really fits the style of series.

The graphics look phenomenal being projected onto a 100″ screen and I was blown away by the colors and lighting throughout. The details are crisp and clear and everything moves smoothly and fluidly. The visual effects look amazing as well, it seems Lucas Arts spends just as much detail on the compositing on the show as they do in their bigger projects.

This is definitely showroom quality!

Audio

I had high expectations, being a bit of an audiophile, and my expectations weren’t met. Considering this is a Lucas Arts project and it was mixed at Skywalker Ranch (one of the top audio studios in the world), it better have some amazing sound!

I immediately expected to see a THX codec used or at the very least DTS-HD, but instead we’re given a subpar Dolby digital 5.1 mix that wasn’t mixed incredibly well. Sounds bled into one another in the multi-layered scenes such as a battle sequence that involves dozens of audio tracks on top of each other.

That being said the film doesn’t have a bad mix, just not a great one. The dialogue comes through nicely, the score sounded great and everything can clearly be heard when a million things are happening at once, but when the complex mixing is pushed to the limits the codec shows its weakness.

Special Features

The Blu-ray offers only two special features, minus trailers. They’re labeled Jedi Temple Archive and the Enhanced Jedi Temple Archives Mode. Although that doesn’t seem like much, both are actually quite insightful and allow the fans to see every facet of the development of the show from early concept art to pre-vis 3D tests.

The enhanced version of the archives plays while you’re watching the series and when a nugget of info is available for the scene you’re watching you have the option to learn more. The regular archive is more of a mini behind-the-scenes documentary that you don’t need to watch in the middle of each episode.

Even though there’s truly only two special features, they provide for information, back-story and insight into the development and production of the series then I’ve seen on a lot of other Blu-ray’s that have a giant list or separate discs full of features.

The only thing that may have been missing was a commentary track.

Final Thoughts 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 1 is definitely a well-made series on a technical level and although the show does have a lot of sugar-coated elements for kids, the action is intense and the storylines aren’t as 2 dimensional as they seem. With showroom quality video and great special features; newcomers, such as myself, are going to enjoy this release just as much as the fans. Even though I still have no idea how the Star Wars chronology goes, this series is a great watch!

However, no-one would compare Trailer Park Boys with M*A*S*H or The Simpsons.  Whereas the other shows became legendary for their subtlety, heart, and humor, the Trailer Park Boys possesses little of these qualities. 

And although this works in 30-minute slices on their TV show, can a feature length movie be carried by this sort of nihilistic and profane humor?  After its viewing I can say yes, but only if you are already a fan of the show and its “acquired taste” type of humor.

Film 

If you are not familiar with the series, there are a number of main characters around whom the plot eternally revolves.  Our three main protagonists are Julian (John Paul Tremblay), Ricky (Robb Wells), and Bubbles (Mike Smith), three residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park.  Our two main antagonists are Jim Lahey (John Dunsworth) the alcoholic trailer park supervisor, and his ever shirtless live-in assistant, Randy (Patrick Roach).

Like most episodes of the show, the movie follows a similar pattern.  Shot as a “mockumentary” of Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles, the story begins on a day when all three are being released from jail.  Bubbles (who is released early in the day) returns to the trailer park to find the trailers destroyed, and his cats and kittens missing (revealed to be at the SPCA due to Jim).  Julian and Ricky are released later in the day, and promptly steal a corrections van to use in a liquor store hold up (in a very funny scene – Ricky uses a cardboard box as a disguise).

The main plot of the movie revolves around a now-sober Jim and his new deluxe trailer park, and his efforts to get Julian to sell out his old trailer so Jim can build a sewer line for the new park.   Meanwhile, Julian’s is attempting to “go straight” with “Success Autobody”, a business he has set up in his trailer, while Ricky is evaluating his relationship with Julian, and if this is a cause of all his life’s troubles.  Overriding all, both Julian and Ricky want to raise money to help their friend Bubbles rescue his cats from the SPCA.

Of course, Jim starts drinking again, creating huge complications for our protagonists and driving Randy away.  Julian, his business struggling, comes up with the perfect plot for financial freedom.  Ricky sets out to get his Grade 12 equivalency.  And Bubbles meets another kind soul who loves kitties and pot as much as he does.

To describe the goings-on would be to give away too many spoilers.  Suffice it for me to say that the movie is 100% consistent with the television show, though (unbelievably) the humor actually takes a step down at points.  Watch the car chase scene – you’ll know what I mean.  However, the additional run time allows us to get a bit more into the hearts of each character, something that makes them all a little more likeable, and allows us as viewers to empathize more.

