Mozart’s Sister (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“Mozart’s Sister” is beautifully shot film featuring wonderful costume and set design and an intriguing story written and directed by Rene Feret.

Images courtesy of © 2011 Music Box Films. All rights reserved.

DVD TITLE: Mozart’s Sister

DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2010

DURATION: 120 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, Widescreen1:85:1, Dolby Digital, French with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Music Box Films

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2012

Directed by Rene Feret

Screenplay by Rene Feret

Producer: Fabienne Feret, Rene Feret

Music by Marie-Jeanne Serrero

Cinematography by Benjamin Echazarreta

Edited by Fabienne Feret

Production Design by Veronica Fruhbrodt

Costume Design by Dominique Louis

Starring:

Marie Feret as Nannerl Mozart

Marc Barbe as Leopold Mozart

Delphine Chuillot as Anna-Maria Mozart

David Moreau as Wolfgang Mozart

Clovis Fouin as Le Dauphin

Lisa Feret as Louise de France

Adele Lepretre as Victoire de France

Valentine Duval as Sophie de France

Dominique Marcas as La mere abbesse

Mona Heftre as Madame Van Eyck

Salome Stevenin as Isabelle d’Aubusson

Mozart’s Sister is a re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang and a musical prodigy in her own right. Once the featured performer, Nannerl has given way to Wolfgang as the main attraction, as their strict but loving father Leopold tours his talented offspring in front of the royal courts of pre-French Revolution Europe. Approaching marriageable age and now forbidden to play the violin or compose, Nannerl chafes at the limitations imposed on her gender. But a friendship with the son and daughter of Louis XV offers her ways to challenge the established sexual and social order.

The world may be familiar with the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era and among the few classical composers that continues to be popular today.

But many do not know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was a music prodigy that played piano and violin at the age of 5, grew up playing as a duo with a musically talented sister named Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart.

Unfortunately, we do not hear too much about Nannerl.  Reason being is that during that era in time, women, no matter how talented they were musically, were not seen as equals to men.  Their status was lower and men thought that women just were not capable of having talent like men, may it be playing music or composing.  In fact, women were just seen as housewives, nothing more, nothing less.

In 2010, screenwriter/filmmaker Rene Feret (“Bapteme”, “Solemn Communion”) wrote a fictional drama based on the life of Maria Anna Mozart.

The film is set in 1763 and a time where family patriarch, Leopold Mozart (played by Marc Barbe), a German composer, conductor, teacher and violinist is responsible for strictly keeping his prodigal son, 11-year-old, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by David Moreau) and his older sister, 16-year-old Anna Marie “Nannerl” Mozart (played by Marie Feret) focused on their music.

The family of four are touring central and western Europe and Leopold has his two talented children on concert tours to perform for aristocrats and the public and promoted as child musical prodigies.

One day while traveling, the axle of the carriage broke and the family had to seek shelter at a nearby Abbey of Fontevraud while their carriage is being fixed.  While at the Abbey, Nannerl becomes friends with a group of sisters who were brought up at the monastery, one of the sisters that she becomes good friends with is 13-year-old Princess Louise Marie of France (played by Lisa Feret), daughter of King Louis XV of France.

While Nannerl and her younger brother continue to play at concerts and amaze people who hear their music (despite their father not thinking they are doing their best and is often very strict on their schedules), while in Versailles, she meets Princess Louise Marie’s brother, Louis, Dauphin of France.

Despite Nannerl being talented in both the keyboard and violin and wants to compose her own music like her brother, her father forbids it.  Telling her that women do not have the same talent as men and as far as composing goes, her music is no good (despite Leopold and his wife knowing that she is good, but knowing in society, a female is not seen in such a position).

While performing in front of aristocrats, as Leopold uses his children to help support the family, for Louis, Dauphin of France (played by Clovis Fouin), Nannerl is forced to disguise herself as a boy and pretend she is Wolfgang.  And immediately, Louis can not understand why he has fallen for Nannerl’s music and voice, and wonders if he is falling for a young man.

And while he is enthusiastic about Nannerl’s music, he inspires her to take on composition despite her father telling her not do so.  Nannerl has fallen for Louis and reveals herself to him that she is in fact a young woman, but Louis is not upset.  He is rather happy that Nanenrl is a young woman and both have feelings towards each other.

Nannerl begins to compose so much music for him and he absolutely loves it.

But because the Mozart family must travel on their concert tour, Nannerl is faced with her feelings of wanting to stay in France for the man she has become smitten with, but also a man who accepts her for her musical talents. But what happens when she meets with her friend Princess Louise and she tells Nannerl to end all communication with her brother?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

It’s important to note that I am viewing a DVD screener ala DVR, so I am not going to comment on picture quality.  I will say that with a Blu-ray and DVD release of “Mozart’s Sister” being released, I recommend going for the Blu-ray version for better picture and audio quality.

With that being said, “Mozart’s Sister” is presented in widescreen 1:85:1 and audio in French Dolby Digital 5.1 with English subtitles.  The cinematography by Benjamin Echazarreta is very good in capturing close-up scenes of emotion but also the lavish costume and set design featured in the film, but most importantly capturing that look and feel of the 1700′s.   The film is dialogue-driven but there are moments of music and ambience which I’m sure is much more evident on the lossless soundtrack on the Blu-ray release than the DVD version.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There were no special features on the screener disc provided to us.

Beautifully shot, wonderful costume and set design and a film that classical music fans will enjoy, while others will find it sad knowing that talents of women were suppressed during that era in time.

“Mozart’s Sister” is a sad film which writer Rene Feret really did some intriguing writing and craft a story around Nannerl Mozart, a talented musician who had to quit her passion because of the status of women during the 1700′s.

While this film is a work of fiction and there is no record that Nannerl and Princess Louise of France corresponded, nor records that she and Louis le Daphin were romantically linked, what we do know is that because of that era in time, women could not really hold a high position in power or status.

For Nannerl, she was talented, she can compose and she can play, but once she reached a certain age (and her father could no longer promote her as a child musical prodigy), it didn’t matter how talented she was, she was expected to be a housewife and raise children.  While I don’t know if there are letters showing her regret of how women were treated at the time, as I am no erudite on Mozart historical records, I often wonder if this was just accepted by women that their status was low and not much was expected of them?

What is known is that Mozart looked up to his older sister and at a young age, wrote works such as “Prelude and Fugue C, K. 394″ in 1782 for the two to perform and even sent her copies of his piano concertos.  We know that Wolfgang and is father were always at odds, while his sister did everything that her father wished. And while she fell in love with one man, her father turned down his marriage proposal, despite Wolfgang trying to get his sister to stand up for herself.

So, there may be a different from what is featured of Nannerl in reality to what was Nannerl in the film.  In the film, Nannerl Mozart walked on the beat of her own drum and not that I would use the word “fearless” but she did what she wanted despite what her father would think.  But in reality, it was Wolfgang who walked the beat of his own drum and made his own choices, his sister did what her father asked.

And while the film is quite evident that the message was how unhappy women were that they weren’t given the same liberties as men (as both Nannerl and Princess Louise have a conversation about how things would be different if both were born a boy), the sadness I have towards this film was the fact that the talented Nannerl had to give up so much and would never be recognized for her talent because she is a woman.

In reality, things even get worse as she was forced to marry a man who was in his ’50s and had children, she died blind, unable to speak and even for her first son Leopold, her father Leopold literally took her son away and raised him.  While it is debated of why Leopold raised his grandson and not Nannerl, it is thought that Leopold wanted to raise his grandson in a similar manner to Wolfgang and Nannerl and for him to become a musical genius.

And last, that loving relationship between Wolfgang and Nannerl ended for some unknown reason.

If anything, the more you read about what is out there of Nannerl Mozart, it is quite depressing.  At least “Mozart’s Sister” would make things a bit dramatic but I wouldn’t be surprised if the reality was that Leopold had a tremendous hold over his daughter and literally suppressed all independence from her and that she had no voice whatsoever.  She listened to her father and did everything that he wished.

As I watched “Mozart’s Sister”, you have to give Rene Feret some credit of trying to make Nannerl’s life so dramatic.  How he came up with the Princess Louise and Louis storyline was out of left field but for the film, it did work.

Feret’s film doesn’t follow the traditional Hollywood film of a happy ending.  We know that Nannerl is not going to be able pursue her life as a musician, we see in her face how unfortunate things are that her younger brother will have all the opportunities and she won’t.

While purists and the Mozart erudite may be irritated by this fictional story, and possibly would rather see another film about Wolfgang than his sister, I did enjoy “Mozart’s Sister” (although I felt it ran a bit too long for my taste).  The cinematography, costume and set design were beautiful, acting could have been better at times but for what its worth, while the film was banal, the fact that filmmaker/screenwriter Rene Feret was able to craft a story around Nannerl Mozart was rather fascinating but definitely opened my eyes and made me want to know more about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his family.

 

 

Naruto volume 55 by Masashi Kishimoto (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

The Great Ninja war begins and the unity of the ninja villages take on the revived legendary ninjas of the past led by Kabuto.  A thrilling, all-action volume that “Naruto” fans will surely love!  Recommended!

© 1999 by Masashi Kishimoto. All Rights Reserved.

MANGA TITLE: Naruto Volume 55

STORY AND ART BY: Masashi Kishimoto (岸本 斉史)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHUEISHA, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Jump Manga

RATED: T for Older Teen

RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2012

The Great War Begins.  Evil masterminds Kabuto and Madara instigate skirmish with Naruto and friends on Turtle Island.  The Allied Shinobi Forces prepare to attack, but are they read for Kabuto’s horde of reanimated dead ninja?!

The popular manga series “Naruto” has been going strong since its debut in Shueisha back in 1999 via “Weekly Shonen Jump” magazine.

The manga by Masashi Kishimoto is about a young ninja named Naruto Uzamaki, a ninja of the Konoha leaf village who grew up facing prejudiced within his fellow ninjas because the evil nine-tailed fox was sealed inside him. But throughout the series, we have seen how Naruto is a kind-hearted boy who has worked hard in protecting his friends and staying true to his word with the goal of someday becoming the next Hokage of the village.

In the beginning, Naruto was part of Team Kakashi, alongside Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno and as a team, have grown up together taking on missions and also, joining with other teams of Team Konoha as well as other villages in taking on other major missions as well.

But now years have passed since those earlier years of Team Kakashi and Naruto and his friends are much older and his teammate Sasuke has left the village to pursue his brother Itachi for revenge of killing everyone of the Uchiha clan but worst of all, Sasuke is in search of the traitor of the Konoha village, the evil Orochimaru, in order to obtain more power.

During Naruto’s last confrontation with Sasuke, it appears that a black evil curse has consumed him. But as a promise to his teammate Sakura, Naruto will do what it takes to bring Sasuke back despite whether or not Sasuke has become evil.

Volume 55 of the “Naruto” manga series features the beginning of the Great War as the ninja villages have united to take on the dead, past Gokage and deceased Akatsuki members and other deadly ninjas revived by Kabuto to take on the various ninja clans.

The dead know they have been revived but are not able to control their bodies (which is being controlled by Kabuto).  The goal of capturing Naruto for his nine-tail powers continues, but the ninja villages were able to hide Naruto in a moving island.  Meanwhile, Naruto is unaware of what is going on the outside world other than he is working on a mission.  But everyone is hoping that Killer Bee can train Naruto on how to gain control of the nine-tail fox and prepare for the big war.

Meanwhile, as ninja units have been assembled on both sides, it’s a battle to the death as the ninjas of other villages must take on the ninjas that have been revived.  This includes the return of a few of the deadly Akatsuki and also for Kakashi, the return of Zabuza and Haku.  But this time, Zabuza and the revived legendary swordsmen of the mist are ready to fight.

