Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

Possibly the best “Transformers” animated series yet!  “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” takes the five-episode mini-series and puts them together to make one film.  Featuring awesome CG animation plus an exciting, action-packed storyline, “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” is highly recommended!

Images courtesy of © Hasbro Studios. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising

TV AIR DATE: 2011

DURATION: 106 Minutes

COMPANY: Shout! Factory

RATED: TY Y7

RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2011

Directed by David Hartman, Todd Waterman, Vinton Heuck, Shaunt Nigoghossian

Written by Steven Melchin, Nicole Dubuc, Marsha F. Griffin, Joseph Kuhr, Duane Capizzi

Producer: Mandy Safavi, Rafi Ruthchild, Steven Puri

Executive Producer: Stephen Davis, Jeff Kline, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci

Supervising Producer: Duane Capizzi

Animation Producer: Therese Trujillo

Music by Brian Tyler, Matthew Margeson

Edited by Michael William Miles

Casting by Lorena Gallego

Art Direction by David Hartman

Featuring the voices of:

Sumalee Montano  as Arcee

Kevin Michael Richardson as Bulkhead

Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime

Jeffrey Combs as Ratchet

Tania Gunadi as Miko Nakadai

Josh Keaton as Jack Darby

Frank Welker as Megatron

Andy Pessoa as Rafael “Raf” Esquivel

Steve Blum as Starscream

Ernie Hudson as Agent William Fowler

Markie Post as June Darby

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Cliffjumper

Transformers Prime deepens the epic mythology of both the Autobots and Decepticons, while starting fresh for a new generation of fans. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ratchet, Bulkhead, and many others are back to “roll out” against Megatron’s latest attempt to conquer Earth. And Megatron proves to be more powerful than ever, having acquired a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. ‘Team Prime’ may be few against the Decepticon hordes, but they find increased strength via bonds forged with three human teenagers. Make no mistake, Transformers Prime delivers heavy metal action, and nail-biting suspense – but it also takes the human drama to levels as yet unseen by the franchise.

“Transformers”, the popular entertainment franchise that many generations have grown up with, may it be playing with the toys or watching the animated series back in 1984, playing the video games or reading the comic books.

Needless to say, since the early ’80s, millions have experienced “Transformers”, especially in recent years with the release of film trilogy or the animated series which continues to air on television and of course, the many toys that continue to be popular with collectors and also children.

But within the last three years, fans have watched the animated series known as “Transformers Animated” becoming the latest “Transformers” animated series to be showcased on television beginning in 2007 and would last for three seasons through 2009.

Fans knew that there will be a newer version of the series coming out, but the question is what kind of series?

In 2010, the video game “Transformers: War of Cybertron” was released and was a well-received by gamers but also video game critics and it was revealed that the upcoming animated series would be set in the same universe as the video game.

And then by November 2010, Hasbro unveiled “Transformers: Prime”, a CG animated television series which would air on The Hub and would first begin with a five-episode mini-series.  And with one season having now been completed in 2011, a second season is set to air in 2012.

And it’s this latest series that has been creating a lot of buzz among fans and viewers.  With the CG animation and slightly darker storyline, the series would go on to win a Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation” for background design and color design.

As many fans have waited for a video release of “Transformers: Prime”, fortunately, Shout! Factory has decided to release “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising”, a year after its premiere.    The DVD would featuring all five-episodes combined to make an uninterrupted movie.

“Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” would take place three years since the Decepticons have lasted attacked Earth and the Autobots have awaited their return.

One day, Arcee and Cliffjumper went to search for Energon near a rock cliff.   But not long after arriving, he is attacked by the Decepticons and in the process, all the Energon is destroyed but Cliffjumper is captured.

Upset about the Energon, Starscream confronts Cliffjumper and kills him.

But by the time Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Bulkhead arrive to help Cliffjumper, they realize they have arrived too late.  But now they know the Decepticons are back and they are the only five Autobots that must defend and protect humankind.

As Arcee goes to town to let off steam after her friend Cliffjumper has died, a human named Jack Darby who works at a burger shop sees a motorcycle (which is Arcee) and hopes to purchase one when he makes enough money.  And as Jack gets on the motorcycle, he is unaware that Decepticons have arrived and are going after Arcee.

So, now Jack is brought into the fray and Starscream wants both Arcee and Jack dead.  But while trying to escape from the Decepticons, two more humans: a young genius named Rafael “Raf” Esquivel and the mouthy foreign exchange student Miko Nakadai see all the action taking place and now their lives are in danger.

