FILMonBLU-RAY: Hobbit An Unexpected Journey (Review)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012 - New Line Home Video
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on March 19, 2013.

# of Discs: 3 (2 x Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 169 Minutes

Before the tale of Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring, there was another journey involving a Baggins from the Shire. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) finds himself drafted into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Introduced by Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo joins a crew of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Their trek takes them through the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo crosses paths with the creature, Gollum (Andy Serkis), and its precious ring.

It is only the beginning of their journey, but this motley group face many dangers that seek their end.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY continues the outstanding visuals of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, using prosthetic and CG work combined with the stunning vistas of New Zealand in the background to create a masterful image for this prequel story.

The return to this fictional universe gave director Peter Jackson a chance to improve on what was done before and that is immediately seen with the time spent in the Shire. Many more wide shots, as well as from overhead to really give the feel of a living, breathing village.

One of the most memorable character introductions in cinematic history happens when Bilbo's meal is interrupted by the gathering of dwarves instigated by Gandalf. The dumbfounded Bilbo is treated to repeated unexpected guests that invade his kitchen, and raid his food in their rowdy dwarf manner. Then before they get down to business the dwarves burst into song while they do the dishes.

And of course the battles are a wonder to watch, whether it be the dwarves against the two trolls, the goblins in the tunnels or the orcs in the woods, each was unique, exciting and dangerous, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.

The extras that are included on the Blu-Ray is where my ire is drawn. How much of it is due to the odd production of filming all 3 films at the same time but I found the minimal content to be lacking. Yes, there are the fantastic behind-the-scenes production videos by Peter Jackson but as most if not all of them were previously released online during the making of the film they did not make for something new and unique for this first film's disc release. I pray that there is not going to be extended editions in the future that are the reason for the minimal extras.

There is a challenge in trying to follow a series of films that were a wide success and THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY does an admirable job to match the feel of adventure and danger that THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy had except with a much more noticeable slower burn to the story. If you were a fan of the previous films, you should love this one as well, and seeing it on Blu-Ray only accentuates the visual wonderland Peter Jackson has put on film.

You can buy the THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Blu-Ray on Amazon for $19.99

FILMonBLU-RAY: Wreck-It Ralph (Review)

Wreck-It Ralph
2012 - Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on March 5, 2013.

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 108 Minutes

When Litwak's Arcade closes for the night, the video game characters are free to leave their arcade game roles and travel to other games and meet up with other characters.

Ralph (John C. Reilly) is part of the arcade game, Fix-It Felix, Jr. in the role of the building wrecking bad guy, but has grown dissatisfied with the lack of appreciation given to him by the game's citizens.

Taking it upon himself to reinvent his image and prove he can earn a hero's medal of his own Ralph goes game jumping, unaware of the consequences his journey would have on his game and the games he visits.

Along his journey Ralph crosses paths with a no-nonsense Sci-Fi space marine, Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch), and an annoyingly cute candy racer glitch, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) all the while his arcade game counterpart, Felix (Jack McBrayer) desperately seeks to bring Ralph back to their game.

This mismatched crew of characters find themselves working together to save the entire arcade in this fun and charming family animated film.

The different worlds of WRECK-IT RALPH are some of the most visually stunning locations to see on Blu-Ray, whether it be Calhoun's dark dystopian bug-infested world on Hero's Duty, Vanellope's bright and colorful made of candy world of Sugar Rush, or Ralph and Felix's old school building world in Fix-It Felix, Jr.

There are also the ample amount of references/cameos of authentic video game characters besides the ones originally created for the film. Bowser from Super Mario Bros., Doctor Eggman and Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog, characters from Q*bert, Pac-Man & Street Fighter and many more.

Besides the deleted scenes and commercials made for the film, there are some really fun extras included on the disc that surpass expectations. First, Disney paired with WRECK-IT RALPH the newly Academy Award winning animated short, PAPERMAN. Second, there is a lengthy featurette going into the creation of the film and the worlds and characters in it. And thirdly, there is a fun segment hosted by Chris Hardwick where he points out gamer related things in the movie that you may have missed during your watching of it.

Disney has hit another home run with WRECK-IT RALPH. Reincarnating the fun and wonder that Pixar first introduced to toys with TOY STORY into the video game world and taking the stereotypical villain character and turning him into a genuine three dimensional character that can carry the responsibility of being the protagonist in the story and win over your heart in the process. A must see film for animation, Disney, and movie fans everywhere, the visuals take it to a whole other level on Blu-Ray.

You can buy the WRECK-IT RALPH Blu-Ray on Amazon for $27.49

FILMonBLU-RAY: All-Star Superman (Review)

All-Star Superman
2011 - Warner Home Video
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on February 22, 2011.

# of Dics: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 76 Minutes

A near disaster instigated by Lex Luthor (Anthony LaPaglia) on a ship exploring the sun that was saved by Superman (James Denton) gives Luthor the victory he was craving, as the intense exposure to solar radiation has mortally poisoned Superman.

With his time living running out, Superman seeks to fulfill his dreams including revealing the truth to his love from afar, Lois Lane (Christina Hendricks). But a couple of Kryptonian visitors and the overzealous Luthor keep Superman from going out quietly, instead requiring one more heroic battle to save Metropolis.

After revealing his identity to Lois, Superman takes her back to his Fortress of Solitude where she gets an up close view of the marvelous items inside, including the weapons he has taken from his enemies, a pet Sun-Eater he feeds with small suns he creates with a hammer and anvil, his crew of robot helpers, the Bottle City of Kandor and some relics, like the statue of his parents.

But Superman's secretive nature and Lois' exposure to alien chemicals leads to her paranoia and attack on Superman with a deadly kryptonite laser. But that did not put a hamper on Superman's gift for Lois, a 24-hour liquid dose of his powers, turning her into Superwoman. That of course led to an unwanted adventure with Atlas and Samson, and an encounter with the Ultra-Sphinx. This film was a nonstop roller coaster of serious, funny, and action.

