Film

Jimmy Fallon took a break from smirking his way through SNL sketches to play an overeager cop who has zero skills behind the wheel of a car. Several expensive props destroyed later, he literally runs into a cab operated by an aspiring Nascar racer, played by a nauseatingly sassy Queen Latifah. The two become hap-hazard partners in a scheme to stop a band of (sigh) Brazilian models who have decided to rob banks.

The films kicks off with an immediate overdose of trying-to-be-cool scenarios, such as Queen Latifah performing completely improbable stunts on a messenger bike through the streets of New York. This is followed by her car transforming like the Gadget Mobile so she can place lives in danger on the road and shatter any and all traffic safety laws, all for the sake of lookin’ cool. Throughout the film, this “cool” attitude remains and makes for a complete disconnection with not only the audience, but with the city of New York. This film acts like it has an intimate understanding and love of NYC but does nothing to serve that feeling by having caricature heroes chasing cartoonishly absurd villains.

Yes, Gisele and the other models as the bank robbers, how could I get through this review without addressing their talents? Gisele’s acting skills are confined to her making the odd kissy face. Beyond that, she has to rip off her clothes and/or molest another woman in order to grab your attention and remind you that she is more than just a gun-toting mannequin in this film.

Taxi is simply a gigantic waste of stunt people and a sizable budget. All the gags fall flat (I mean, they even rip off a laughing gas gag from Lethal Weapon 4…the fourth Lethal Weapon sequel for crying out loud! And even then LW4 stole it from several others, up to and including the Simpsons), and the cast is devoid of charm.

Video

Widescreen 2.35:1. There are a lot of cars in this film, and they all looked freshly washed under the HD treatment. As good as the HD is for this release, it causes some problems as some dated CG and green screen graphics become more apparent when placed amongst ultra-clean footage of real people and places. A hazard of clarity.

AVC runs at an acceptable 22 MBPS.

Audio

This disc is absolutely loaded with audio options. Dolby Digital 5.1 in English, French (both Quebec and Parisian), Spanish (Stereo only, Castellano is 5.1)), German, Italian, Czech and Turkish. Subtitles are also offered for the same languages just mentioned, plus additional texts for Korea, Netherlands and possibly others, I was losing track of them all after a while. Also included are dubbed director commentary tracks in Spanish, French and German. Never mind the huge budget depressing me, now I’m imaging how many countries are being distributed this schlock.

My subjective criticisms of the film’s quality aside, this is a well treated soundtrack. The music is booming when it wants to be obvious and the dialogue is clear enough so that not a single failed joke is missed (sorry, obviously I cannot just let it go).

Special Features

Director Commentary: Tim Story uses the word “fun” to describe his reasoning (or his excuse) for everything, be it the irrational stunts, the casting of models whose acting talents resemble Oak, the overblown set pieces and all the other junk that he tries to justify. On top of this, he his bland speaking voice has no presence. I cannot fathom him having any sort of authority on a major movie set. I am baffled.

The Meter’s Runnin’ Making Of Featurette: This mostly consists of Jimmy Fallon mugging for the camera. Another waste of time.

Lights, Camera, Blue Screen: A remedial explanation of how Blue Screen effects work that would be better left as a feature on a Star Wars DVD, or at least hosted by someone with more than one facial expression.

Tour Guide: Jimmy Fallon: Fallon’s mugging of the camera obviously worked as he leads a boring tour through the studio set. If you watch it in fast forward, it hurts less.

Comedy Central’s Reel Comedy: Taxi: Two of the stars of Reno 911 do a profile/sketch about the film in what is the ONLY funny thing on this disc. These two know how to improvise and manage to spark a little something from Latifah too. But even this gets old fast when you realize what film they are talking about.

Beautiful Criminals: A musical montage compiling nothing but footage of the models. As boring as it is, it could easily replace the film in my books…and I don’t mean that in a misogynist, hound dog sort of way…I just think it has a better plot.

Deleted Scenes: I could not sit through this even though it lasts less than 5 minutes (I think). Each is worse than anything left in the film…and that is a VERY harsh insult.

Final Thoughts

There must be some sort of irony in how the main character is trying so desperately to win back his credibility on the police force while Jimmy Fallon explodes any remaining credibility he had while portraying him. Bleh. Steer clear of this one (see that embarassing pun I just made? THAT was wittering than anything this film provided).

Film 

There is little question that Thelma & Louise is a classic. There were certainly no films like it before and I can’t really think of one since its release. In this regard, it pretty much stands as unique in the history of cinema. Sure there were plenty of road movies before and since and plenty of Buddy films. However, this is the only “Buddy” or “Road” film that I can recall where the two leads were women and not men. The movie world was male dominated 20 years ago and still is. When Thelma & Louise was released, it caused quite a stir in the media, including a cover piece in Time.

How you viewed the film often times depended on your gender, with women loving it, viewing it as a film about the empowerment of women and men hating it anti male given the way Thelma & Louise treated most men in the film. I guess men were not used to seeing men shot and humiliated in films by women. Looking back on it with 20 years’ perspective, all the bluster about the film seems to be just that, bluster. It is simply a great film about two interesting and complex women and one that I am grateful to see make its debut on Blu-ray.

I am sure that most of you already know the plot line of the film. Thelma & Louise are played brilliantly by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. Thelma is a housewife trapped in a loveless marriage to a real boob and leading a life totally devoid of even a hint of excitement or passion. Louise is a long time friend who works as a waitress in a diner who has some hidden demons that manifest themselves early enough in the film.

They decide to have a little fun and meet to go fishing in the mountains. Along the way they stop at a truck stop for some drinks where Thelma is hit on by Harlan Puckett (Timothy Carhart), a married man who is well known at the restaurant/bar as a pick-up artist. Thelma has too much to drink and feels sick while dancing. She goes outside for some fresh air where Harlan tries to rape her after she rejects his affections. Louise comes upon the scene while trying to locate Thelma as Harlan is just starting ito manhandle Thelma over the hood of a car and breaks it up with a gun from Thelma’s handbag to the back of Harlan’s head.