Optimus Prime now wants these three to be protected as the Decepticons are after them as they are thought to be assisting the Autobots.

But while Starscream is intent of leading the Decepticons, Megatron, who has been missing for three years, has returned.  And this time, he has Dark Energon and plans t use it to raise an undead army of Cybertronians in order to defeat his nemesis Optimus Prime and the Autobots.

Will five Autobots be enough to defeat Megatron or the Decepticons?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” is presented in widescreen format.  The CG animation for this film is absolutely wonderful as we can see details on the metal of various robots.  You can see scratches on the metal, the reflection of light and also glass windows and the reflection.

From Optimus Prime’s glass windows on his chest showcasing reflections to Megatron’s steel body and also the damage on the overall body of Cliffjumper, I was quite pleased with how this series looks!   But also detail is featured in the overall scenery as well.

While I do feel the robots are much better looking than the humans, in terms of detail and overall look, I do like the characters designs on the three human characters, it just that they look a bit rubbery for me.

But overall, great detail and lighting for this TV series for DVD and hopefully Shout! Factory will consider giving “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” the HD treatment in the near future.

As for audio, dialogue is presented in English and Spanish Dolby Digital stereo and dialogue is clear and understandable.  The voice acting is terrific and the fact that voice talent Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker (Megatron) of the original “Transformers” animated series are back for this series…Fantastic!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising” comes with the following special feature:

• A Look at Character Design – (5:00) Character design sketches for “Transformers Prime”.
• A Look at Set Design – (4:31) Featuring the sketches and finalized backgrounds and set design for “Transformers Prime”.
• Animatic for Episode 1 – (22:07) Sketch animatics for episode 1.

EXTRAS:

“Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” comes with a slipcover case.

Is “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” possibly the best “Transformers” animated series yet!  Well, I know that question is quite subjective but in terms of overall look and storyline, this latest series is action-packed and definitely will captivate viewers of all ages.

While the storylines of “Transformers” tends to change from series to series, the storyline of a battle between Autobots and the Decepticons still remains.  Especially Optimus Prime vs. Megatron… And with every new series, you often wonder how the writers will keep the series fresh, especially for every new generation that has just become a Transformers fan.

I’ve literally grown up with the series, collected the toys and then to watch my son become a Transformers fan (his first was “Transformers: Cybertron” followed by Shout! Factory’s awesome release of the original series on DVD) and now watching him enjoy “Transformers: Prime”.

With this latest series, what I enjoy about it is that there are not so many robots thrown into each episode.  Several years ago,  “Transformers: Cybertron”, an animated series that would throw in so many robots and while it was great for the toyline, with so many characters, it could get a bit confusing.

This time around, going by a similar theme of the previous”Transformers Animated” series, the series focuses on five primary Autobots and staying with the recurring theme of humans who go on to help the group in someway or form.

But the first 5-10 minutes of “Transformers: Prime” makes things clear that this is not the same type of series that many of us have grown up with.  This time around, robots…do get killed and destroyed in battle.  And while the humans will never be put in any major life threatening danger for a children’s animated series, still, “Transformers: Prime” definitely has some darker elements.

And as mentioned earlier, the CG animation for this series is great!  Typically, there are a lot of shortcuts taken on TV series but the creators of the series definitely made sure there is a lot of detail on both the Autobots and Decepticons but also various objects and environments.   So, it was more than I expected for an animated series as “Transformers: Prime” is possible the most ambitious animated series yet.

In fact, the acting is also well done for this series and what I was surprised was how many big names they brought in to do voices for the characters.  Legendary Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen and legendary Megatron voice actor Frank Welker (“G.I. Joe”, “Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends”) are back.  They are joined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (of WWE fame and “Fast Five”) as Cliffjumper,  Steve Blum (Logan/Wolverine for “X-Men”) as Starscream and Ernie Hudson (“Oz”, “Ghostbusters”) as Agent Fowler.  But for any longtime “Transformers” fan, the fact that Cullen and Welker are back to do the voices for Optimus and Megatron is fantastic!

But the series definitely sets the storyline for the exciting first season of “Transformers: Prime” (which I hope Shout! Factory releases on DVD as well).

Overall, If you haven’t caught the five episode mini-series before or are not familiar with the latest “Transformers” animated series, I highly recommend “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising”. It’s full of action, excitement and it looks so darn awesome!  And for me, it’s possibly the best “Transformers” animated series yet!

And because this DVD is coming out right in time before the children’s winter vacation, if you’re looking for a safe DVD to keep your kids occupied during a long commute or for their vacation, or you are an adult who is young at heart and is still passionate for this long-running “Transformers” franchise, “Transformers: Prime – Darkness Rising” is definitely recommended!