And of course Clark's visit to Lex in prison gave the story that dose of intellectual discussion, a clear vision of Luthor's psychosis and his anger even in the midst of a rampaging Parasite and prison brawl. The parallel of a confident Luthor boasting in prison, and a weakened Clark continuing to fool him right in front of his eyes.

DC and the WB did a great job as always packing their animated film with a bundle of extras, including two featurettes with Grant Morrison, the writer of the comic series ALL-STAR SUPERMAN was based off of. The Morrison featurettes fully explore his vision for the Superman character, one going into the sketches he developed over the years that became the eventual story and the other more on how Superman was revamped for a contemporary audience.

The rest is a usual package for DCU films: commentary, digital comic, a preview of the next DCU film, and two cartoon episodes selected by Bruce Timm. A fun treat for animation, comics, and DC fans.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN is a masterful stroke of storytelling. While it is not an all out action bonanza, the methodical pace to the story helps illustrate the emotional weight carried by Superman now that he is seeing his end coming. What does a "super" man do when death approaches? An inspiring story of spreading love, peace and happiness from the big red blue hope.

Look to buy the ALL-STAR SUPERMAN Blu-Ray disc exclusive version on Amazon for $25.99

FILMonBLU-RAY: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Ultimate Edition (Review)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Ultimate Edition
2009 - Warner Bros
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on June 14, 2011

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray x 2)
Runtime: 153 Minutes

The sixth installment of the epic series, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE turns up the dial on comedy and romance as Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), find themselves in the middle of teen relationships.

Outside the trials and tribulations of being a teenager, not all is hunky-dory in the Wizarding World as Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) wrecks havoc and spreads his reign of terror, transforming the busy and vibrant Diagon Alley into a bleak and fairly empty place. And the suspicious actions of Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) catches Harry's notice.

One of the new characters in this film would be the returning Hogwarts professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), who has a penchant for making connections and has become interested in Harry as he fills the now vacant Potions Professor position. But his most memorable moment may be his introduction to Harry and the audience, when he is disguised as a purple armchair in a wrecked house only to be found out and have to transform back into his regular body.

Sticking out of this film's bleak version of Diagon Alley would be the wacky store of Fred and George Weasley, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Colorful and loud, much like its owners, the store breathes defiant life into the street and the movie that had so far been in less than pleasing times. The imagination and magic of the world that has been somewhat diminished as the films have gone on returns with a fervor inside the shop, a visual masterpiece with all of the intricate creations that lasted maybe only a handful of moments on screen. A reminder that magic can be fun and good, even in the darkest of times.

Action takes a back seat for the most part in this film but it would not be a Harry Potter film without some adventure and the cave scene with Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Harry is a visual delight, perfect for Blu-Ray watchers. Between the vastness of the cave and its waters, the horde of Inferi that come after them and the maelstrom of fire that Dumbledore produces to save Harry and himself from the danger that literally envelops nearly the entirety of the cave.

Extras come in droves when it comes to these Ultimate Edition releases. Besides a 44-page book with photos from all the films and limited edition character cards featuring Dumbledore and Draco, this one comes with Part Six of the eight part documentary series that covers the creation of the film series that has a chapter paired with each Ultimate Edition release. Part Six covers Magical Effects, and goes into the visual effects in the movie both through CG and techniques used to accomplish things right there with the actors.

There is also 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Behind the Magic' TV special included that has host Ben Shephard explore the film set, talk with the actors and even be cast as an extra in a scene for the movie. Not only that but a special on the author of the series filmed around the time she was finishing the final book in the series is on the disc titled, 'J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life'.

Add in the holdovers from the previous HBP Blu-Ray release of deleted scenes, cast questions, a peek at the Wizarding World theme park and Deathly Hallows and the Maximum Movie Mode and the Ultimate Edition is literally overflowing in special features nearly doubling the time of the film itself. Fans of the Harry Potter movies and are looking to move into the Blu-Ray way of things would be smart to get the Ultimate Edition release over the previous one. If extras are your thing, the Ultimate Editions will ruin you for all other releases.

Look to buy the Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray release of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE on Amazon for $38.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Review)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011 - Warner Bros
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on November 11, 2011

# of Discs: 4 (Blu-Ray x 3, DVD - Target 4-Disc Exclusive comes with additional Blu-Ray disc)
Runtime: 130 Minutes

The final chapter in the story of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his battle against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 continues right where the last one left off.

Harry, and his friends, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), are recovering from their ordeal at Malfoy Manor and looking towards breaking into Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley where they believe another Horcrux is hidden. Soon enough the trail leads them back to Hogwarts and a final battle with Voldemort and his dark army for the survival of the Wizarding World as they know it.

While the first film had more of a methodical pace as Harry and his friends struggled to find the way to defeat Voldemort, the second moves with a purpose. Harry's journey heads to Gringotts Bank where with the use of the Polyjuice Potion to turn Hermione into Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), and the Invisibility Cloak to hide Harry, along with the help of the goblin, Griphook (Warwick Davis), they gain access to the labyrinth tunnels in the bank that lead to the vaults. Things do not go smoothly though, with a booby-trapped Lestrange vault and a double-crossing Griphook leaving the three to jump on the back of a dragon they break free to escape from certain doom. The visuals of the trip down to the vaults, the multiplying goblets in the vault and the terrifyingly fierceness of the dragon are all must sees.

Another visual marvel is the scene that takes place in the Room of Requirement, as Harry is finding the next Horcrux and is confronted by Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and his cronies. The vastness inside the room and the power it has is really apparent at this point, as the room has taken the shape of the place where everyone hides/stores things inside, a place that goes on and on. Yet it becomes truly terrifying once Goyle's fiendfyre spell goes haywire and the whole place becomes ablaze in flames, leading to a maddening run and flight on brooms to escape harm.

But in the background for the majority of the film is the final battle that takes place on the Hogwarts Grounds and literally shakes the foundations of the castle. The walkway bridge is purposely blown up by the students to cut off an access point in an exhilarating way for Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), the Quidditch stadium is razed by the Death Eaters, the teachers and members of the Order of the Phoenix help with putting up a magical shield around the castle that only the power of the Elder Wand in Voldemort's hand is able to break. Each moment is brilliantly filmed and a pleasure to watch on Blu-Ray, a real immersing experience.