While leaving, Harlan says something derogatory to Louise who turns around and shoots and kills him. Rather than call the police, the two flee the scene. When the murder is discovered, the police, led by Detective Hal Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) quickly zero in on Thelma & Louise as suspects and begin to pursue them as they attempt to escape to Mexico. As they cross several states as part of their escape, they engage in criminal activity to finance their efforts to avoid capture at the hands of just about every law enforcement agency in the Southwest United States.

*Spoiler Alert*

Along the way, they truly discover themselves and even enrich their friendships, to the point that they commit suicide together rather than get caught, as they drive their car over the edge of the Grand Canyon as the film ends with that unforgettable sight of their car suspended in the air over the canyon before they can begin the plunge to their deaths.

Despite the subject matter, the film is filled with humor and is a very entertaining 129 minutes. Thelma & Louise is an unforgettable film that is as good today as when it was released way back in 1991 and is highly recommended.

Video 

I have no recollection as to how this film looked in the theaters 20 years ago. I am not sure that anyone would have having only seen the film once 20 years before. That said, this is a fine looking encode. The film has a pleasing looking color palette which is a bit skewed to the color cyan, with colors having a light blue tinge to them. Black levels are good and stable and consistent throughout the film but far from reference. Color saturation, detail, shadow detail and clarity are all good, although the overall look of the film is a tad on the soft side.

I found film grain to be well preserved with the overall video presentation maintaining that film like appearance. Other than during the opening sequence of the film where slight banding was present, I noticed no significant encoding issues. The print used for the release looked clean and in excellent shape. Fans of the film should be more than pleased with the look of the film on its initial Blu-ray release.

Audio 

All in all I was quite pleased with the audio here. While the sound design is a bit front heavy, the overall fidelity of the recorded sound was excellent, sounding smooth, rich and open with not even the hint of hardness evident. Bass response was particularly strong and most noticeable during the film score and sound effects. The dialogue track was well recorded and always intelligible. All in all, the sound reproduction here is of top notch quality.

Special Features 

I found the extras presented here to be rather mundane. The extras include an audio commentary with director Ridley Scott as well as one featuring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and screenwriter Callie Khouri. We also get a featurette on the making of the film and the reaction to it entitled “Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey” which is presented in standard definition and appears to have been ported over from the prior DVD release of the film.

Also included is an extended ending to the film with commentary by Ridley Scott, where he explains why the extended ending was deleted from the film. The extras also include several extended and deleted screens, a mutli-angles storyboard of the final chase scene as well as the original trailer for the film and a “Part of You, Part of Me” music video by Glenn Frey.

Final Thoughts 

It was great to see Thelma & Louise again after 20 years. its initial release on Blu-ray looks and sounds about as good as this film can and should please the many fans of this film and is highly recommended.

Starring a stellar cast such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Daines, and the unheralded Charlie Cox, and with a supporting role for Robert DeNiro, I was quite excited.  That Gene Shalit, Richard Roeper, and Dave Karger all enthused about the film also gave it great promise.  Would it live up to this heady billing?

Film

I am comfortable in stating that this film will polarize the audience.  Where I found the film poorly paced, overly complex, somewhat convoluted, and way too violent for the little ones, the official wife was entranced by it.

To summarize the complex plot as quickly as possible, it starts with a Village called Wall, obviously located by a wall that acts as a border between the English Countryside, and the fantasy realm of Stormhold.  In this fantasy realm, the dying King states that his throne will be inherited by whichever of his sons find a ruby, one that he throws into the sky and that bonds with a falling star.

Meanwhile, our protagonist Tristan (Mr. Cox), sees the star fall on the other side of the wall, and vows to return to a certain lady he is pursuing.  Tristan also learns from his father that he is the offspring of his father, and a slave to which whom his father met on the other side of the wall.

Of course Tristan finds the falling star, who happens to be a beautiful girl named Yvaine (Ms. Daines).

Adventures ensue, including pursuit by the King’s remaining sons, pursuit by a witch (Laima, Ms. Pfeiffer) who want to use Yvaine’s power to remain young and gain power.  Through magic, Tristan and Yvaine end up in the clutches of flying pirates, led by Captain Shakespeare (Mr. DeNiro), a kind-hearted cross-dressing pirate.

Further battles and adventures ensue, followed by the requisite fairy tale happy ending.

Was this a bad movie?  No.  Was it good, memorable, or did it encourage multiple viewings?  To my mind, it only encouraged a multiple viewing so that the viewer could try and understand it a bit better.

The acting performances were fine (though Ms. Daines’ role was a bit lightweight), leading me to conclude the film’s weaknesses were more in the script and direction than the performances.  Ms. Pfeiffer out “evils” Ms. Kidman in The Golden Compass, and Mr. DeNiro actually makes a cross-dressing Pirate captain oddly heroic.  Mr. Cox is more than serviceable as our hero, Tristan, and maintains a sort of bumbling “everyman” quality throughout the film.

When I compare this film to one of my favourites, The Princess Bride, it does not compare very well.  The plot lacks a cohesion and linearity The Princess Bride had.  And although the acting is good, the limitations of the script suck much of the humor and whimsy out of what could have been a more special movie.  Simply trying to figure out who is who can actually occupy the viewer for the first thirty minutes of the film, something I find that detracts from a film’s enjoyability.

Ultimately, the limitations of this film outweigh its benefits, and it is highly unlikely this one will end up in my “to be watched again” pile.

Video

Despite the weakness in the film itself, it does have a very lovely looking presentation.  There is lovely color saturation, with all the shiny, colorful, and bright things we normally see in medieval-themed movies.

My main complaint would be the presence of overly pronounced grain in some of the darker scenes.  Although this may be a natural grain, it borders on distracting, and does soften the sharpness of the image.

Audio 

The soundtrack for Stardust is a very pleasing DTS-MA 5.1 presentation.  Outside scenes sound like they are outside, and surround effects are clear and appropriate.  LFE information is good when present, but the score and effects do not overly tax the channel.

In general, a very good audio presentation – nowhere near reference, but very very acceptable.