Be Cool (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

The sequel to “Get Shorty”, “Be Cool” comes nowhere near the quality of the first film.  But for a popcorn comedy film, “Be Cool” has plenty of stars, plenty of music and for the most part, ends up being a fun film.  If you are looking for a comedy on Blu-ray, don’t hesitate in giving “Be Cool” a try.

Images courtesy of ©2005 Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Be Cool

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2005

DURATION: 120 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Surround, French 5.1 DTS, Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French

RATED: PG-13 (Violence, Sensuality and Language Including Sexual References)

COMPANY: Jersey Films/Twentieth Century Fox/MGM

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2011

Directed by F. Gary

Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard

Screenplay by Peter Steinfeld

Produced by Danny De Vito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher

Executive Producer: F. Gary Gray, Elmore Leonard, Michael Siegel

Associate Producer: Anson Downes

Music by John Powell

Cinematography by Jeffrey L. Kimball

Edited by Sheldon Kahn

Casting by Sheila Jaffe, Georgianne Walken

Production Design by Michael Corenblith

Art Direction by Lauren E. Polizzi, Dan Webster

Set Decoration by Denise Pizzini

Costume Design by Mark Bridges, Betsy Heimann

Starring:

John Travolta as Chili Palmer

Uma Thurman as Edie Athens

Vince Vaughn as Raji

Cedric the Entertainer as Sin LaSalle

Andre Benjamin as Dabu

Steven Tyler as Himself

Robert Pastorelli as Joe Loop

Christina Milian as Linda Moon

Paul Adelstein as Hy Gordon

Debi Mazar as Maria

Gergory Alan Williams as Darryl

Harvey Keitel as Nick Carr

Dwayne Johnson as Elliot Wilhelm

Danny De vito as Martin Weir

James Woods as Tommy Athens

Wyclef Jean asHimself

Fred Durst as Himself

Sergio Mendes as Himself

Gene Simmons as Hismself

RZA as Himself

Joe Perry as Himself

Anna Nicole Smith as Herself

Be Cool is the wildly hilarious tale about a gangster turned music mogul and what it takes to be number one with a bullet. When Chili Palmer (Travolta) decides to try his hand in the music industry, he romances thesultry widow (Thurman) of a recently whacked music exec, poaches a hot young singer (Christina Milian) from a rival label and discovers that the record industry is packin’ a whole lot more than a tune!

With the success of the 1990 Elmore Leonard novel and the 1995 film “Get Shorty”, there was no doubt that Leonard’s sequel would be made.

With many of Leonard’s stories being made to films from “3:10 to Yuma” and “The Tall T” and the TV series “Justified”, the gangster film “Get Shorty” was a box office success and also received nominations in the American Film Institute’s “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs” but also “AFI’s  10 Top 10″.

To preface a little about what “Get Shorty” was all about, the film focused on a Miami Loan Shark named Chili Palmer (played by John Travolta) who clashes with another mobster. In the film, Palmer meets with an actor named Martin Weir (played by Danny DeVito) to star in his life story.    In the film, Palmer is supposed to collect a lot of money but because of his movie ambitions, people want their money back and end up pursuing each other.

This now leads to “Be Cool”, a comedy film produced by Danny De Vito and directed by F. Gary Gray (“The Italian Job”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “The Negotiator”, “Friday”) and a loosely based screenplay adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s novel by Peter Steinfeld (“21″, “Analyze That”, “Drowning Mona”).

In “Be Cool”, Chili Palmer (Travolta) has become a successful producer in Hollywood while Weir (DeVito) has become a popular actor.  Seeing how Weir has become a star has made Chili a bit disenchanted with Hollywood and talks about how he may want to return to the loanshark lifestyle.

Meanwhile his friend, music producer, Tommy Athens (played by James Woods) asks if Chili can produce a film about his life of resurrecting a record company through a wonderful talented younger singer named Linda Moon (played by Christina Milian).

Chili feels that before he can even consider a film, he needs to know more about the details.  So, when Palmer goes to the bathroom for a brief moment, someone drives by Athens, comes out of the car and guns him down.

When Chili goes to check out who did it, he sees a man with a toupee.  The man tries to kill Chili, because saw the man’s face but he runs out of bullets and escapes.

Tommy Athens murder leads to a few related storylines.