Here is a brief summary of each chapter of “Naruto Volume 55″:

• Number 515 – The Great War Begins! – Naruto learns from Killer Bee on how to control the nine-tails chakra while the Ninja villages set up squads to prepare for the Great War.  Kabut sends out the revived Gokage and Akatsuki members and takes control of them for battle.
• Number 516 – Gaara’s Speech – As rival ninja villages must work together, Gaara tries to bring unity to the rival clans and prepare for war.
• Number 517 – Omoi’s War – Commando Unit Captain Kankuro takes his team to take on the revived Deidara and Sasori.  Meanwhile, Sai confronts his brother.
• Number 518 – Battle of the Commando Units!! - The battle between the opposing units continue.
• Number 519 – The Biju Bomb – Killer Bee tries to teach Naruto the Biju bomb and also learn of the ramifications of the new jutsu.
• Number 520 – Secrets of the Edotensei – Kabuto reveals the secrets of the Edotensei.
• Number 521 – The Main Regiment in Batle!! – The battle continues as Kakashi takes on the revived Zabuza.
• Number 522 – We Died. – Zabuza and Haku find out that they have died and have been revived.
• Number 523 – The Legendary Seven Swordsmen of the Mist!! – The commando unit led by Kakashi must take on the legendary seven swordsmen of the Mist.
• Number 524 – That Which Ought to be Protected – Kakashi vs. Zabuza to the death.

“Naruto” vol .55 begins the Great Ninja War and one can expect plenty of action in these latest chapters.

And despite all ninja villages banding together for the war, Kabuto has revived legendary ninjas, swordsmen and former leaders of ninja villages, including the Akatsuki and he has complete control over them.  No matter how hard the dead try to fight Kabuto’s control, they are unable to break it and must fight against their former rivals, family members and friends.

As for Naruto, the training he is receiving from Killer Bee is starting to work but he finds out that through this new jutsu, he is unable to use shadow clones otherwise, the nine-tail fox will consume as much chakra to kill Naruto. Naruto must learn how to control the beast within and utilize its power (essentially swapping his power with nine-tails power) without dying.

Needless to say, this latest volume of “Naruto” is an intense, all-action fight-fes!  And the war is captured amazing well in this latest volume as Masashi Kishimoto tries to capture the essence of battle between the ninjas as the village may have the numbers, but Kabuto’s revived dead ninjas have the power.  Strategy comes to play and who will win and who will lose will be quite interesting because it seems that as of now, Kabuto has the edge.

I can’t wait to see how this overall storyline develops especially how Naruto develops from his training.

Overall, “Naruto” is an awesome manga series and for those who have appreciated the anime series first, will definitely enjoy the manga series as well. And once again, another thrilling, action-packed volume of “Naruto” the manga series. Highly recommended!

 

Tiny Furniture – The Criterion Collection #597 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Lena Dunham’s award-winning independent film”Tiny Furniture” will be Criterion Collection’s first inclusion of mumblecore to their collection.  A slice of life type of film that is enjoyable but equally frustrating.  Nevertheless, showing promise for the filmmaking career of Lena Dunham.

Image courtesy of © 2010 IFC in Theatres, LLC. 2012 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Tiny Furniture – The Criterion Collection #597

MOVIE RELEASE: 2010

DURATION: 99 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio, 5.1 Surround

COMPANY: IFC Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASE DATE: February4, 2012

Written and Directed by Lena Dunham

Produced by Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

Co-Produced by Alice Wang

Music by Teddy Blanks

Cinematography by Jody Lee Lopes

Edited by Lance Edmands

Art Direction by Jade Healy, Chris Trujillo

Starring:

Lena Dunham as Aura

Laurie Simmons as Siri

Grace Dunham as Nadine

Jemima Kirke as Charlotte

Alex Karpovsky as Jed

David Call as Keith

Merritt Wever as Frankie

Amy Seimetz as Ashlynn

Lena Dunham got her start making YouTube videos, but she emerged as a major talent thanks to the breakthrough success of this exceptionally sharp comedy, which garnered the twenty-four-year-old writer-director-actor comparisons to the likes of Woody Allen. Dunham plays Aura, a recent college graduate who returns to New York and moves back in with her mother and sister (played by the filmmaker’s real-life mother and sister). Though Aura is gripped by stasis and confusion about her future, Dunham locates endless sources of refreshing humor in her plight. As painfully confessional as it is amusing, Tiny Furniture is an authentic, incisive portrait of a young woman at a crossroads.

Mumblecore.  The definition of mumblecore is an “American independent film movement that arose at the turn of the 21st century”.

And I have watched a few of these low-budget independent films and while there have been good films and many bad, it has always been debated of whether these films should be held with a high regard.  Similar to what John Cassavetes was able to accomplish in in his career with his theater group and creating indie films that eventually had impact on filmmakers and are appreciated today.  Creating cinema with a micro-budget.  Can it be considered as cinema?

With the cost of DSLR’s and the popularity of these low-budget films on YouTube and other video streaming sites, I have read threads on various cinema sites if mumblecore should ever be featured on the Criterion Collection?

Even I had taken part in instigating such a discussion with a graphic I have made of Jay and Mark Duplas’ “Baghead” with a fake Criterion Cover.  But my intention was not to say that “Baghead” should be a Criterion Collection film but it was for people to acknowledge that with today’s technology, people are making movies may it be on high end equipment or affordable equipment on Canon 7D or an iPhone 4S.

We have seen American low budget films appear on the Criterion Collection before.  Sure, they may have been created decades ago but why not mumblecore?  And I’m sure there are cineaste who may be shaking their head about any mention of mumblecore being included in the Criterion Collection but in Feb. 2012, the Criterion Collection will include Lena Dunham’s “Tiny Furniture”.

Daughter of artist and photographer Laurie Simmons, Lena Dunham’s 2010 film was created on a low-budget of $50,000, premiered at South by Southwest and it won “Best Narrative Feature”.  The film was picked up by IFC films, given a theatrical release and not only has it made more than its money back, it also won “Best First Screenplay” at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards.

While the film does share many aspects to mumblecore in terms of being shot on a low-budget, using Lena’s mother and sister as major characters in the film and also starring herself as the main protagonist, Dunham doesn’t really consider this film to be mumblecore because it was written on a “tight script” that the actors were faithful to.

But if there is one thing that many critics have noticed with “Tiny Furniture” is its ode to Woody Allen and Dunham’s appreciation for the filmmaker.

To describe “Tiny Furniture”, it’s a film that probably is best experienced than explained because just writing about it, may not seem flattering at all.  In fact, it may seem like an average day of a college graduate trying to find out what to do with her life.

Lena Dunham plays the character of Aura, a liberal arts student with a film studies degree who just graduated and returns back to her home to see her family and decide on her future.

Lena is a student who is unsure about herself, about life in general, about what she wants to do for a living and just wants to live life day-by-day.  She likes making YouTube videos and feels confident about her body which is ridiculed via comments on YouTube for her being overweight and doesn’t mind walking around the house in her underwear.

Aura’s mother Siri (played by Dunham’s real mother, Laurie Simmons) is a photographer of tiny furniture, while her sister Nadine (played by Grace Dunham) is the opposite of Aura and the two are often bickering at each other.  Although, Laurie looks at Nadine much more positively because of her intelligence and her achievements.  For Nadine, she is often disgusted by her sister’s lifestyle, especially how she posts videos of herself on YouTube which she thinks is her way of Aura craving attention.

One day, Aura discovers her mother’s diary and starts to see a side of her mother that she never knew.  Learning how her successful mother also had uncertainties about life when she was younger.

Having had a failed relationship back in college and not knowing what to do, she takes a job as a hostess at a restaurant (a job in which she keeps coming late), she befriends a YouTube star named Jed (played by Alex Karpovsky).

Jed is an absolute stranger that Aura knows nothing about but because her mom and sister are going away for a little while, she allows Jed to stay at her home for a shortwhile.  Meanwhile at work, she starts to fancy the chef named Keith (played by David Call) who tends to flirt with her.

Keith constantly talks about his on-and-off relationship with his girlfriend and for Aura, having a Jed stay at her place and now striking a friendship with Keith, she wonders if she has a chance with either of them.

Her best friend is Charlotte, a free spirit that loves to have fun and listens to Aura when she complains about life.

“Tiny Furniture” is a film about a young woman who is in the crossroad of her life, wondering what she will do next after graduating college.  Take on odd jobs?  Work for the money?  Or pursue a passion towards filmmaking?

VIDEO:

“Tiny Furniture” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1 Aspect Ratio).  For a low-budget film, Dunham worked with cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes and both decided to use the prosumer Canon 7D DSLR.  The film was shot via 1080p High Definition, ISO 200 was used for the exterior and 400 ISO for interior nights while night exteriors were shot at ISO 600-2000 and shot in 24fps.

According to an article featured on the Filmmaker Magazine blog, Lipes learned the limitations of the DSLR while using prime lenses but converted the camera’s h.264 files to Apple Pro Res and edited on Final Cut Pro and from there on, Technicolor would create an up-res the Pro Res Quicktime to a 10-bit uncompressed 4:2:2 Quicktime and record it to HDcam SR.  Color correcting the HDcam SR to HDcam SR using a Davinci 2K Plus system.  And the master was used for exhibition, while Quicktime was used for electronic distribution.

The film was shot digitally while not having that digital-look that people stray away from. The colors are actually very good and goes to show how spending the extra money on having Technicolor doing the color correcting makes a pretty big difference from the original digital recording.  I didn’t notice any high level noise during the night shots or any compression and for the most part, I was pretty content with the overall look of the film.

While Criterion does say it was shot with a Canon 5D (the 5D Mark II is a better camera), it was actually shot with a 7D according to Lipes in the Filmmaker interview.  According to the Criterion collection, the final color-corrected DPX files were output to rec. 709 high-definition color space for BD and DVD release.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Tiny Furniture” is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.    Dialogue is crisp and clear, the music sounds great and according to the Criterion Collection, the film was master at 24-bit from the original digital audio master files using Pro Tools HD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tiny Furniture  – The Criterion Collection #597″ on Blu-ray comes with the following special features:

• Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham  - (30:29) Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham talk about “Tiny Furniture” and discuss cinema, Woody Allen and shooting on a low budget.
• Paul Schrader on Dunham – (7:41) film critic Paul Schrader talkes about mumblecore and the people who hate on “Tiny Furniture” and what he enjoyed about the film.
• Introduction to Creative Nonfiction – (8:14) An introduction by Lena Dunham of the making of “Creative Nonfiction” and what she learned from that first experience.
• Creative Nonfiction – (58:26) Lena Dunham’s first feature shot when she was a film student at Oberlin College.
• Short Films – Featuring four short films by Lena Dunham:

- Pressure – (2006, 4:00) Three students and friends talk about having an orgasm in the school library.

- Open the Door – (2007, 4:54) – An improvised short film about a girl trying to have her mother say something on an intercom.

- Hooker on Campus – (2007, 4:47) A girl goes on college campus and tries to solicit herself for sex.

- The Fountain – (2007, 6:01)  A girl uses the campus fountain to wash herself and brush her teeth but is confronted by police.

• Trailer – The original theatrical trailer for “Tiny Furniture”.

EXTRAS:

“Tiny Furniture  – The Criterion Collection #597″ comes with a 5-fold essay “Out There” by Phillip Logan.

Everyone has their start before making a major movie.  Some are lucky to transition from film school to making a big budget film but many start out with an independent film and hopes it gets bought by a company for theatrical distribution and video.

Call her film a mumblecore film or a very good low-budget film or perhaps even lucky.  The fact that “Tiny Furniture” has made it into the Criterion Collection is quite amazing and surprising!