If you like Trailer Park Boys, you will like this movie, guaranteed.  All of the elements, including Julian’s Rum and Coke, Randy’s gut, Ricky’s shirts and pants, and Jim running around drunk in tighty-whities and a bathrobe are there.  If you don’t like Trailer Park Boys or were unimpressed by the TV show, I’m not sure there’s much here that you would find appealing.

Video

The production values of the show have always been somewhat…frugal.  I mean, the show is set in a trailer park, right? From the outdated Chevy Astro vans, to the low-rent sets, this was not a premium production.  Mind you, at least there are some scenes that take place outside the trailer park.  Even though this is a feature length movie, there appeared to still be the same level of budgetary restraint that we saw in the TV show. 

This carried over to the video of the movie.  It appears to have been shot entirely on video, with bright scenes being extra sharp with no hint of grain.  Shadows in bright scenes showed hints of video noise and lack of detail, while dark scenes had excessive digital noise, and sparkling in black areas.  Camera work itself was also pedestrian, and although true to the “mockumentary” concept, it was well below what I expect in a movie. 

Overall, the video in Trailer Park Boys was better than most direct-to-video productions, and better than some transfers I’ve seen lately.  However, the inherent limitations of this low-cost video production were certainly visible, and the picture lacked the color, depth, and grain we would see in a film-based movie.       

Audio

Presented in DTS-HD MA, the audio of the movie was at a par with what is normally heard in the Dolby Digital 5.1 feed when watching the HD broadcasts of the shows.  This is unsurprising; this move appears to have production values that are consistent with the TV show.

Dynamic levels were not well balanced, with the dialog being very uneven through the centre channel.  Loud noises were very “spiky” – for example, when J-Roc shows up at Julian’s business, the rap percussion from his red and wood-paneled Cutlass wagon (yes, I know how that reads) quickly had me reaching for my remote.  

The surround channels were used sparingly during the movie, and became noticeable when information was fed to them.  This was actually distracting, but was consistent with the overall production values for the movie.

Overall, not a great audio presentation.

Special Features

The list of special features fits the general value-level of the overall package – this is a one-disc set in a fairly limited budget production.  What were included were an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and three featurettes, plus a commentary provided by fans from the show’s fan site.

Even though the bonus material is in 480p, some of its content will be of high quality to fans.  Notable features are the many deleted scenes, and the featurette “Sunnyvale Stories”, where it shows the making of the movie (by the actors who stay in character – remember, this is a mockumentary).

Although this is not the greatest set of special features, it somehow feels “right” for this particular package.  Thematically, it neatly ties the disc together. 

Final Thoughts

If you have watched Trailer Park Boys and have not enjoyed it, then this is not the movie for you.  If you find drugs, alcohol, or profanity offensive, I’d also give this one a pass.  However, if you have a taste for subversively crude comedy and bumbling yet good-hearted criminals, this may be worth a rent. 

However, the market for this movie will remain the dedicated legion of fans who tune into Trailer Park Boys at every opportunity.  For them, this movie is a buy, even just to watch Ricky tell Randy his magic-markered head looks “tough”, or to watch Randy toddle around in a wig, heels and a terry cloth sun dress (yes, I know how that reads).

Warner Brothers has been one of the leaders in its value Blu-ray marketing. As the price of players/PS3s fall, and the household adoption percentage increases, WB has been aggressive in getting affordable Blu-ray media to the masses. From its original package offerings (i.e. multi-movie boxed sets that included the underrated I am Legend and Batman Begins), WB is going full steam after the value market with its catalog titles.

One of their upcoming releases is the “Comedy Double Feature” release of Analyze This/Analyze That, part of a number of paired “Double Feature” discs being released from the studio at an MSRP of $24.98 (street price – $17.99).

Other releases include combo packs of Grumpy Old Men/Grumpier Old Men, Miss Congeniality/Miss Congeniality 2, Presumed Innocent/Frantic and Dirty Harry/Magnum Force. Each of these appears to have both movies on one Blu-ray disc.

There is no question that these movies represent good value for the consumer, and rate a buy recommendation simply on that. However, what upgrades over DVD can the purchaser expect?

Films

I had seen both Analyze This and Analyze That close to their release dates (1999 and 2002), which meant my memory of them was not great. However, I had surprisingly retained a strong impression of them: that Billy Crystal was very annoying as psychiatrist Ben Sobel, and that Robert De Niro channeled an unconvincing caricature of his other acting roles into gangster Paul Vitti.

