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.

Turner Classic Movies and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Bring Five Classic Film Noir Thrillers to DVD for First Time Ever

Shadowy streets, tough guys and dangerous women take center stage in an all-new collection of five classic film noir thrillers available now on DVD for the first time ever from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE).

Presented in collaboration with The Film Foundation, the multi-disc Film Noir Classics III collection is the third volume of film noir titles from Columbia Pictures. The set includes Nina Foch and George Macready in My Name is Julia Ross (1945), Mickey Rooney and Dianne Foster in Drive a Crooked Road (1955), Broderick Crawford in The Mob (1951), Ginger Rogers and Edward G. Robinson in Tight Spot (1955) and Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield in The Burglar (1957), with introductions by Martin Scorsese, founder and chair of the non-profit preservation group, The Film Foundation.

Film Noir Classics III is being released as part of the TCM Vault Collection. All five films in the set have been digitally remastered and feature extensive on-screen bonus materials, including theatrical trailers, photos, posters, lobby cards and more. TCM Vault Collection sets are presented in beautiful gatefold packaging. They are available exclusively through TCM’s online store at http://shop.tcm.com, which also offers the previous two sets of Columbia Pictures’ film noir classics, released with The Film Foundation as part of the “Collector’s Choice” series.

The following are the five films included in Film Noir Classics III:

My Name is Julia Ross (1945) – A mixture of film noir and gothic fiction elements, this London-set thriller stars Nina Foch as a young woman who answers an employment ad, only to become the prisoner of a strange family. George Macready and Dame May Whitty co-star in this first in a series of low-budget film noirs directed by Joseph H. Lewis. It is based on the novel The Woman in Red by Anthony Gilbert, which also served as the basis for Arthur Penn 1987 thriller Dead of Winter.

Drive a Crooked Road (1955) – Mickey Rooney, Dianne Foster, Kevin McCarthy and Jack Kelly star in this tough crime story directed by Richard Quine from a script he wrote with Blake Edwards. Rooney plays a racecar driver hired by two bank robbers to help with their latest heist. Foster is the femme fatale who ropes him into the scheme.

The Mob (1951) – Broderick Crawford plays a hard-nosed cop who infiltrates the mob in order to stop their dockyard rackets. Directed by Robert Parrish and based on a novel Waterfront by Ferguson Findley, this sharp drama also features Betty Buehler, Richard Kiley and, in an un-credited role as a longshoreman, a young Charles Bronson.

Tight Spot (1955) – Ginger Rogers gives one of the best performances of her career as a potential government witness held for her own protection–against her will–until the trial begins against a gangster acquaintance.\. Edward G. Robinson plays the U.S. attorney who makes the deal with her in this exceptional film noir directed by Phil Karlson. William Bowers adapted the screenplay from Leonard Kantor’s play Dead Pigeon, which itself was inspired by Senator Estes Kefauver’s attempts to coerce Virginia Hill into testifying against her lover, Bugsy Siegel.

The Burglar (1957) – Based on a pulp fiction novel by David Goodis, this crisp noir tale stars Dan Duryea as a cunning jewel thief who recruits Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Shaughnessy and Peter Capell for one final heist before retiring. The Burglar was shot on location in Atlantic City and Philadelphia by first-time director Paul Wendkos, who also served as editor on the film.

About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation.  SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About The Film Foundation
The Film Foundation (film-foundation.org), a nonprofit established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, is dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history and provides substantial annual support for preservation and restoration projects at major film archives. The foundation raises awareness of the urgent need to preserve films and has helped save over 555 films. Joining Scorsese on the board are Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Curtis Hanson, Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, George Lucas, Alexander Payne, Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg. The Film Foundation is aligned with the Directors Guild of America.

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, http://tcm.com, TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Courageous (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Inspiring, uplifting and a story with a message that is powerful and full of hope!  “Courageous” is wonderful film that I hope that many people, especially fathers…will watch and for some some, feel inspired to want to be there for their families and children!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Sherwood Pictures Ministry, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Courageous

YEAR OF FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 129 minutes

DVD INFORMATION: English, French, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish, Thai Dolby Surround.  2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean Thai

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATING: PG-13 (Some Violence and Drug Content)

RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2012

Directed by Alex Kendrick

Written by Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick

Executive Producer: Michael Catt, Jim McBride

Producer: Stephen Kendrick

Associate Producer: Larry Frenzel, Dennis Wiemer

Cinematography by Bob Scott

Edited by Bill Ebel, Steve Hullfish, Alex Kendrick

Production Design by Darian Corley

Set Decoration by Sheila McBride

Starring:

Alex Kendrick as Adam Mitchell

Ken Bevel as Nathan Hayes

Ben Davies as David Thomson

Kevin Downes as Shane Fuller

Angelita Nelson as Carmen Martinez

Robert Amaya as Javier Martinez

T. C. Stallings as T.J.

Rusty Martin as Dylan Mitchell

Rusty Martin Sr. as Frank Tyson

Eleanor Brown as Karla Hayes

Lauren Etchells as Emily Mitchell

Renee Jewell as Victoria Mitchell

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they are confident and focused, standing up to the worst the streets can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge they’re ill prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Sherwood Pictures, creators of Fireproof, returns with this heartfelt, action-packed story. Protecting the streets is second nature to these law enforcement officers. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That takes courage. Starring: Alex Kendrick, Kevin Downes, Ken Bevel, Robert Amaya, Ben Davies Director: Alex Kendrick Producer: Stephen Kendrick

Inspiring, uplifting and a story with a message that is powerful and full of hope!  “Courageous” is wonderful film that I hope that many people, especially fathers…will watch and for some some, feel inspired to want to be there for their families and children!

For those who are not familiar with Affirm Films, their films are spiritual and Christian-based films that are released under Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

And sometimes, Christian films are often viewed as too preachy or the lack of quality of major theatrical non-Christian films.  But I have to admit that within the past few years, films coming out from Affirm Films have been pretty good and with the release of “Courageous”, not only did I find this film to be inspiring and uplifting, but I found it to be a fantastic film overall.

But most importantly, although it does have a preaching message, it’s a message that I feel is quite relevant… Fathers, no matter how busy you are…be there for your children.  Be there for your family.  No matter how busy your job is, no matter if you come home late…find a way!

The film was produced by Sherwood Pictures (the company behind “Flywheel”, “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof”) and “Courageous” is their fourth film and is directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote the story along with his brother Stephen Kendrick.  The film was produced with a budget for $2 million and grossed $9 million on its opening weekend.

“Courageous” is a film that focuses on the lives of five men but the storyline centers on the character of Adam Mitchell.

Adam (played by Alex Kendrick) is a sheriff who is busy with his job and a father who doesn’t have the time to spend with his son Dylan (played by Rusty Martin).  Dylan loves to go out running but since his father is not so keen of running, he tends to kick back at home and devotes his time to wife Victoria (played by Renee Jewell) and his 9-year-old daughter Emily (played by Lauren Etchells).

Adam is often on duty along with his partner Shane Fuller (played by Kevin Downes) and both respond to a carjacking in which the father managed to stop a carjacker from taking his vehicle along with his baby in the back seat. But the carjacker was able to escape.    As Adam and Shane arrive on scene, they interview the father…who turns out to be Nathan Hayes (played by Ken Bevel), a veteran sheriff who has transferred to the area with his family and will be working alongside with both Adam and Shane.

For Nathan, he will be partnered by former rookie David Thomson (played by Ben Davies).

Nathan is a devoted father to his children.  He grew up without one but thanks to a mentor, that mentor became his father figure and made sure Nathan didn’t fall into any trouble and raised him to be a believer in God and its his faith in God which has made him a good father.  But fatherhood is not easy as his teenager daughter has been talking to an older guy, who happens to be affiliated with a gang which is headed by the guy who tried to carjack Nathan’s car.

As for David, he is not much of a God believer like his other three co-workers but is a listener.

But when their superior brings up stats about how people who do not have father’s tend to correlate with those who get involved in criminal activity, the married Sheriff’s with kids start to wonder about their role as fathers.

We are then introduced to the Martinez family, Javier (played by Robert Amaya) is devoted to his family and is a God believing person but his job on the construction site has gotten worse as their have been layoffs.  Behind on bills and struggling to survive, his wife Carmen (played by Angelita Nelson) is stressed out and hopes Javier can find work.

One day as the four sheriff’s ponder over lunch about what their superior talked about father involvement with family, they each talk about their fathers and how they are as parents to their own kids. Unfortunately, the relationship between Adam and Dylan is not strong, but his relationship with his youngest daughter Emily is going very well.

Meanwhile, Adam is in need of getting a few building projects around the house done and Shane recommends a worker named Javier.