I had my hands on the Target Exclusive release of the film that features an additional Blu-Ray Disc that has a near hour long documentary titled, 'When Harry Left Hogwarts', that covers the final days on set for the principle actors of the film and the film itself. While I would not be surprised to see it find its way into the eventual Ultimate Edition release it was well worth the extra few dollars to see it. Along with featurettes on The Women of Harry Potter, The Goblins of Gringotts and a Conversation between author J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe, there are so many extras that will literally double the amount of time you spend with this release.

A fantastic movie deserves an equally fantastic media release, and Warner Bros. has achieved this with HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2. More so than even the first part, this film appeals to movie fans of all kinds and is a perfect wrap up to a decade-long series. Buy it if you have not, Try it if you have never seen it. It is worth seeing this epic in Blu-Ray.

Look to buy the 3-Disc Blu-Ray release of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 on Amazon for $24.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Cars 2 (Review)

Cars 2
2011 - Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on November 1, 2011

# of Discs: 5 (3D Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray x 2, DVD & Digital Copy)
Runtime: 106 Minutes

Star race car and four-time Piston Cup champion Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) finds his time at home in Radiator Springs away from the race track cut short when his best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) gets him involved in an international racing series, the World Grand Prix.

However the race to the championship is not the only thing on their minds as Mater finds himself mixed up with international espionage, meeting two British secret agent cars, Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), who are investigating a plot to sabotage the race.

While the trailers focused on the spy action of the movie, I was happy to see some time spent in Radiator Springs and its residents, albeit briefly. The global span was really felt as the movie went along, further developing the world of Cars and the real world translations that comes with it. Tokyo, Japan was the location of the first race and the assortment of cultural traits came along for the ride, from drifting cars to geisha cars and the bright lights of the city.

Then a shift in environs comes as the second race of the World Grand Prix is staged in Italy, and again in the third race that is located in England and each culture is clearly represented with scenes at villas and an inclusion of a few royal guards amongst the assortment of inclusions.

Blu-Ray is put to great use when it comes to animation, and action-packed films, and for Disney Pixar to combine the two lead to a non-stop visual bonanza that really sucked you into the story and the characters without a struggle.

CARS 2 was not only packed with great visuals, exciting action and fun comedy, but also plenty of special features a viewer can get lost in. Throw in the Toy Story short 'Hawaiian Vacation', where the toys create a vacation experience for a left behind Ken and Barbie, and a Cars short 'Air Mater', that continues the tradition of short, funny Cars shorts and helps introduce the world of Planes along with the teaser trailer that is also a part of the extras.

This movie surpassed my expectations and renewed my trust in Disney Pixar making quality films above anything else and the Blu-Ray release is the perfect way to watch the movie. The visual quality leaps above the previous Cars film and the tone is different as well but the nice blend of action, drama and comedy help push Lightning McQueen and Mater across the finish line once again. Give it a chance if you have yet to.

Look to buy the CARS 2 3D 5-disc Blu-Ray combo over at Amazon for $41.94.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Thor (Review)

Thor
2011 - Paramount
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on September 13, 2011

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 115 Minutes

In the cosmic realm of Asgard lives the headstrong warrior, Thor (Chris Hemsworth),the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and brother to Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is about to ascend to the throne. The ceremony is disrupted, leading Thor to recklessly seek justice and in the process reignite a cold war between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants.

His actions lead Odin to strip him of his powers and banish Thor to Earth. While Thor is gone, his trickster brother Loki finds himself unexpectedly with the throne of Asgard. Can Thor find his way back before Loki's machinations bring down Asgard?

The epic story in THOR literally spans the entire universe, starting out in Asgard with its magnificent design of the world there, with grandiose architecture, jaw-dropping landscapes and elaborately styled outfits befitting those living in such opulence. But the most awe-inspiring location on Asgard would be the rainbow bridge, where the Asgardians go to when they are set to travel to the other realms in the universe using the Bifrost under the watchful eye of its gatekeeper Heimdall (Idris Elba).

The filmmakers clearly thought enough about the location to use it for multiple pivotal story points, first the confrontation between Odin and Thor where Thor is stripped of his powers and banished from Asgard was inside the Bifrost, and then the it was the perfect setting for the final confrontation between Loki and Thor at the end of the film.

To contrast Asgard with the desolate small desert town in New Mexico, along with their own set of unique characters in astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and her colleague Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) that crash into the banished Thor and come to his aid. Much of the humor in the film comes between Thor interacting with these characters and the New Mexico environment.

Throw in a trip to the land of the Frost Giants early on in the film that sets the bar for epic battles and an amazing visual surroundings, and the true power of Blu-Ray comes in handy for the film.

Quite a few extras come along with the movie, including several behind the scenes featurettes that give a revealing look at the process of making the film, deleted scenes that flesh out some of the characters that might have had their time shortened to smooth out the film, a short focused on Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. that helps to connect the Marvel movie universe and a teaser for Marvel's upcoming The Avengers film.

By far the movie had a high risk, high reward factor when it came to being made and in the end it is clear that Marvel hit a home run with their first outing with Thor. Blu-Ray is a perfect complement to the high quality visuals of THOR and makes it an easy recommendation of not only fans of superhero or summer movies but also those just looking for an entertaining two hours. If you haven't checked it out yet, get this movie now.

Look to buy the THOR Blu-Ray over at Amazon for $26.12.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Despicable Me (Review)

Despicable Me
2010 - Universal Studios
Released on Blu-Ray/DVD on December 14, 2010

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray, DVD + Digital Copy)
Runtime: 95 Minutes

Gru has earned the title of the world's no. 1 supervillain but when a new upstart named Vector steals the Pyramid of Giza, Gru falls out of favor with the Bank of Evil that funds his schemes putting his plan to shrink and steal the moon in doubt.

Even with the help of his army of Minions and the elderly Dr. Nefario, it takes the adoption of three young orphan girls to get Gru's plan off the ground. But what starts as a means to further his evil plan, becomes a new life direction for Gru: being a dad.