“Tiny Furniture” is a film which I enjoyed for its quirkiness and while it is a slice-of-life film, I know many people like Aura who have graduated from college and are unsure about their lives during these tough economic times.

While the character of Aura may seem a bit unusual and awkward, may it be letting a stranger live with her while her family is away for a week or having sex with a guy inside a pipe, while watching this film, I appreciated Dunham’s witty style of acting but as far as the character goes, I was disturbed by her choices that she makes in her life.

Lena Dunham talked about how her passion for Woody Allen made her feel inspired in making “Tiny Furniture” but with Woody Allen films, there is a sense where the characters come full circle with the decisions they have made.  For the main protagonist of Aura, while we do get witty banter, we are not entirely sure where her character is headed and the film’s focus on “uncertainty”.    Woody Allen characters accept their choices, good or bad.  In the case of “Tiny Furniture”, while there positive aspects that are learned from the film between mother and daughter, we are unsure what is wrong with Aura? Everyone has fears about life after college but for Aura, she has a way of thinking about her decisions (or lack of thinking).

And as mentioned, I’ve know people like Aura, who walk on the beat of their own drum, wanting to experience things no matter what people say.  It’s just their way of living, no matter how frustrating it may be to others. And those people frustrate me in reality, so to watch a film of a character that frustrates me by her choices, while watching the film…all that went through my mind is, I hope there is some sort of resolution to her character, may it be happy or sad.

And as far as being a viewer, I’m sure there are some who will laugh at her misery.  May it be her wearing her tight spanx to a guy she likes telling her how she sweats so much on the bed.    I was not laughing, I was more on the side of…I hope something good happens to her because her lack of ambition was becoming a bit depressing.

Still, I do like the fact that this film kept things real.  And the fact that she was able to get her mother and sister to be part of her film, the chemistry between the three is realistic and I enjoyed their constant banter.

As for the Blu-ray release, I felt that it was interesting to have this exclusive interview between Dunham and Nora Ephron discussing filmmaking and women making films.  Also, seeing film critic Paul Schrader defending the film from the haters and you also have four Dunham shorts and Dunham’s first feature “Creative Nonfiction”.

Overall, I’m sure that “Tiny Furniture” will be hotly debated on whether or not this film should have been included in the Criterion Collection but for modern independent filmmakers and those who create mumblecore films, the inclusion of “Tiny Furniture” is quite significant.

For me, it’s great to see another female filmmaker featured in the collection featured but at the same time, would love to see more films from female filmmakers such as Chantal Akerman (who did receive Criterion’s Eclipse treatment), Maya Deren, Alice Guy-Blaché, Leni Riefenstahl, Jane Campion and Sofia Coppola be given the Criterion Collection treatment as well.

“Tiny Furniture” is an amazing step forward for the career of Lena Dunham.  While I found the film to be good, I will say that I was surprised that it did receive the Criterion Collection recognition, but by saying that, I do look forward to seeing how her career progresses from the success and recognition from “Tiny Furniture” and that her next feature film is even better.

 

Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1 Vol. 4 by Oh!great (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

Sex and violence is the basis of “Tenjo Tenge”. Mix in some “Fight Club”, overly endowed women, sex and various characters that you love in fighting video games and you get “Tenjo Tenge”. Volume 4 is the deepest volume yet as characters are killed off.  Who will live and who will survive?  Check out “Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1 vol. 4″ to find out.

Image courtesy of © 2007 by Toshiai Iwashiro. All Rights Reserved.

MANGA TITLE: Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1 Vol. 4

STORY AND ART BY: Oh!great

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shueisha, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: Viz Signature/VIZ Media, LLC

RATED: M for Mature

Available on December 20, 2011

Mitsuomi and Maya team up to fight in the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament, an all-out series of bloody battles to determine the strongest fighter in Todo Academy. The tournament is held by Mitsuomi’s father, the patriarch of the Takayanagi family, with the secret intent of awakening the “True Warrior” and bringing that power under his control.

He’s pinned his hopes on Shin, but his machinations backfire when Shin finally plunges into madness, unleashing his terrifying destructive force. Mitsuomi steps forward to stop him, and an epic confrontation between the two friends begins.

In 1998, the mangaka known as “Oh!Great” (known for his manga and video game work and creating series such as “Air Gear”, “Burn-Up W” and “Burn Up Excess”) released his manga series “Tenjo Tenge” which would go on for 22 volumes before ending the manga series in 2010.

The manga would later be adapted into a 26-episode TV anime series in 2004, a two-episode OVA in 2005, followed by a film in 2006.

And while the manga series was released in the United States by CMX, the manga was heavily censored for its sexual content. But now the manga has been licensed and released via Viz’s Viz Signature featuring their “Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1″ series (featuring two graphic novels per volume) and featured in all of its uncensored glory. Sex, violence, it’s all there!

A background of what “Tenjo Tenghe” is about so far:

The series would typically revolve around a group of friends who attend Todou Academy, an academy that hosts the best fighters in the area.

Bad boys Souichiro Nagi and his friend Bob Makihara are attending their first day at the Todou Academy and learn that their fighting skills used at other schools, will definitely be put into great use as everyone in the school can fight. But the two will need to join a fight club.

But the most powerful club at the school is the Katana Group headed by Shin Natsume, the president of the Executive Council who has the power of the dragon eyes, but is slowly starting to lose his composure and becoming insane the more he uses them.

Shin has a busty sister named Maya (who has the ability to shrink herself to an 8-year-old) and also a busty younger sister named Aya (who also possessed the dragon eyes, but allows her to see the past, present and future and see and listen to the dead). For some reason, Shin and Maya have this bond, in fact…a bond that suggests that Shin may be in love with his sister.

But with Shin most of the time is his busty girlfriend Mana Kuzunoha, a girl who was assigned to be Shin’s girlfriend in order for her to collect data for the Takayanagi family. She is also responsible for helping Shin start the Katana group. Despite how insane Shin is, she finds herself falling for him.

Meanwhile, we are also introduced to several other characters who are friends but also rival to Shin as everyone has incredible abilities. But is there anyone who is strong enough to defeat Shin?

“Tenjo Tenge” Vol. 4 continues where the last volume left off, the fourth round of Todo Academy’s fighting tournament to find out which club will be the leaders of the executive council.  Meanwhile, Shin hasn’t shown up for the tournament.

It appears that Master Dogen wants to unleash Shin’s uncontrollable powers and they know that to get to him, they would have to use Maya as an example.  So, Master Dogen has his violent assassin Fu’Chien roughing up Maya as badly as he can.

And now, enraged Shin has unleashed his uncontrollable power of the Dragon Eyes to take on Fu’Chien and others who have hurt his sister, meanwhile Mitsuomi goes to find them.

Shin has absolutely lost it.  No one, friend or foe can get close to him and all he cares about is being close with his sister Maya.  But when Mitsuomi finds her, she tries to have him escape in time but it is too late, Shin releases his power and tries to kill Mitsuomi (a friend but also a rival for Maya’s affections).

But while Mitsuomi was able to survive the attack, it has presented a conundrum.  The blast that Shin gave him has elevated his heart and has made him invincible for three minutes, but because of the amount of beating his heart takes in that state, anything longer than three minutes will kill him.

But Shin has warned his sister Maya that he will hurt everyone she has a connection with.  Meanwhile, Mitsuomi has announced to Maya that in two months time, he will take on Shin in a battle.

It’s a battle to the death between these two friends and rivals.  Who will live and who will die?

“Tenjo Tenge” is a thrilling manga series for adults and with volume 4, not only do readers get the usual sex and violence but the plot becomes much deeper as Shin and Mitsuomi fight to the death.

Many characters are killed in this latest volume and needless to say…  prepare to be shocked!

I have to admit that “Tenjo Tenge” may not be the easiest manga series to write a synopsis for. Mainly because there are so many characters featured, there’s not really one protagonist and it can get a bit confusing with people who have similar names.

But it’s this world of fight clubs, people who specialize in different martial arts for this high school and this world that mangaka Oh!great is slowly trying to build overtime. It requires time, character development and by the time you read the chapter, you know the characters, but to explain it to someone who hasn’t read it, it’s not easy.

But the best way to describe this manga series is the game “the King of the Mountain”. I remember being in high school and wrestling practice and our job was to see if we can take down the top guy and make him fall. Well, at this high school, Shin is the king of the mountain. All these fighters of different clubs want their shot to beat the #1 man, so their martial art or club can be the top dog and be the leaders of the Executive Council. They call the shots at the school and let people know of their dominance.

But unknown to many people, Shin is like a demon. Slowly going insane because of his Dragon Eyes in combination with holding onto the Reiki sword, it’s amplifying his power to the point where he’s starting to lose his sanity. The Reiki, which is a sword which entraps all power of the evil Buddhist ceremonies enhances ones power. And for the weapon, it’s reliant towards those who wield it and for Shin, it makes him the most deadliest person on the planet.

So, with volume 4 and “insane” Shin has declared that he will destroy anyone who has a connection with Maya.  And there is only one person who has a connection with her, fellow classmate and sparring partner, Mitsuomi.

While Shin is unbeatable with his Dragon Eyes, we know that Mitsuomi has some mysterious power within him.  But when Shin unleashes the Dragon Eyes on Mitsuomi, it also has given him superhuman abilities to add on his current abilities.  Which may enough for Mitsuomi to fight against Shin in the battle to the death.

But… there is a caveat to Mitsuomi’s new special ability.  He has only three minutes to use it, otherwise, anything longer will kill him.

The fourth volume feature manga graphic novels vol. 7 and 8 and the first half features on the Mitsuomi-Maya-Shin storyline, while the second half finally brings back Souchiro Nagi and Bob Makihara, as they become the newest members to the Juken Club and once again, it’s a new year of the Academy’s tournament of who will lead the Executive Council.

But as mentioned, be prepared to be shocked as character die in this latest volume.  One death, I never saw coming and was shocked.

Similar to the other volumes, this volume definitely features a lot of sex! Granted, it’s not a hentai manga as sex is not focused on, but there is nudity and sex plus a lot of violence, so it’s a mature title.

Overall, “Tenjo Tenge” is a pretty awesome manga series that will attract fans who love fight club storylines, especially fighting video games such as “King of Fighters”, “Rival Schools”. There is plenty of action and teenage angst in this manga series but obviously targeted to male readers as the women happen to be overly well-endowed, appear to enjoy being bra-less, wearing short skirts to expose their panties and often having sex with a few of the male characters. Granted, the sex and fan service is not a big part of the overall storyline but it’s there.

“Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1 vol. 4″ is the deepest volume yet but it’s rather important to see how things are going to be this time forward as many changes are in store for these characters. Recommended for those who love their manga with all-out action, violent brawls and sexual themes.

 

 

Overall, for a mature action-driven manga series, it definitely delivers in action as well as sex. If this is for you, then definitely give “Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1″ a try!

 

Anonymous (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Roland Emmerich’s “Anonymous” is compelling, beautiful and thought-provoking. 

Images courtesy of © 2011 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Beverly Blvd LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Anonymous

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 93 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital English – Audio Description Track , Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish, French

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (Some Violence and Sexual Content)

RELEASE DATE: February 7, 2012

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Written by John Orloff

Produced by Roland Emmerich, Larry J. Franco, Robert Leger

Executive Producer: Voker Engel, Larry J. Franco, Robert Leger

Line Producer: Marcus Loges

Co-Producer: Christoph Fisser, Kirstin Winkler, Charlie Woebcken

Music by Harald Kloser, Thomas Wanker

Cinematographer: Anna Foerster

Edited by Peter R. Adam

Production Design by Sebastian T. Krawinkel

Art Direction by Sabine Engelberg, Stephan O. Gessler, Philip higgs, Stefan Speth, Bryce Tibbey

Set Decoration by Simon-Julien Boucherie

Costume Design by Lisy Christl

Starring:

Rhys Ifans as Earl of Oxford

Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth I

Sebastian Armesto as Ben Johnson

Rafe Spall as William Shakespeare

David Thewlis as William Cecil

Edward Hogg as Robert Cecil

Xavier Samuel as Earl of Southampton

Sam Reid as Earl of Essex

Jamie Campbell Bower as Young Earl of Oxford

Joely Richardson as Young Queen Elizabeth I

Paolo De Vita as Francesco

Trystan Gravelle as Christopher Marlowe

Robert Emms as Thomas Dekker

Tony Way as Thomas Nashe

Julian Bleach as Captain Richard Pole

Derek Jacobi as Prologue

Alex Hassell as Spencer

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, ANONYMOUS speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds… who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? ANONYMOUS poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage.