As Javier Martinez goes to apply for a job and is denied, he is stressed out and as he walks by the street, he passes by Adam’s home and Adam mistakes Shane’s worker contact, Javier as Javier Martinez.  But since Javier Martinez’ past job is in construction, he looks at God as giving him this opportunity and job.  And does a very good job in helping the Mitchell family out with their building projects and if anything, the Martinez family shouldn’t have to worry about financial problems for now.  In fact, despite the miscommunication between Adam and Javier, Javier is brought into the group and becomes friends with them, because is also a person dedicated to his family and children and also tries to be a good father.

And as happy things are with each of these men, life is turned upside down for Adam when his daughter Emily is killed by a drunk driver and now, Adam must summon the courage needed to bring his family closer during this dark time and decides that from here on in, he will become a better father and a better man and signs a resolution to be a good father and be committed.  Inspired by Adam, Shane, Nathan and Javier decide to join Adam and also sign a resolution to become a better man and father, which in turn also inspires David who comes out and lets people know that he is a father of a child that he has never came in contact with and wants to take responsibility and become part of his child’s life.

These men know they must be courageous by taking on this Resolution and must follow it.  But with the pressure of everyday life, can each of them stick to the plan or will they get lost in the process?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Courageous” is presented in 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and presented in English, French and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish and Thai Dolby Surround.   If you want the best video and audio quality for this film, it’s important to note that this film is available on Blu-ray.  But for the most part, the film looks very good on DVD, considering a lot of the shots are outdoors for this film.  Audio quality is very good, especially towards the end where there is a good amount of action and a heavy exchange of gunfire that utilizes the surround channels.  But for the most part, this film is dialogue driven through the center and front channels.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Thai.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Courageous” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Alex and Stephen Kendrick.
• Deleted Scenes – (11:45) A total of 12 deleted scenes.
• Outrageous: Outtakes and Bloopers – (7:17) The outtakes from “Courageous”.
• Courageous in 60 Seconds – A quick run-through of “Courageous” in 60 seconds.
• The Making of Courageous – (23:20) Filming in Albany, Georgia and behind-the-scenes in the making of “Courageous”.  Alex and Stephen Kendrick talks about how God has influenced them to make this film.  The Kendrick’s talk about the message to family’s about the importance of having a father figure.  And also the many volunteers who have come together in wanting to get God’s message out through this film.
• The Heart of Courageous – (3:18) The producers and filmmakers talk about how having a father is important in a children’s life.
• The Story of My Father – (8:51) Susan Sanders and Ray Woo) who took part in various roles for Sherwood Pictures talk about their role in film.  Susan talks about her father was not too attached to the family when she was younger and how belief in God changed their lives and brought daughter and father closer together.

There have been many Christian films that have inspired me but “Courageous” was a film that probably had the most affect on me while watching it.

As a father and unfortunately a workaholic, like many other father’s similar to me who have a hard time of finding an end to work and spending time with the family, it hasn’t been easy.  And to see this story that focuses on a man’s duty to their family, and their duty to be there for them… I often wondered if many other men/fathers was also affected by the message of this film.

As mentioned, Affirm Films, especially a film coming from Sherwood Pictures, these are Christian films and not every reviewer and not everyone who watches (especially those unaware that “Courageous” is a Christian film) will like the fact that this film does feature people who are spiritual, people who believe in God and yes, the message is preachy, not for religion but for fathers to be with their families and the importance of a child’s development of having that father figure.

The Kendrick brothers really know how to bring God’s message out to a larger audience using them to communicate to their viewers.  And there was this feeling of an impact that I really can’t describe but deep down in my heart, this film made perfect sense.  It made feel that in times of constant divorces, children separated from a parent…no one really talks about the children and how they are affected by it.

I personally have seen family affected by divorce and especially the difficulties that children have faced when their father had left them.  Granted, none of the people I know have committed a crime but it affected their life and watched them fight frustrations during their younger years and then later as a parent because of it.  Granted, I do know of divorced fathers who make an effort to be with their children every weekend or everyday, even if its to talk to them, see them, have dinner or just a quick hello…they want to be in their children’s life.

So, the families depicted in this film, it’s great to see how these friends evolved after their moment in crisis and to see those who were able to meet their resolution and unfortunately to see those who weren’t able to.  The Mitchell families grief after the death of their daughter is rather emotional and the Kendrick brothers did a good job on focusing on their darker times but also their ability to move on and do something about their grief.  For Adam Mitchell, he may have lost a daughter but he still has a wife and son and he has to do all he can to provide for them but also be their for them.    And also to see how his friends were inspired by his dedication to his resolution.

The character of Javier is an example of the average American suffering through the bad economy and trying to find work and take care of his family.  He knows that his family are in tough times and sure, his belief in God has made him positive and not a man in despair.  Most movies tend to showcase one’s spiraling down until they crash hard during tough times but fortunately for this film, it doesn’t happen that way.    Javier gets a job accidentally but its by people who are God believing people and are dedicated to their family.  They know he is a kind man,  a good man and let him become part of their circle but also extend their kindness in helping find a job.

While the character of David represents the man who got a woman pregnant and has never seen their child.  Sure, the message is quite preaching towards fathers to take a responsibility and while some viewers may not like it, I for one am happy that the film does.  Not just for David but for all fathers…take responsibility for your family, be there for your children.  Some way, some how.

“Courageous” is a film that any father can watch, feel proud if they have been able to be there for their family but for many others, the message is powerful enough to make them think, inspire and hopefully change their lives for the better.

Overall, “Courageous” was an eye-opener and it’s message really got through to me loud and clear.

Inspiring, uplifting and a story with a message that is powerful and full of hope!  “Courageous” is wonderful film that I hope that many people, especially fathers…will watch and for some some, feel inspired to want to be there for their families and children!

Definitely recommended!

30 Minutes or Less (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Plenty of action and improvised humor, “30 Minutes or Less” is an entertaining popcorn comedy/action film that may the beginning to more crazy sequels featuring actors Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari.

Images courtesy of © 2011 MRC II Distribution Company L.P. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: 30 Minutes or Less

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 83 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English, French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (Crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, Nudity and Some Violence)

Release Date: November 29, 2011

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Story by Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan

Produced by Stuart Cornfeld, Jeremy Kramer, Ben Stiller

Executive Producer: Monica Levinson, Brian Levy

Associate Producer: Kit Giordano

Music by Ludwig Goransson

Cinematography by Jess Hall

Edited by Alan Baumgarten

Casting by Nicole Abellera, Jeanne McCarthy

Production Design by Maher Ahmad

Set Decoration by Gene Serdena

Costume Design by Christie Wittenborn

Starring:

Jesse Eisenberg as Nick

Danny McBride as Dwayne

Aziz Ansari as Chet

Nick Swardson as Travis

Dilshad Vadsaria as Kate

Michael Pena as Chango

Bianca Kajlich as Juicy

Fred Ward as The Major

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.

From producer Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer comes the 2011 film “30 Minutes or Less”.

A crazy action/comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”) and a film which reunites the director with actor Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”,”Zombieland”, “Adventureland”) and features a screenplay from writers Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan.

The film which was budgeted at $28 million, earned over $39 million in the box office and now, the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 29th.

“30 Minutes or Less” is a film that showcases the friendship of two friends.  One group of friends features a pizza delivery driver named Nick (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and his longtime friend, a school teacher named Chet (played by Aziz Ansari, “Parks & Recreation”, “Scrubs”).

Their relationship is tested when the two get into a heated argument when Chet finds out that Nick has slept with his twin sister Katie (played by Dilshad Vadsaria, “Greek”) and Nick finds out that Chet is responsible for getting his parents divorced.  Because of their argument, the two friends decide to end their friendship.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to two other best friends, Dwayne (played by Danny McBride, “Pineapple Express”, “Up in the Air”, “Your Highness”) and Travis (played by Nick Swardson, “Just Go With It”, “Grandma’s Boy”, “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”).  Both guys love hanging out with each other, despite not holding any major jobs and because they are together so much, Dwayne’s father thinks they are gay.

But Dwayne hates his father, also known as “The Major” (played by Fred Ward, “The Right Stuff”, “The Player”, “Tremors”) and feels his father has been misspending his lottery winnings and because of their lack of a relationship, he wants his father dead in order to inherit the house and belongings.   So, he thinks… what if his father died?  Imagine how life would be much better for him financially and emotionally.

So, when Dwayne visits his favorite stripper named Juici (played by Bianca Kajlich, “Rules of Engagement”, “10 Things I Hate About You”, “Bring It On”)  and talks about how his life would be much better if his father was dead, Juici tells him that she can make it happen.  All she needs is $100,000 and she can make it happen, and if he does bring her that money,  she will also perform sexual favors for him.

Of course, this is enough for Dwayne to say yes and now, Dwayne comes up with a plan along with his buddy Travis to find someone to get that $100,000 for them.  All they need to do is control someone by strapping a bomb to him and make him rob a bank for $100,000.