Special Features

The Blu-ray did come with a slightly above-average set of special features, most notably highlighted by a five-part 1080p documentary about the making of the film which clocks in at just over 55 minutes.  Some of the documentary segments are quite interesting, especially the one that showed the difficulty in translating the novel to the screen while staying under budget.

Also included were a fairly dull commentary track, deleted scenes and outtakes (in SD, boo), a 10-minute feature that looks as if it was lifted from the DVD release, and the theatrical trailer.  All in all, not a bad offering.

Final Thoughts

I do feel bad about not scoring this film higher.  The cast does what they can with the script.  It was shot reasonably well, and the effects are reasonably good. 

Unfortunately, a convoluted plot and an excess of characters makes this film very difficult to follow and enjoy.  Even as a family film, the scary parts can actually be quite scary – definitely not recommended for the under-10 crowd.

Film

The first matrix film was a game changer when it came out and when it was announced that not only one but two back-to-back sequels were going to be released, fans couldn’t hold in their excitement. When the movies received mixed reviews and didn’t live up to hype the films paled in comparison.

I always thought the hate that the Matrix sequels received was unfair; we all expected the Wachowskis to catch lightning in a bottle again. The Matrix Reloaded in particular has some great moments like the highway scene which is on a scale unlike we’d ever seen before. The expansive mythology built within the Matrix universe is something that simply isn’t common in Hollywood and the techniques that the Wachowskis use in presenting the films are so unique and original. Although the film doesn’t have the benefit of not having expectations it still kept pushing the bar.

Matrix Reloaded is action-packed but never feels mindless, the fight choreography is impressive and the special effects enhance every aspect of the shootouts. However, when it feels like the film is so high octane that it borders on gratuitous we’re given these beautifully crafted scenes such as the Architect scene where humanity is thrown under a microscope and it taps into the intellectual side of the audience.

Best of all with many back-to-back movies such as Kill Bill, the first movie that comes out has the opportunity to have an ending that leaves the audience painfully begging for more and the suspenseful ending of Matrix Reloaded definitely hits its mark… Unfortunately the next Matrix still hasn’t been released individually.

Video

Matrix Reloaded’s video is displayed using VC-1 codec in its original aspect ratio 2.40:1. The Blu-ray looks excellent, it’s crisp and sharp with a ton of detail and every texture comes through even when watching on a 100” projector screen.

The colours albeit colour graded to a greenish tint come off nicely and the contrast is at a nice level where we don’t lose details and we get deep black levels. The film has a bit of graininess at times but it’s nothing unusual or distracting.

The film is also free of any artefacting or noise; it’s a very clean print and is one of the best Blu-rays you can watch. It helps that the imagery in front of you has the scope of the Wachoiwski’s who are so talented that even the simplest shots have this edge to it, but nevertheless this is a good looking disc.

Audio

Matrix Reloaded’s audio comes at us using Dolby TrueHD 5.1 codec and sounds just as good as it looks. The mix is well balanced and takes advantage of the surrounds and even when complex scenes like shootouts on a highway are blowing out minds, the mix keeps up and makes sure everything comes through clearly. The sound effects have all the punch to really boost all of the unreal visuals that happen before our eyes and from the high ends to the low frequency roars, there’s little to complain about the sound. You can hear the complexity of the sound effects from the little sweeteners added to give the mix depth to the hollow atmospheric use of reverb.

The dialogue is clean and centered and there’s no noise or distortion in any of the tracks. The score comes through nicely as well and Don Davis really has a unique style with this score, blending organic and mechanic sounds seamlessly to create a surreal sound.

If you’ve been looking for a Blu-ray to flex your speaker’s muscle then add this one.

Special Features

There are quite a few special features on this Blu-ray, bringing over every feature from the Ultimate Matrix Collection such as 2 commentaries, over 20 behind-the-scenes featurette and some other bits on the Matrix game. The main feature that is cool is the in-movie experience that allows you to access some videos and extra goodies throughout the film that is really insightful to the filmmaking process. Unfortunately I wish there were most bonus features that focused on the Wachowskis.

Final Thoughts

If you bought the first Matrix separately and you’re contemplating whether you should continue with the trilogy, you can feel safe buying The Matrix Reloaded. The individual release has all the special features from the Ultimate boxset and the audio and video quality are showroom quality. If you weren’t a fan of  the sequels and haven’t seen them for a while, give them another chance after some time has past, Reloaded is a film that has aged well.

More importantly, how does this film measure up against the “epics” of today, and how well did this translate to Blu-ray?  Although some films receive a loving restoration (The African Queen), how well would Warner Brothers treat this legendary film?

Film

Based on a novel by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago follows the life of our eponymous hero as he navigates life in Russia through both World War I and the Russian Revolution. 

Left destitute by the death of his mother, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif in his best role) is taken in by well-to-do friends of the family (the Gromekos).  Trained to be a doctor, yet popular as a published poet, Yuri’s life is ideal, including a predestined marriage to the Gromeko’s daughter (Tonya, played by the lovely and vulnerable Geraldine Chaplin).  However, this idyllic world is torn apart, firstly through World War I (and Yuri’s conscription), followed by his return home to a radically changed Russia.

Yuri’s life is further complicated by him unexpectedly falling in love with a nurse whom he met while serving in the Army.  Lara (played by a beautiful, vulnerable, yet strong Julie Christie) reciprocates these feelings, but their romance remains unconsummated.  In the words of Lara, “Let us do nothing that you will need to lie to Tonya about”.   

The movie itself operates in three main acts; before War and the Revolution in Moscow, after War and the Revolution in Moscow (including escape), and life in the Urals, away from the Revolution.  And although a devoted family man, and still in love with Tonya, Yuri cannot resist the pull of Lara, especially when his family is hiding safely only miles from the town where she lives. 