Chili goes to check out this Linda Moon at a club and learns that she can sing!  When he talks to her, he learns that she signed with Nick Carr (played by Harvey Keitel) and  that her naivety of being a star led her signing a contract and now she is forced to sing in dumps by Carr’s employee Roger “Raji” Lowenthall (played by Vince Vaughn), a white man who talks like a Black man and his muscular gay bodyguard Elliot Wilhelm who desperately wants to be an actor (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson).

Tired of seeing how Raji treats Linda, Chili tells him immediately that she is no longer with Nick Carr and that she is now being managed by him.  When Elliot tries to fight, Chili tells him that he can help him get an audition and in the process, Chili pretends he knocks out Elliot (which Elliot acts as if one punch to the necks puts him out).  But with Elliot, now he is expecting Chili to hook him up and get an audition.

Due to the change of circumstances of his life, Chili has now decided to get into music.  Chili goes to visit his friend’s widow Edie Athens (played by Uma Thurman), part owner of NTL Records and talks to her about working together and making this singer, which Tommy believed in, a star.

While talking about Linda Moon and what is needed to make her a star, Edie talks about her tattoo of Aerosmith and how at one time she knew the band, especially Steven Tyler.  This gives Chili an idea of possibly getting Aerosmith to help them out.

Meanwhile, as Chili and Edie work on making Linda Moon a star, another storyline develops with gangster/producer Sin LaSalle (played by Cedric the Entertainer).  It appears that Athens owed LaSalle $300,000 and with him dead, he is intent in collecting the money from Edie and NTL Records.  LaSalle and his boys go to NTL Records to collect their money (which Edie has found out, there is no more money) but with quick thinking, Chili tells them that he will get them their money by the end of the week.

In another storyline, Nick Carr (Keitel) is upset that Chili has assumed that he can take Linda Moon away from him and so, they hire an assassin to kill Chili.  Unfortunately, the assassin ends up killing is a Russian mafia member who was planning to kill Chili and now the Russian mafia wants revenge.

With all that’s going on with Chili Palmer’s life, will he and Edie make Linda Moon a star?  And will he be able to get the money and save NTL Records, but most importantly, with people wanting to kill him, will he live by the end of the day?

VIDEO:

“Be Cool” is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:40:1).  Picture quality for the film is absolutely vibrant.  There are plenty of colors seen through the film but also detail galore.  Skin tones are natural, black levels are nice and deep.  I didn’t notice any blemishes, artifacting or any problems with the film whatsoever.  The film looks great on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Be Cool” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Surround and French 5.1 DTS HD.  While the film is dialogue-driven, it’s also musically driven and from scenes with Linda Moon singing, to ambiance of hip-hop playing in Dabu and friend’s Humvee’s, Aerosmith playing live in concert to the Black Eyed Peas playing at club, music is what envelops the soundscape and utilizes the surround channels.

There are action sequences with gun shots or an aluminum bat coming into play and other ambiance as Chili and Edie going to a Lakers games but the film will be recognized for its music soundtrack and there is plenty of music being played throughout the film.

Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Be Cool” comes with the following special features:

• Be Cool, Very Cool Making-Of Documentary – (21:36) Making of the film and cast talking about the various characters in the film and how cool Chili Palmer is throughout the film.
• Deleted Scenes – (17:31) A total of 14 deleted and extended scenes.
• Gag Reel – (7:20) Outtakes from “Be Cool”.
• Music Video” The Rock as Elliot Wilhelm, “You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man” - (4:07) As Director F. Gary Gray would say, things that one would not want to do in music video.
  
• John and Uma’s Dance Sequence – (3:35) The making of the dance sequence of Chili and Edie.
• Close Up: The Rock – (6:01) Director F. Gary Gray talks about casting The Rock as the gay Elliot Wilhelm.
• Close Up: Andre 3000 – (4:24) Director F. Gary Gray talks about casting Andre 3000 Benjamin (from the hip hop duo Outkast) and giving him a role in the film.
• Close Up: Cedric the Entertainer – (5:26) Director F. Gary Gray talks about how he wanted Cedric to play a bad, comedy man.
• Close Up: Christina Milian – (5:26) Director F. Gary Gray talks about how the role of Linda Moon was the most difficult to cast and how Christina Milian got the part.
• Theatrical Trailer – (2:03) The theatrical trailer for “Be Cool”.

When “Be Cool” came out in theaters back  in 2005, I figured that it would be the 10th anniversary of “Get Shorty” and it would be a pretty dark, comedy about Chili Palmer and the world he lives in.

“Be Cool” turned out to be a comedy which features plenty of stars, many cameos and a storyline that is fun but nowhere near the quality of its predecessor.