And sure enough, they decide that the unfortunate person will be the pizza delivery guy, Nick.  The two assault Nick, knock him out and the following morning when Nick wakes up, he learns that the two have strapped a bomb onto him.

Nick is given clear instructions and realizes, he can’t even remove the bomb because it is locked on to him (and the only way it can be removed is by a special code which will be given after he brings them $100,000 within the next ten hours).  If he tells police about the bomb, they will blow it up.  And they tell him that they will be monitoring him, so he has to be careful.

As the countdown begins, Nick begins to panic and the only person that he can tell about his predicament is his former best friend Chet.  Nick pleads to Chet for his help and Chet, who is still upset, realizes the two have history and wouldn’t let Nick down, so he reluctantly decides to help his friend.

This leads the two to discuss how they are going to rob a bank and use the film “Point Blank” as a reference.  So, the two decide to purchase supplies for the robbery and also steal a family friend’s car, so they can’t be tracked.

Now Nick and Chet must be able to pull off a bank heist or else, the bomb will be detonated.  Will they succeed?

VIDEO:

“30 Minutes or Less” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1) and picture quality is absolutely fantastic.  You can see the details from the whiskers in Aziz’ beard to the details of Nick’s crappy old car, the skin pores of Bianca Kajlich’s nude body.  A lot of fine details through the closeups and also, the film has some grain, skin tones are natural, some colorful scenes are vibrant (from the red car that Nick and Chet had stolen to the flames of a flamethrower) and black levels are nice and deep.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“30 Minutes or Less” is presented in English and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital.  The lossless soundtrack is actually quite solid for this comedy/action film.  From the bass-driven hip hop tracks to the explosions, car crashes, gun shots, there are moments of really good immersive sound and good use of the surround channels.  While the film is primarily dialogue, you do get a good amount of ambiance especially during the scenes with a lot of people (the bank scene), but the film does showcase quite a bit of music from hip-hop to the “Beverly Hills Cop” Glenn Frey song “The Heat is On”.

Overall, a pretty solid lossless soundtrack.

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

SPECIAL FEATURES

“30 Minutes or Less” comes with the following special features:

Plenty of action and improvised humor, “30 Minutes or Less” is an entertaining popcorn comedy/action film!

One would wonder where Jesse Eisenberg’s career would go after the success of “The Social Network”, as some actors would tend to focus on deeper films.  But I suppose you can say that Eisenberg has been an actor that has taken up roles where the protagonist is seen as awkward such as his role in “Adventureland” and “Zombieland”.  But with “30 Minutes or Less”, it’s interesting to see him play a pizza delivery guy that has a bomb attached to him.

In some ways, partnering Eisenberg with the fun and hilarious Anziz Ansari is rather intriguing as well.  Prior to watching the film, I was thinking..was this going to be another “Harold & Kumar” type of stoner comedy or was it going to be a something along the lines of a “Dude, Where’s My Car?” type of film.  One thing I knew is that with Anziz Ansari and Nick Swardson being part of the film, there was going to be some interesting improvisational, crazy scenes.

I enjoyed “30 Minutes or Less” in the fact that it was straightforward comedy/action.  One of those films that you don’t take seriously, you just sit down and enjoy!  And see where the characters will take you, as they try to steal $100,000 and also try to remove the bomb attach to Nick’s body.  What ensues is a lot of crazy twists and one wonders if there will be a sequel to this film, because I get a feeling that we have not seen the last of characters Nick and Chet.

The Blu-ray release of “30 Minutes or Less” comes with a good amount of special features, a hilarious commentary and also insight on the improvisational scenes.  And keeping with the consistency of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, picture quality was fantastic and the lossless soundtrack was quite appropriate for this comedy/action film.  While not overly immersive, there are good moments of surround sound use during the more action-driven scenes.

Overall, if you are looking for a comedy/action film that you just want to sit back and enjoy and not take too seriously, then “30 Minutes or Less” is a film for you!

Turner Classic Movies and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Team Up on New TCM Vault Collection DVDs

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) are joining forces on a new line of DVDs to be made available as part of the TCM Vault Collection. The offerings will include first-time DVD releases of classic films from the Columbia Pictures library. Among the DVD sets on tap will be a four-film collection of comedies starring Jean Arthur and introduced by TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz; a five-film set starring Humphrey Bogart; a large selection of cartoons from the United Productions of America (UPA) Jolly Frolics series, which includes the debut of the one-and-only Mr. Magoo and a special introduction and audio commentaries by film historian Leonard Maltin; as well as an intriguing collection of film noir thrillers, presented in partnership with The Film Foundation.

Like all films in the TCM Vault Collection, the new sets from SPHE are digitally remastered and include extensive on-screen bonus materials, including photos, posters, lobby cards and more. TCM Vault Collection sets are presented in beautiful gatefold packaging and available exclusively through TCM’s online store at http://shop.tcm.com.

The following sets from TCM and SPE are coming soon to the TCM Vault Collection:

·         Jean Arthur Comedy Collection – This four-disc set featuring the winsome leading lady includes the gems The Public Menace (1935), Adventure in Manhattan (1936), More Than a Secretary (1936) and The Impatient Years (1944). TCM weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz provides a special introduction. Street date: Oct. 17, 2011.

·         Humphrey Bogart Columbia Pictures Collection – This spectacular set includes five Bogie classics, including the early Bogart rarity Love Affair (1932) and his final film, The Harder They Fall (1956), a powerful story about a cynical press agent. Also included are Tokyo Joe (1949), Knock on Any Door (1949) and Sirocco (1951). Street date: November 2011.

·         Film Noir Classics III – This third volume of the popular film noir collection, a collaboration with The Film Foundation, presents a slate of Columbia Pictures’ titles never before available on DVD, available for the first time through the TCM Vault Collection. The set includes Nina Foch and George Macready in My Name is Julia Ross (1946), Mickey Rooney and Dianne Foster in Drive a Crooked Road (1955), Broderick Crawford in The Mob (1951) and Brian Keith and Ginger Rogers in Tight Spot (1955) and Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield in The Burglar (1957). Columbia Pictures’ previous two film noir collections are also available through TCM’s online store. Street date: early 2012.

·         UPA Jolly Frolics – This amazing DVD set includes, for the first time ever, 38 cartoons created by United Productions of America (UPA) and originally distributed by Columbia Pictures. The Jolly Frolics series began in 1949 with Ragtime Bear, which introduced audiences to the hilariously myopic Mr. Magoo. Included in this set are the Academy AwardÒ-winning cartoon Rooty Tooty Toot (1952) and the OscarÒ-nominated Madeline (1952) and Christopher Crumpet (1953). This set includes an abundance of bonus features, including introductions and audio commentaries by film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, who has written extensively on the history of animation. Street date: early 2012.

About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, http://tcm.com, TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Attack the Block (A J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Attack the Block” received a lot of rave reviews, was a bit hit in the UK and all I can say about this film and its Blu-ray release, I can easily sum it all up in one word… AWESOME! I was absolutely captivated by this film from beginning to end and was impressed by the three audio commentary, the making of featurette and the other special features included in this Blu-ray release.  Highly recommended!

Images courtesy of © 2011 ATB Pictures Limited. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Attack the Block

FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 88 minutes

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

COMPANY: Screen Gems/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Creature Violence, Drug Content and Pervasive Language)

Release Date: October 25, 2011

Written and Directed by Joe Cornish

Executive Producer: Jenny Borgars, Will Clarke, Matthew Justice, Tessa Ross, Edgar Wright

Produced by Nira Park, James Wilson

Associate Producer: Lucy Pardee

Line Producer: James Biddle

Music by Steven Price

Cinematography by Thomas Townend

Edited by Jonathan Amos

Casting by Nina Gold

Production Design by Marcus Rowland

Art Direction by Andrea Coathupe

Set Decoration by Dick Lunn

Costume Design by Rosa Dias

Starring:

Jodie Whittaker as Sam

Nick Frost as Ron

John Boyega as Moses

Luke Treadaway as Brewis

Alex Esmail as Pest

Paige Meade as Dimples

Franz Drameh as Dennis

Terry Notary as The Creature

Leeon Jones as Jerome

Jumayn Hunter as Hi-Hatz

Danielle Vitalis as Tia

Simon Howard as Biggz

Sammy Williams as Probs

Maggie McCarthya s Margaret

Michael Ajao as Mayhem

Selom Awadzi as Tonks

From the producers of Shaun of the Dead, ATTACK THE BLOCK is a fast, funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen street gang against an invasion of savage alien monsters. It turns a London housing project into a sci-fi battleground, the low-income apartment complex into a fortress under siege. And it turns a crazy mix of tough street kids into a team of kick ass heroes. It’s inner city versus outer space and it’s going to explode.

