Into the Blu

With apologies in advance to William Shakespeare, to 3D or not to 3D, that is the question. As I do not have a 3D set, the answer is no to 3D. It is 2D all the way and will continue to be until there is 3D without glasses, a flat panel display that can best a Kuro and some studies on the long terms effects on 3D shutter glass technology. Until then, I will pass. So why should I bring up that issue now? Well the whole 3D debate came to mind while watching Disney’s A Christmas Carol. The film was created for 3D and is a wholly computer generated project. The film, in 2D, has such depth and clarity that the 2D presentation was more than adequate and at times, much as in the case with Avatar, simply stunning. Now, time to get off the soapbox and on to the review. Continue Reading

I may be an old softie, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the Toy Story franchise. Perhaps it is because my kids were very young when the original Toy Story arrived in theaters. I know we wore out a VHS copy of the film before the DVD came out, the kids loved the film so much. Despite the more recent incredibly good films from Pixar, I still like the 2 Toy Story films the best. It was amazing, but I guess not surprising, that the folks at Pixar could top themselves with Toy Story 2 but they did. I was therefore very curious to see if they could again top themselves or at least match their prior efforts with Toy Story 3. To see if, all these years later they would be able to keep true to the spirit of the first two films. As it turns out, I should have never worried. Continue Reading

The first Tinker Bell movie was the infamous film that stirred so much controversy due to the fact that the production was halted many times due to quality control. The original film was deemed “unwatchable” by the head of Pixar and many redrafts were done to try and get a product that was up to Disney’s standards. Has Disney decided to put profit before artistic integrity or have they learned their lesson and continued to put just as much T.L.C. into their smaller releases such as Tinker bell and the Great Fairy Rescue?    Continue Reading

Call me a sucker for nature documentaries if you want. There are several great ones already out on Blu-ray including Galapagos, Planet Earth and Earth, just to name but a few. The latest entry into this field is the subject of today’s review, Oceans from the folks at Disney Nature, How does it stack up against the best? Continue Reading

There is no question that Beauty and the Beast was an eagerly awaited title when Disney announced their support for the Blu-ray format. That eagerness was understandable, given that Beauty and the Beast is a great film and involved some what was at the time, considered at the time, rather revolutionary animation techniques. Well, Beauty and the Beast is on its way to Blu-ray and I can assure you that it was worth the wait, well worth the wait. Continue Reading

I guess you could say that I am not a big fan of video games which is not surprising given my “advanced” age. My teenage sons sure do so I guess it is one of those generational things. I just don’t see the point. I have been even a lesser fan of movies based on video games, not because of the fact that I haven’t played the game the film is based on but because the films tend to be action films with plenty of action but no plot. Would the subject of this review, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, turn out to be different? Continue Reading

As regular readers know, I cringe whenever the official wife of this reviewer looks at my pile of Blu-rays to review and states “I really wanted to see this one!”  When the case also states “From Nicholas Sparks, author of Dear John and The Notebook”, I want to weep in despair.

Joy of joys, it also stars one of the most annoying teen actresses of our time, Miley Cyrus.  As a father to the two official kids (both of whom enjoyed watching Hannah Montana), I was already (and unfortunately) familiar with her “acting” abilities.

In short, I was tasked with reviewing a Blu-ray based on a story by a ham-handed and manipulative writer, starring an inexperienced actress (I’m being kind here), all the time wondering how desperate for money Greg Kinnear was that he agreed to act in this tripe.  Continue Reading

There is no question that animated films have universally looked great on Blu-ray, whether they be computer based animation such as the Pixar films, hand drawn films or stop action animation. Unfortunately, the subject of this review, James and the Giant Peach is an exception to this general rule. Continue Reading

The packaging for a home video release can often be very telling, especially the movie reviewer quotes that are on the package. Generally, the few the quotes, the worse the film. Another rule of thumb is whether you have ever heard of the reviewers before. When there are only one or two short quotes from reviewers who are not exactly household names, well, look out. Even worse is when one of the actors in the film is not listed in the credits. Well all are in play with the release that is the subject of this review, When in Rome. Would it prove to be an exception to these rules of thumb? Continue Reading

There have been a plethora of films made over the years about Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Virgil and Morgan and their roles at the shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone in the then Arizona Territory back on October 26, 1881. For the most part these films had the history wrong and never told the true story of what really happened leading up to the gunfight as well as the aftermath, detailing who the parties were as well as their motivations, along with providing a more well rounded, fleshed out and historically accurate (at least by Hollywood standards) account of some very complex personalities. That is what the film Tombstone sets out to do, all the while providing and interesting an entertaining experience for the audience. Do they succeed? Continue Reading

There is no doubt that the film Armageddon was an eagerly awaited release on Blu-ray and I can see why. The film certainly features plenty of action and explosions aplenty. While it certainly has its entertaining moments, it is certainly filled with some really bad science and a plot that is about as thin as they come. In light of all the anticipation, I was expecting a really impressive visual and audio experience on from this Blu-ray release and was not disappointed. The film itself, well, that is another matter entirely. Continue Reading

For those who have never seen a Hayao Miyazaki movie, you do not know what you are missing.  Period.  His films have a magical ability to entertain people of all ages, warming your heart while touching your soul.  Characters in his movies (regardless of their appearance) are all inherently good, and talk to each other like real people talk to each other.  Parents do not condescend to their children, children are independent and brave, and although things may be dramatic, they are never overtly scary.

So it was with this “lowered” set of expectations that I viewed Ponyo.    Continue Reading