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DVD Report – January 31st, 2012

mpowell — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:42:59 +0000

Far and away the best film new to DVD this week is Drive. Two of the best young talents in movies join forces to thrilling effect here, with Denmark’s Nicolas Winding Refn directing and Canada’s Ryan Gosling starring. This was one of the best films of the year, according to Criticker users. The rest of the new films aren’t too inspiring — Justin Timberlake’s In Time could be worth a look, and young horror fans who weren’t alive in 1982 might want to check out the remake of John Carpenter’s classic The Thing.

Criticker Pick!

Drive – Average Tier 7.89

A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.
Drive @ Amazon

In Time – Average Tier 4.17

In the future people stop aging at 25 and must work to buy themselves more time, but when a young man finds himself with more time than he can imagine he must run from the corrupt police force to save his life.
In Time @ Amazon

The Thing – Average Tier 4.27

At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson.
The Thing @ Amazon

Dream House – Average Tier 2.65

Successful publisher Will Atenton (Craig) quit a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children.
Dream House @ Amazon

The Double – Average Tier 3.25

A retired CIA operative is paired with a young FBI agent to unravel the mystery of a senator’s murder, with all signs pointing to a Soviet assassin.
The Double @ Amazon

DVD Report – January 24th

mpowell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:06:33 +0000

The best new DVD of the week is the comic drama 50/50, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man diagnosed with cancer. Mixing humor with the specter of death is a tricky task, but 50/50 manages to stay respectful to the trials of a battle with cancer, and offer some real laughs. An emotional roller-coaster which Criticker users appreciated. Check it out.

Criticker Pick!

50/50 – Average Tier 7.50

Adam, a 27 year old man who is otherwise in excellent health, is suddenly diagnosed with cancer. He breaks the news to his girlfriend, his best friend and his mother, who is also dealing with her husband who has Alzheimer’s disease. In the middle of it all, Adam also seeks therapy from a young and inexperienced therapist,assigned to him by the hospital, and befriends several older, wisecracking chemotherapy patients.
50/50 @ Amazon

Real Steel – Average Tier 5.12

Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he’s found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.
Real Steel @ Amazon

Paranormal Activity 3 – Average Tier 4.03

In 1988, young sisters Katie and Kristi befriend an invisible entity who resides in their home.
Paranormal Activity 3 @ Amazon

The Whistleblower – Average Tier 5.61

A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex scandal.
The Whistleblower @ Amazon

The Beginning of the Great Revival – Average Tier 1.00

A chronicle of the events that led to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Beginning of the Great Revival @ Amazon

DVD Report – January 17th

mpowell — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:00:41 +0000

This week’s slate of new DVD releases is a case of extremes. On the one side, you have films like Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, and 2011′s very worst film according to users of Criticker: Abduction. But the rest of the line-up is great. Ryan Gosling and George Clooney team up in the well-received The Ides of March, and the starkly Christian film Courageous actually manages not to stink. But the pick of the week comes out of Portugal. Mysteries of Lisbon had Criticker users united in praise.

The Ides of March – Average Tier 6.44

An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.
The Ides of March @ Amazon

Abduction – Average Tier 2.00

When teenager Nathan comes across his own childhood picture while scrolling through a missing persons website, he begins to question everything he ever took for granted — including the people he always assumed were his parents.
Abduction @ Amazon

Criticker Pick!

Mysteries of Lisbon – Average Tier 7.72

Follows a jealous countess, a wealthy businessman, and a young orphaned boy across Portugal, France, Italy and Brazil where they connect with a variety of mysterious individuals.
Mysteries of Lisbon @ Amazon

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star – Average Tier 1.81

A kid from the Midwest moves out to Hollywood in order to follow in his parents footsteps — and become a porn star.
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star @ Amazon

Courageous – Average Tier 6.00

When a tragedy strikes close to home, four police officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers; together they make a decision that will change all of their lives.
Courageous @ Amazon

DVD Report – January 10th

mpowell — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:14:26 +0000

There’s one clear gem among this week’s litter of new releases to DVD. Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt as the manager of the Oakland As, was a hit both with critics and at the box office. The rest of the field was much less successful with users of Criticker, though I’ll cop up a strange urge to watch Anna Faris and Chris Evans in the romantic comedy What’s Your Number?

Criticker Pick!