Have you ever wondered why in sci-fi alien films, aliens tend to come in contact with young boys, military soldiers or a man or woman who ends up helping them in the end?

Especially with alien infestation films, we always tend to see a perspective from either a family, government or military.  But what if an alien happened to come into contact with a gang in South London?  A troublesome gang from the block?

That is the concept of the British alien infestation sci-fi action film with a great balance of horror and comedy featuring the directorial debut of from writer/actor Joe Cornish (“The Adventures of Tin Tin”, “The Adam and Joe Show”) and a film from Nira Park and James Wilson, producers of “Shaun of the Dead”.

And if there is one thing that can be said about “Attack the Block”, it’s a unique action film that has received primarily positive reviews from the critics and became a hit in the UK.  Although having a limited theatrical release in the United States (as US distributors worried about the South London accents of the cast), with the rave reviews the film has received, it’s become one of the most highly anticipated Blu-rays for the fall season.  And now, “Attack the Block” makes its way to Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

“Attack the Block” begins with a nurse named Sam (played by Jodie Whitaker, “St. Trinian’s”, “One Day”, “Venus”) heading home.  But she is mugged by a young teenage gang which consists of leader Moses (played by John Boyega), Pest (played by Alex Esmail), Dennis (played by Franz Drameh), Jerome (played by Leeon Jones) and Biggz (played by Simon Howard).

While mugging the victim, something comes out of the sky and hits the car near them.  Sam is able to escape but as for the gang, as they see the damaged car as a good opportunity to steal from it, they are attacked by a creature and Moses is hurt on the fact.  Thinking it’s some rabid dog, ape or some animal, Moses is quite upset that the creature scratched his face and now he wants revenge.

The creature had run into a building and sure enough, Moses and the gang grab their weapons and are able to beat the creature to death.

But when they look at the creature, they realize that it’s not a dog or an ape but because it came from the sky, it may be an alien.  And they probably can make big money with their discovery.

So, in need of adult expertise, they head to the local drug dealer Ron (played by Nick Frost, “Shaun of the Dead”, “Hot Fuzz”, “Pirate Radio”) and all Ron can think of is keeping it in their weed room, but he has to ask his boss Hi-Hatz (played by Jumayn Hunter) for permission.  So, Moses asks Hi-Hatz for the permission and they end up getting it, but also Hi-Hatz promotes Moses as one of his dealers and gives him some cocaine to sell.  But he gives Moses a stern warning, the “block” belongs to him.

As the guys start to show their respect towards Moses promotion, they notice more things falling from the sky.  Wanting to bust more heads, the gang all head back home where they gather their weapons and prepare to kill more aliens.

But when Jerome’s dog starts running towards an alien, it is immediately killed.  And to make things worse, this alien does not look anything like the previous alien they killed.  And this alien, wants to tear them apart.  Needless to say, the whole gang goes on the run to escape from the killer alien but because there are more of the aliens chasing after them, a few of them split up.  Meanwhile, Moses is captured by the police who were looking for him because of the mugging of the nurse.

As Moses is locked up and put into a police van, he can see the alien’s shining jaws glaring at him.  While the nurse Sam positively ID’s him inside the van, the alien comes at the police van and kills the cops.  And now it wants to kill Moses.  Trapped inside the van, members of the gang manage to disrupt the alien using fireworks and Dennis, one of the gang members, rescues Moses and Sam and they try to escape with the police van.

But instead of escaping, they accidentally hit the drug dealer Hi-Hatz’s car.  Now Hi-Hatz thinks that Moses has went to the cops about the drug deal, angered that they crashed his car and when he goes to hurt Moses, his friends come to his defense which angers Hi-Hatz even more and feels that Moses is trying to take over the Block.

As the gang manages to escape, now not only do they have aliens going after them, they have Hi-Hatz after them as well.

The group manage to get back into the Block while escaping from an alien but in the process, Pest is bitten by one of them.  While carrying them up, they see Sam trying to get inside her home and end up barging into her apartment demanding her to help Pest with his injury.

But while they wait inside the Block, what the group is unaware of, is that aliens are coming from all over the distance, climbing the apartment building and heading towards where they are all hiding.

With their lives in trouble, can Moses and his friends, including nurse Sam stay alive and protect themselves from the alien onslaught?

 

VIDEO:

“Attack the Block” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1).  While the film is shot during the night, outdoors, inside a building, etc.  The film manages to have plenty of detail thanks to good lighting and careful cinematography courtesy of the talented Thomas Townend (“Ratcatcher”, “Pride & Prejudice”, “Morvern Callar”).  Closes up of the faces of the characters showcase the really good makeup in depicting the scar that Moses gets from the first creature.  Closeups also showcase the details on a person’s face, the blood splatters and more.

I detected no banding, artifacts, edge enhancement or DNR.  Colors looked vibrant (especially that glow from the alien’s teeth) and black levels were nice and deep.  “Attack the Block” looks magnificent on Blu!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Attack the Block” is presented in English and French 5.1 DTS HD-MA.  Let me just say that despite this feeling being a low-budget film, when it comes to audio, this film doesn’t sound low budget at all!  The lossless soundtrack is fantastic!  From the opening fireworks that envelop the sky to the aliens crashing into the cars or hearing their jaws as they try to take a bite of Moses and the gang to the various gun shots, explosions and fireworks that are employed throughout the film, especially with its hip hop soundtrack, “Attack the Block” is an immersive film!

There is plenty of action, from the aliens crashing into things while chasing the teenagers, the sounds of fireworks to the hip-hop bass-bumping music soundtrack and the music by Steven Price, “Attack the Block” sounds wonderful on Blu-ray!

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Attack the Block” comes with the following special features:

I have only heard the hype about this film and until I finally sat down and watched this film for myself, I can see why so many have raved about it.

The first thing I did after watching this film is go to Facebook and Google+ to rave about how awesome “Attack the Block” is because the whole concept, the whole entire film based on a gang trying to survive an alien onslaught is rather fun and exciting to watch.

And you have to give credit for the film’s efficacy to Joe Cornish.  The writer/actor makes is filmmaking debut with “Attack the Block” and with him calling the shots, the first thing he asks for is not having actors trying to act like they are from South London, you have to find people who are from the troubled streets to make this film come alive.

And what you have is a group of older teenagers who know how to talk smack, teenagers who seem like they are the real thing and most of all, making you feel the film is authentic.  And Cornish, no matter how many takes it took to make the scene work, his dedication to capturing the authenticity of people living in South London was impressive, realistic and lends to the enjoyability of this film.

Many have described the film to “Goonies” but Goonies for the modern era.   And I can see the comparisons but one thing that makes this film so unique aside from its multiple use of slang is that in this film, none of the kids will be spared to the end.  Some will live, some will die but there is no happy ending in the sunset.

And while “Attack the Block” is a sci-fi, action adventure type of film, there is also a message that goes into the crime that takes place in South London.  Almost, similar to a film such as “Boyz n the Hood” which goes into the politics of having people kill themselves in the hood, “Attack the Block” also makes the statement as these kids feel that no one is going to help them.  If the Block is going to be attacked and they are going to be killed by aliens, does it matter to anyone?  They are the poor, their location is where drug deals take place, people live miserably and now, they have a new danger that can kill them off but does anyone give a damn?

Suffice to say, when we understand the living conditions that these people live in, we become sympathetic, especially as these group of teenagers do what they can to protect their block.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Joe Cornish knows how to use comedy in a film that could very much be a dark “Goonies meets the Warriors meets Predator” in South London.  Comedy is the key to the enjoyment of this film and while you expect talent like Nick Frost (“Hot Fuzz”, “Paul” and “Shaun of the Dead”) to earn laughs, the surprise star is young Alex Esmail as Pest, and there is no doubt in my mind that we are going to see more of this young actor in the near future.

Meanwhile, I also have to commend actor John Boyega for playing the stoic leader Moses (and is it me or does Boyega look like a young Denzel?).  Not bad for a young actor who discovered the audition for this film online and then eventually getting the part for the lead character role!

If anything, it’s the characters that make “Attack the Block” an enjoyable film.  The aliens, we know they are there…they look ugly, they’ll thrash anything in their way but instead of focusing on the actual fear of trying to allude the aliens, Cornish was able to develop a character-driven screenplay in which everyone has their part in the film.  From the five gang members, Sam the nurse and even the drug dealers or drug buyer.  Everyone has a a chance to partake in the chaotic nature of the film but to accomplish it with a low budget, for the most part, I’m quite impressed.

And as far as the Blu-ray is concerned, this is one hell of a release!  You get three audio commentary (and because Joe Cornish is a big fan of them, he makes sure to avoid the pitfalls of kitschy commentary by making sure dialogue is kept up throughout the film), an intriguing video diary of the making of the film from pre-production through the completion of filming and more. And the picture and audio quality of this release is fantastic!  If anything, this is one heck of a solid Blu-ray release and fans of the film will definitely be appreciative of the overall release.