If there is one thing that the film does right, it’s the fact that Chili Palmer retains his cool from beginning to end, he is unfazed.  But then the film tries to incorporate so many stars that it tries to capture the Hollywood and Los Angeles lifestyle and like many other films which tries to incorporate a plethora of stars, it becomes the film’s focus and sure, it may work for some people but for those who are familiar with “Get Shorty”, especially those who are familiar with Elmore Leonard’s novel of “Be Cool”, the film becomes less about Chili Palmer and more about everyone else.

We have Vince Vaughn playing a white guy who talks Black, the Rock playing a gay bodyguard who is sensitive of people calling him a queer and yet singing in a silk cowboy outfit “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man”, you have the Black Eyed Peas in the film to provide Chili and Edie’s dance theme (which does not achieve the same or similar efficacy as their dance scene in “Pulp Fiction”) and characters after characters that are thrown in to the mix to make the film more appealing and cool to different audiences but in the long run, it just doesn’t work.

And now the good news…what I mentioned above, could also be the positive for many viewers.  Forget “Get Shorty” and look at this film as a popcorn comedy film with a lot of talent and stars.  Heck, there is so much music being played in the film, the filmmakers even manage to pull of filming scenes during an actual Los Angeles Lakers game.

And for me, compared to other films that try to throw in a lot of stars like “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” or “Valentine’s Day” that were not that great, “Be Cool” is a much more entertaining film.

When you think about it, you Travolta playing a cool character, Uma Thurman looking fantastic, Cedric the Entertainer as bad boy, The Rock as a gay man and Vince Vaughn trying to be Black, that makes for a fun comedy.  Not a great film but a good popcorn comedy film.

And its important to note that anyone who hasn’t seen “Get Shorty” can easily get into this film.  Watching the original film is not essential but if you do, you’ll see how the original is much better than this sequel.

As for the Blu-ray release, picture and audio quality were pretty solid for this catalog release and the film has a good number of special features as well.

Overall, “Be Cool” comes nowhere close to the efficacy of “Get Shorty” but it does manage to feature plenty of stars, plenty of music and in the end, makes for a fun popcorn comedy film on Blu-ray.

FAST FIVE on DVD, On Demand & Blu-ray with Second Screen on 10/4/11

BUCKLE UP FOR AN ADRENALINE-PUMPING HEIST
FROM THE EXPLOSIVE FRANCHISE BUILT ON SPEED
STARRING VIN DIESEL, PAUL WALKER, DWAYNE JOHNSON
AND A REUNION OF RETURNING ALL-STARS IN

FAST FIVE

Including Never-Before-Seen Extended Edition and
Universal’s All-New Second Screen Feature Available Exclusively on Blu-ray™
On Blu-ray™ and DVD Combo Packs, DVD and Digital Download

From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
October 4, 2011

“The Best of the Series!” – Richard Corliss, TIME

Universal City, California (July 26 2011)—Spectacular street chases and pulse-pounding physical action are set against the mesmerizing beauty of Rio de Janeiro’s exotic thoroughfares in Fast Five, the most successful installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the phenomenally successful franchise built on speed plus action superstar Dwayne Johnson (Faster) in the all-new action caper available October 4, 2011 on Blu-ray™ and DVD Combo Packs, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand.

Available for a limited time only, the Blu-ray™ and DVD Combo Packs bring the full-throttle excitement of the ultimate Fast Five experience to the screen with perfect picture and the purest digital sound available on Blu-ray™, as well as an extended edition of the film with even more explosive action, exclusive bonus features, a DVD to enjoy in the car or on the go, and a Digital Copy of the film that can be downloaded and viewed on an array of electronic and portable devices anytime, anywhere including laptops, tablets, and smartphones as well as Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray™ set top boxes. Debuting on the Fast Five Blu-ray™ is Universal’s Second Screen, an all-new app for tablets and computers that provides an innovative and interactive viewing experience. To preview Universal’s all-new Second Screen for Fast Five visit http://preview.tinyurl.com/UniSecondScreenF5preview.

Packed with mind-blowing stunts, high-octane thrills and unprecedented automotive wizardry, Fast Five reunites cast members from all four previous chapters of the blockbuster franchise, reprising their roles as the most daring gang of outlaw drivers to ever get behind the wheel, while a relentless FBI agent (Dwayne Johnson) does whatever it takes to them bring down. Director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) takes the wheel of this all-star reunion as Diesel and Walker reprise their iconic roles as Dom Toretto, the king of the street racers, and former cop Brian O’Conner, now Dom’s partner-in-crime, while Johnson rides shotgun for the first time ever as Federal agent Luke Hobbs. Fast Five also brings back several popular franchise stars including Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky, Gal Gadot and Matt Schulze in a story fueled by gear-grinding action, hairpin plot twists and vehicular mayhem set to a driving hip-hop and Latin soundtrack.

BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES:

· DOM VS. HOBBS: Watch how the action-packed showdown was shot

· ON SET WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN LIN: Go behind the scenes of Fast Five with director Justin Lin

· INSIDE THE VAULT CHASE: Learn how they filmed the movie’s most dangerous sequence

· TYRESE TV: Go behind the scenes of Fast Five with Tyrese Gibson

· NEW! pocket BLU™ VERSIONS FOR TABLETS AND COMPUTERS, FEATURING UNIVERSAL’S SECOND SCREEN

o The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad®, Android™ tablets, PC, and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays. And with UNIVERSAL’S SECOND SCREEN, enjoy an innovative and interactive viewing experience, that lets you control, interact and explore Fast Five with groundbreaking new features right on your tablet or computer, in synchronization with the movie on your television screen! While the movie plays, you’ll experience features such as:

§ Take Control 2.0: Step inside the movie with Director Justin Lin, as he takes control of your Blu-ray player and gives you an all-access, in-depth look at how the movie was made.

§ Virtual Car Garage: Get an up-close inspection of the hot cars, moving models of the cars in a 360 degree view, check out tech specs and more with a touch of your finger

§ Scene Explorer: Ever wish you could see how your favorite special effects sequences were created? Select various progressions of the same scene from storyboards to daily cuts right from your couch and see how they pulled off the incredible action of the film.

§ Picture in Picture: The cast and crew share stories about the movie right from your tablet or computer, in synchronization to the scene being played.

§ The Music of Fast Five: Tap your fingers to find out what song is playing, create your own playlist, and even purchase the songs right from your device!

· pocket BLU™: The groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® touch, Android™ smartphones and tablets, PC and Mac® to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that’s bigger and better than ever before. pocket BLU™ offers advanced features such as:

o DIGITAL COPY: Now, Users have a whole new way to redeem their Digital Copy of the movie right from within the pocket BLU app! With a simple three step process, the movie begins downloading instantly to their portable device to take with them anywhere!

o ADVANCED REMOTE CONTROL: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease

o VIDEO TIMELINE: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film

o MOBILE-TO-GO: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere

o BROWSE TITLES: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™ Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device

o KEYBOARD: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard

· BD-LIVE™ – Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content, and more!

· uHEAR™: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and dvd combo pack exclusive:

· DIGITAL COPY: In addition to redeeming a Digital Copy of the movie through the pocket BLU™ app, Viewers can also download a digital version of the full-length movie from participating digital retailers to enjoy on a choice of popular electronic and portable devices.

Blu-ray™ and dvd BONUS FEATURES:

· DELETED SCENES

· GAG REEL

· DOM’S JOURNEY: Track Vin Diesel’s legendary character from the beginning

· BRIAN O’CONNER: FROM FED TO CON: Follow Paul Walker’s character as he goes from lawman to outlaw

· ENTER FEDERAL AGENT HOBBS: Meet Dom & Brian’s toughest nemesis yet

· FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN LIN

SYNOPSIS
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker head up an all-star reunion of the explosive Fast franchise set in sultry Rio de Janeiro. Former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker, Fast & Furious, Takers) and his girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster, Fast & Furious, “Dallas”) bust Mia’s brother Dom (Vin Diesel, Fast & Furious, The Chronicles of Riddick) out of prison, blasting across South America to elude the authorities. Finding themselves backed into a corner in Brazil, they assemble an elite team of top racers to help pull off the one last job that could mean freedom for them all. But hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, Faster, The Other Guys) is hot on their trail, and so is a corrupt and powerful businessman who wants them dead. When Hobbs and his strike force launch an all-out assault to capture the Torettos and their team, he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Instead, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey…before someone else runs them down first.