What if William Shakespeare did not write the famous plays that he is known for?  What if someone else wrote the plays but Shakespeare was just the frontman?

This is the premise for the 2011 film directed by Roland Emmerich and written by John Orloff.  A speculation on an idea that Edward de Vere was the true writer of the plays that have been attributed to William Shakespeare.

Needless to say, the film was met with controversy and debate and for the most part has received mix reviews.  But there is no doubt that “Anonymous” is a beautifully shot film featuring wonderful performances, exquisite costume design and also amazing set design to make this era in time come alive in cinema.

It’s definitely a radical departure for apocalyptic filmmaker Roland Emmerich but it is a compelling film that may be thought-provoking or perhaps blasphemous for those who are fans of the work of William Shakespeare.

“Anonymous” stars Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill”, “Neverland”, “Little Nicky”), Vanessa Redgrave (“Howard’s End”, “Mission: Impossible”, “Blow-Up”), Sebastian Armesto (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, “Marie Antoinette”, “Bright Star”) and Rafe Spall (“Shaun of the Dead”, “Hot Fuzz”, “A Good Year”).

“Anonymous” begins with Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury (played by Edward Hogg) ordering a search of manuscripts. We see the actor Ben Jonson (played by Sebastian Armesto)hiding the manuscripts in the Globe theatre which was later burned down.

The film then goes back in time and we watch the life of Edward de Vere (played by Rhys Ifans).  As a younger, de Vere is portrayed in the film as a genius and at the age of nine, he performed in a play of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as the role of Puck for a young Queen Elizabeth.  We then see how he was forced to live in the home of William Cecil where he was constantly repressed.  deVere kills a spying servant and William Cecil has used this murder as blackmail which forces him to marry his daughter Anne Cecil (played by Helen Baxendale) and thus forced to give up his dreams of literature because it would be a dishonor to the Cecil family.

As there is political squabble between the Tudors and the Cecils over who will succeed Queen Elizabeth I, De Vere becomes the lover of Queen Elizabeth and unknown to De Vere, she sires an illegitimate son named Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, which is kept hidden from the Cecils.

Meanwhile, de Vere struggles with staying away from literature.  His wife Anne reminds him that it would be a dishonor to her family and to the Queen’s counselors.  Also, William Cecil believes that theatres are sinful. But yet, de Vere writes these plays in secret.

As William Cecil plans for his son James, son of Mary, Queen of Scots to be crowned king, revelations come up that there may be a new contender to the throne.

de Vere has written “Henry V” and “Richard III” as forms of propaganda to start a revolution and works with Ben Johnson in hopes he can use his influence to have Jonson use his name for “Henry V” to be made into a play.  But the plan backfires when a young actor named William Shakespeare (played by Rafe Spall) claims authorship.

And when Shakespeare finds out that the real writer is de Vere, he tries to extort money from him.

But as others start to have suspicion that William Shakespeare can not possibly be the man who has written these plays, that it must be someone else, will the truth that de Vere wrote them, be made public and putting his family in risk?

 

VIDEO:

“Anonymous” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1 aspect ratio).  The picture quality for “Anonymous” is fantastic.  Black levels are solid, inky and deep, colors look amazing.  But what strikes the viewer the most is the amount of detail that can be seen in HD.  From the costumes and the surroundings, you can see the details in the clothing to also the detail of the characters faces.

Cinematographer Anna Foerster may be known for directing TV series and working the camera on films such as “Aeon Flux”, “The Day After Tomorrow, “2012″ to name a few, but as the first major film as the main cinematographer, she has done an amazing job in capturing the era but also providing beautiful shots.

Impressive video that fans of the film will no doubt enjoy on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Anonymous” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and with an English -Audio Description Track.  For a film like “Anonymous”, I was expecting it to be primarily a dialogue driven film and primarily a center and front channel soundtrack.  While dialogue heavy, “Anonymous” definitely utilizes the surround channels by making the crowds alive and creating a sense of immersion through its ambiance.  There is good amount of directional sound effects utilized in this film especially during the tennis match  in which you can hear the balls with amazing clarity.

Towards the end of the film there is a bit of action and you can hear some LFE use, the music sounds absolutely fantastic and both Harald Kloser (“2012″, “Day After Tomorrow”, “10,00 B”, “AVP: Aliens vs. Predator”) and Thomas Wanker (“2012″, “The Day AFter Tomorrow”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series) did a pretty solid job in creating music of that era.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Anonymous” comes with the following special features:

“Anonymous” is a film that definitely presents a question that many people probably never thought about… did he write his famous plays or was he just a frontman for someone else?

I suppose one can say that for nearly ever historical figure from Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Leonardo Da Vinci, Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette and as far back to Jesus Christ, there are conspiracy theorist who believe there is more to the story of these individuals.

“Anonymous” is a pretty intriguing political thriller and pseudo-historical drama that does play with history for theatrical reasons but it does present a valid argument if taken as fact that William Shakespeare was a fraud and that the real writer, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, is the true originator of the plays.  Shakespeare becoming the frontman due to a failed rebellion led by de Vere’s son and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.  And that this was due to the mingling of Queen Elizabeth who had a romantic relationship with de Vere.

For one, I’m not an erudite of British history and to director Roland Emmerich, he has always been a director that has made films that were compelling and literally make you think of “what if?”.  This has been his way with “The Day After Tomorrow” and even “2012″.  Granted, Emmerich is mainly known for creating apocalyptic films but despite his departure from making those type of films, “Anonymous” is possibly his most compelling film yet.

While saying that, this film may not be so casually accessible by audiences as this is not a “Shakespeare in Love” type film.  This is a sophisticated drama capturing an era through beautiful cinematography, wonderful costume design and set decoration.  Also, for theatrical sake, there is some playing around with timelines, so viewers shouldn’t take the film as absolute fact, but merely consider the possibilities that Shakespeare, with whatever evidence is out there, may not be the actual writer of the plays.

“Blasphemous”, the words that  I’m sure many Shakespeare erudites may cry out when watching this film but taking the film for what it is, I see the story as a perspective but as a film, I find “Anonymous” to be an enjoyable film with a wonderful performance by Rhys Ifans, Rafe Spall and Vanessa Redgrave.   As mentioned, the cinematography for this film was fantastic, the costume design and set design were wonderful and the music composition was very good.

And on Blu-ray, this film looks absolutely wonderful as clarity and detail are the keywords that come to mind quite often, the lossless soundtrack was also much better than I expected.  There are also a good number of special features as well, but it would have been interesting to have a more in-depth featurette on the debate on Shakespeare being the original writer by having historians presenting us actual evidence and arguments.

Overall, “Anonymous” is a speculation on a debate that continues to live on as they do with other historical figures.  And because Shakespeare’s past and what is known about him is not as known as his work, filmmaker Roland Emmerich does a fine job of offering his take on the speculation with his compelling film.  And “Anonymous” is a film that I can definitely recommend.

 

Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Heartwarming and a Disney classic that will continue to entertain generation after generation. “Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” is hands down the definitive version of this film to own. A fantastic Blu-ray release that the whole family will enjoy! Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © 2011 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

BLU-RAY TITLE: Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition

MOVIE RELEASE DATE: 1955

DURATION: 76 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 2:55:1 Aspect Ratio, English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater (DEHT), Originally Restored Feature Audio, Subtitles: Engliish SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G

DVD RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2012

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Story by Ward Greene, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Ralph Wright, Don DaGradi

Associate Producer: Erdman Penner

Music by Oliver Wallace

Edited by Donald Halliday

Featuring the Voices of:

Peggy Lee as Darling/Si/Am/Peg

Barbara Luddy as Lady

Larry Roberts as Tramp

Bill Thompson as Jock/Bull, Policeman and Joe

Bill Baucom as Trusty

Stan Freberg as Beaver

Verna Felton as Aunt Sarah

Alan Reed as Boris

George Givot as Tony

Dal McKennon as Toughy

Lee Millar as Jim Dear

The Mellomen as Dogs

A classic love story unfolds in the best Disney tradition as a lovely young pedigreed cocker spaniel named Lady, who lives a pampered life, finds herself falling romantically for Tramp, an amorous street-smart pooch without prospects. Although they have fun together on several dates, including a sentimental spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony’s restaurant, their relationship is strained not only by Lady’s loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp’s devil-may-care attitude that eventually gets Lady in trouble and tossed into the dog pound. However, good-hearted Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from potential harm and thus wins Lady’s love and the affection of her human family.

Walt Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” is a classic animated film that has entertained generations upon generations since its theatrical release back in 1955.

But the idea for the film actually happened nearly 20-years prior when Disney writer Joe Grant came up with an idea to make a story built around an idea inspired by his Springer Spaniel named Lady, and how his dog was pushed aside upon the birth of his child.

Grant sketched his ideas and presented it to Walt Disney and sure enough, from 1937 through the ’40s, Grant and a few others have created stories which did not receive approval from Walt Disney because the story was too sweet and not enough action.

In the 1940′s, after Walt Disney read a story by Ward Greene titled “Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog” and was inspired by this story, along with the reaction his wife Lily had when he presented her a baby Chow on Christmas morning.

“Lady and the Tramp” would star American jazz singer Peggy Lee as Darling and would sing a few songs for the film’s soundtrack.

In 1955, the film made its theatrical debut and was a enormous success in the box office. The film was the first Disney animated film to utilize CinemaScope.

While Joe Grant left Disney Studios in 1949, the story and planning still continued. While Joe Grant was not credited for the original idea, he was given credit in a special feature on the Platinum Edition release of “Lady and the Tramp”.

And now in 2012, the 15th Walt Disney animated classic, “Lady and the Tramp” receives its Blu-ray release for the first time.

“Lady and the Tramp” takes place on Christmas morning of 1909 at the home of the wealthy Dear family.

Jim Dear presents his wife Darling with a baby Cocker Spaniel on Christmas morning.  Darling names the dog “Lady” and the two treat the dog like their own child.

And we see how Lady has grown up with the family and they have grown attached to each other.  And Lady is excited to get her first license and tells her friends Jock, the Scottish Terrier and Bull and a Bloodhound named Trusty.

We are then introduced to Tramp, a stray dog on the other side of town.  Always getting into some trouble but always there for his friends.  Tramp is always wanted by the dog catchers but has been able to allude them.

But not long after, Lady starts to notice that the Dear family has started to distance themselves away from her and she asks her two friends what could be the problem.  The two explain that the Dear family are expecting a baby and when that happens, their attention turns towards baby.

Tramp hears their discussion and introduces himself to Lady and tells her that when humans have a baby, their attention towards their dog will lessen.

And eventually, Lady starts to learn quickly when the baby comes that Jim and Darling do not have as much time to spend with her.  As Jim and Darling have to go to China, they leave the baby behind with Aunt Sarah.

But as Aunt Sarah is busy with the baby (and doesn’t like Lady to be around him), Sarah’s two Siamese cats cause trouble and start breaking things around the house, knowing that they are close with Aunt Sarah, Sarah blames Lady.