It’s a shame that “Attack the Block” only received limited distribution in theaters in America, personally I don’t think that the slang and South London accents affected my understanding of the film as it was easy to follow.  Sure, it could have had more scares but I found myself laughing and was literally captivated by the film from beginning to end.  And as far as the alien infestation goes, due to the success of the film, I get a feeling that it’s not all over and we may see more of Moses, Pest and possibly Sam in the near future.  At least, I hope so!

“Attack the Block” is highly recommended!

Legend of the Millennium Dragon: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

Based on Takafumi Takada’s novels comes the anime adaptation of “Onigamiden” titled “Legend of the Millennium Dragon”.  Entertaining, action-packed and not dark or excessively violent, “Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is a film about one young man’s search for his inner strength.  An anime film worth checking out!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Takafumi Takada/Kodansha and Legend of The Millennium Dragon Film Partners. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Legend of the Millennium Dragon: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 98 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:35:1), Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

RATED: PG-13 (Some Violence and Scary Images)

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2011

Directed by Hirotsugu Kawasaki

Script by Hirotsugu Kawasaki, Naruhisa Arakawa

Storyboards by Hidekazu Ohara, Hirotsugu Kawasaki, Mamoru Sasaki

Unit Director: Yoriyasu Kogawa

Music by Eitetsu Hayashi, Ryudo Uzaki

Original Work by Takafumi Takada

Character Design by Tetsuya Nishio

Art Direction by Mutsuo Koseki, Satoshi Matsuoka

3D Director: Takayuki Chiba

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Director of Photography by Atsuho Matsumoto

Anime Production by Studio Pierrot

Featuring the voice talent:

Kensho Ono as Jun Tendo

Satomi Ishihara as Mizuha

Shidou Nakamura as Gen’un

A spectacular journey of an unwilling young hero thrust into a mysterious past full of monsters, dragons, and strange hidden powers. Through a series of out of this world battles and adventures, Jun, a shy middle school boy, is transformed into a hero destined to battle evil and ensure harmony and tranquility in the world.

A beautiful action film adaptation of Takafumi Takada’s “Onigamiden” novels, “Legend of the Millenium Dragon” on Blu-ray features the director’s cut, a Blu-ray +DVD Combo Pack and also another visual and audio treat via HD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment!

In 2010, director Hirotsugu Kawasaki (“Naruto” films, “Record of Lodoss War”) and Studio Pierrot took on Takada’s historical sci-fi novel.  Featuring a screenplay adaptation by Naruhisa Arakawa (“D.N.Angel”, “Blue Seed”, “Spice and Wolf”) and music by Ryudo Uzaki (“Queen Millennia”, “Kamen Rider” films, “Dagger of Kamui”), “Legend of the Millennium Dragon”.

The film begins in the distant past as an army of Oni (devil) are attacking a village of humans and many die trying to fight the evil monsters but as they create a giant monster, a monk is able to use his supernatural power to destroy it and temporarily stop the war.  The monk wonders what will happen next?

“Legend of the Millennium Dragon” revolves around a 15-year-old named Jun Tendo who lives in Kyoto.  His father died years ago after saving a child who was about to be hit by a train and without a father, Jun has been left to live with his mother and pretty much not have a father to take care of him.  While his father is considered to be a brave hero, his mother has wanted him to follow his father’s example and be strong.

But whenever Jun sees things that are not right, he knows he doesn’t have the strength or the guts to do anything about it.

One day, while walking outside a shrine, one of the oni show up and tries to attack Jun.  Jun runs inside the shrine where he meets the monk, Gen’un who tells him that he is a member of a warrior tribe that fought and destroyed the oni back in the past using the Orochi (an eight-headed dragon).  Of course, Jun doesn’t believe any of it, but when Gen’un brings the Oni out of the paintings inside the shrine, Jun collapses.

When he wakes up, he sees Gen’un but also wakes up to meet a young warrior named Raikou.  Raikou is shocked to see Jun at the shrine because he is the boy that is told in the prophecy, the one who will defeat the oni.  But to Raikou, Jun does not resemble any kind of warrior and he is right.  Jun is not a warrior, nor does he know how to fight.

Jun also realizes that he is not in his own time.  He is back in the distant past of Japan where man is fighting oni and the village is putting all their trust in Jun to defeat them.

But Jun has no idea what they are talking about.  He has no special ability or power.  But Gen’un tells Jun that the tattoo that he was born with is a symbol of an ancestry of special warriors who used the dragons Orochi to defeat the oni.  But for Jun, he is not a fighter nor did he want to be involved in any of this.

But the following day, the village is attacked by the Oni and the village is being destroyed.  As Jun sees all the destruction, he realizes that many people need him to use his power.  But for Jun, he doesn’t believe that he has any power.

But when he sees Raikou nearly killed, Jun unleashes a power that wakes Orochi and also saves his new friend.

And Jun finds himself riding on the Orochi and not knowing how to control it.

Orochi takes Jun to another village and when Jun goes to find someone, he runs into a wounded oni.  But the villagers manage to take it’s helmet off and what he sees is not a monster but a regular girl.  As the village warriors try to kill it, Jun escapes with orochi along with the oni girl named Mizuha.

Meanwhile, word gets out to Gen’un about Jun helping an oni and he is not pleased.  He sends Raikou out to find him.

As Orochi takes Jun to get medical help for Mizuha, they end up in the village of the oni.

Scared for his life, everyone in the village removes their helmets and Jun quickly learns, these are not bad people.  They just wear helmets that give the appearance that they are mean looking.  And their story is that Gen’un has kicked these villagers out of their homes and Gen’un took control of it for his own selfish reasons.  And the reason why an oni went to Jun’s real reality was to find him and ask for his help to defend and fight with the Oni to stop the evil Gen’un.

But for Jun, he has heard two different tales from both warring factions.  Both sides needs his help to destroy the others, but Jun is not like that.  He doesn’t want anyone to fight anyone.  He’s not a fighter.

So, Jun feels the best thing to do is send him back home.  There is no way he can fight any of these people.  They are good people and he doesn’t want to get mixed up in anyone’s war.

But when it is revealed that one side is actually lying…will Jun stay and fight?  Or will he go back home and let one group suffer because he didn’t use his power?

VIDEO:

“Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is presented in 1080p High Definition and anime production is by Studio Pierrot.  For those familiar with the “Naruto” TV series and films, will notice Tetsuya Nishio’s work for the character designs for this film.  It’s a different style than what most people are used to seeing in an anime series but for the most part, the action sequences of this film are well-done and are quite fluid.

The beauty of this film lies within its art backgrounds as the modern day Kyoto is actually based on real-life areas of the city.  The creators of the film wanted to capture the authenticity of modern-day Kyoto that they worked with various companies for tie-ins to promote the film.  From store chains to shrines, nearly everything featured in the modern-day setting is based on actual Kyoto business and buildings.

The film is vibrant with colors and there is a good amount of detail on the art backgrounds and for the most part, picture quality for the Blu-ray release of “Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is presented in Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and also French, German, Portuguese and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.  I did a test listening to both soundtracks and for the most part, dialogue is crystal clear from the center channel while action and music comes clearly through the front and surround channels.

The good news is that it is an active soundtrack and for every action sequence, may it be building being destroyed, crowds of people fighting each other, fireballs, Orochi hitting objects, etc.  There is a lot of that throughout the film, so it’s an active soundtrack.

The Japanese voice acting is well-done and the English dub, the good news is that the casting of the characters sound nearly the same with their Japanese counterpart, but some of the acting for the English dub was OK.  Granted, I’m more biased to watching films in their original language, but for the most part, fans who prefer to watch anime in English, will probably feel the dub is quite suitable for them.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Legend of the Millennium Dragon” comes with a concept art gallery (viewed by remote control selection).

“The Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is a beautiful action film showcasing one young man’s search for his inner strength.

The storyline does have its share of banal plots such as one going back to the past and being involved in an epic war and making big decisions and the usual “I will protect those I care about”.  From “Fushigi Yuugi” to “Haruka ~Beyond the Stream of Time~” to name a few, when I think of similar anime, typically the heroine from the future is typically a female, but in this case, we have a young kid who lost his father and has to find his own strength.

But what I enjoyed about the film is the twist and finding out that the oni are not “devils” but people who were forced out of their village and are just trying to survive.

And when you look at life historically, Americans had done the same with native Americans and making them out to be the most horrible people on the planet, when in fact, by colonizing, we literally took their land that they were trying to protect.  The same can be said in Japan, and the treatment of early Japanese ala the Ainu’s, who also have had their share of unfortunate prejudice that even takes place today.

But in the end, “Legend of the Millennium” is an action film geared to people of all ages.

