I guess with the economy being what it is, I can’t begrudge anyone for taking any job they can get to get by. The difference between Hollywood and the rest of us is that when actors take whatever is offered irrespective of quality, millions of dollars are involved. There is nothing like cashing in on your name in Hollywood to fatten up the old bank account. Exhibit A of such a practice is the subject of today’s review, a mildly humorous and forgettable comedy starring Robin Williams and John Travolta, Old Dogs. Read the full story

I seem to be seeing more and more films both in the theater and on Blu-ray that have one thing very much in common, good premises and poor execution from the printed page to screen. One has to wonder whether there is a shortage of talented screenwriters in Hollywood or just too many lazy ones or studios who are more interested in churning out films for the sake of profit rather then spending the money to do things right. I was reminded of this with all of the snafus around the forthcoming Spiderman 4 feature. I guess the bean counters at Sony learned nothing from Spiderman 3. Unfortunately, the subject of today’s review, while long on promise as well as premise, comes up a bit short in the execution department as well. Read the full story

No one’s perfect. Even the greatest of athletes fail to come through in the clutch occasionally. The big slugger who knocks one out of the park will occasionally pop one up or whiff with the game on the line. The same is true for directors, who, even with the greatest of resumes come out with a clunker every now and then. Which brings us to Mike Judge, the man behind the film that is the subject of today’s review, Extract. Mike Judge has quite a resume of his own with Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill and the film Office Space. Will Mike come through in the clutch again or will he whiff? Unfortunately, he whiffs this time around. Again, no one’s perfect. Read the full story

Adding your typical Jerry Bruckheimer action fare and his team’s excellent CGI capability with a kids story about guinea pigs who are trained by the FBI to be secret agents sounded like an iffy proposition. The trailer did look promising so I was hoping to get my hands on a review copy of the film G-Force once it debuted on Blu-ray. Well, the review copy arrived yesterday and I popped it in to the player for a look last night. I was glad I did. Read the full story

We all know Tinker Bell as the inspirational fairy who stood alongside Peter Pan with motivational support and knowledge. Well since her original conception she has quite literally taken on wings of her own spawning her own line of books, plays, video games, TV shows, and yes even her own movies. Really she needs no introduction, but can this buzzing side kick really carry her own movie? Preceded by 2008’s self titled Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue made its way straight to DVD and Blu ray with respectable cast of voice actors. With a third installment already planned this sequel can’t be all that bad, right? Read the full story

Jackie Chan had gained notoriety through the 70’s impressing the masses with his unique style of martial arts and ability to choreograph a scene incorporating comedy, kung fu, and all sorts of props. However, none of his early films could prepare him for the mainstream success he had received from 1978’s Drunken Master. The film is still highly regarded and was the catalyst that has made Jackie Chan Asia’s biggest action star, and made him the most recognizable face in China. Throughout the 80’s Jackie Chan became more well known for his action comedies and his death defying stunts which he would always perform himself. Read the full story

Monsters, Inc. was one of those films that simply looked great on DVD on any HDTV. I was really interested to see just how much better the film could look in high def and even better on Blu-ray. Given that the same team involved with UP were involved in the production of Monsters, Inc. I guess it is appropriate that the release of Monsters, Inc. on Blu-ray is timed to the release of UP. I am pleased to report that the video as well as the audio improvement on the Blu-ray edition of Monsters, Inc. over the DVD is simply staggering and a must buy for fans of the film. Read the full story

The folks at Pixar have quite a track record in a rather short period of time. They crank out one great film after another, amazingly topping themselves each time in the process, both in terms of the quality of their computer generated images as well as their story telling. As all Phillies fans know thanks to Brad Lidge, a perfect streak must eventually come to an end and when they do, the result is not a pretty sight. Thankfully, with their latest effort, UP, the folks at Pixar have avoided a Brad Lidge-ish meltdown and continue their streak of incredible films, releasing what is probably, all things considered, their best ever film. UP is a release that is a must have for all film fans. Read the full story