The next day, when Lady goes to check on the baby who is crying, Aunt Sarah thinks that Lady is trying to bite the baby and takes her to the pet store for a muzzle.  But when the pet store owner tries to muzzle her, Lady is shocked and runs away.  She runs and ends up in another part of town and three large, mean dogs start chasing after her.  As Lady reaches a dead end, Tramp comes to her rescue and fights off the three mean dogs.

Wanting to show how much adventure lies outside of her home, Tramp shows her how life can be if she stays with him.  But throughout their adventures together, Lady is caught by a dog catcher and now Tramp must try to rescue her.

VIDEO:

“Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:55:1 Aspect Ratio).  And for anyone who has been following the Disney Animated Classics Blu-ray releases have seen how fantastic Walt Disney Studios has been with these releases.  Remastering and restoring the video to a lot of their classics to pristine quality.  No matter how old these animated films are, they have been cleaned from any blemishes and the “Lady and the Tramp” on Blu-ray is no exception.  This film looks magnificent in HD!

The film is absolutely vibrant.  The colors and the black outline of the characters are clear and the painted art backgrounds are well-detailed and look  amazing.

There are no artifacts, banding, no softness… this is the definitive version of “Lady and the Tramp” on video.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Just like its video counterpart, Disney presents “Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” with an English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack, French and Spanish 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater (DEHT), original restored featured audio.

The 7.1 lossless track is absolutely immersive. First, the dialogue is crisp and clear, the music can be heard through the front and surround channels. There is also a good amount of ambience, especially good use of audio during moments where Tramp goes to rescue Lady from other mean dogs to the scene where Jock and Trusty try to stop the dog catcher.

Like the video portion, when it comes to audio, this is the definitive version of “Lady and the Tramp” to own thus far!

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” comes with the following special features:

• Disney Second Screen featuring “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings” – For those with an iPad or PC can sync their computer while watching “Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” on Blu-ray.
• Inside Walt’s Story Meetings – An audio commentary featuring a recreation of Walt Disney’s story meetings utilizing archived transcripts.
• Diane Disney Miller – (8 min.) Remembering Dad – Diane Disney Miller shares stories about her father, Disneyland, his legacy and more.
• Deleted Scenes – (19 min.) Featuring three deleted scenes via storyboards: “Introduction of Boris”, “Waiting for Baby” and “Dog Show”.
• Never Recorded Song: “I’m Free as the Breeze” – A Ray Gilbert and Elliot Daniel song never used in the final cut of the film and now presented on this Blu-ray release.
• Classic DVD Bonus Features – (157 Minutes) A length in-depth look at the making of “Lady and the Tramp” plus the original Platinum Edition seven-part making of featurette titled “Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of ‘Lady and the Tramp’, “The Siamese Cat Song: Finding a Voice for the Cats”, PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs”, “Bella Notte Music video”, theatrical trailers and more.
• Trailers – Walt Disney trailers.

 

EXTRAS:

“Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition” comes with a slipcover case and also a DVD version of the film presented in widescreen (2:55:1), English, French and Spanish 5.1 DEHT, original restored feature audio. Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

Many of us who have grown up with “Lady and the Tramp” will always remember the famous scene where Lady and Tramp are eating spaghetti together and end up kissing, remember this film as a heartwarming tale of two dogs that fall in love and overcoming challenges.

It’s a Disney film that my parents watched, I’ve watched and my own child has watched and quite simply, this is another Disney classic that families will enjoy and an animated film that will keep entertaining generation after generation.

Watching this Blu-ray release of “Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition”, the one thing that I’ve wondered was how can they improve from the awesome “Platinum Edition”. Well, for one, the quality of the video and audio is the first thing that is noticeable. This is one film that while made in 1955, you can’t really tell this film is over 55-years-old, the restoration is that good and even the artwork holds up today.

There is also a good amount of special features included on this Blu-ray release which includes the second-screen and the “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings”, plus deleted scenes and a never-before-seen song. But still, in terms of special features, the original making of-featurette “Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp” is still fascinating, in-depth and you learn a good deal about what it took to make this film a reality, especially the changes that were made (courtesy of Walt Disney’s wife, who spoke out about not making this film too dark).

Overall, “Lady and the Trap: Diamond Edition” is a wonderful Blu-ray release that fans will love and newer fans will just enjoy. It’s a timeless Disney animated classic but this time, it looks and sounds better than ever and worth the upgrade from DVD.

Highly recommended!

 

Gantz II: Perfect Answer (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The sequel and conclusion to the “Gantz” films, “Perfect Answer” is more exciting and features a lot more action than the original film and a more engaging storyline with plenty of twist and turns.  The Blu-ray release features a fantastic lossless and immersive soundtrack that compliments the action onscreen.  Fans of popcorn sci-fi action flicks will enjoy “Gantz II: Perfect Answer”.  Recommended!

Images courtesy of © Hiroya Oke/Shueisha, 2011 “GANTZ” Film Partners. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Gantz II: Perfect Answer

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 142 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: New People Entertainment

RATED: Not Rated

RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2012

 

Directed by Shinsuke Sato

 Based on the Manga by Hiroya Oku

 Screenplay by Yusuke Watanabe

Supervising Executive Producer: Hiroshi Miyazaki

 Produced by Takahiro Sato

 Music by Kenji Kawai

 Cinematography by Taro Kawazu

 Edited by Tsuyoshi Imai

 Casting by Yumi Minamidani

Production Design by Yasuaki Harada

Starring

Kazunari Ninomiya as Kei Kurono

Ken’ichi Matsuyama as Masaru Kato

Yuriko Yoshitaka as Tae Kojima

Kanata Hongo as Joichiro Nishi

Go Ayano as Kurofuku-Ichi

Ayumi Ito as Eriko Ayukawa

Takayuki Shiada as Masamitsu Shigeta

Natsuna as Kei Kishimoto

Tomorowo Taguchi as Yoshikazu Suzuki

The GANTZ saga meets its ultimate conclusion in GANTZ II: Perfect Answer, which offers an intensely gripping story-line yet to be known to even readers of the original manga series. Determined to resurrect his friends who have died on previous missions, Kei and other members trapped in the world of GANTZ aim to score the 100 points needed to break through and regain their freedom. But with the emergence of a mysterious man investigating the Gantz members, Gantz begins to act up and the next target shocks the members. Some fight for love, some for justice but what will each member sacrifice?

In 2000, mangaka Hiroya Oku created the “Gantz” manga series.  A series which is still ongoing to this day.

The 26-episode, two season anime series was released in 2004 and for many Americans, it was among the popular series to be released on DVD due to its sci-fi action, adult humor and violence.

Five years later, it was announced that two live action “Gantz” films were being created and starring in the film is actor and idol singer and ARASHI member Kazunari Nonomiya (“Letters from Iwo Jima”, “Yamada Taro Monogatari”, “Ryusei no Kizuna”), actor Kenichi Matsuyama (“Death Note” films, “L: Change the World”, “Kamui Gaiden”) and the film would be directed by Shinsuke Sato (“The Princess Blade”, “Tokyo Lullabye”, “Sunadokei” and also character and scene developer for the video game “Tekken 4″).

The film was shown in America first as it was simulcast in theaters in 46 states, in Japan, the first film was released in theaters on Jan.2011 and followed with a Blu-ray and DVD release in the U.S. courtesy of New People Entertainment.  Now the second film “Gantz II: Perfect Answer”, the conclusion of the film series, will be released on Blu-ray on Jan. 2012.

It’s important to note that the films are loosely-based on the manga and anime series.

A summary of what Gantz is about

“Gantz” begins with college student Kei Kurono (played by Kazunari Ninomiya) awaiting a train as he prepares himself for a job interview.  While waiting, he sees an old friend of his, Masaru Kato (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) awaiting for the train.

When a drunk man falls over to the train tracks, Kato goes to help him back up.  He screams for Kurono to help him but he pretends he doesn’t know the man.  But with the help of bystanders, the drunken man is saved but with the train coming, Kato needs help getting back up the platform.  Kurono tries to help him back up but instead is pulled down and both are in the direct path of the oncoming train.

Next thing you know, both re-materialize in a room with a few people watching them and a black orb sitting in the middle.  After the two arrive, a woman named Kei Kishimoto (played by Natsuna) rematerializes in the room without any clothes on.  Kato covers her up and tries to protect her from a yakuza looking man who tries to approach her.

Immediately, they see the orb start playing music and telling them to prepare for their new lives.  Everyone in the room at first are thinking they are dead, because their last memories were either being hit by a vehicle or trying to kill themselves but others think they were drugged in a hospital and are now part of a group experiment.

Meanwhile, the orb known as “Gantz” opens up and inside are suitcases with the names of the people inside the room, as well as weapons.  Inside is a live being, that is on a breathing apparatus.  No one knows what is going on but they are told they must kill an alien child who eats green onions.

While Kei Kishimoto puts on her Gantz outfit, the others are not so sure if they should wear it.

Each of the people inside the room materializes to a new destination and they spot the alien child.  One of the people of the group, Nishi (played by Kanata Hongo), tells them that it’s all part of a game show and whoever catches the kid will win a lot of money.  With many of the men unemployed and needing the money, they go after the kid with their weapons.

And the three of the men end up killing the child.  But not long after, a huge alien man comes  (who appears to be the brother of the alien child) and he begins to brutally kill each of the people of the group.  Kato who tried to stop the people from shooting the alien child is left panicking.  Meanwhile, Kurono just looks from afar and not sure what is going on.

As the alien tries to kill Kato, Kishimoto kicks him and sends the alien behemoth flying.  They then know that the suits given to them by Gantz is quite powerful and gives them some special abilities.

Nishi comes and kills the alien and now everyone who survived the fight rematerializes back into the room.  Everyone is frustrated and shocked of what happened and Kato is angered that Nishi didn’t come to save the others who were killed by the alien.  But Nishi tries to explain to them that they are part of a game, where many have been killed.

Eventually, the group learns from Nishi that with each battle of eliminating aliens, Gantz chooses the individual and give them points.  The overall goal is to reach 100 points. With 100 points accumulated, they can be set free and their memory of Gantz wiped out.  Or they can revive another person that has been killed.

With every night, each of them having to be sent to the battlefield, they are joined by other people who have recently been killed or just died and try to prepare them for the battle that awaits them.  But with each battle, these alien beings become more deadly.

With “Gantz II: Perfect Answer”, the film is set five months later after many of the people were killed including Masaru Kato, Megumi Kishimoto and other friends of Kei’s.

Those who survived to fight for another day includes Kei Kurono and the older Yoshikazu Suzuki.  For Kei, his goal is to revive his friend Masaru Kato but also to fight as long as he can and revive everyone.

But unusual situations have been taking place as Masaru Kato has been revived but according to Gantz, he is still dead.

Also, battles are now taking place in public places instead of the dimension that the group have been fighting in, so now anyone innocent can be slaughtered during the battles.

Meanwhile, as Kei and Tae begin to get closer, all hell breaks loose when a few of the top members who were able to escape Gantz (by reaching 100 points) are all brought back into Gantz together for some unknown reason.  And to make things worse, their target are not just aliens but Kei’s friend Tae Kojima.  To make things much worse, there has been an appearance of a smaller version of Gantz which is in the possession of a group of aliens and their instructions were also to kill Tae Kojima.

As Kei tries to protect the girl that he loves, that means he must fight against the powerful aliens but also his fellow members.

Will Kei, Tae , Masaru and Kurofuku-Ichi survive this onslaught?