The entire film is 95 minutes of gorgeous animation but the moments that show it off best would be the discovery of the stolen pyramid from the very beginning of the film where the young boy falls on the inflated disguise and seeing what seemed like a gigantic stone monument deflate like a popped balloon.

Only the scenes surrounding the possession of the crucial shrink ray top the pyramid scene with first Gru and his Minions stealing it from a laboratory only for Vector to steal it from them and shrink their ship with them inside it. That leads to Gru's attempt to get it back which involved cookie robots and a very angry shark. Hysterical entertaining and visually captivating, a repeating theme in the movie.

DESPICABLE ME is packed with tons of special features, including three mini-movies featuring Gru's Minions: Orientation Day, Home Makeover & Banana. There are also a look at the voices from the movie, how the world was created along with the music made. There are also a few small games that are included that are a bit tricky to operate well with a remote but gives several moments of entertainment.

Yes, this might not be an animated film from Disney/Pixar or Dreamworks, but do not let that keep you from giving DESPICABLE ME a look because it is a film that can rival any from those other studios in terms of a quality story and great look and feel to the world it takes place in. There has not been any other animated film to put the parenting element of life into the crux of the story like this, giving a heartwarming feel that might not have been expected at first glance. A must get in my book.

Look to buy the DESPICABLE ME Blu-Ray over at Amazon for $14.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Transformers - Dark of the Moon (Review)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 - Paramount
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on September 30, 2011

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 157 Minutes

Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) returns for his third foray into the world of giant robots, now out of college, looking for a job and with a new girlfriend, Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). He is drawn back into helping the Autobots protect the planet from the evil Decepticons, who this time around have a secret plan involving the moon. Joining Sam once again is former government agent Simmons (John Turturro) and Lt. Colonel Lennox (Josh Duhamel) along with the U.S. military.

New robots debut in TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, on the Autobots side is the introduction of the legendary Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy), the former leader of the Autobots and for the villainous Decepticons is the debut of Laserbeak and a true appearance of Shockwave.

Like the previous Transformers films, most of the highlights of the movie are the jaw dropping visuals during the robot battles. First, however must be mentioned before the battles is the various scenes dealing with the Ark, the Cybertronian spaceship carrying an invention said to be capable of ending the war between Autobots and Decepticons, that crash landed on the far side of Earth's Moon. It was brilliant to weave history into fiction with having the crew of Apollo 11 investigate the ship crash and then to see the intricate designs of the Ark when the Autobots make their voyage to the Moon to recover what they can from the wreck and find Sentinel Prime still functioning.

But the goldmine of visuals comes once the story hits Chicago, where the Decepticons have their controlling Pillar for the Space Bridge they plan to use to bring Cybertron to Earth and where Carly has been taken by her Decepticon controlled boss. Between buildings being brought down while the characters are inside, to Carly going face to face with Megatron and Optimus taking out Sentinel and Megatron putting a possible end to the robot conflict, the film is filled with mesmerizing moments.

Unfortunately it was not clearly advertised that this release of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON would be only bare bones discs, meaning that only the film was released without any of the special features included. Instead there are plans for a feature packed release in the near future. This was not done with the previous films but is something that is starting to pop up more frequently with films but I hope it does not become a disturbing trend.

If you enjoyed the previous Transformers films, there is no reason you will not enjoy this one. The lack of Megan Fox's Mikaela Banes character is jarring but the non-stop action and Sam's heroic acts are more than enough to push past the absence. A near perfect execution to this final leg of Michael Bay's Transformers trilogy, worth seeing it in the beauty that is Blu-Ray.

Look to buy the bare bones TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON Blu-Ray over at Amazon for $26.99

FILMonBLU-RAY: X-Men - First Class (Review)

X-Men: First Class
2011 - 20th Century Fox
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on September 9, 2011

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray, DVD + Digital Copy *Target Exclusive version comes with DVD disc of the movie*)
Runtime: 132 Minutes

Fox's fifth journey into the X-Men part of the Marvel Universe takes the audience back to the very beginning of the story. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS covers the years skipped over by the first X-Men movie from the time young Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) discovers his mutant ability in a German concentration camp to the meeting of Erik and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and the eventual formation of the first team of X-Men to the inevitable taking sides between the professor and Magneto.

Along the way they cross paths with the global meddling Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and his Hellfire Club, saving the world in the 60's and facing the truth that homo sapiens fear the homo superior (mutants) too much to trust.

The recreation of the concentration camp scene from the first X film was a definite visual highlight of the early part of the film and seeing young Erik's anger awaken his latent mutant ability for magnetism. Then the film takes it to the next level by connecting that moment to the villain of this film Shaw, putting him in a position of power in the German force under the alias Schmidt and immediately displaying his evilness as he tries to figure out what triggers Erik's magnetic ability.

Following Erik's revenge journey globetrotting across the world hunting down those connected to the camps in his search for Shaw could have been a film on its own. The director's decision to channel James Bond with Erik really came through in these moments like when he went to the bar and took down two former German soldiers who had escaped punishment.

And as a nod to the previous films in the franchise, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS included cameos from two stars from the films. When Erik and Charles are going around recruiting mutants, they stop in at a bar where they come upon a drinking Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who tells them rudely to go away which they promptly do. And when Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) is in Erik's bed trying to get his attention she turns into an older version of herself (Rebecca Romijn).

In the special features included with the movie was the "Children of the Atom" documentary that covered the entire production of the film from behind the camera, to the conception and the casting to the locations and the sets, it is a thoroughly entertaining and informative peak into the film that is just as worth watching as the film is. There is also a bunch of extended and deleted scenes that help flush out some of the moments of the film that might have felt too brief in the final cut.

If there is an X-men movie to watch, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is it. While it may be confusing to someone not familiar with the X-Men movie universe and the changes that have been made in comparison to the source material in the comic books, the spirit of the world and its characters is right there in the film. And those that liked the previous four X films will definitely fall in love with this one, as it takes the best of those films and pays tribute to them by building the foundation for that world. This Blu-Ray is worth adding to your collection for the film alone, the special features put it over the top. A must buy.