The Blu-ray release looks fantastic while the characters designs have a lot in common with an anime series like “Naruto” courtesy of Tetsuya Nishio who worked on the “Naruto” series and films, while the art backgrounds are beautifully painted, thanks to Studio Pierrot.  The lossless audio is also well done as you hear the action and the music being well utilized from the surround channels and for the most part, an anime film with a solid soundtrack.

Special features were a bit lacking with only a concept art gallery but if anything, the good news is that the Blu-ray does shine in the PQ and AQ department.

Overall, “Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is an enjoyable anime film.  Especially those who enjoy the underdog being transported to the feudal era in Japan and having to prepare to fight, despite not knowing how to fight.  The main character Jun Tendo can get on your nerves as its evident that the character is not much of a fighter and would rather not fight.  But at the same time, it’s the film’s strength because this character eventually needs to find his true strength in order to protect people and we get to see how Jun Tendo eventually grows up.

Entertaining, action-packed and not dark or excessively violent, “Legend of the Millennium Dragon” is a film worth checking out!

Priest: Unrated (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Based on the Korean graphic novel, “Priest: Unrated” is a straight-up popcorn action film that relies heavily on the action  and visual effects versus a strong plot.  I will say that if you enjoyed the film, you’ll definitely enjoy “Priest: Unrated” on Blu-ray!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Priest: Unrated

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 87 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:40:1), English, French , Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Descriptive Track, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and Spanish

RATED: UNRATED

COMPANY: Screen Gems/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2011

Directed by Scott Charles Stewart

Written by Cory Goodman

Based on the graphic novel series “Priest” by Min-Woo Hyung

Produced by Michael De Luca, Joshua Donen, Mitchell Peck, Shareena Carlson

Co-Producer: Nicolas Stern

Executive Producer: Josh Bratman, Glenn S. Gainor, Steve Galloway, Stuart J. Levy

Music by Christopher Young

Cinematography by Don Burgess

Edited by Lisa Zeno Churgin, Rebecca Weigold

Casting by Rick Montgomery

Production Design by Richard Bridgland

Art Direction by Andrew Max Cahn, A. Todd Holland, Christa Munro

Set Decoration by Robert Greenfield

Costume Design by Ha Nguyen

Starring:

Paul Bettany as Priest

Karl Urban as Black Hat

Cam Gigandet as Hicks

Maggie Q as Priestess

Lily Collins as Lucy Pace

Brad Dourif as Salesman

Stephen Moyer as Owen Pace

Christopher Plummer as Monsignor Orelas

Alan Dale as Monsignor Chamberlain

Madchen Amick as Shannon Pace

In a post-apocalyptic world, a savage war between man and vampire raged for centuries. A warrior priest (Paul Bettany) receives word of fresh attacks but now it`s personal, his niece has been kidnapped by a new hive of merciless vampires. To save her, he must break his vow of peace and hunt down the hive before it’s too late. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel and packed with bloodthirsty action, this full throttle crusade takes you on the hunt for a deadly new breed of killer.

Back in 1998, a manhwa  (Korean comic book) titled “Priest” was created by Hyung Min-woo and was released in the United States.  The comic book was inspired by the PC video game “Blood” and in 2005,  a loosely-based adaptation by Cory Goodman (“Apollo 18″) was bought by Screen Gems in 2005.

In 2009, the film was directed by Scott Stewart (known for his visual effects work), “Sin City”and would star Paul Bettany (“The Da Vinci Code”, “Iron Man”, “A Beautiful Mind”), both men previously worked on the film “Legion”.

With the film set for release for 2010, because the film was being converted to 3D, “Priest” would receive its theatrical debut in North America in May 2011 and now, “Priest: Unrated” is set for release in August 2011 on Blu-ray and DVD.

“Priest” revolves around a time where humanity and vampires were at constant war with each other.  Because of the war, the world has been devastated and with humanity nearly killed off by the vampires, an elite spiritual warrior organization known as the Priests who had the special ability to slay the vampires, manage to kill most of them.

Those who were alive were kept in reservations and for the humans that were still alive, the Church created heavily guarded cities for humans to live in.  But those who live in the guarded cities, must live and obey the Church’s law.  Going against their rules, is going against the Church.  So, those who are tired of the rules, some have decided to live outside of the cities to live a free life away from the Church.

And as for the Priests, the Church truly believes that the Priests are no longer needed, so they disbanded the organization.

Meanwhile, Priest (played by Paul Bettany) has been having nightmares of his fellow priests being killed by vampires.  He tries to communicate with Monsignor Orelas (played by Christopher Plummer) about his dreams, but is told that its probably evil thoughts and to pay it no mind.

That same day, a sheriff named Hicks (played by Cam Gigandet) tells Priest that his brother Owen (played by Stephen Moyer) and his sister-in-law Shannon (played by Madchen Amick) were killed by vampires and that his niece named Lucy (played by Lily Collins) was killed.

Hicks wants to find Lucy but needs Priest’s help but the problem is that if he does so, it goes against the rules of Monsignor Orelas and the Church.  Stuck in a hard place, he is able to get support from one of the Monsignor, Monsignor Chamberlain (played by Alan Dale) who warns Priest of the ramifications but for Priest, its important for him to save Lucy.

So, as the soldiers of the church try to stop Priest, Priest breaks the rule and leaves the city to find Lucy and Monsignor Orelas sends out four other priests lead by Priestess (played by Maggie Q) to capture him, dead or alive.

Meanwhile, we learn that Lucy is still alive and a mysterious person with a black hat is using Lucy as bait for Priest to come.

And as Priest and Hicks go to find Lucy, they realize that they must not only deal with an infestation of vampires but that they are up to something.  With the vampires and the priests going after both Priest and Hicks, will the two be able to successfully save Lucy?

 

VIDEO:

“Priest is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1) and this dark and gritty vampire-killing film that looks fanastic on Blu-ray.  Blacks are nice and deep, detail for the film is fantastic as we can see various objects, landscapes with clarity.  Closeups of the detail on the skin of the character’s faces is quite clear and there is also a layer of grain included as well.

I didn’t notice any problems with artifacts, edge enhancement and for the most part, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has constantly given Blu-ray fans awesome picture quality and it is no different for “Priest: Unrated”.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Priest: Unrated” is presented in English, French, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA and English – Audio Description Track.   I have to give high marks to “Priest” for its lossless audio.  Audiophiles will love how effectively the sounds were mixed for various directions.    There is good amount of LFE, dialogue is crystal clear and also good use for ambiance through the front and surround channels.  Especially weather elements of wind and rain but also just that eerie vibe that you get from the look and feel of the film and just hearing the music and the various sounds, the sound editor did a great job on the soundtrack.

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

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Priest: Unrated” comes with the following special features:

I’m probably much more accepting to “Priest” than the film critics were because I read a lot of graphic novels, especially from Asia and I’m also into alternate universe in a steampunkish way and the fact that introduces vampires that are not pretty boys and are just downright fugly and ferocious, I was digging it!

I have to say that I was quite skeptical at first because the last time I watched a film with Scott Stewart and Paul Bettany together, it was “Legend” and it was all visual effects with a bad story.

Not to say that “Priest” is great when it comes to storytelling but I enjoyed this film much more than “Legion” and the concept of the priests and vampires at war and the fact that the overall look of the film managed to look gritty and dark but the use of blues and warm colors to separate the church cities and what was taking place outside with the vampires and humans, for me it was quite intriguing.

It’s a short film at 87-minutes and I’m going to be truthful, outside of the main storyline between Priest and him breaking the rules of the church, I felt the whole movie was a bit of a blur and I was focusing more on the visual effects and action.  Suffice to say, seeing Maggie Q with Paul Bettany was a pretty cool collaboration and because I watched “Legion” and was expecting something along the lines of visual eye-candy with no substance ala “Legion”, I came in expecting somewhat the worst and so, I was pretty surprised that I enjoyed this film much better than what I was expecting.

As for the film, I can’t tell you what difference there is between the unrated and normal version of the film.  I think that for me, the lack of including both films on the Blu-ray release was a bummer!

For the Blu-ray release, I was impressed by the picture and audio quality and that there were a good number of special features and that they got the talent involved for the audio commentary.  But what about the film?  The film was good in a popcorn action kind of way.  When it comes to vampire films, in this day and age, it’s been overdone and you just want to see something different.  So,  I did like the fact that “Priest: Unrated” made the vampires really ugly and ferocious.

I will say that for an “unrated” release, I was expecting more violence or even blood or more dismemberment.  I thought this was going to showcase something disgusting along the lines of horror and it never happened in this film.    If anything, we see families getting thrashed by the vampires but instead of showcasing any of those scenes, we hear it instead of see it.