Moneyball – Average Tier 7.09

An all-star cast brings to life the true story of Billy Beane, a former jock turned general manager who uses unconventional methods to bring the best players to the Oakland A’s, a major league baseball team struggling against financial hardship.
Moneyball @ Amazon

Killer Elite – Average Tier 3.71

When his mentor is taken captive, a retired member of Britain’s Elite Special Air Service is forced into action. His mission: kill three assassins dispatched by their cunning leader.
Killer Elite @ Amazon

What’s Your Number? – Average Tier 3.93

Anna Faris stars in this rollicking comedy as Ally Darling, a sexually adventurous twentysomething who begins to suspect that her one true soul mate may be among the many lovers she has left in the dust, including Colin (Chris Evans). Turning to her licentious neighbor for help, Ally begins a quest to locate her old boyfriends to see which one might be Mr. Right. Mark Mylod directs this rom-com based on Karyn Bosnak’s book, 20 Times a Lady.
What’s Your Number? @ Amazon

There Be Dragons – Average Tier 3.80

Arising out of the horror of the Spanish Civil War, a candidate for canonization is investigated by a journalist who discovers his own estranged father had a deep, dark and devastating connection to the saint’s life.
There Be Dragons @ Amazon

1911 – Average Tier 4.43

A historical drama based on the founding of the Republic of China when nationalist forces led by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty.
1911 @ Amazon

DVD Report – January 3rd

mpowell — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:23:46 +0000

The best film this week on DVD is the Irish comedy, The Guard, which stars Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. This is the most successful independent Irish film of all time, and won Criticker users over with its profane, violent and uproarious humor. SlashFilm called it a combination of Hot Fuzz and In Bruges, and better than both. For those of you who’d rather watch Sarah Jessica Parker preen, there’s always I Don’t Know How She Does It. Any takers? Nah, I didn’t think so.

Contagion – Average Tier 5.56

An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.
Contagion @ Amazon

The Guard – Average Tier 6.50

An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is teamed up with an uptight FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
The Guard @ Amazon

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – Average Tier 3.44

A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark @ Amazon

Shark Night 3D – Average Tier 2.50

Terror makes a splash in this literally titled big-screen creature feature when a group of unsuspecting friends unpack for a weekend at the lake, only to discover that they’re not the only ones lurking in the water.
Shark Night 3D @ Amazon

I Don’t Know How She Does It – Average Tier 2.88

A comedy centered on the life of Kate Reddy, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids.
I Don’t Know How She Does It @ Amazon

DVD Report – December 27th

mpowell — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:15:12 +0000

Not a single film new DVD manages to be better than average this week — everything is under an average tier of 5. But fans of horror still have a reason to take a look. The latest Final Destination didn’t receive wholly terrible reviews, and an average tier of 4.13 is pretty good for film in that franchise. And Apollo 18 at least has an interesting premise. The French thriller Love Crime, starring, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, is probably the pick of the week.

Final Destination 5 – Average Tier 4.13

Death still isn’t satisfied in the fifth installment of this cult horror franchise, setting out to claim the lives of shaken co-workers who cheated him when they heeded a colleague’s premonition about an unstable suspension bridge.
Final Destination 5 @ Amazon

Apollo 18 – Average Tier 2.71

If you buy in to official statements, Apollo 17 was NASA’s last manned mission to the moon. But what if found footage of a secret Apollo mission that had taken place the following year could prove otherwise — and explain why we haven’t gone back?
Apollo 18 @ Amazon

The First Grader – Average Tier 4.86

The true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.
The First Grader @ Amazon

Love Crime – Average Tier 4.83

Corporate overlord Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas) is mentor to her brilliant underling Isabelle (Ludivine Sagnier). After one of the women establishes a clear upper hand, the other begins to plot an elaborate plan to exact her revenge.
Love Crime @ Amazon

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy – Average Tier 3.14

A group of 30-year-olds who have been friends since high school attempt to throw an end-of-summer orgy.
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy @ Amazon

DVD Report – December 20th

mpowell — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:51:31 +0000

The best film on DVD this week, the last Tuesday before Christmas, is the latest from Woody Allen. Midnight in Paris stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, and Criticker users are praising the director’s most lightweight film in years. Another movie which the community highly approves of is Warrior, which follows Tom Hardy into the bloody world of Mixed Martial Arts.