Look to buy the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Blu-Ray over at Amazon for $21.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Review)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
2010 - Warner Home Video
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on April 15, 2011

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray x 2, DVD *Best Buy Exclusive version comes with extra Blu-Ray disc*)
Runtime: 146 minutes

As the penultimate film in the Harry Potter franchise and focusing on the first half of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 takes Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) away from the comforts of Hogwarts and thrusts the three magical friends into a world dealing with the ramifications of a wizarding war.

The aftermath of the Death Eaters' intrusion of Hogwarts in the previous film has left Harry and his friends without the guidance of Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and has put the task of finding the Horcruxes of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Along their journey they cross paths with old friends, new enemies and discover the existence of a set of items that may tip the balance of the war in their favor, the Deathly Hallows.

Deathly Hallows starts with a first look at Hermione's home and a last visit to Harry's place with the Dursleys. This leads to one of the highlight moments of the film, the battle of the Seven Potters, where in order to remove Harry from 4 Privet Drive several members of the Order of the Phoenix drink Polyjuice Potion to take on Harry's appearance before taking part on an aerial escape from the waiting Death Eaters.

Once they are forced to leave Bill and Fleur's wedding at the Burrow and begin their journey, 12 Grimmauld Place makes a return to the screen as does the Ministry of Magic, where the next spectacular magical moment happens with Harry, Ron and Hermione using Polyjuice to impersonate ministry officials and infiltrate the Ministry and find one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

And the showdown that takes place at Malfoy Manor near the end of the film is memorable for the spectacular environment, the viciousness of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Hermione's pain and Dobby's (Toby Jones) heroic actions.

One thing that has improved as the Harry Potter film saga has gone on has been the extras included along with movies. With the existence of ultimate editions an eventuality for every Potter film I know there are probably plenty of featurettes being held off for the Deathly Hallows Part 1 version but that being said there is still plenty for fans to watch in this package (even more with the Best Buy release of the film with over 65 minutes of exclusive special features). Besides the Blu-Ray features like Maximum Movie Mode, the extras disc includes a few deleted scenes, and several featurettes: how the Seven Potters scene was created; the running competition between Dan, Emma and Rupert; and a conversation with Rupert, Tom Felton, Oliver and James Phelps while they play a round of golf between filming.

Being as big of a Harry Potter as I am, the movies gain a fondness level from me that other, less biased viewers might not do as well. That said, the last few films have had a steady transition from fun kids films to more of an action-adventure orientation that non-Potter faithful can appreciate. As has been seen in the progression of the series, the quality continues to improve from the actors to the special effects and the overall story. While Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a much darker film than its immediate, lighthearted predecessor, I found myself laughing more with this film and it has quickly become one of my favorites of the series. While the deliberate pacing might throw those not familiar with the Deathly Hallows story, everyone should give this film a look, especially with the fantastic visuals of Blu-Ray.

Look to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $22.99.

FILM: Star Wars - The Complete Saga Blu-Ray Details (News)

The wait is nearly over for Star Wars fans seeking to own an HD collection of their favorite movies, with breaking news on the Star Wars Blu-Ray release later this year. Lucasfilm Ltd. sent out a press release today revealing the complete details of the nine-disc collection that will be released on September 12 internationally and September 16 in North America. Star Wars: The Complete Saga contains more than forty hours of special features, deleted scenes and never-before-seen archival materials. Each individual trilogy will also be available in their own separate Blu-Ray collection.


From the Lucasfilm Ltd. press release:

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 4, 2011) — Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family — when Star Wars: The Complete Saga comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments — in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

The comprehensive collection also features numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Wars spoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades. Marking the first time ever that the full Saga is available in one complete collection, Star Wars: The Complete Saga also features a coveted peek into the making of the Saga with vintage documentaries, audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, prop and costume turnarounds, retrospectives and more.

Episodes I-III and IV-VI will also be available as distinct Blu-ray Trilogy collections.

Fans will get an exclusive first look at some of the collection’s extensive special features at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International — which marks Lucasfilm’s 35th anniversary as a Comic-Con presence. In 1976, the fledgling film company was looking for innovative, grass-roots ways to promote its underdog release, a film no one expected to succeed — a space opera known (at the time) only as Star Wars. One of the first film companies to reach out directly to core audiences by way of fan conventions, Lucasfilm will return to the venue to showcase the full evolution of the epic story with a special first look at Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray.

Special Features:
Star Wars: The Complete Saga is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

• DISC ONE — STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC TWO — STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC THREE — STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC FOUR — STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC FIVE — STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC SIX — STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI
o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren
o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

• DISC SEVEN — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III
o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

• DISC EIGHT — NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI
o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

• DISC NINE — THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES

o NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) — Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures … these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.

o NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) — George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.

o NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) — The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!

o The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) — Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

o The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!

o Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) — Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams.

o Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) — See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.

o Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) — Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.

ABOUT STAR WARS

The May 25, 1977 theatrical debut of Star Wars — on a scant 32 screens across America — was destined to change the face of cinema forever. An instant classic and an unparalleled box office success, the rousing “space opera” was equal parts fairy tale, western, 1930s serial and special effects extravaganza, with roots in mythologies from cultures around the world. From the mind of visionary writer/director George Lucas, the epic space fantasy introduced the mystical Force into the cultural vocabulary, as well as iconic characters such as evil Darth Vader, idealistic Luke Skywalker, feisty Princess Leia, lovable scoundrel Han Solo and wise Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since its 1977 debut, Star Wars has continued to grow, its lush narrative expanding from modest beginnings into an epic, six-film Saga chronicling the fall and redemption of The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker.

The amazing visuals that can be achieved with HD and Blu-Ray especially with studios that have the time, money and skill to take advantage of the technology ... September can't get here soon enough.

FILMonDVD: Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (Review)

Scooby Doo: Abracadabra-Doo
2010 - Warner Home Video
Released on DVD on February 16, 2010

# of Discs: 1
Runtime: 75 Minutes

Animation's favorite team of teenage sleuths is back in a feature length film that blurs the line between reality and illusion. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their dog Scooby go on a trip to visit Velma's younger sister, Madelyn, who is studying magic at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy. But where the Scooby Gang goes, mysteries cannot be far behind. There is trouble brewing at the Academy with attendance dwindling due to sightings of a giant beast around the castle. It is up to the gang to investigate and find the truth to the beast before the school is forced to close.