Overall, “Priest: Unrated” was an enjoyable film that was not necessarily great but comparing it to Stewart and Bettany’s last work together on “Legion”, “Priest: Unrated” was much more enjoyable and if it was visual eye-candy, I preferred “Priest” over “Legion”.

If you are the type who likes action films with a lot of fighting and a lot of visual effects and doesn’t have a strong plot, you can’t go wrong with “Priest: Unrated”.  Otherwise, if you are looking for a deeper film and plot is much more important than visual effects and action, then “Priest: Unrated” is definitely not for you.

Soul Surfer (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Soul Surfer” is an inspiring, touching and an entertaining film based on the true story of professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who survived a shark attack.   Featuring an awesome performance by AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, to name a few, I was deeply touched and inspired by this film.  Definitely a family film worth watching!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Enticing Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Soul Surfer

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 106 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:40:1), English, French , Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Descriptive Track, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese

RATED: PG (For an Intense Accident Sequence and Some Thematic Material)

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2011

Based on the Book “Soul Surfer” byBethan Hamilton, Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh

Directed by Sean McNamara

Screenplay by Sean McNamara, Debora Schwartz, Douglas Schwartz and Michael Berk

Producer as David Brookwell, Dutch Hofstetter, Sean McNamara, Douglas Schwartz, David Zelon

Co-Producer: Ronald Bass, Becky Hamilton, Noah Hamilton, Joey Paul Jensen, Corey Schwartz, Susie Singer Carter, Jennifer Smolka, Shelley Trotter

Co-Executive Producer: Ricard S. Galindez, Roy Tjioe

Associate Producer: Rob Deege, Tiffany Hofstetter, Laurie Koris

Music by Marco Beltrami

Cinematography by John R. Leonetti

Edited by Jeff Canavan

Casting by Joey Paul Jensen, Niner Parikh

Production Design by Rusty Smith

Art Direction by Rosario Provenza

Set Decoration by Julie Smith

Costume Design by Kathe James

Starring:

AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton

Dennis Quaid as Tom Hamilton

Helen Hunt as Cheri Hamilton

Carrie Underwood as Sarah Hill

Ross Thomas as Noah Hamilton

Lorrain Nicholson as Holt Blanchard

Kevin Sorbo as Holt Blanchard

Cody Gomes as Keoki

Sonya Balmores as Malina Birch

SOUL SURFER is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast, including AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt, with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid. In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany’s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.

“Soul Surfer” is an inspiring film based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, an American professional surfer who’s life was changed after a shark attack in which she lost her left her arm.

Without her arm and media coverage from all over the world, many witnessed Bethany Hamilton return to surfing but also to compete professionally not long after her accident.  And as simple as the story may seem, many things happened during those darker days of her life of whether or not she can function without an arm, if she can ever surf again but most importantly, what made her survive the entire ordeal.

“Soul Surfer” is a film adaptation directed by Sean McNamara (producer and director of teen TV series “Beyond the Break” and “That’s So Raven”) of Bethany Hamilton’s book about her life, what happened during the day of the accident and what happened afterward.

The film begins in Kauai, Hawaii where Bethany (played by Anna SophiaRobb, “Bridge of Terabithia”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Jumper”) is a normal teenage girl who loves to surf.  She hangs out with her best friend, fellow professional surfer Alana Blanchard (played by Lorraine Nicholson, “Click, “Something’s Gotta Give”, “World’s Greatest Dad”) and for both teenagers, their dream is to become professional surfers.

But Bethany, her life is all about surfing…every day and every minute that she free time, she’s surfing.

Bethany lives with her surfing family which includes her father Tom (played by Dennis Quaid), her mother Cheri (played by Helen Hunt) and her brothers Noah (played by Ross Thomas) and Tim (played by Chris Brochu).  The family is Christian and Bethany is also active with her church youth group headed by Sarah Hill (played by Carrie Underwood).

For Bethany, life is going very well and with a good showing at a competition, both she and Alana are sponsored by Rip Curl and both are looking forward to competing at the Regionals.

But one day, Bethany went out to do some morning surfing with Alana, her father Holt (played by Kevin Sorbo) and Alana’s younger brother at Tunnels Beach and while out the ocean and talking with Alana while lying on her surfboard, a tiger shark attacks Bethany, ripping out her left arm.

Having lost 60% of her blood and thanks to the quick thinking of the Holt family and the medical services, Bethany was saved but her life would never be the same after the loss of her left arm.

The film would focus on the difficulties that Bethany would have with one arm but also her desire to surf once again.  But most importantly, how her faith in God and the support that she has received from family, friends and those who were inspired by her story to surf again, made her stronger and made her continue to compete as a professional surfer.

VIDEO:

“Soul Surfer” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio).  And once again, “Soul Surfer” is another film shot in Hawaii that continues my validation of how films shot at the island have looked vibrant and beautiful on Blu-ray.

The film features a good layer of grain but its the colors that are so striking.  There is a good amount of detail, the cinematography in and out of the waves are just beautiful to watch and skin tones are natural and overall look of the film is warm.

Personally, I felt that “Soul Surfer” looked fantastic on Blu-ray.  I didn’t see any artifacts, nor did I see any banding, especially since this film is full of color.  Black levels are nice and deep and for the most part, PQ is absolutely pleasing and wonderful on Blu!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Soul Surfer” is presented in English, French and Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA and comes with an English audio descriptive track.  The lossless audio for “Soul Surfer” is primarily dialogue and music-driven.  Dialogue is crystal clear and although there are not many action sequences, aside from Bethany’s parents trying to escape from the media or hearing the waves crashing (which do sound very good), the film is not the type of film to expect immersive audio but for this type of film, the lossless soundtrack works wonderfully.

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

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Soul Surfer” comes with the following special features:

Bethany Hamilton is a hero.

She inspires people with her life as a professional surfer despite having one arm, she inspires people because of her calmness and her resolve to helping others because of her faith in God and how her determination to compete with other professional surfers and not willing to be treated any differently.

Hamilton’s story has been featured in the news, she won the “Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award, the “Courage Award” at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards and eventually in her career, taking first place in the 2005 National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) National Championships, competing full-time on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) and also for the WQS (World Qualifying Series).

As a surfer and also a person who has followed Bethany Hamilton’s progress since the accident, I couldn’t wait to watch “Soul Surfer”.  Sure, we know of how inspirational her story is from various news segments and interviews done with Bethany Hamilton and of course, there is also her book that she wrote.

But sometimes, it helps people to see things visually on how Bethany was able to overcome a lot of the things in her life and that is because of her faith in God.

For me, watching “Soul Surfer” was pretty cool in the fact that the filmmakers wanted to make a film that was authentic.  Part of the problems that many people dislike about surfing films is their unrealistic portrayal of them and seeing a body double that looks nothing like the character.  The other is shoddy acting.

First, lets talk about the acting.

With “Soul Surfer”, you have a talented actress with AnnaSophia Robb, granted, in real life, she is much shorter than Bethany but onscreen, viewers will probably not even care. Her performance was well-done!

But possibly one of the best things about this film is the casting.  You have two star talents with Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt playing the parents of Bethany and also, you have Carrie Underwood also playing an acting role.  Granted, she a newbie in the field of acting but the fact that this film was able to secure these three talents is pretty awesome.

But the next thing that made the film so much enjoyable is the fact that the filmmakers knew the criticism of surfing films and so they wanted to make sure the talent knew how to surf and they were filmed surfing.  So, AnnaSophia Robb, under the tutelage of Bethany’s coach, learned to surf for a month, picked up quickly and started surfing each time she had a chance.

As for Bethany’s parents who love to surf, Helen Hunt knows how to surf but Dennis Quaid also went through training and enjoyed surfing as well.

There is some awesome cinematography featured in the film and as mentioned, the acting is very well-done.

But I know that for some people who have criticized this film, it’s about how the film showcases Bethany’s faith in God.

It its important to note that for Bethany and her family, their faith is a big part of them as individuals and how they live their lives.  It was also instrumental in what brought them together during those darker moments but most importantly what made Bethany a stronger individual.   And a big reason of why she was able to surf again.

And while the film does focus on faith, the filmmakers know that there must be a compromise of how they can also reach a mass audience and not to deluge non-religious viewers by not overly focusing on the religious topics.

So, with that being said, the most you are going to see of any religion on film is when the film goes into Bethany attending her youth group or going to church (which are very short scenes) and when she goes to Thailand with her youth group to help those who were devastated by the tsunami.  But even those scenes, they are not preachy nor forcing religion in anyone’s throats.

If anything, the more discussion of faith especially Bethany’s faith in God is mostly featured on the special features in the Blu-ray release.