In his soul a poet, but by trade a Doctor, Yuri Zhivago is one of a type of movie hero that seems to have disappeared from cinema.  He is not a “doer” or a man of action; like most of us in our lives, the world around him changes, and he must do what he can to adapt and survive.  And although he does not overtly fight back against those who would ruin the life he once enjoyed, when challenged, he shares candidly his true feelings about what has happened to Russia, without fear or remorse.  An incurable romantic, a spiritual fatalist, and a flawed man; this best describes Yuri Zhivago.  Yet in his noble bearing, he communicates a dignity that we would all be hard pressed to equal if placed in similar circumstances.

One of the most endearing traits of the movie is how the main characters’ lives intertwine throughout the movie.  Lara’s finace (Pasha) is in the film early as a Bolshevik idealist, in the middle as a ruthless Red leader Strelnikov (during which he has a powerful conversation with Yuri), and at the end (offscreen) as a main motivation for a number of the characters.

Lara herself first appears to Yuri in Moscow as the daughter of a patient he and his guardian visit.  Later on, she appears to him again as a much-needed nurse during a retreat from the World War I front lines.  And lastly, she reappears, living only miles from the old family house where Yuri hides with his guardian and family.

Yuri also has a half-brother, Yevgraf (played with charm, menace, and sincerity by Sir Alec Guiness) who appears in many places in the film.  When needed, he provides the necessary narration to move the story forward, yet he also appears at pivotal moments in Yuri’s life.  Although a member of the Cheka, Yevgraf hides a true and loving soul for his half-brother under his staid and state-centric persona.

Over top of this all, is our Faustian devil, the lawyer Victor Komarovsky (played incredibly well by Rod Steiger).  Through the movie, Komarovsky is a harbinger of nothing but illness to our protagonists, be it through forcing himself on a young Lara while in Moscow, reputedly driving Yuri’s Father into destitution, or threatening and bullying Lara and Yuri in the film’s closing stages.

Although this movie is set during two very pivotal moments in Russian 20^th Century history, the film does not denigrate into historical documentary territory.  Sir David Lean instead captures the essence of what it is to be human, how the heart can override the mind, and shows the both the best and worst sides of human nature.  And to do so would have been impossible without the flawless performances of Sharif, Christie, Chaplin, Guiness, and Steiger. 

It is also easy to understand why Mr. Pasternak’s writings and this film were banned in Russia for many, many years.  Sir David Lean takes a decidedly Western view of Communism; Yuri leaves a vibrant and beautiful Moscow, and return to a filthy, starved, disease-ridden city, full of the most rapacious and petty-minded Communists imaginable.  Humanity seems to have been sucked out of almost every ardent Bolshevik in the movie, never more elequently illustrated as through the character of Pasha/Strelnikov.   

The quality of the film is beyond reproach.  From the beautiful score by Walter Jarre (you’ll be humming “Lara’s Theme” for days), to the sets, costumes, and cinematography (by the legendary Freddie Young), this is truly what a classic epic film is.

For us in our reasonably comfortable North American world, one cannot help feel but a bit of chill when we see how quickly all of the comfort and luxury taken for granted by these characters is ripped away from them.  To me, this is what makes the film most compelling; how would I survive the same things survived by Yuri, his family, and Lara?  Hours after seeing the film, I am still asking myself the same question.

Video

In the words of Alex from A Clockwork Orange, “gorgeousness and gorgeousity”.

This movie is absolutely magnificent.  Sir David Lean knew how to use a camera, how to frame a shot, and how to get the best out of his actors.  Be it lighting placement, shot staging, or using every natural nuance of his actors to convey an emotion, each frame is shot with an exact preciseness.  Wide shots, tight shots, dark shots, light shots – all are done with love and care.  The film itself is also a throwback to the era of true epic pictures from Hollywood; even the sets are fantastic, and are better than virtually anything from that era.

Most importantly, Warner Brothers did an incredibly respectful job with the restoration of this film.  Grain is there (as it should be in a 45 year old film) but is never distracting.  Low light shots are resolved superbly.  Although some of the blacks can tend towards dark gray, there is never swimming grain, macroblocking, or crush.  The movie itself is somewhat sepia-toned, but color is used appropriately with the color red obviously highlighted.

All in all, this is an incredible presentation for a movie released in 1965.  The care used by Sir David Lean in filming the movie allowed the WB restoration team to produce a movie of pure beauty.  Although not perfect, this disc is now the standard by which I will judge the restoration of all classic movies. 

Audio

As is expected, audio simply cannot be restored the same way video can.  If filmed with a mono track with limited dynamics, there is only so much the engineers can do to spatialize sounds, and add top and bottom end to them.

This being stated, the team that worked on Doctor Zhivago deserve the merit star for a top quality effort.  The DTS-MA 5.1 is absolutely incredible for a movie this age, with decent use of the surround channels, and even some LFE information! 

At times the dialog can drop out, and the score can be a bit jarring through the centre channel, something which did having me adjusting the volume more than I prefer to.  This being said, the sound is superb for a 45-year old movie.  

Special Features

Packaged as a “45^th Anniversary Edition Digibook”, this film has every extra a true movie lover could ask for. 

The handsomely bound book contains forty-four glossy full-color heavyweight pages describing a bit about the movie, making a lovely primer for the neophyte (such as myself).  There are also profiles of a number of the main actors in the film, and some candid “behind the scenes” photos.  A great booklet in the opinion of someone who still loves the printed word.

Also included is an all-too-short CD sampler of the soundtrack, which is a real treat for someone who loves 2-channel classical music.  This alone would have been worth 2.5 discs on its own.

However, in the list of more traditional features, we have some that come on the movie’s Blu-ray, with the balance being contained on an accompanying DVD (all in SD unfortunately).

On the Blu-ray we have a commentary track.  And we are fortunate to still have the genteel Omar Sharif with us, as well as Sir David Lean’s widow, Sandra; he obviously told her many stories in the short time they were married.  Although we no longer have Rod Steiger with us (he passed on in 2002), we are fortunate that he did have some commentary recorded for the film (likely for the 2001 DVD release) – even though he is not a part of the initial conversation, he is seamlessly blended into this track.  Be advised that although this is a better commentary than most, it does still represent listening to other people talk over a movie for over three hours.  And as loyal readers know, I am not a big fan of commentaries, though this one held my attention better than most.