Most of the film takes place at the magic academy the gang visits, which happens to be in an ancient Irish castle. And the great mysterious beast that is terrorizing the school happens to be a mythical griffin. There is also a large cast of suspicious characters around the magic academy for the gang to check out: the head magician and his brother with differing personalities, the attractive magician's assistant, a gruff groundskeeper, a woman caretaker and a crafty tycoon eager to purchase the castle property. Another point of interest is the reason for the Scooby Gang's presence, Madelyn. She seems to be harboring a crush on Shaggy that is adorable to see and throws some intrigue with the fact that Velma is usually the girl paired off with Shaggy. Seems the Dinkleys find Shaggy irresistible.

As a direct-to-video release (the fourteenth animated film based on the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons) there is not much on the disc when it comes to extras. There is a short featurette where the host shows the steps to make your own scary hand puppet and not just one kind is made, several different puppet designs are created.

Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo is a fun ride for all, Scooby fans and just plain animation fans should check it out. And if that is not going to convince you, there are also some great contributors to the film: Andrea Romano did casting and voice direction; Alan Burnett was a co-producer, created the story and did the teleplay with Paul Dini and Misty Lee.

The voice actors Frank Welker, Mindy Cohn and Grey DeLisle return to their iconic roles and were joined for the first time on the animated side by Matthew Lillard as the voice of Shaggy. Throw in eighties teen heartbreaker Danica McKellar as Madelyn and you have a wonderfully diverse cast of voices performing a Scooby-Doo story worth watching.

Look to buy Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo DVD over at Amazon for only $11.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Tangled (Review)

Tangled
2010 - Walt Disney Pictures
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on March 29, 2011

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 100 Minutes

For it's fiftieth full-length animated feature film, Disney presents a new twist on one of the oldest fairytales ever told. Tangled focuses on Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a girl with long magical hair that is forced by her mother to live her life trapped in an isolated tower.

Her only wish is to see in person the floating lights in the sky that only appear on her birthday. Enter thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who needs a place to hide after stealing the tiara of the lost princess and double crossing his accomplices. He finds Rapunzel's tower and Rapunzel realizes he is the chance to leave the tower she was waiting for.

The best moments happen during Rapunzel and Flynn's journey that takes them away from the hidden tower. Their first stop is a rowdy pub called the Snuggly Duckling. There they meet a cast of characters that are both unique and properly rounded out despite their labeled appearances. The interaction leads to a fantastic musical number, "I've Got a Dream" between Rapunzel, Flynn and the pub-goers. There is also a fantastic dance scene once they arrive at the kingdom that Rapunzel starts with all of the villagers in the street. The special features mention that the scene is the biggest crowd scene in a Disney animated film with over three thousand CG characters. The previous largest crowd scene had been in 1995's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the most breathtaking moment in the movie may just have to be when Flynn and Rapunzel go out into the water to witness the floating lights and sing "I See the Light".

The extras that come with the movie include three deleted scenes, which is a rarity in animated films due to the cost producing animation usually anything produced makes it into the final film. The unfinished scenes presented here include different versions of the film's beginning using a storybook introduction for Tangled that the directors were experimenting with to give the movie a classic Disney feel to it. There are also two songs extended, Rapunzel's "When Will My Life Begin" which starts off Tangled and Mother Gothel's "Mother Knows Best", a wickedly delicious song from the film's villain.

But the highlight of the special features might be the making of featurette "The Making of a Fairy Tale" hosted by the film's stars, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. With Mandy's adorableness and Zachary's charm, they entertain viewers with Disney trivia and facts while sharing behind the scenes segments on Tangled with the directors, animators and voice actors.

Very few movies can replicate the theater experience but watching Tangled on Blu-Ray was just as wondrous as seeing it in 3D theaters. It is easily the most beautiful looking animated movie I have seen, animation and Disney fans alike should flock to stores and pick up a copy of Tangled on Blu-Ray. It is well worth the purchase and I expect it to quickly become one of the most watched films in my collection.

Look to buy Tangled Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $17.99.

FILMonBLU-RAY: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Review)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
2010 - 20th Century Fox
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on April 8, 2011

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital Copy)
Runtime: 113 minutes

The third film set in the magical world from C.S. Lewis' fantasy books, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader takes place three years after the events of Prince Caspian and brings back Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) to the world of Narnia. This time around their crabby cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) comes along when the three are swallowed into a painting back to Narnia where they join King Caspian (Ben Barnes) and crew on the magnificent Dawn Treader. They find themselves on a wondrous journey through uncharted seas, mysterious islands and confront their very own fears to save Narnia once again.

Much of the story has the characters traveling on the Dawn Treader, a majestically designed ship that was the clear focal point for the film. They visit several islands on their journey to rescue the seven Lords of Narnia that were once banished, each island with its own look and problems. The Lone Islands is their first stop where they battle slave traders and become aware of a mysterious green mist that people were being sacrificed to. Later islands reveal a magical pool that transforms anything it touches into gold, cursed treasure that turns Eustace into a dragon and Aslan's Table where three of the lost lords sit in a spelled sleep.

Much like the characters' zigzag journey, the navigation for the special features disc is much the same. It is a cute idea to separate the features with a map display of the islands the characters visit, something I have seen before on older DVDs like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but it is also a frustrating method to use to get around. Without a detailed explanation of what each extra is and where it is to be found, users are left wandering aimlessly and having to guess at the titles of the extras as to what content is held inside.

The packaging is very much like the navigation of the special features, an original design that veers away from the typical Blu-Ray case and instead the cardboard structure has folds with sleeves where sit the discs on each side and the middle holds a selection postcards with photos from the film.

Whether it is a result of knowing that Disney was no longer involved with the film series or not, there was a definite look and feel to the Voyage of the Dawn Treader that was different from its predecessors. Despite the film nearly being two hours in length, the story felt like it needed ten to fifteen more minutes to help support some of the character developments that happen between Lucy and her sense of self and with Edmund and Caspian.