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze
Directed By: Justin Lin
Screenplay By: Chris Morgan, based on characters created by Gary Scott Thompson
Executive Producers: Amanda Lewis, Samantha Vincent
Producers: Vin Diesel, Michael Fottrell, Neal H. Moritz
Director of Photography: Stephen F. Windon
Production Designer: Peter Wenham
Edited By: Kelly Matsumoto, Fred Raskin, Christian Wagner
Casting By: Deborah Zane
Costume Designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays
Original Music By: Brian Tyler

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

BLU-RAY™
Street Date: October 4, 2011
Copyright: 2011 Universal Studios
Selection Number: Blu-ray Combo Pack: 61119120
Running Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Layers: BD-50
Picture Format: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: English DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / DD DVS 2.0, French-Canadian and Spanish DTS Surround 5.1

DVD
Street Date: October 4, 2011
Copyright: 2011 Universal Studios
Selection Number: DVD: 61115623; DVD Combo Pack: 61119536
Running Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Layers: Dual Layer
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, sexual content and language
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: English DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / DD DVS 2.0, Spanish and French-Canadian DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1

www.fastfivemovie.com

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal , one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joins the cast of “G.I. Joe”

Do you smell what the Rock is cookin’?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tweeted the following photo from his blog with a tweet that says “It’s Official: Call the Pentagon, get me my big ass gun – Rocks a JOE!”.

We’re guessing Roadblock but nevertheless, The Rock is the third WWE superstar to be part of G.I. Joe.  Previously, Sgt. Slaughter and even Roddy Rowdy Piper were part of the toy-line up and now, we’re sure that The Rock is going to be immortalized in plastic 3 3/4 style!

Yo Joe!

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

Dwayne Johnson makes his return to action films with “Faster”.  Violent, gritty and high on adrenaline, if you are looking for a Dwayne Johnson, kick-ass popcorn action flick, “Faster” is definitely for you!

Images courtesy of © 2010 CBS Films Inc. and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Faster

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish

COMPANY: CBS Films/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (Strong Violence, Some Drug Use and Language)

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2011

Directed by George Tillman Jr.

Written by Tony Gayton, Joe Gayton

Produced by Tony Gayton, Liz Glotzer, Martin Shafer, Robert Teitel

Executive Produced by Joe Gayton, Dara Weintraub

Music by Clint Mansell

Cinematography by Michael Grady

Edited by Dirk Westervelt

Casting by Sarah Finn

Production Design by David Lazan

Art Direction by Andrew Murdock

Set Decoration by Jan Pascale

Costume Design by Salvador Perez Jr.

Starring:

Dwayne Johnson as Driver

Mauricio Lopez as Prison Guard

Jim Gaines as Inmate

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer

Tom Berenger as Warden

Jan Hoag as Receptionist

Courtney Gains as Telemarketer

Adewale Akinnuoye–Agbaje as the Evangelist

Billy Bob Thornton as Cop

Moon Bloodgood as Marina

Aedin Mincks as Tommy

Michael Irb as Vaquero

Josh Clark as Uniform

Carla Gugino as Cicero

Mike Epps as Roy Grone

Maggie Grace as Lily

Sidney S. Liufau as Kenny

After 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has focused on one thing – hunting down the people responsible for brutally murdering his brother. Now a free man with a terrifying purpose, he sets out to find and kill all those on his list. But on his heals are two men who will do anything to stop him – a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) and a hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) who finds his match in this worthy opponent. Now, the hunter is also the hunted.

Trailer

In 2011, Dwayne Johnson (“The Scorpion King”, “The Other Guys”, “Race to Witch Mountain”) made his action film comeback with “Faster” directed by George Tillman Jr. (“Barbershop” films) and written by Tony and Joe Gayton (“Bulletproof”, “Uncommon Valor”, “Sweet Jane”).

Starring alongside Johnson are Billy Bob Thornton (“Sling Blade”, “Armageddon”, “Monster’s Ball”), Carla Gugino (“Watchmen”, “Sin City”, “Night at the Museum”), Moon Bloodgood (“Terminator Salvation”, “Eight Below”, “Pathfinder”), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (“Going the Distance”), Maggie Grace (“Lost”, “Taken”, “Knight and Day”), Tom Berenger (“Platoon”, “Inception”, “Training Day”), Jennifer Carpenter (“Dexter”, “Quarantine”) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (“Lost”, “G.I. Joe”, “The Bourne Identity”).

“Faster” is an action film that focuses on the storyline of four characters.  The primary character and storyline revolves around driver (played by Dwayne Johnson) and other multiple storylines featuring the cop (played by Billy Bob Thornton), the detective (played by Carla Gugino) and the killer played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen).

The film begins with Driver (played by Dwayne Johnson) in prison.  Having spent ten years in prison, he is released by the warden (played by Tom Berenger) in hopes that when released, he will be a better person.

The first thing that Driver does, when he gets out of prison is to go to a junkyard where a car, a gun and a sheet with a list of names and addresses.  Driver then heads to an office full of workers, spots a guy and shoots him in the head with a camera right on him.