Also on the Blu-ray, we have a two-part documentary (480p – bah!) about Doctor Zhivago, most notably in the words of others in the industry.  A very good piece.

On the accompanying DVD, we have what looks to be a rehash of the special features that accompanied the 2001 “Special Edition” DVD release of the film.  If you do not own the DVD, and love “retro” features, this is your disc.  There are number of vintage featurettes, including interviews, a screen test, and various old “presser” type materials.  Plus, this disc includes the excellent 1995 documentary on Doctor Zhivago, narrated by the ever-eloquent Omar Sharif.

In terms of variety, volume, and quality, this is a wonderfully varied set of special features.  Even the lack of high-def supplements is acceptable considering the age of the film. 

Final Thoughts

Honestly, I did find the thought of reviewing this film a bit daunting.  Not only is it legendary, it comes with a hefty runtime, and a hefty set of extras in its 45^th anniversary edition.  Furthermore, I did find the start of the movie to be a bit slow and confusing, though this all resolved itself once the film progressed. 

However, I cannot remember the last time I was so engrossed in a film, especially developing a heightened empathy for our characters.  This is a tribute to Sir David Lean, who truly captured the emotion of his actors for the screen.  From an excellent story, to an excellent script, to tour-de-force acting performances, this is a top notch film. 

That a 45-year old film looks and sounds as good as this does on Blu-ray is a tribute to Warner Brothers; Doctor Zhivago fully deserves a place of honor in any serious movie collection.

Film

Earth is a nature documentary that was filmed all over the world over a 5 year period. As is the case with Disney nature films, Earth is not a straight nature documentary. Instead, it has a bit of a family focus to it, family friendly if you will, as it follows a trio of families in the wild, a polar bear and her two cubs in the Arctic, an Elephant and her cub in Africa and a humpback whale and her calf as they journey from the tropical waters of the Equator to their feeding grounds off Antarctica.

The film also has more of a warm and fuzzy feeling to it than your typical nature documentary, focusing at times, more on the cuteness of the animals rather than the harsh conditions in the wild. The film also fails to show the wild for what it is at times, gruesome and deadly, as it fails to ever show the death of any actual animals, cutting away at the very end, letting you surmise what happened at the end of the chase. I can only assume that this is the Disney way. However, it does fall a good bit short of reality which, after all, it the very purpose of a nature documentary.

While the folks at Disney may prefer a happier and less gruesome wild, that is just not the way it is out in the wild. The film is well narrated by the great James Earl Jones and features some incredible camera work and visuals. It is the visuals after all that really matter in a nature documentary and the visuals here are simply spectacular, from the white and icy Arctic to the lush greens and fauna of the mid latitudes, the dry and dusty plains of Africa and the beautiful crystal clear blue water of the tropics. While the storytelling here can get a bit too syrupy, the visuals more than make up for that minor drawback, as they are that impressive. Highly recommended.

Video

Simply put, the video quality on this release is fantastic. Try as I might, I could find nothing at all to find fault with on this encode. This is reference material, with incredibly accurate and lifelike colors, deep and rich blacks, bright and bold primary colors and astonishing levels of clarity and detail. You know that this will be great looking film as soon as you see the bright white snow of the Arctic at the beginning of the film. This film simply has it all in terms of image quality, from the whites of the snow, the many different shades of green in the forests, plains and grasslands to the incredible blue waters of the tropics. This is simply as real as it gets folks with the limits of today’s technology, short of actually being there. Each different environment and the varied wildlife are depicted with a staggering degree of realism, detail, depth and three dimensionality. This is an incredible looking disc and as far as I am concerned, the best looking nature documentary yet released on Blu-ray.

Audio

While not quite as impressive as the video presentation, the audio here more than holds its own. The narration by James Earl Jones is captured with exceptional levels of fidelity, capturing the richness of his voice beautifully and placing it perfectly, front and center in the sound field. The same can also be said about the overall fidelity of the entire film, which sounds smooth and rich with excellent levels of transparency and openness and deep and rich bass response.

The audio in the wild sounds very realistic and places you right in the action with the filmmakers. The sounds of the lions as they prepare to attack a heard of elephants is captured with a startling degree of realism. The same can be said of the howling of the wind, thunderstorms, the thundering herd of elephants and the splashing of humpback whales in the sea after breaching. The only real fault I have with the audio here and it is a very small one at that, involves the use of the surrounds. While they are active throughout, I would have preferred that they have been used a bit more aggressively to create a more immersive sound field during the entire film. I would also have preferred a little better integration of the surrounds with the front of the sound field. However, these minor quibbles aside, this is a great sounding film and one that I will not doubt enjoy listening to again and again.

Special Features

Earth is a two disc set, with the first disc containing the Blu-ray copy of the film and the second, a DVD copy of the film so that you can enjoy the film anywhere where a DVD player is available. Any of you with young children will no doubt appreciate this extra which will no doubt come in handy during long trips in the car or on a plane. The Blu-ray disc itself contains two sets of extras, the first being the filmmakers annotations and the second, a making of featurette which I found to be the most interesting of the two.

The making of featurette goes behind the scenes of the making of the film with the director, detailing the five years it took to capture all of the spectacular video featured in the film and the lengths the film crews went to capture it, placing their very lives at risk during the process There is a very interesting scene in the Arctic while filming the polar bears, where one polar bear, smelling cooking food, comes up to and attempts to enter the crew’s hut for a bite to eat, understandably scaring the heck out of the crew. They used all sorts of countermeasures to scare away the polar bear, none of which seemed to work. This footage illustrates the very real hazards that the film crews face when capturing the footage featured in these film, a fact we are often not even mindful of as we enjoy the films. This making of featurette is well worth you time and is at times, just as interesting as the film itself.

Final Thoughts

Earth is a excellent film that features reference level video that is a must own for any fans of nature documentaries. Highly recommended.