VIDEO:

“Gantz II: Perfect Answer” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1).  The picture quality for the film is actually very good.  The picture quality features cool colors leaning to more blues and blacks, detail is very good and there is a fine layer of grain that can be seen.  Some scenes are darker than I would have like but there is a good amount of detail on closeup shots.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Gantz II: Perfect Answer” is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and I have to say that the most shining aspect of this Blu-ray release is its lossless soundtrack.  The soundtrack is absolutely immersive as this second film is action-intensive and there are explosions, gun shots, sword fights and destruction galore in this film.    The surround channels and LFE are heavily used throughout the film and for the most part, fans with a solid home theater setup will no doubt enjoy this film’s soundtrack.

As for the English dub, I prefer to watching live action Asian films in their original language but with that beings aid, New People Entertainment and Viz Media are known for hiring the most talented voice actors in the industry and I’m sure the English dub will appeal to those who prefer an English dub.

Subtitles are presented in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Gantz II: Perfect Answer” features a third bonus DVD featuring special features such as:

• Exclusive Director’s Interview 2 – (22:01) Behind-the-scenes footage and an in-depth interview with director Shinsuke Sato.
• Cast Profiles – text biographies on the cast.
• Trailers – (4:04) Original “Gantz: Perfect Answer” theatrical trailers from Japan.
• New People Presents -  New People trailers.

EXTRAS:

“Gantz II: Perfect Answer” comes with a DVD version of the feature film.

Exciting and more action-packed and satisfying than the first film, the sequel “Gantz II: Perfect Answer” is a popcorn action-flick with a lot of twist and turns.  A fitting and exciting conclusion to the “Gantz” films.

What one can expect from a popcorn action film starring a few of Japanese top young talents!  “GANTZ II: Perfect Answer” features constant action that will thrill you!  Definitely one of the better film adaptations from a manga series in terms of visual effects and costume design.

I personally enjoyed “GANTZ” for the reason that I’m familiar with the talent on the film.  Kazunari Ninomiya of ARASHI fame is very popular as with actor Kenichi Matsuyama, but even before I watched this film, I always felt that the costumes of “GANTZ” was the coolest costumes since the Matrix!

But with that being said, this is a popcorn action film with a lot of action and visual effects but at the same time, it’s a film that is quite different from the manga/anime series.  There is a lot of violence, even sexual perversion in the original manga release but because the manga is ongoing in Japan, for the film, things had to be different.

The first film featured a lot of time showing the viewers of the relationship between Kei and Kato and how they were good friends and how they stopped being friends and then trying to become friends once again.  But most importantly, there was a bit of ego stroke on Kei’s part as he was the person that is typically not seen as a hero and thus, granted powers via the suits from Gantz, he started to gain an ego but learned a big lesson.

In the end of the first film, the major characters were killed after fighting a killer Buddha.

But in “Gantz II: Perfect Answer”, we know with the big Gantz, he sends out people who were just killed, on missions of killing of an alien.  It’s part of their mission in order for them to survive but also to gain points necessary to live a free life once again or to resurrect someone. And with Kei now nearing 100 points, he intends to bring back his friend Kato.

But what happens when he comes face-to-face with Kato, who revived him?  Obviously Kei didn’t, so who did?  Or is it Kato?

And as Kei and the others take order from Gantz, we are introduced to a group of aliens who also take orders but this time, a smaller version of Gantz and similar to Kei and the others, they must kill as part of their mission.

And possibly taking a page from terrorist attacks that would seem more fitting for a “Call of Duty” film, “Gantz II: Perfect Answer” has one of the most violent scenes in a Japanese film (which no one hopes will happen ever in Japan) as Kei and the others are transported into a train, but instead of taking place in an alternate dimension, they are put into the public.

And when the Gantz group and the aliens are battling, there is always massive destruction.  So, you can imagine how chaotic things get now that the battles are taking place in areas where a lot of people are.

To make things much more interesting, both the aliens and the Gantz group receive a mission but it’s to eliminate Kei’s girlfriend (or female friend that he is trying to get close with).  You know Kei is not going to let that happen and it becomes a chaotic slaughter-fes.

While Kei is the character that is focused on in the sequel, Actor Ken’ichi Matsuyama as Masaru Kato plays a different type of role in this second film.  As Kato, he is much more restrained, but when his other self is revealed to be an imposter alien, Matsuyama plays a crazy killer.

We also get more of actress Yuriko Yoshitaka (who plays Tae).  In the first film, she was interesting because she was the manga fan who secretly likes Kei.  In the sequel, their friendship is now growing to the point where they start having feelings for each other.  But when orders are given by both Gantz to have her eliminated, you can only hope that her well-liked character survives.

Last, we are treated with a storyline with an investigator named Masamitsu Shigeta, who is trying to find out how these dead people are coming back alive.  While the character adds some drama in the film, we know that he’s just human and compared to those in the Gantz suits and the aliens, he’s just not strong enough.  And his storyline is possibly the weakest in the film.  As the screenplay utilizes him more to give a break to the action.

But “Gantz II: Perfect Answer” is in-your-face, all-out action that fans will probably enjoy much more than the first film.  The first film tried to play more on character development and relationships and establish Gantz and the missions but with that part being over, it’s all about the actions and missions this time around.  And with the twist and turns in the storyline, you can’t help but be captivated with all this crazy action and this destruction happening in the film.

It’s important to note that while this film is not rated, this is a violent film.  You see people being stabbed and cut up with swords, a woman getting shot point blank in the head, it’s a violent film.  So, definitely don’t have your children around while watching this movie.

But for fans who enjoy popcorn action films, the sequel to “Gantz” is much better this time around. While manga/comic book film adaptations are never exact, still..I can’t but help but saying that I enjoyed the “Gantz” films.  Yes, they are different and while I thought the first film was OK, I enjoyed the sequel even more.  Much more to be exact!

As for the Blu-ray release, you get the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film and several special features as well.  The picture quality is good (sometimes too dark) but the best part of this Blu-ray is its lossless immersive soundtrack which is fantastic!

Overall, fans of the first film, those who are looking for an exciting Japanese popcorn action film or people who are fans thatcan separate themselves from the original storyline of the “GANTZ” anime and manga series will enjoy “Gantz II: Perfect Answer”.

Recommended!

 

Geek Charming (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

It’s one thing to review “Geek Charming” and enjoying the film but when you add ten episodes of “Shake It Up” as extras to this DVD release (which is unheard of when it comes to Disney releases), all I can say is that “Geek Charming” fans are getting their money’s worth. A solid DVD release that is definitely recommended for Disney Channel fans!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Geek Charming

DURATION: 98 Minutes + 10 Episodes of “Shake It Up”

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital – English Stereo, Closed Captions

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 7, 2012

Geek Charming

Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday

Screenplay by Hilary Galanoy, Elizabeth Hackett

Based on the Book by Robin Palmer

Executive Producer: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Paul E. Shapiro

Music by Nathan Wang

Cinematography by Robert Brinkmann

CAsting by Natalie Hart, Jason La Padura

Costume Design by Rebekka Sorensen

“Shake It Up”

Directed by Shelley Jensen, Joel Zwick, Eric Dean Seaton

Written by Chris Thompson, Rob Lotterstein, Eileen Conn, David Tolentino, John D. Beck, Ron Hart, Jenny Lee, Ron Zimmerman

Executive Producer: Frank Pace, Chris Thompson, Rob Lotterstein

Co-Executive Producer: Eileen Conn

Associate Producer: Steve Sandoval, Brenda Teague, Trevor Kirschner

Consulting Producer: Howard J. Morris, Ron Hart, Ron Zimmerman, John D. Beck

Music by Michael Corcoran, Eric Goldman, Zed Kelley

Cinematography by Bryan Hays

Edited by Kris Trexler, Kelly Sandefur

Casting by Howard Meltzer, Suzanne Goddard-Smythe

Production design by Greg Richman

Set Decoration by Daryn-Reid Goodall

Costume Dsign by Jessica Replansky

Cast of “Geek Charming”:

Sarah Hyland as Dylan Schoenfield

Matt Prokop as Josh Rosen

Sasha Pieterse as Amy Loubalu

Jimmy Bellinger as Steven

Jordan Nichols as Asher Dumetz

Vanessa Morgan as Hanna Mornell

Lili Simmons as Lola Leighton

David Del Rio as Ari

Andrew Airlie as Alan Schoenfield

David Milchard as Farley

Kacey Rohl as Caitlin

Andrea Brooks as Nicole Paterson

Brenda Crichlow as Nicole Paterson

Brenda Crichlow as Guthrie

Erica Van Biel as Amber

Cast of “Shake It Up”:

Bella Thorne as Cece Jones

Zendaya as Rocky Blue

Steve Monroe as Ralph

Davis Cleveland as Flynn Jones

Roshon Fegan as Ty Blue

Adam Irogoyen as Deuce

Kenton Duty as Gunther

Caroline Sunshine as Tinka

R. Brandon Johnson as Gary Wilde

When Dylan Schoenfield (Sarah Hyland), Woodlands Academy’s top girl, accidentally drops her expensive “it” handbag into the mall fountain, she is surprised that film geek, Josh Rosen (Matt Prokop), retrieves it for her. In exchange for rescuing her bag, Dylan must agree to be the subject of Josh’s documentary film. Dylan hopes the film will help her campaign for Blossom Queen – she claims that winning is her only life goal. Josh plans to make a hard-hitting expose about popularity, but, as he gets to know Dylan, he learns that the real Dylan is much more interesting than the persona she’s created. At the last minute, Josh decides that his film should introduce this awesome girl to the world, but how will Dylan react when she sees it?

It’s double the fun with Disney’s double DVD release of the 2011 Disney Channel Original Movie “Geek Charming” and 10 episodes of Disney Channel’s hit sitcom “Shake It Up”.

“Geek Charming” made its debut on November 11, 2011 and was watched by 4.9 million viewers, the fifth largest number for a cable show that entire week.  The film is an adaptation of Robin Palmer’s book “Geek Charming” and is directed by Jeffrey Hornaday (“Shout”, “Madonna: Ciao, Italia! Live from Italy”) and written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy.

The film stars Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) as Dylan Schoenfield, a rich, spoiled, self-centered and popular girl at Woodlands Academy.  She and her friends love sporting the latest fashion but also dislikes anything that isn’t cool.  Sarah’s goal is to become this year’s “Blossom Queen” and with her popularity, she hopes she can win!

One day, while Dylan and friends were going to eat lunch, film club president and fellow student Josh Rosen (played by Matt Prokop, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”, “Furry Vengeance”) accidentally runs into her and needless to say, all three girls get food all over them.

Sarah cries out that popular people should not have to be in the same school as geeks.

Meanwhile, Josh is in a lot of pressure as he needs to submit his film/documentary for the school’s film festival.  After watching and observing Dylan, he decides to create a movie about the life of a popular girl and to explore if she’s actually that shallow of a person.

Dylan is delighted to be a star of a film but sees it as an opportunity for her to get more votes and be crowned Blossom Queen.

As the two try to make a film, Josh is turned off by her diva-attitude as they both fight over who’s move it is.  As Josh fires her, he eventually reconsiders when he finds out that Dylan had watched the sci-fi film “Flight of the Navigator”.

Despite Dylan feeling that popular girls and geeks can’t co-exist, like cats and dogs are too different, the two start spending more time each other while making the movie.  And that is when Josh starts to see the true Dylan, a teenager who is driven to win the “Blossom Queen” because her dead mother was also “Blossom Queen” back in high school.  She admits to Josh that she feels more of a connection to her mother when she accomplishes similar things that she did.  And being “Blossom Queen” makes her feel more connected to her mom.

But as she continues to film the movie, her popular boyfriend and her popular friends start to distance themselves away from her because she is spending more time with a “geek”.  Dylan feels so comfortable around Josh, but at the same time, she doesn’t want to lose her status as the most popular girl in school.

What will she do?

Disney’s “Shake It Up” is a sitcom which premiered back in November 2010 and was created by writer/producer Chris Thompson (“Laverne & Shirley”, “Bosom Buddies”, “The Larry Sanders Show”).