As for the Blu-ray release, the picture quality is fantastic!  I’ve been on the record of saying how outdoor shots, especially in Hawaii have looked fantastic on Blu-ray and that goes the same for “Soul Surfer”. This is a beautiful film on Blu-ray and colors are vibrant.  The lossless audio is primarily dialogue and musically driven but there are good moments of hearing constant wave crashing that sounds very good on Blu-ray.  Granted, it would have been even better to give the wave crashing sounds a more immersive soundscape through all channels but for the most part, the soundtrack is appropriate for this film.  And of course, there are a good number of special features included on the Blu-ray.

Overall, there is really nothing negative to say about this film.  It’s a straightforward film about Bethany, her darker days and her return to surfing and competing and as a person who has been inspired by Bethany Hamilton’s story and now watching that story on film, I was pretty impressed by the film.  Inspiring, entertaining and yes, even brought me to tears a few times during the film.

“Soul Surfer” is definitely recommended!

You Got Served: Beat the World (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“You Got Served: Beat the World” features wonderful choreography but unfortunately the plot based on the “relationship” doesn’t come out that well.  Still, if you love street dancing, it’s a film definitely worth trying and the Blu-ray looks and sounds fantastic!

Images courtesy of © 2011 BTW Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved

TITLE: You Got Served: Beat the World

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 91 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:35:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish and French

RATED: PG-13 (For Some Sexual Content and Language)

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2011

Written and Directed by Robert Adetuyi

Produced by Amos Adetuyi

Producer (Brazil) – Deborah Calla

Executive Produced by Alfons Adetuyi, Robert Adetuyi, Rob Aft, Mary Barroll, Benedict Carver, Daniel Diamond, Hartley Gorenstein, Sanjeev Kaila

Line Producer: Hartley Gorenstein

Music by Andrew Lockington

Cinematography by Hubert Taczanowski

Edited by Mike Lee, Ronald Sanders

Casting by Twinkie Byrd, Sorrel Athina Jardine, Sara Kay, Jenny Lewis

Production Design by Mark Gabriel

Art Direction by Michelle Lannon

Set Decoration by Peter Wilde

Costume Design by Stephanie Collie

Starring:

Tyrone Brown – Yuson

Mishael Morgan as Maya

Nikki Grant as Cherry

Ray Johnson as Easy

Chase Armitage as Justin

Kristy Flores as Olivia

Shane Pollard as Carlos

Christian Loclair as Eric

Stephanie Nguyen as Nina

Christopher Toler as Deray

Davinia Lorenzo as Rachel

Jesse Catibog as Kato

Amanda Angel as Maria

Marcio Da Silva as Miguel

Ofilio Portillo as Juan

Luis Lobianco as Bartneder

Thelmo Fernandes as George

Ralph Kretschmar as Martin

Vartan Bassil as Karl

Gengis Ademoski as Arturo

Sebastian Jager as Otto

Benny Kimoto as Werner

From the writer of Stomp the Yard comes this fast-moving film about hopes and dreams set within the high-energy world of hip-hop. As three crews put their futures on the line as they battle their way to the finals at the International Beat the World competition in Detroit, off-stage pressures force them to realize there may be more at stake than just being crowned the best. Powered by the innovative dance routines of Germany’s Flying Steps, Brazil’s Pink Ladies Crew and a world-class cast of performers, YOU GOT SERVED: BEAT THE WORLD is a jaw-dropping showcase of hot flow, cool beats, crazy parkour and the freshest moves on earth!

Cool choreography and a blend of b-boy and parkour, “You Got Served: Beat the World” continues the goal of bringing street dance competition to the mainstream through film!

In the last decade, we have seen the success of films such as “Stomp the Yard” and “Step Up” but in 2004, “You Got Served” made its debut on Super Bowl weekend and brought in $48 million worldwide.  Similar to “Stomp the Yard”, for its sequel, “You Got Served: Beat the World”, we get a straight-to-video release.

For the sequel, the film focuses on three crews from around the world who will be competing at the “Beat the World” competition in Detroit.

In America, team “Fusion” is working hard and trying to find a way to defeat last year’s champions, Germany’s “Flying Steps” which includes the cocky, three-time solo champion Eric (played by Christian Loclair).

For team leader Yuson (played by Tyrone Brown), it means everything to him that Fusion wins this year’s “Beat the World”.  He’s worked so hard and dedicated his life around dancing.  If he wins this competition, it can lead to big things, including becoming a dancer for Jay-Z.

But because he focuses so much on his dancing and winning, sometimes it makes him look self-centered around his crew and even to his girlfriend, Maya (played by Mishael Morgan).  Yuson loves Maya but because his focus is on winning the competition, Maya is actually doing wonderful at school and has been admitted to a very good college that is far from home.  And thus causing some friction between Yuson and Maya.

Meanwhile, the Fusion team wants to make their dance better by incorporating parkour/free step to their routine in order to beat Germany’s Flying Steps.  But will it be enough to win the competition?

In Brazil, the Pink Ladies crew are the best of the country but they depend on Carlos to watch over their money in order to compete at the Beat the World competition.  The only problem is that Carlos has a bad habit of gambling and losing money and when he bets his crew’s money in a soccer game between USA vs. Brazil, expecting Brazil to win, he loses it.  So, the only way he is able to get his crew over to the US is by telling the people that he owes money to, that once they win the competition, they will be paid back plus extra.  Once again, Carlos is betting on his crew to win the competition.

For Germany, the team is starting to lose its unity due to its cocky dancer Eric.  Eric seems more interested in using his fame of having sex with women and its causing friction between team leader Nina (played by Stephanie Nguyen).  But when Eric finds out that the team rather have Nina as their leader instead of him, Eric starts to threaten his teammates that how will they win without him in the team?  Does Germany, the current champs, even have a chance of winning the competition?

VIDEO:

“You Got Served: Beat the World” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1).  The transfer is absolutely vibrant and there is a lot of detail that can be seen from the surfaces, the brick walls and even at the club or during the competition where red, green and blue lights are on the faces of the characters, not a hint of banding during those scenes. Make no assumption that because this is a direct-to-video film that PQ would suffer, this film looks absolutely wonderful and vibrant on Blu-ray!

Detail is fantastic, black levels are wonderful and deep, skin tones are natural and I saw no artifacts, edge enhancement or problems.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“You Got Served: Beat the World” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA and as one would expect from a dancing film, that is a lot of music, a lot of bass pumping music and don’t be surprised if the audio quality of this film is driven by its musical soundtrack.  Music plays a big part in this film and even when it’s not, there is a good amount of crowd ambiance, distant noises and overall environment-based ambiance coming through the surround channels.  Dialogue is absolutely crystal clear and once again, if you love bass, the soundtrack specifically the music, definitely delivers!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“You Got Served: Beat the World” comes with the following special features in HD:

• The Making of You Got Served: Beat the World – (8:21) The cast and crew talk about the film, the inclusion of parkour and free step to the choreography of the film and the talent, especially the actors learning the moves for this film and more.
• 3RUN: The Team Behind the Film – (6:59) 3RUN crew talks about how they became popular through YouTube, the training they go through and how they created their own films and how it led to them working on “You Got Served: Beat the World”.

When it comes to dancing films, I know that there are film critics who just can’t get into them.  But for me, I absolutely enjoy watching the choreography of these films and seeing how far they can take it to the next level.

For me, dance films such as “You Got Served”, “Step Up” and “Stomp the Yard” films are known for their choreography and the plots are typically hit or miss with the viewer.  For “You Got Served: Beat the World”, unfortunately the plot falters with corny dialogue and pacing that shifts from relationship to competition and everything feels sort of forced.

For example, when one is preparing for a competition, the last thing you expect is your teammate to go out and take care of personal problems with his girl minutes and try to get back in time for the competition. No one knows when your time is coming up to perform at a real street dancing event and I just felt the writers were trying to work this relationship angle around the competition.

For “Stomp the Yard” and its sequel and even “Step Up”, the choreography and dancing is important but they worked around the relationship angle as opposed to working the relationship around the competition.  And I know that the goal was to bring that realism of street competition to the big screen but personally, this is an instance where I felt the whole relationship angle just didn’t work all that perfectly. The dialogue seemed forced, contrived and effete.

But I will say that although the relationship portion of the film didn’t go so well, the choreography is awesome!   The dancing of this film is phenomenal and for those who are passionate about dancing, I wouldn’t be surprised if they rewind and play various scenes over and over and be in awe by it.

The Blu-ray release has pretty awesome PQ and the music is more of the dominant factor for audio, while dialogue and music is crystal clear, there is some usage of the surround and rear surround channels.  But it’s the music that dominates the soundspace.  Also, there are good number of special features that feature more dancing scenes and dancers that were cut out of the film due to pacing and making the scenes flow.

Overall, I know that dance films are not for everyone.  But for those who love street dancing, “You Got Served: Beat the World″ does do a good job in showcasing the choreography.  While this film is not as good as the first film, anyone who is into street dancing can surely appreciate the choreography and find this sequel worth trying!

Next Page »