Film 

Set in the 80′s in Los Angeles, Tango & Cash features a tale of the two best cops on the LA Police force.  Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) is the Armani-draped hard body who does things his way.  He has an intuition seemingly only rivaled by that of a Jedi and has a shot that’s as accurate as Al’s .38 from the bottom step (i.e. The Godfather).  On the other end of town is the Corvette-sporting Gabriel Cash, or ‘Gabe’ for short.  Gabe is more comfortable his blue jeans and t-shirt and is the more ‘cowboy’ of the two law enforcers and apparently the only cop on the beat who augments his pistol with a gigantic laser site.  I couldn’t tell if that thing was intended to help aim or discover planets.  Both cops appear regularly in the headlines, nabbing bad guys left and right, breaking up drug rings across the big city.  They are regular celebrities in their line of work. 

Enter Yves Perret (Jack Palance), a big time drug and arms dealer determined to make the two heroes’ lives a living hell.  Perret has a plan up his sleeve to put Tango and Cash away for good so he can carry on his underworld business in peace.  When the police duo are forced to team up to save the day and their own hides, there is no shortage of “I’m better than you” and reluctant team effort.  Let’s not forget the beautiful woman who fills the aesthetics niche in the film…Kiki, played by Ms. Teri Hatcher.  Hatcher fills a role of medium importance and does it well.  Yes she is beautiful, but she can act too and easily outdoes Stallone on the screen. 

Ultimately, it’s your typical 80′s action flick.  The acting is sub-par, the comedic delivery is off balance but the butt-kicking is plentiful and action fans will not be disappointed.  Stallone manages a timely laugh-inducing line here and there while Kurt Russell’s efforts are arguably more convincing.  I almost forgot the inevitable bad rock song at the closing credits.  Why does it seem like all 80′s actions films suffer from this?  Rocky IV had it.  Commando had it.  Tango & Cash has it.  Okay, so these aren’t Oscar-worthy films.  Maybe this is more of a personal thing but the bad music thing has always bugged me and cheapens the film a bit.  If you just had a good steak dinner, you wouldn’t want dessert served to you on a garbage can lid, would you?  

Video 

Brought to us in beautiful 1080p High Definition, the presentation continues in a 2.4:1 aspect ratio and VC-1 encode.  For the most part, the video is clean but unfortunately lacks the pick-up of finer details Blu-ray is traditionally capable of.  There are some pretty fantastic looking scenes almost worthy of a Blu-ray demonstration disc.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that those scenes are limited.  Grain does dot the landscape here and there throughout the film but it’s nothing bad.  Skin tones are consistent and all in all, the film looks good.  The fact that it’s 20 years old is even more impressive.  There are some drawbacks to the visuals but I do not consider them to be a deal-breaker.

Audio 

What started out as a bang-bang speaker fest, ended in flat disappointment.  As is the norm, dialogue was delivered out of the front channels but so were several rounds of ammo.  Action films have the advantage in utilizing surround sound better than any other genre (maybe with the exception of concert Blu-rays).  There are so many more scenes that can serve as a vacuum, inhaling viewers simply by creating a realistic audio experience with yells of duress, flying bullets, colliding vehicles and ear-ringing explosions.  It is too bad that in this example, the film sent these sounds through the front channels far too often, leaving the rear speakers to do nothing more than support the music.  The film’s final assault was reminiscent of a glass of Coca-Cola left out overnight, the sparkling fizz absent from the content.  The beginning of the film was nearly solid in its sound delivery, especially with the helicopter fly-by, yet unfortunately did not maintain this behavior to the end. 

Special Features 

Special features?  What special features?  Maybe their hidden on the disc because all I found was one measly trailer for Tango & Cash.  Either the studio was in a hurry to get this disc out on store shelves or somebody just didn’t care enough to add more content.

• Trailer – presented in the ever mundane standard definition (1:22). 

Final Thoughts 

In summary, don’t expect a lot from this movie.  Just have fun with it as it’s not a film to be taken too seriously.  The wardrobes, music and acting are all dated, but consumable nonetheless.  If you are looking for a hook to hang your action hat on, I suggest settling on Tango & Cash.  It may not be one of the top five tough-guy films of the 1980′s, but it’s not a bad one to watch.  Enjoy two of the biggest stars of that decade in this entertaining shoot ‘em-up flick.

Keanu Reeves has come a long way since the days of Bill & Ted. He really came into his own when given the part of Neo in The Matrix. The film Constantine suits him well as the character is very dark, with not too much emotion. This seems to be the type of character he is used to playing in many of his recent films, including the up coming The Day the Earth Stood Still. Constantine is a film full of action, drama and some scares, which is all a good thing and really is a thrill ride kind of a film.

The original write-up of Constantine has been taken from Ryan Keefer’s HD-DVD review from Upcomingdiscs.com, the sister site of Intotheblu.com . His review is in quotes.

“Written by Kevin Brodbin (who came up with the initial story) and directed by Francis Lawrence, who was previously well-reputed as a music video director (think Tarsem or David Fincher maybe), Reeves plays Constantine as a man with a conflict. While others may think that he has a gift in exorcising and deporting demons, he sees it as a burden, a duty he thinks he should get into heaven for. With the help of a grizzled priest (Pruitt Taylor Vince, Nobody’s Fool) and an aspiring apprentice (Shia LaBeouf, IMDB), he plods along through the days and nights, doing his duty while battling an aggressive form of lung cancer which he doesn’t make any better by chain-smoking.Enter Angela (Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener), a police detective whose identical twin named Isabel died in an apparent suicide in a mental hospital. Angela firmly believes that it was not a suicide because of her sister’s spiritual beliefs, and decides to see if Constantine will help. And after some fairly creative rebuffing, he finally tries to figure out what’s going on, and employs various people including a voodoo doctor (Djimon Hounsou, In America) and an angel-demon mix of some sort named Gabriel (Tilda Swinton, The Chronicles of Narnia).”I can only assume that many who would be reading this review have either seen Constantine be it on DVD, HD-DVD or on cable. The film is so action packed that there is never a chance to be bored. The story, albeit one that is so far fetched, is such a fun film to watch. If you don’t find yourself jumping out of your seat at least once during the film, make sure you still have a pulse.