Having not read the book I cannot speak towards the adapting of the story, but some points like the Dufflepud characters seemed more silly and pointless than useful to the story or the main characters. Eustace was wonderfully portrayed as an annoying boy, and that made the transformation of his character along with the bonding to Reepicheep that much more compelling. Fans of the previous films should find this next chapter in the story an interesting watch as well as fans of actors Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley, who have both matured as actors and shine in this film with their elevated roles.


Look to buy The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $19.99.
Check out GeekPlate's Tumblr for today's The Chronicles of Narnia themed picspam.

TVonDVD: Case Closed Season One (Review)

Case Closed: Season One
1996/2004 (2009) - Funimation
Released on DVD on July 14, 2009

# of Discs: 4
Runtime: 600 minutes

Solving crimes can be a dangerous and deadly occupation but no one knows the detective game better than Jimmy Kudo. With a confidence grown from having no one outsmart him, Jimmy runs head on into a situation that finds him poisoned by a dastardly duo. Instead of death however, Jimmy finds himself shrunk back to his childhood body. Using a new persona, Conan Edogawa, to hide his identity, he finds a home with his best friend, Rachel Moore and helps her father, Detective Richard Moore solve crimes all the while trying to find more about the men in black that poisoned him.

Highlights of the season include the very first episode, "The Big Shrink", where the show introduces Jimmy Kudo, his brilliant deductive mind, his relationship with Rachel and ends with the series plot twist of how he becomes Conan Edogawa. The third episode, "Beware of Idols", introduces pop idol Yoko Okino to the series as well as Conan's voice-changing bow-tie that Conan uses to emulate Richard's voice when saving crimes and in that episode uses it to call Rachel as Jimmy and calm her worries.

The first two-part story of the series comes nearly midway through the season, "The Moonlight Sonata Murder Case", that has Conan, Rachel and Richard heading to Moon Light Island thanks to a letter from a famous pianist that has been dead for twelve years. There is another excellent two-parter near the end of the season and in a nice change of pace of the usual routine there are also episodes where Conan and his Detective League friends dominate the story, like "Kidnapped: Amy" where the three boys have to race across town chasing a car to save their girl friend from what seems to be a deadly fate.

Unfortunately when most anime series are put into season sets, nearly all of the extras - both on the discs and packaged with the single volume cases - are left out of the products. That is just one of the breaks with going for the affordable price of a season set over purchasing several single volumes. Outside of trailers for other anime series Funimation offers, the only "extras" in the set are a character and gadget spotlight on Conan Edogawa and his Super Sneakers. The spotlight is a very basic text summary along with an image, not much to talk about.

Fans of animation that also have a taste for mysteries or police shows will enjoy and be used to each episode having a new case to figure out with Conan along with the occasional two-part story. There is not much about the men in black in the first season but most of the main characters of the show are introduced in this initial set of episodes and the foundation that the rest of the series builds upon (still ongoing in Japan) is created. One of my favorite anime series by far and definitely at least worth checking out.

Look to buy the Case Closed Season One DVD set over at Amazon for only $18.99.
Check out GeekPlate's Tumblr for today's Case Closed/Detective Conan themed picspam.

FILMonBLU-RAY: How to Train Your Dragon (Review)

How to Train Your Dragon
2010 - Dreamworks
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on October 15, 2010

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 98 minutes

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has struggled to live up to his calling as a Viking. He is skinny, inquisitive and inventive, everything a Viking is not. His father is chief of the village, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), and has pretty much given up on his teenage son and apprenticed him to the village blacksmith Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Worse, Hiccup knows the village loser has not a chance of impressing Astrid (America Ferrera), the girl of his dreams and a formidable dragon fighter in her own right.

When one of Hiccup's inventions actually works, he hasn't the heart to kill the young dragon he brought down. He names it Toothless and befriends it, although he has been taught to fear and loathe dragons and discovers that everything Vikings know about dragons is wrong.

The majority of the film takes place in three locations: Hiccup's Viking tribe's Village, the cove area where Toothless and Hiccup meet and the island where the Dragons roost. The Vikings' home is located on the island of Berk and is beautifully captured in the animation. Their village is beset by dragons and some of the best visuals come from the opening dragon attack and later when the Vikings set sail for the dragon home.

Most of the bonding between the film's main two characters comes in the cove that Toothless is unable to escape from alone thanks to being injured by Hiccup's wild shot to the sky. But the most terrifying location is by far the nest of the Dragons where the gigantic Red Death lives and is waited on by the other smaller Dragons.

Extras on the disc include an all-new adventure featuring the characters of the film. In "Legend of the BoneKnapper Dragon", Hiccup and his friends join Gobber in his search for a mysterious dragon that he claims to having crossed paths with several times during his lifetime. The short consists of several different styles of animation to tell the story but that does not affect the story and help supports the idea that this Dragon world can support multiple stories beyond the feature film.

There is also an instructional video on how to draw Toothless, deleted scenes and a series of fun shorts starring the characters in the Viking Winter Games.

How to Train Your Dragon is a fantastic surprise of a quality story combined with endearing characters that made it easily one of the best films of 2010. Everyone should see this movie and I am excited with the news that the film's success will be leading to sequels and a TV series. I might even check out the book the movie was inspired from.

Look to buy the How to Train Your Dragon Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $17.99.
Check out Geek Plate's Tumblr for today's How to Train Your Dragon themed picspam.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Iron Man 2 (Review)

Iron Man 2
2010 - Paramount
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on September 28, 2010

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray x 2, DVD w/ Digital Copy)
Runtime: 124 minutes

Billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself with the hangover of a lifetime. He ha a toxic, potentially deadly condition resulting from the elements used to power the battery in his chest. That's not the only threat on his plate as his super-hero side faces off with Russian engineer Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) as the dangerous Whiplash and on his business side Stark with rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) and newcomer Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) are along for the action-packed ride.

The big set piece of the film is the Stark Expo spectacle that Tony Stark brings back from his dad's vision to the modern world. Reminiscent of the real World Expo's of past, the design becomes this beautiful vision only capable on film and the perfect location to open the movie and be the last place at the end of the movie. There is also a visit to Monaco for the first confrontation between Stark and Vanko that destroys a few race cars and unveils the suitcase armor of Iron Man.