Criticker Pick!Midnight in Paris – Average Tier 7.13
A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better. Midnight in Paris @ Amazon

Margin Call – Average Tier 5.54
A thriller that revolves around the key people at a investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis. Margin Call @ Amazon

Colombiana – Average Tier 3.14
After watching Bogota gangsters slay her parents in cold blood, young Cataleya Restrepo dedicates her life to becoming a ruthless assassin, working on assignment but always on the hunt for the criminals who killed her family. Colombiana @ Amazon

Warrior – Average Tier 6.87
The youngest son (Hardy) of an alcoholic former boxer (Nolte) returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament — a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother (Edgerton). Warrior @ Amazon

Straw Dogs – Average Tier 4.91
In Rod Lurie’s remake of the controversial 1971 Sam Peckinpah drama, screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) relocates with his wife, Amy (Kate Bosworth), to her Mississippi hometown. But as detachment strains their marriage, bigger threats loom in their small town. To Amy’s chagrin, David attempts to befriend the locals, including Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgaard). But resentments re-emerge and tensions rise to an explosive end. Straw Dogs @ Amazon

DVD Report – December 6th

mpowell — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:34:26 +0000

In a DVD report full of hangovers, penguins, cowboys and aliens, the only two films which we can recommend have strangely similar titles. The Help, and The Debt. The former was a surprise box office hit this summer, and found strong approval among Criticker users. And, though The Debt wasn’t a massive success in theaters, most critics enjoyed the intelligent and well-acted suspense flick.

The Hangover Part II – Average Tier 4.21
Right after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. Stu’s plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry. The Hangover Part II @ Amazon

Cowboys & Aliens – Average Tier 3.87
A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way. (imdb) Cowboys & Aliens @ Amazon

The Helpe – Average Tier 6.30
A look at what happens when a southern town’s unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship. The Help @ Amazon

Mr. Popper’s Penguins – Average Tier 3.19
The life of a businessman begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and as he transforms his apartment into a winter wonderland, his professional side starts to unravel. (imdb) Mr. Popper’s Penguins @ Amazon

The Debt – Average Tier 5.60
In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to be the Nazi has surfaced in Ukraine and one of the former agents must go back undercover to seek out the truth. The Debt @ Amazon

DVD Report – November 29th

mpowell — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:26:10 +0000

Not the strongest week of new releases to DVD, with the top of the bunch being Werner Herzog’s new documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. True to form, Herzog chose an eccentric topic in the Chauvet Cave, which contains the oldest cave paintings yet discovered. Since this cave is off-limits to the public, Herzog’s 3D documentary might be the best chance most of us will ever have to see the paintings.

Friends with Benefits – Average Tier 4.22

This raucous rom-com chronicles the relationship of two busy singles, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis), who agree to include sex in their friendship — minus the emotions and commitment. But things get complicated when Dylan (inevitably?) falls for his gal pal. Patricia Clarkson co-stars as Jaime’s hip mom and Woody Harrelson plays Dylan’s practical confidante, who advises him to man up when he pursues the newly dating Jamie.
Friends with Benefits @ Amazon

The Smurfs – Average Tier 2.90

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours.
The Smurfs @ Amazon

Cave of Forgotten Dreams – Average Tier 6.67

Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams @ Amazon

30 Minutes or Less – Average Tier 4.68

Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and inform him that he has mere hours to rob a bank or else…
30 Minutes or Less @ Amazon

Our Idiot Brother – Average Tier 4.76

A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.
Our Idiot Brother @ Amazon

DVD Report – November 15th

mpowell — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:06:58 +0000

Leading this week’s pack of films new to DVD is the comic drama Beginners starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer. Criticker users loved the movie, which is about how a son copes after learning a couple major secrets about his father. The other film to seek out this week is Bellflower, which was a big hit at Sundance. A completely original experience, this film was shot with a shoe-string budget, on a camera cobbled together by the director himself.

Criticker Pick!Beginners – Average Tier 7.14
A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover. Beginners @ Amazon

Larry Crowne – Average Tier 4.07
After being laid off from his longtime job at a soulless retail giant, average middle-aged guy Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) decides it’s time to change up his life, so he heads back to college. There, he finds a new perspective — and a new romance with a professor (Julia Roberts). Larry Crowne @ Amazon

Bellflower – Average Tier 6.20
Two friends spend all their free time building flame-throwers and weapons of mass destruction in hopes that a global apocalypse will occur and clear the runway for their imaginary gang “Mother Medusa”. While waiting for the world to end, their call to excitement comes unexpectedly when one of them meets a charismatic young woman and falls hard in love. Quickly integrated into a new group of friends, they set off on a journey of betrayal, love, hate, infidelity and extreme violence. Bellflower @ Amazon

Griff the Invisible – Average Tier 4.47
Griff, office worker by day, superhero by night, has his world turned upside down when he meets Melody, a beautiful young scientist who shares his passion for the impossible. Griff the Invisible @ Amazon

Turtle: The Incredible Journey – Average Tier 3.75
A little loggerhead turtle follows in the path of her ancestors on one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world. Born on a beach in Florida, she rides the Gulf Stream all the way to the frozen north and ultimately swims around the entire North Atlantic to Africa and back to the beach where she was born. Turtle: The Incredible Journey @ Amazon