Investigating the case are Detective Cicero (played by Carla Gugino) and Cop (played by Billy Bob Thornton).  Cop has ten more days until retirement but he’s also addicted to drugs, meanwhile Cicero is not so happy that she has to share this case with Cop but both must work together.  Cop also has to deal with his wife Marina (played by Moon Bloodgood), who he is having marriage problems with and has a difficult time of not being there for his son Tommy (played by Aedin Mincks).

We are introduced to the Killer (played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen) who is a man who thrives on competition and when he’s beaten it, he moves on to different things.  He is a man who has accumulated wealth but since he was successful in that endeavor, he moved on to become a killer.    He is deeply in love with Lily (who is as great in shooting firearms as Killer).   Killer has received a new job, to eliminate Driver and also the same men that is on Driver’s list.

Meanwhile, we learn through a video of why Driver was sent to prison and why he has a scar on his face.  Driver was the driver of the getaway car for his brother and his friends that stole some money.  When they retreated to a safehouse, another group had come in and shot them, while tying both Driver and his brother in a chair in hopes that they will reveal where the stolen money was hidden.  Driver had a chance to see the five people from the other group and watch as one of them slit his brother’s neck after he had revealed the location of the money.  Driver was then shot in the head (the bullet exited from his cheek) by someone and was dead for a little while until he was revived and his shattered skull was repaired with a metal plate.  Someone from the group recorded the whole murder and the video is now being viewed by the Detective and Cop.

Meanwhile, Driver goes for the second person on his list… An older man who looks harmless.  While the older man has a teenager helping him out by carrying his groceries, he puts a drug in her drink which knocks her out.  The older man is revealed to be the man who videotaped the whole incident of what took place that day when Driver was shot and his brother was killed.  As Driver goes to the apartment complex where the old man is staying, right outside the complex is Killer.  Killer has decided that after he eliminates Driver, he wants to marry Lily and have a family with her and end his business of killing people.

This leads to a cat and mouse game as Driver is determined to kill everyone on that list, people who were involved in killing his brother and his friends and shooting him.  While, Killer goes after the same people, working for a mysterious client and determined in killing Driver, so he can get on with his life and get married.  Meanwhile, hoping to stop both men are Detective Cicero and Cop.

VIDEO:

“Faster” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1).  The film looks absolutely gorgeous in HD!  Plenty of details can be seen throughout this film, from the detail and textures of the skin pores of every character during closeups, facial hair on the guys, detail on the guns, detail on surroundings, what you would expect from a recent film, “Faster” looks awesome!  There is detail from the sweat and blood all over Driver, the detail of the firearms, the vehicles, you name it, the detail is what comes through in this Blu-ray release.

Outdoor scenes are colorful and vibrant, blacks are nice and deep, I saw no signs of any dust particles, artifacting, banding, DNR, edge enhancement or aliasing whatsoever.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Faster” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA and the lossless soundtrack is also awesome!  Driver’s luger packs a punch and when he and Killer are exchanging fire, audio was well utilized through the surround channels and definitely bringing an immersive soundtrack to the viewer.  And this happens quite a bit throughout the film as there is quite a bit of gunfire, cars speeding up and burning rubber and hearing the tires shriek, automobile crashes and hearing the metal crunching, bullets ricocheting off metal.

Overall, a pretty good use of surround and LFE.  Granted, it’s not as active as “Quantum of Solace” but it’s still features a solid lossless soundtrack and fans of this film should enjoy hearing it in lossless.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Faster” comes with the following special features (presented in high definition, English stereo and optional English subtitles):

• PS3 Theme – If you have a PS3 theme, you can get a grayish theme with Dwayne Johnson holding his gun.
• movieIQ®+sync – If you’re Blu-ray is connected to the Internet, you can pull up info. on the film realtime.
• Alternate Ending with Director’s Introduction – (12:42) The original ending to “Faster” that didn’t do well during the test screening.  Some may like this ending more than the final cut, I did like it…but I enjoyed the final cut ending more.  There is a different outcome to the ending of the film.  Featuring an optional introduction by director George Tillman Jr.
• Deleted Scenes with Director’s Introductions – (7:54) Featuring five deleted scenes with optional introductions by director George Tillman Jr.
• Criminals & Cops: The Cast of Faster - (12:12) Featuring an interview with director George Tillman Jr. and the cast of “Faster”.
• Weapons and Wheels: The Guns, Cars and Stunts of Faster – (11:54) A featurette featuring the weapons, cars and stunts used on “Faster”.
• Animatics – (12:22) Featuring the storyboard and pre-rendered CG storyboards for the bank heist, old man, hospital and joust scenes.