Video

Warner Brothers finally brings Constantine to Blu-ray well over a year since the release of the HD-DVD. Presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio and sporting a 1080p transfer, Constantine, if it has any flaws, I didn’t spot them. Blacks are spot on. Grain, when apparent, is necessary and adds to the film. I didn’t see a hint of edge enhancement. I challenge anyone to find one speck of dirt on this transfer. It really is pristine and is definitely demo material.

Audio

If you think the video of Constantine is good, the audio is just as good if not better. Without a doubt you will want to listen to the film in the TrueHD Dolby 5.1 sound. The bass is thunderous throughout the film. Your room will definitely shake during any of the action scenes. Dialogue is perfectly clear and never was an issue. No popping noises or anything. All I can say about it is that, along with the video, as mentioned before, the audio is also demo material and should be one of the first films you pull out to show it off to everyone.Standard 5.1 Dolby is also available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Japanese. Also, plenty of subtitles are also available.

Special Features

The original write-up of the Constantine special features has been taken from Ryan Keefer’s HD-DVD review from Upcomingdiscs.com, the sister site of Intotheblu.com. The special features are an exact replica of the HD-DVD release. His review of the special features is in quotes.

“This disc (HD-DVD) was the first released by Warner to feature the “in-movie experience”, which is kind of a “white rabbit feature” similar to the Matrix films, but on HD-DVDs it serves as a running subtitle track of sorts for the film. In Constantine’s case, it includes footage from some of the behind the scenes featurettes in the film, as well as some recorded on-set recollections from the cast and crew. It’s not as interactive as The Dukes of Hazzard IME, but as its own, a decent freshman effort.Skipping the two commentary tracks (one from Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldman, the other from Brodbin and Frank Cappello) and moving onto 14 featurettes, with the total runtime for everything an hour and 40 minutes. The cast shares their thoughts on the film and the comic book along with a look at the origins of the comic (hooray, another comic by a British guy whose anti-Thatcher anti-Reagan rhetoric helped enslave people and gave him a job making a bunch of cash!). Lawrence (who also has some optional commentary pieces elsewhere on the disc) shares his thoughts on his first feature film, along with some of the pre-visualized scenes in it. Some of the key scenes are discussed from storyboards to realized product, along with some production footage and stunt sequences, and Constantine’s weapons are explained by the props team, and the demons are explained by the visual effects and makeup teams.To top all this off, there’s almost 20 minutes worth of deleted scenes (with Lawrence commentary) that give some more depth to Constantine’s character (including a small subplot/romance with a demon that appears to be Michelle Monaghan from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang). Rounding things out are a music video, a trailer and a teaser.”

Final Thoughts

As I wrap up one of my final Blu-ray reviews here on intotheblu, I have to say Constantine is really a fun film. The special effects are total awesome (yes, I am having a Bill & Ted moment.) The audio and video are just phenomenal. The acting from Keanu all the way down to Peter Stormare is also very good. Honestly, it took me watching this a second time (compared to seeing it once before on regular dvd) to fully appreciate the film and all it had to offer. You should be able to pick this up at Amazon for a great price and if you don’t, you’ll kick yourself.

Chow Yun-Fat might not be a name known as well to those of us living in North America, at least not before the 2003 hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In his native China he has been a superstar for some time, redefining the martial arts film. Today he’s almost as well known here. The Replacement Killers was his first Western film. It’s one of those moments in cinema history where many audiences left without really knowing what to make of it all. I remember the first time that I saw the film, and I still don’t know how to quite describe it. The simple explanation is that it’s a typical Asian tough guy film like we’ve seen from Jackie Chan for about 20 years now, but The Replacement Killers isn’t really a martial arts film. Chow is using heavy firepower far more than he does his hand and foot skills. It is certainly an action film. You’ll get plenty of explosions, chases, and fights to keep the adrenalin pumping for the entire runtime. Still, even the action defies what is usually expected from such a film. There’s plenty of stylish camera work and use of slow motion to keep the viewer a little on edge, and maybe that’s what kept me from completely enjoying the film.

John Lee (Chow) is a hired killer for a Chinese mob figure. He’s cold and calculating, as we learn from the start. He’s very casual and unemotional as he takes out his intended target along with anyone who might care to get in his way. It’s his second contract, however, that reveals the man underneath the killer. His boss, Terence Wei (Tsang) is in a feud with a headstrong detective, Stan Zedkov (Rooker). Zedkov shot his son in self defense, and Wei wants revenge. Wei doesn’t want Lee to kill the detective. Instead he wants to inflict a more exact revenge, and the contract is on Zedkov’s young son. Lee refuses to carry out the killing on the young boy, and so now is to be hunted himself. A force of “replacements” are sent after Lee. While trying to acquire forged passports from a local document forger, Meg Coburn (Sorvino) he’s pinned down by Wei’s killers and is forced to flee with Meg firmly in tow. She convinces him that it is not enough to refuse to kill the boy but that he must do what he can to prevent the replacements from finishing the job. All the while he is worried that Wei will take his revenge out on his own family back in China. Most of the film alternates between quiet moments between Coburn and Lee and his regular interactions with Wei’s hired killers. It doesn’t help that Zedkov doesn’t understand that Lee’s trying to protect his son, but instead sees him as part of the Wei problem, one to be eliminated.

Chow Yun-Fat does an admirable job under trying circumstances. His uneasiness with English is not as evident in the character of John Lee as one might expect. Sorvino is truly outstanding in this film. She manages to hold her own in a world that is just loaded with testasterone. In fact, I found some of Lee’s scenes with Sorvino to be wonderfully emotional and real. Those are truly the only genuine moments in the film. The rest is stylized graphic novel action that makes no pretenses toward realism, instead opting to purely entertain. That might be why the film never achieved the mainstream success that was likely expected. The supporting cast was also quite good when they were given any real acting to do. Michael Rooker has played these kinds of parts before and so blends into the role effortlessly. His final interaction with Chow and Sorvino at the film’s climax is a beautiful payoff for all three actors. Unfortunately the Asian actors were relegated to either stereotypical roles or so over the top that they were just as unlikley to be taken seriously. The “relacement killers” themselves were so outrageous that any pretense toward a grittily realistic film is quickly out the window. If these guys are professional killers, the only reason they haven’t been caught is because of brute firepower. They apparently lack any skills of stealth and subtlety. Of course, it’s those outragious characters mowing down everything in front of them that many look to this film to see. If you liked the climactic showdown in the original Matrix film, you will likely love this film. It seems that a very large portion of this entire movie is a replay of that moment.