The film series focuses on two friends CeCe Jones (played by Bella Thorne, “My Own Worst Enemy”, “Dirty Sexy Money”, “Big Love”) and Rocky Blue (“Frenemies”), both are stars of a local show known as “Shake It Up Chicago” and somehow these two tend to get into a bit of trouble on and off the set.

Together with their friend Deuce Martinez (played by Adam Irogoyen), the three have big dreams of becoming professional dancers and with being hired on “Shake It Up, Chicago!”, they want to go big!  Meanwhile, CeCe’s little brother Flynn (played by Davis Cleveland) and his antics tend to get them into some trouble and are often in competition with brother and sister dance duo, Gunther (played by Kenton Duty) and Tinka (played by Caroline Sunshine).

A total of ten episodes (of the 21-episode first season) are included in the “Geek Charming” DVD release.

Included on this DVD are:

DISC 1:

• Season 2, Episode 24A: A Shake It Up, Up and Away (Part 1) – CeCe and Rocky are touring but during a stop, CeCe and Rocky end up taking the wrong bus and the two including Flynn are stuck in Texas.
• Season 2, Episode 24B: Shake It Up, Up and Away (Part 2)  – CeCe and Rocky agree on taking on a Texas performance but they find out their performance will take place in air.
• Season 2, Episode 28: Double Pegasus It Up – CeCe and Rocky are excited that their idol, choreographer Theodore Vangorious  and creator of the dance move, the “Double Pegasus”, is a person that Deuce delivers pizza too.
• Season 2, Episode 23: “Three’s a Crowd It Up” – A dancer named Julio comes to perform on “Shake It Up, Chicago!” and Rocky, CeCe and Tinka fall for him.

DISC 2:

• Season 2, Episode 25: “Beam It Up” – Ricky and CeCe attend a Halloween party at the “Shake It Up, Chicago” and both CeCe and Rocky meet guys at the party.
• Season 2, Episode 26: “Doctor It Up” – Rock’s father, Dr. Curtis Blue, returns from his trip overseas and is unhappy to find his daughter dancing on television.
• Season 1, Episode 21: “Throw It Up” – CeCe and Rocky have the opportunity to perform a dance number with the English dance crew, “The Highlighters”.
• Season 1, Episode 19: “Twist It Up” – CeCe and Rocky start a new dance craze and also start organizing Dina’s birthday party.
• Season 1, Episode 10: “Match It Up” – Deuce and Savannah are in love but when Savannah finds someone who makes more money, she dumps him.
• Season 1, Episode 6: “Age It Up” – Rocky and CeCe get the opportunity to dance with teen star, Justin Starr.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Geek Charming” is presented in widescreen 1:78:1 – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions and audio is presented in English 2.0 Dolby Digital.  The film looks good on DVD and considering it’s a newer film, picture quality is good especially since there are a good amount of outdoor scenes, and scenes are are well-lit.  Picture quality is also good for   “Shake It Up” which is comparable to the quality of series such as “Hannah Montana” and “Sonny with a Chance” and what one can expect from a DVD release.

Subtitles are presented in English sDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Geek Charming” comes with 10 episodes of “Shake It Up”.

“Geek Charming” is charming, heartwarming film, but be prepared to laugh but also shed some tears!

When I first began watching “Geek Charming”, the first thing that came into my mind was “is this another ‘Mean Girls’ type of film?”.   After all, the film focuses on a popular, self-centered girl who could care less about those who are not popular and her friends are the same.

But things start to change when the popular girl Dylan and the passionate film fan Josh (who Dylan thinks is a “geek”), decide to work together.  For Josh, he needs to submit a film before deadline and for Dylan, this is her chance to earn some points in order to become this year’s “Blossom Queen”.

The film is a high point in the career of “Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland as it gives her the opportunity to play a character with a variety of emotions.  While in school, she does take the “popularity” diva-ish attitude to the extreme, it’s when she allows Josh into her life and he starts to discover that outside of school and her popular friends, she’s a kind, intelligent girl who wants to feel a connection with her mother that died years ago.

I enjoyed how the film transitioned from Dylan’s more obnoxious side to showing a more kinder and gentler person, and we see how she changes through her time spent with Josh, despite her thinking that popular people and geeks can’t get along.

But “Geek Charming” may seem like your typical banal teenage film, popular girl falls for geek guy and vice versa, but it’s how things come together for both people that I found heartwarming and endearing.

And as for the DVD release, this is what makes “Geek Charming” much more enticing and its the fact that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment included not one, not two but ten episodes of  Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up”.

I’ve been reviewing Disney video releases for a long time and you never get a DVD release which includes more than 2 bonus episodes, and the fact that you get ten episodes from season 1 and 2 of “Shake It Up”, definitely makes this DVD release even more enticing.

Granted, it would have been nice to have special features of some kind with the talent of the show but Disney made up for it by including these bonus episodes.

As for “Shake It Up”, it’s actually an interesting TV series.  Whereas “Hannah Montana” focused on a teenage pop star living two lives and hanging out with her best friend, “Shake It Up” features two dancers who dream of making it big!  And when both are cast for the local teenage dance show, we see the crazy antics that happen on and off camera. And similar to “Hannah Montana” which had Miley’s brother and Rico often being the clowns of the series with their crazy antics, “Shake It Up” has Ty Blue and Deuce who often get into trouble at the local pizza shop where they work at.

The episodes are fun, but also a bit farfetched as one episode features Cece and Rocky being strapped to an airplane while performing dance moves.    But at the same time, these episodes are full of humor and dancing that children will definitely enjoy this series.

Overall, it’s one thing to review “Geek Charming” and enjoying the film (as I do feel it is a good Disney Channel Original Movie) but when you add ten episodes of “Shake It Up” as extras, which is unheard of when it comes to Disney releases, all I can say is that “Geek Charming” fans are getting their money’s worth. Because this is a pretty solid DVD release.

Double the fun!  Disney’s “Geek Charming” + “Shake It Up” is a fun and exciting combination and a Disney DVD release worth recommending!

 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Review)

“Maho Shojo” (Magical Girl) anime series in Japan tend to be cute and sugary sweet but with the release of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” on Blu-ray/DVD, audiences will quickly discover that this magical girl anime series incorporates that cute/sweet storyline with dark, tragic undertones as well.    And because of that, this award-winning anime series is not only unique, it’s also creative and exciting!  And for American anime fans, Aniplex Inc. absolutely delivers in swag with the Limited Edition Blu-ray release.  Definitely one of the best limited edition anime box sets to come out in the U.S.  Highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

Image courtesy of © 2012 ANIPLEX, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 4 Episodes: (100 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9LB Wide Screen), Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, English Linear PCM Stereo, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex, Inc.

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Series Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto

Director: Akiyuki Shinbo

Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi

Music by Yuki Kajiura

Original Character Design by Ume Aoki

Character Design by Takahiro Kishida

Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba

Chief Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi, Mika Takahashi

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Director of Photography: Shinichiro Eto

Anime Production: Aniplex, Shaft

Featuring the following voice talents:

Aoi Yūki/Christine Marie Cabanos as Madoka Kaname

Chiwa Saito/Cristina Vee as Homura Akemi

Emiri Katou/Cassandra Lee as Kyubey

Ai Nonaka/Laura Landa as Kyōko Sakura

Eri Kitamura/Sarah Williams as Sayaka Miki

Junko Iwao as Kazuko Saotome

Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe/Tatsuya Kaname

Ryoko Shintani as Hitomi Shizuki

Seiko Yoshida as Kyōsuke Kamijō

Tetsuya Iwanaga as Tomohisa Kaname

Yuko Goto as Junko Kaname

“Has a loving family and best friends, laughs and cries from time to time…” Madoka Kaname, an eighth grader at Mitakihara middle school, lives such a life. One day, she has a very magical encounter. She doesn’t know if it’s by chance or by fate yet, but this meeting will change her destiny. This is the beginning of a new story of magical girls…

This limited edition combo box set includes the first soundtrack CD, an exclusive collector’s box, a double-sided poster, a Kyubey sticker, collectible postcards, and a deluxe 24-page booklet with character designs, a special short manga by Aoki Ume and more!

“Maho Shojo” (Magical Girl) anime series in Japan tend to be cute and sugary sweet but with the release of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” on Blu-ray/DVD, audiences will quickly discover that this magical girl anime series incorporates that cute/sweet storyline with dark, tragic undertones as well. And because of that, this award-winning anime series is not only unique, it’s also creative, fresh and exciting! And for American anime fans, Aniplex Inc. absolutely delivers in swag with the Limited Edition Blu-ray release. Highly recommended!

For anime fans who grew up with magical girl anime series, from the “Magical Sammy” series spun-off from “Tenchi Muyou”, “Cardcaptor Sakura”, “Akazukin Cha Cha”, “Fancy Lala”, “Creamy Mami” to name a few, most of these anime series tend to be so sweet and sugary and cater to a niche group of anime fans.

While the series featuring older girls such as “Sailor Moon”, “Cutie Honey”, “Project A-Ko”, “Magic Knight Rayearth” had a bit of edge to the series and were known more for their action and characters were designed as being a bit older than the “Maho Shojo” characters (which are typically young girls).  And one thing that the Maho Shojo anime series tends to stay within the confines of being safe, cute, bubbly and sweet.

And sometimes, you get the melding of cute and sweet with an atmosphere of edgy and darkness.

A 2011 anime series known as “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” took things in a much different direction that the past magical girl anime series because of its edginess and tragic elements.

Produced by Shaft and Aniplex, the 12-episode anime TV series would feature a talented working staff which included director Akiyuki Shinbo (“Hidamari Sketch”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”, “Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko”), series composition by Gen Urobuchi (“Fate/Zero”, “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom”~, “Blassreiter”), music composition by Yuki Kajiura (“.hack” series, “Noir”, “My-HiME”, “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”, “Fate/Zero”), character design by Takahiro Kishida (“Noein – to your other self”, “Macross Zero”, “Durarara!!”) and background art by Kunhiko Inaba (“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “C-Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility”).

The series was so popular that it won the Television Award at the 16th Animation Kobe Awards, won 12 NewType Anime Awards and won the Grand Prize for animation in the 2011 Japan Media Awards.

When the series streamed on Japanese video streaming site Nico Nico Douga in June 2011, it surpassed the previous record held by Lucky Star (at 570,000 viewers) with around 1 million viewers.   Also, the first Blu-ray for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” broke the record of “Bakemonogatari” by selling 53,000 copies in its first week, 22,000 copies on its first day.

The series has led to a manga series, a planned Sony PSP video game for March 2012 and also, a three-film project was announced in Nov. 2011.

And on Valentine’s Day of 2012, “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” will be released on Blu-ray in the United States courtesy of Aniplex.

And Aniplex who are known in the U.S. for including a lot of swag with their releases, does not disappoint with its exciting limited edition set which includes the Blu-ray and DVD of the first volume of “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” but also featuring the original soundtrack which comes with a 2-sided cover, a deluxe collector’s slipcase, reversible 2-sided DVD cover,  a 24-page booklet featuring staff and voice actor interviews plus character designs and a 4-panel manga by aokume, a 2-sided poster, postcarts of “preview illustrations” from episodes 1-4 and exclusive KYUBEY stickers.

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is a series about a young teenager named Madoka Kaname.  She’s 14-years-old and comes from a loving family and hangs out with her best friend Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki.

But lately, Madoka has been having nightmares.  A dark world filled with destruction and she watches these girls in battle.  As she watches and wishes they would be stopped, she is told by a cat looking extra terrestrial known as Kyubey that Madoka can stop it if she makes a contract with him and become a “Magical Girl”.