Less flashy moments but equally spectacular in delivery would have to be first the recordings of Howard Stark and the legacy he left behind for Tony. The clear Walt Disney feel was a perfect direction to take with the character, immediately endearing him to audiences in a way only Disney was. Also Black Widow's big action piece set which literally was her going down a hallway destroying the guards that came in her way was visually stunning in its choreography and execution.

Iron Man 2 also delivered on the special features front. Aside from the usual commentary track, deleted scenes and information files on the characters that all movies should include in their movies, Iron Man 2 had a 4-part "Making of" documentary covering the entire production of the movie that shows off the friendly, fun atmosphere between the cast and director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man").

This movie was a non-stop roller coaster ride that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Despite not having a real decisive, climactic final battle with Vanko going down quickly and having just previously turning on Hammer it was hard not to like this sequel more than the original. The only negatives I can really give the film are just preferences: Samuel Jackson looking old, Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard and Thor's hammer at the end of the film looking less than impressive. Superhero fans and action movie aficionados should definitely look at buying this movie.

Look to buy the Iron Man 2 Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $26.99.
Check out Geek Plate's Tumblr for today's Iron Man themed picspam.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time (Review)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
2010 - Disney
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on September 14, 2010

# of Discs: 3 (Blu-Ray, DVD + Digital Copy)
Runtime: 116 minutes

Dastan is an adopted prince of the Persian empire but must flee into the desert after being accused of murdering his father, the king. However, he is not alone and is accompanied by the beautiful priestess Tamina, who after having her city invaded is focused on delivering a glass-handled dagger to safety. That dagger happens to be in Dastan's possession and holds powerful time-manipulating magic. Danger and deceit lie ahead for the unexpected duo, as they try to make right what has gone terribly wrong.

Dastan and Tamina's adventure for the truth leads them to some exciting moments and equally interesting characters. The city of Alamut that Tamina presides over is beautifully designed and the scale of it is jaw-dropping when shown on the screen. Their journey leads them to the Valley of Slaves where they meet the unique Sheik Amar and his knife-throwing accomplice, Seso. There Tamina gets to experience being a waitress and they witness Ostrich races. But perhaps the most majestic scene is the path Dastan and Tamina take to Sandglass caves, the destruction of the underground tunnel and Dastan's escape from danger brings comparisons to Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders.

The era of poorly designed extras in DVDs is apparently not over and has leaked over into Blu-Ray with this release. There is a disturbing lack of accessibility to the special features from the menu system. The only way to get to the extras on the disc is to rewatch the entire film but from a special selection in the menu where the extras pop up throughout the film an become watchable at that time. Normally I do not mind having the option of viewing the movie with the extras but when it is the only way to see the extras it rubs me the wrong way.

My viewing experience was plagued with the problems of having a bad disc that froze, jumped back and had the video/audio unsync. Exchanging the disc and updating my blu-ray player's firmware did help the problem and make the second viewing a much more pleasant experience. That said, it is a fun, adventure film with enough action and mystery throughout the story to keep viewers enthralled and has a stellar cast: Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brokeback Mountain"), Gemma Arterton ("Quantum of Solace"), Ben Kingsley ("Shutter Island") and Alfred Molina ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice"); All together they are worth watching in their own right. Even with the viewing troubles I had with the first disc I had purchased I could not help but enjoy the quality of the movie, easily worth a rental at the very least.

Look to buy the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Blu-Ray/DVD Combo over at Amazon for only $18.99.

GAMING: Batman Vengeance PS2 (Review)

Batman Vengeance
2001 - Ubisoft
Released on PlayStation 2 on October 16, 2001

Being a nearly decade old game the control mechanics are a bit tricky at times and I'm sure my nearly as old game controller doesn't help the situation at all. Multiple times I would find the obstacle of jumping and gliding to be as difficult as playing the boss level of a game with how many times I would have to repeat the step without dying. It was easily the most agonizing part of the game. Jumping.

Another tricky aspect to the controls was the button pressing needed to shift from the main third-person perspective to first-person when it comes to a part of the game where you need to shoot/aim at something. It is especially distressing when being attacked and the inevitable panicking trying to get back to first-person to fight back in close combat.

Batman Vengeance a single-player game where you play as Batman, although on select levels you will get direction from non-playable characters like Alfred Pennyworth and Batgirl. There are nineteen playable levels that vary between third-person levels with Batman traveling through rooftops and warehouses, and flying and driving levels where Batman is the Batmobile or Batwing traveling through the streets and skies of Gotham.

The game style is modeled after the highly popular Batman: The Animated Series TV show of the nineties. There are over forty minutes of cinematics included in the game and several actors from the animated series lend their voice to Batman Vengeance including Kevin Conroy ("Batman: The Animated Series") as Batman, Mark Hamill ("Star Wars") as the Joker, Arleen Sorkin ("Batman: The Animated Series") as Harley Quinn and Tara Strong ("The Fairly OddParents") as Batgirl. Bringing the show presentation to the game, the nineteen levels are broken into six 'episodes' that cover the different story arcs in the game and each have their own title screen much like the TV show episode title screens.

The story of the game is also in the style of the animated series, in fact the game's original story line was written in collaboration between Warner Brothers and DC Comics from the blueprints of The New Batman Adventures. The game opens up with Batman hot on the trail of the Joker only for the villain to fall to his apparent demise at the end of their confrontation. Commissioner Gordon is attacked and Batman is framed for the attack and it is up the Caped Crusader to find the true mastermind of the attack and he willingly finds himself mixed up with the likes of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.

Outside of the frustrating jumping mechanic that plagued my gameplay experience, Batman Vengeance is an entertaining game. It gives you a solid twenty hours worth of gameplay and any Batman fan should at least give the game a try (I would have said rent but it is rare to catch any old generation games available for rent these days so you may have to dig around to find a copy of this game). Any fan of the animated series in particular will thoroughly enjoy the adventure in this game.

Check out Geek Plate's Tumblr for today's Batman themed picspam.