And although Harold Ramis had written or directed some of my favourite comedies (Caddyshack, Vacation, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day), I had found his work as a director to be somewhat uneven (Multiplicity, The Ice Harvest, and Stuart Saves his Family – a movie I actually turned off part way in). My memory told me that the Analyze movies were some of his poorer work.

In rewatching the movies, I was disappointed to find that my memory was fine – really these movies are not great or legendary. As comedies go, Analyze This is above average, introducing us to the mobster-psychiatrist relationship before The Sopranos came along. There is enough surprise, coincidence, and patient-doctor impropriety to keep us entertained for its duration.

Analyze That is unfortunately more of the same “odd-couple” dynamic, except with a different plot twist. Truly, Analyze This was a complete movie in itself, and did not require a sequel – I am guessing that the success of the first movie (and not a logical story continuation) is what solely led to its creation.

In determining my lukewarm response to Analyze This/That, I believe my issue resided with the casting of Billy Crystal as the psychiatrist. There is something about his hamming, delivery, and voice tone that just sets me on edge. In back to back Analyze movies, he is just too much for my sensibilities, though his performance in Analyze This is far the better.

And even though Mr. Robert De Niro is one of my favourite actors, and has displayed some talent for comedy in other movies (such as The King of Comedy, Midnight Run, and Brazil), his character in the Analyze movies seems a parody. Ultimately, we viewers witnessed his flawless acting in The Godfather: Part II and The Untouchables, fatally undermining any credibility he tries to build as a “comedy” mob boss.

Scoring the movies independently, Analyze This deserves a 4 disc rating as a fairly good and original comedy. Analyze That deserves a 2.5 disc rating as a completely average “didn’t need to be made” comedy, despite its cast and budget.

Video

I was very interested to see what Warner Brothers did with the original prints of these movies, especially as their release years (1999 and 2002) straddled the era when high definition became widely available.

And boy, were the results ever surprising. The transfer of Analyze This was one of the reasons why we buy Blu-rays. The picture was sharp, natural, and with a proper level of grain. To my eyes, it was near a perfect reproduction of a film. Dark and indoor scenes were sharp and noise free, while the colors popped in outdoor shots. A superb transfer start to finish, and worthy of 5 discs.

However, Analyze That looked bad, period. Even though the film was three years newer, there was excessive grain/noise (even in outdoor shots), giving everything a soft focus. In indoor shots, the grain was so bad it even began to “watercolor” actor’s faces. One scene is highlights this perfectly: When Dr. Sobel lets his wife (Lisa Kudrow) know that he has brought Mr. Vitti home (in their dining room/kitchen), the actors faces are badly mottled.

The only explanation I can offer between the two is that Warner Brothers did more post-production cleanup on Analyze This versus Analyze That for broadcast or DVD reasons. Regardless, Analyze That fully deserves its score of 2, and I imagine an upscaled DVD looking better than the Blu-Ray print.

Audio

The audio on these discs is one of the most confusing things I’ve seen. The case says “Dolby Digital HD”. Good! However, when both movies are played, there is no Dolby-HD soundtrack, only DTS-MA 5.1. I double-checked my BDP setup, and even popped in a Dolby HD disc to confirm my BDP was working correctly. Yes my BDP was working correctly, and boy that’s odd.

Although lossless is lossless, I hope this is corrected between my pre-retail copy and the final retail packaging. It would be a shame for a viewer to have to fall back to DD or DTS because they were capable of playing only one lossless format.

Besides my confusion, the soundtrack was fine. These movies are very speech heavy, with a nominal amount of action and dynamics.

Dynamic levels were well mixed on both discs, and speech came clearly out of the centre channel without adjustment for both movies. The soundstage did feel a bit bigger during Analyze This, no more so than when Billy Crystal and Lisa Kudrow cam home to find a giant fountain on their front lawn to the strains of “La donna é mobile” from Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Generally both movies were well-mixed within the context of talk-heavy comedies.

Special Features

Well, I’m guessing that Warner Brothers is counting on the aggressive pricing of two movies to sell this package. Reason why? Well, there are zero (yes zero) special features, period. Zero trailers. Zero commentary. Zero deleted scenes.

Final Thoughts

Neither Analyze This or Analyze That were on my list of “must-own” comedies – mind you, I’ll be first in line when Baseketball and Happy Gilmore are released on Blu-ray (so take my advice for what it is).

Although the picture and sound in Analyze This is a solid upgrade from DVD, Analyze That is more of a mixed bag, with improved sound, but poor picture. Regardless, if movies (and not bonus features) are your thing, those who did enjoy these movies on DVD or VHS should buy this attractively priced upgrade.