Meanwhile, a new girl named Homura Akemi has transferred to Madoka’s school and gives Madoka a hateful glance.

Homura excels in academics and athletics and becomes popular in school.  When she meets Madoka, she talks to her about her love for her family and friends but tells her not to change.

One day, while Madoka and Sayaka were at a music store, Madoka hears a plea for help and she is led to a dark warehouse and finds a Kyubey who is hurt.  She then sees Homura who is trying to hurt him.  Immediately, Sayaka comes and aims a fire extinguisher and saves both Homura and the Kyubey.

As the two are running away, both are whisked into a magical world where they meet a kind magical girl named Mami Tomoe who starts fighting against a witch in the magical world and defeats it with ease.  The magic girl then gets into a discussion with Homura and she leaves and is able to save the Kyubey.

The Kyubey asks for both Madoka and Sayaka to sign a contract with him and become magical girls.

Magical Girls receive a soul gem which gives them their power.  The brighter the gem, the more stronger they become, the darker it is, the less magic can be used.  And the darker it becomes, the gem will become a grief seed which transforms a magical girl into a witch (entities responsible for murders and suicides).

The contract states that a girl will get one wish in exchange for her using magic to fight against witches (which are evil entities born from magical girls who have fallen into despair and failed to purify their soul gem).  And during these fights, typically one dies.

Homura for some reason is trying her best to prevent Madoka from accepting a deal to become a magical girl, while Kyubey tells her that she will become the most powerful magical girl and tries to get her to sign a contract.  And through Madoka and Sayaka’s observation of watching other Magical Girls in battle and the tragedy that awaits for those who are defeated, will Madoka and Sayaka want to become one?

The first volume of “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” features the first four episodes on Blu-ray and DVD.

VIDEO:

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is presented in 1080p High Definition and is presented in 16:9 LB.  I have to admit that Shaft and Aniplex have done a fantastic job in this series.  For one, the amount of detail for the art backgrounds is incredible.  A lot of time obviously went into creating the atmosphere of this TV Series.  Typically, most TV series tend to focus on trees, skies, clouds and buildings but with “”Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, a lot of thought went into the series from objects, wallpaper (even Mami’s wall-paper was designed and not just a straight painted background).  You see the changes during the day and night, you can see sunset with the orange sky illuminating the area,the magical world with its creative and artistic design.

And overall, these colors really pop via HD. Reds and pinks, greens…they come are absolutely vibrant.

As for character designs, the character designs manage to keep with the “majo shojo” theme of characters looking young, even the older characters looking young.  But they are nicely drawn, good amount shading and also at times showing a sketched look.

Blacks are nice and deep, the series features colors galore.  If anything, the picture quality for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is very good considering this is anime TV series.  Artistic backgrounds, creative magical worlds, cool character designs… “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” looks great!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is presented in Japanese and English Linear PCM Stereo.

While I would have hoped for a 5.1 soundtrack (as I would have loved to have more immersion with the surround channels and LFE), most anime TV series aren’t and are presented in stereo.  Still, fans should be happy that two linear  PCM tracks are included.  They are front-channel driven and for the most part, dialogue and sound effects are quite clear and understandable.

The voice acting on both the Japanese and English soundtracks are well-done.  I was expecting the Japanese soundtrack to feature high-pitch voices considering this is a magical girl series, but they kept the voices to the ages of Madoke and friends as 14-year-olds and older.   English voice acting was well-done and if anything, it’s great that Aniplex is including both Japanese and English soundtracks to this anime release.

But what stands out the most in this soundtrack is Yuki Kajiura’s music.  Each time I see her name associated with an anime series, if you are familiar with her work, you immediately know that the soundtrack is going to be wonderful and beautiful.  With “Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, once again Kajiura’s music is captivating and it really enhanced my enjoyment of the series.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” comes with the following special features:

• Ending Theme: “Magia” Music Video – (5:18)”Magia” music video featuring Kalafina.
• Textless Opening – Textless opening by “ClariS”.
• Trailers – The original Japanese TV commercials and trailers for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica”

EXTRAS:

Aniplex is a Japanese company that is well-known for their anime but also known for their releases which come with a lot of swag.  And it’s one thing that I love about Aniplex because not many companies do that anymore and it’s something that fans in America tend to wish for, getting these limited edition art booklets, soundtracks, etc.

Well, with “Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, I can gladly say that this is possible one of the most impressive anime sets to come out in the United States.

This exciting limited edition set includes the Blu-ray and DVD of the first volume of “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” but also featuring the original soundtrack which comes with a 2-sided cover, a deluxe collector’s slipcase, reversible 2-sided DVD cover,  a 24-page booklet featuring staff and voice actor interviews plus character designs and a 4-panel manga by aokume, a 2-sided poster, postcarts of “preview illustrations” from episodes 1-4 and exclusive KYUBEY stickers.

This is a very impressive release and it’s important for fans to know that the booklet is English translated and the CD soundtrack features a total of 13 songs (soundtrack duration is 28:06 minutes) and features the beautiful music by Yuki Kajiura.

The soundtrack comes with the following tracks:

1. Sis puella magica!
2. Salve, terrae magicae
3. Gradus prohibitus
4. Credens justitiam
5. Clementia
6. Desiderium
7. Conturbatio
8. Postmeridie
9. Puella in somnio
10. Umbra nigra
11. Terror adhaerens
12. Scaena felix
13. Pugna com maga

I have watched a lot of magical girl anime series and you tend to find those that are too sweet and too cute, those that have a good amount of humor and drama and then there are some that just really stand out because of its character sand storyline.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is one of the better anime series out there and for one, not only do you have a few of the anime industry talents working on this series, the production and look of the series goes far beyond what one would expect from an anime TV series.  From the moment you watch this anime series, the first episode shows us the amount of detail that goes into the art backgrounds, the artistic creativity that goes into the making of the magical world during battles, the character designs and experimental ways of presenting it onscreen and of course, the fantastic music by Yuki Kajiura in combination with a storyline that is not only cute, but also dark and tragic.

You don’t usually see this in an anime TV series, let alone a magical girl anime series.  “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” features wonderful production and I can see why this series has won so many awards in Japan.  It’s quite unique and creative!

And for American fans, once again, Aniplex has done a wonderful job by providing possibly one of the best anime box set releases that I have seen released in America.  When you think about it, the days of the box sets have come and gone in the U.S., and although we see these limited edition sets for video games, I’m quite thrilled that Aniplex has chosen to release this Blu-release with a limited edition box set with so many cool swag.  Soundtrack, booklet, postcards, stickers, etc.   Possibly the icing on the cake for the near future for anime fans would be the inclusion of nenodroids and action figures, which hardcore anime fans are known to spend money on.

But there is no denying that this is a wonderful Blu-ray release and a limited edition box set worth owning.  And it’s important for people to know that Aniplex releases are highly desired, not many are made and when they say limited, these are truly limited editions, so you may want to try your best in getting this release if you can before they run out!

As for the Blu-ray release, once again, production quality is fantastic, colorful and picture quality is very good for an anime TV series.  The lossless soundtrack is Linear PCM Stereo and most series in Japan are released in stereo and while I would love to hear a lossless immersive soundtrack for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, dialogue is still crystal clear, as are the effects but most notably, for its wonderful music soundtrack.

Overall, you don’t usually come across an anime series especially a magical girl anime series that has wonderful anime production, doesn’t look rushed or simple. “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a creative, unique and captivating series that is not too banal or too sweet and shows that the character’s choices can lead to tragic circumstance.

As for the “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set”, it’s one of the better anime swag-filled limited edition box sets to come out in the United States and for the anime fans who are collector’s, you definitely want to get this limited edition release.

This “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” series and this limited edition set is highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

 

The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish” is charming, fun and also featuring life lessons and cool adventures that will  surely, entertain your children!

Images courtesy of © 2012 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Let’s Get Rolling

DURATION: 110 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.0 Stereo

COMPANY: SHOUT! KIDS

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 12, 2012

Written by Adam Beechen

Directed by Don Kim

Production: Hasbro Studios, Nelvana and Pipeline Studios, Inc.

Featuring the voices of:

Stacey DePass as Boomer

Fabrizio Fillipo as Digger

Darren Frost as Rowdy

Gabriel Giammaria as Chuck

Gabriel Giulliani as Handy

Lauren Holly as Haulie

Lyon Smith as Rally

Joanna Vannicola as Biggs

Dale Yim as Soku

Charming, fun and also featuring life lessons that will enterain your children, the CG-animated series “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” has a new DVD series titled “Friends to the Finish” featuring a total of ten episodes as Chuck & Friends, with their big imaginations, take on obstacles together.

One of the popular children’s shows currently airing on the Hub’s daily block for children known as “HubBub”, “The Adventures of Chuck and Friends” focuses on a little dump truck named Chuck.

His parents include his mother Haulie (a forklift who runs a repair center) and his father Porter (a big rig that runs a retail store) and his big brother Rally, a race truck, which someday Chuck hopes to be.

While Chuck is a good friend to his buddies Rowdy ( a garbage truck), Handy (a tow truck) , Digger (a backhoe), Biggs (a monster truck) and Boomer (a fire truck), he can also sometimes be selfish.

But together, they make a great team and taking part in various adventures.

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish” comes with the following ten episodes:

• Race to the Race – Rowdy’s friends help him out of the mud just before the big race.
• The Best – Chuck and his friends compete for a giant trophy.
• Chucks Big Break – Chuck tries to show off his abilities to Rally’s coach.
• Game On – The boys decide to play with each other after their video game breaks.
• Revving Up Rally – Chuck helps his brother Rally regain his confidence after he falls into a slump.
• Grandpa Treadwell – Chuck can’t await for his grandfather to arrive.
• Chuck Backs Up – Chuck doesn’t get his checkup and now he is stuck on reverse.
• Need For Speed – Chuck and friends try to speed up their toy cars with science.
• Vertie’s Stunt School – Uncle Vertie teaches Chuck and friends some new trics.
• Dancing Wheels – The guys meet Chassie.

 

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” are presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.0 Stereo.  While the concept is similar to Disney’s “Cars”, “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” was designed for children in mind.   Featuring bigger cars such as dump trucks, big rig’s and more, the style of the characters are similar to the big toys vehicles that young children play with and of course, the eyes and mouths on them.

The CG animation for the series is very good for a children’s series.   Audio is clear and understandable and for the most part, children should enjoy the look of this series.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are no special features.

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” features Hasbro’s entry to children’s animated series that feature adventure, fantasy but also showcasing teamwork among the many characters featured in the CG-series.

And with Hasbro’s involvement, you know that this series is going to be loved by children because there is a toy line behind it.   And because there characters are vehicles, there is no doubt that the series is targeted towards boys (who would most likely want their parents to buy them the toys), but also can be enjoyed by the girls.

For parents wondering how this series compares to other children’s series, I can easily say that it is similar to children’s shows that a feature a lot of imagination, adventures but also episodes showcasing one’s emotions and knowing to work as a team.

Also, it helps that each character has their own personality.    Rowdy is a garbage truck that likes to have fun and get dirty, Boomer is a fire truck and good friend of Chuck’s, but at the same time, whenever a plan doesn’t seem to work, he is the first to have that gut feeling.  There is also Flip, the acrobatic truck and Biggs, the monster truck and much more colorful characters that your children will see in this latest DVD release!  No doubt that the many characters will also have children excited for the toy line.

As for the DVD release of “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish”, there are ten episodes featured on the DVD and each episode lasts about 10 minutes.  There are no special features, but there is a coloring sheet on the reverse of the DVD cover.

Overall, “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish” is a charming and lighthearted children’s CG animated series.

If your children love the “Cars” movies or if you are looking for a safe DVD to keep the children busy for a short time at home or during a commute, “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: Friends to the Finish” is recommended!

 

 

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