Video

The Replacement Killers is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. You get a clean and sharp 1080p image using an AVC/MPEG-4 codec. The film is often quite dark and so relies heavily on a strong black level that does deliver the shadow detail needed to capture the action. With this HD transfer I was a little disappointed to discover some hints of compression artifact. I’m not saying it’s very overt or even all that noticable. I just was surprised that I encountered it at all here. There’s a considerable level of grain that I suspect was intended. There’s a ton of color filtering in this presentation. Often red, blue, or yellow shades will dominate a scene for stylistic purposes, but in none of these instances does it take away from the detail or sharpness of the image. In normal lighting flesh tones are mostly natural. There is a stark contrast in a couple of daytime exterior fights where there appears to be too much light and detail is suddenly washed away. The film delivers a solid 30 mbps bit rate throughout.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is a constant stimulation of your senses. The fights incorporate an aggressive use of ambient that will leave bullets flying all around you. There’s good solid response from the sub most of the time, and through all of this action you’ll hear the dialog clearly every time. That’s no small matter when you consider the volume of things going on and the fact that Chow speaks quite softly most of the time. The sound will fill your theater not only with volume but with a full dynamic range of audio delights. This is a top notch audio presentation.

Special Features

Chow Yun-Fat Goes Hollywood: This is a Chow love-fest with everyone from cast to producers just raving on for 20 minutes about how “cool” it was to be on set with the star. There are plenty of clips, including a nice one where Chow talks about learning to handle the guns. There’s an interesting story about a cat’s head, an offer one couldn’t refuse.

Where The Action Is: This is a typical 10 minute behind the scenes feature that touches mostly on director Antoine Fugua’s philosophy about making the film. There’s a lot of wasted time on overlap from the previous piece and on providing an unnecessary synopsis of the film.

Final Thoughts

The Replacement Killers is a very entertaining film that even has some nice emotional moments, but don’t expect a lot of depth in the plot here. It’s a visually stimulating exercise that works well in the HD format. I don’t think it broke any new ground as many appear to believe. We’ve seen all of this before, and for Chow, he’s becoming more known to American audiences now. His role in the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean film seems to solidify his place in Western cinema. He’s still doing Hong Kong films and enjoys continued success in that market. I think he’ll end up in more American roles like The Replacement Killers. He doesn’t seem to be tempted yet by the money and power that Hollywood has to offer. Do you really think anyone, no matter how humble, could stand up to that kind of temptation? “I didn’t think so.”

There have been plenty of great action films that have starred Arnold. He was a huge box office draw in the 90s. In the summer of 1996, Warner Brothers made a boad load of cash with Eraser. Box office money does not always indicate a great movie, mind you. Worldwide, the gross was over 220 million dollars. That is an insane amount of cash for a film where the acting is suspect, and the storyline is totally predictable. Definitely not one of Arnold’s best, not by a long shot.

Schwarzenegger character, John Kruger, is a US Marshall who’s specialty is hiding those who need hiding. Are you a mob guy who is looking to rat out one of the bosses? If so, Kruger is the man you call on to put you in hiding. Kruger’s next task to to hide Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who was asked by the FBI to get crucial data from her job regarding the possibility of her boss’ company selling a new super weapon to the bad guys.

When it is discovered that she has a disc containing information that will bring down everyone involved, her life is now on the line. It is the job of Kruger to hide her, but that is easier said than done. Corruption and betrayal are aplenty in this non-stop action flick.

I am an Arnold fan. I loved Terminator 2, True Lies and believe it or not, I was able to fine enjoyment with Last Action Hero. But with Eraser, Arnold really is at his worst, aside from maybe his role as a pregnant father in Junior. He was never much of an actor, everyone knows that. I have come to know you aren’t going to get an award winning performance from him, but he really has nothing to go with here as the lines he is given are just so basic and boring. He is emotionless throughout the entire film.

Honestly, I fell asleep twice. The film is just too long and extremely predictable. I remember watching this many years ago and I don’t think I watched all of it then either. The acting is below average, Arnold is really at his weakest. James Caan is no more a tough guy than I am. I don’t care if he was in the Godfather.

Video

The 2.40:1 1080p high definition transfer for Eraser is nothing to write home about. It seems that Warner Brothers went half-ass here, as they did with Outbreak. Mind you, the image is clean and free of specs and dirt. What is lacking here is any kind of pop! Nothing stands out and the image is just there.

I didn’t notice much, if any, edge enhancement but I am willing to bet it is there, as it was on the Outbreak disc.

Colors, red in particular, appeared to be runny. The image image in several scenes were very soft. Just not an impressive transfer from Warner Brothers. I truly expect more from them.

Also, in regards to the action scenes that may have used some kind of special effect, it is clearly obvious on this release and at times it is almost laughable. The worst has to be the overly fake and extremely over sized crocs that appear within the Zoo scene.

Audio

Warner Brothers has given Eraser eight main audio tracks for this Blu-ray. The only most will listen to is the English TrueHD 5.1 track. Although the film is heavy on the action, it is lacking any kind of powerful punch. Now, let me explain. Sure the guns and explosions take place, but it is somewhat tame compared to what it could be. The best description would have to be that the sound is almost hollow.

On the bass front, it is constantly working and is just fine.

Special Features

Just like Outbreak, there is not a single special feature on this disc. Bare bones here! Thumbs way down.

Final Thoughts

No special features, an audio track that has its moments but otherwise comes off weak compared to other action films, and a transfer that is barely a step above DVD, I would consider this a rental. There are plenty of better action films available on Blu Ray. Watch any of those before you waste your time here.