I am always wary when I see little snippets of film reviews declaring a particular film to be “The year’s best Comedy…” or “Laugh-Out-Loud Funny…” as they are usually indicative of just the opposite, especially if they are from film reviewers I have never heard of. Well, such is the case with the subject of today’s review, The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, which is declared to be “The Years Best Comedy” by Pete Hammond and “laugh out loud funny” by Leonard Maltin (who I have heard of!). While the film does have its moments, it is hardly the year’s best comedy. Read the full story

The release of just about every Disney animated film on Blu-ray is eagerly anticipated, especially the old classic films. As far as this writer is concerned, the folks at Disney set the bar real high when it comes to their older venerated catalog with the simply stellar release of Pinocchio earlier this year. An even more eagerly awaited release is the classic film Snow White, which underwent a total restoration as did Pinocchio in preparation for its release on Blu-ray. Well, Snow White has finally arrived on Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? Will it meet or possibly even exceed the quality of the Pinocchio release? Read the full story

Nature documentaries and Blu-ray go together like peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese. In this humble writer’s opinion, the two best nature documentaries on Blu-ray to date are Planet Earth and Galapagos, both produced by the BBC, which feature some compelling storytelling and above all else, stunning video presentations. Now along comes another nature documentary showing great promise, Earth. Snappy title huh? While Earth is released by Disneynature, it is a co-production with the BBC and the Discovery channel along with Green Light Media. Given this pedigree, it will be interesting to see how Earth stacks up against the best. Read the full story

My kids don’t really express an interest in watching many of the films that I have the opportunity to review on Bu-ray all that often. My kids rarely ask me when a particular film is coming out on Blu-ray. However, there is a notable exception to this and it involves Hannah Montana: The Movie. My youngest son is a big Hannah Montana fan. I have therefore been exposed to a lot more of her than most people my age as my son at some points in his young life, has had her show on the Disney channel at home for what seems like days at a time. Naturally, when Hannah Montana: The Movie arrived, it made its way into the Blu-ray player very quickly. Read the full story

For me, Sling Blade was one of those films that fell through the cracks. I never was able to see it in the theater and for some unknown reason, I never got around to renting it on DVD. One of the benefits of being able to do these Blu-ray reviews is that I am able to catch up on films that are truly worthwhile and original films and well worth a look. One of the films that fits that description perfectly is Sling Blade. Read the full story

I will admit up front that I am not an Adam Sandler fan. I find his films to be juvenile at best and insulting at worse. I guess he is what I will call an acquired taste and one that isn’t for me. However, in The Waterboy, Adam Sandler hits his all time low point, at least me me (right alongside the inane inane Zohan film). However, The Waterboy has made its debut on Blu-ray so I placed it in the Blu-ray player for a spin. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t. Read the full story

Wholesome family entertainment. That seems to be a very common buzzword these days when it comes to films. Families with kids are complaining that there is just too much violence and sexual content in films that are designed to appeal, in part, to children and pre-teens. Frankly, I feel that that is a bit of an overstatement but I do understand the desire of parents to have available good quality age appropriate entertainment for their kids. Read the full story

Team building.  If you’ve ever worked in an office, you have probably experienced some sort of team-building exercise.  If you have ever played team sports or were in the military, you certainly know all about it.  Now throw a twist on it.  Take 11 intelligent, but barely seasoned sailors and give them one of the best racing yachts money can buy.  Mix that all together and make it a 10-day competition on the high seas of the Pacific Ocean.  Batten down the hatches and hoist the kite!  We’re about to set sail on the Morning Light.  Read the full story

The history of modern pop music is filled with arrival what have been dubbed boy bands. Most are essentially one hit wonders and are gone quickly, relegated to the dust bin of history. The latest entry in this string of boy bands is the Jonas Brothers, catapulted into stardom through their appearances on The Disney Channel. Much like that other Disney property, Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers have made their live concert debut on Blu-ray, in 3D no less. Is it worth a look? Read the full story