Reviews on Blu-ray, DVD, movies, and all tech gadgets

Blu-ray review: Jingle All The Way [1996]

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

Fox Home Entertainment – 89 minutes – 1996 – Rated PG – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

 

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Arnold Schwarzenegger was the only action hero of the 80’s/90’s who could pull off one golden trick that put him ahead of the pact; he could make ultra violent films like Total Recall and Conan The Barbarian, and then turn around and make silly family friendly flicks like Kindergarten Cop and Jingle All The Way, and both genres would be successful. There are plenty of Christmas films out there so if this is your thing then Fox Home Video brings Jingle All The Way to Blu-ray so you and your family can sit under the tree, eat toasted marshmallows, and watch The Terminator save Christmas.

 

THE MOVIE

 

Jingle All The Way gets it’s premise from situations that parents have to go through finding the hard to find gift to make sure they’re child is happy on Christmas morning. Any parent who is currently trying to find a Nintendo Wii for Christmas can completely relate to what Arnie is going through in this film. Schwarzenegger plays Howard Langston a work-a-holic family man who is so caught up in his business that he neglects his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd), and wants to do anything to make it up to him. Howard’s wife Liz (Rita Wilson), reminds him that Jamie really wants a Turbo Man action figure, and told him several weeks ago to pick one up. Now it’s Christmas eve and Howard, who thinks he can just walk right into the store and get one, realizes that there are many other parents waiting in front of the toy store were thinking the same thing.

 

This sets off Schwarzenegger’s biggest adventure on film yet, as he desperately tries to find a Turbo Man doll to restore his son’s trust in him. As you would guess the ride is filled with many comical hijinx as Howard has to deal with everything from a disgruntle postal worker (Sinbad), who is alos searching for a Turbo Man doll, a corrupt store Santa (Jim Belushi), who trying to extort him for a doll, a motorcycle cop (Robert Conrad), who is always on his tail, and a variety of other characters who seem to all be in his path.

 

Jingle All The Way is a hard film to say anything bad about, because it’s heart is in the right place. Sure it’s extremely silly, but it’s supposed to be. Turbo Man looks like a Mighty Morphing Power Ranger, which were extremely popular in the mid 90’s, so when Schwarzenegger puts on that big red suit, you’re going to laugh. Arnold is having a lot of fun in this movie, and this is why it works, because even though he’s known for being a big screen tough guy, here he has no problem being the butt of most of the jokes. Also, where most Christmas films become instantly dated, but because of there will always be that one hard to find toy or product around the holidays, Jingle All The Way can still feel fresh by just replacing Turbo Man with whatever is the hot item at the moment. While it’s not It’s A Wonderful Life, Jingle All The Way has it’s own place in Holiday movie history.

 

VIDEO

 

With full 1080p resolution in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Jingle All the Way looks great for a picture over a decade old. Colors are bright and because most of the scenes are filmed during the day and outdoors, making everything look crisps and crystal clear. Maybe to clear is some scenes, because you can see that Arnold was starting to show his age and can see his wrinkled turkey neck poking up from his shirt collars. If you’re looking for an upgrade from that old DVD you have, this Blu-ray transfer is the best way to go.

 

AUDIO

 

Jingle All The Way sounds great, offering a DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix that allows every line of dialogue to be heard as if you were on the scene. There are actually quite a large amount of sound effects in the film as well, particularly in the finale where Turbo Man fights his foe to save his son. Overall, the mix has been balanced well to ensure that you get to enjoy the film the way it was meant to be heard.

 

EXTRAS

 

The pickings in the bonus features are slim, not even offering a director’s audio commentary track.

 

The Making of a Hero’ is a fifteen-minute featurette looking at the design of Turbo Man, from conception to full-sized costume.

 

Super Kids’ is a short clip of kids talking about what makes a superhero great.

 

Turbo Man: Behind the Mask’ is a spoof of Where Are They Now? Looking at the rise and fall of the actor who played Turbo Man in the TV show.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

Jingle All The Way is a silly Christmas movie, but it brings a smile to your face. Kids will enjoy it, because it’s a film about a living toy, and parents who can’t find Wii’s this Holiday will totally relate to it. The Blu-ray offers great picture and sound quality, and if you’d like to see the kinder and gentler side of Schwarzenegger, this is the one for you.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

 

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

Review: ClickFree Automatic Back-Up

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

Backing up your computer is just as important as locking your car’s doors, yet still many people don’t even thing of it until it’s too late. If something goes wrong with your PC’s hard drive, data recovery is extremely expensive and in most cases precious information you have on your drive may never be able to be recovered. Whether you’re dealing with important business documents, school reports, or something personal such as family photos, backing up data should always be something that is often, and if it’s high priority, every day. There are plenty of online virtual sites that will store your info for a monthly fee, but let’s face it actual hardware is always better and safer. A product such as the ClickFree HD701 Automatic Backup Drive by the Storage Appliance Corp, is just the ticket, providing an easy and simple storage solution that is so simple that it sells itself.

 

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INSIDE THE BOX

 

-120GB ClickFree HD701 hard drive

 

– Dual head USB data cable

 

– Instruction manual

 

REQUIREMENTS

 

Computer running Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2000, Available USB port (2.0)

 

HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE

 

The hard drive is small, measuring 4.52 x 0.67 x 2.99 inches and weighing only 6.35 ounces, making it easily transportable, whether it is inside a briefcase or the pocket of your jacket. Packing a capacity of 120, gigs it’s more than enough for all your spreadsheets and work documents, giving you plenty of space for more important things like all the music you’ve downloaded.

 

The selling point of the ClickFree is that anyone can do it from a MIT graduate to a soccer mom, and the only tools required is two fingers. Here are the steps:

 

Step 1 – Plug ClickFree into the USB port of your PC.

 

Sep 2 – All data from your PC is automatically backed up onto the hard drive.

 

That’s it. Finished.

 

The actual software is installed on the hard drive itself so, as soon as it’s plugged into a computer it will immediately begin to back-up the data. As the backup occurs, a small interface appears on your monitor to show you the process, and once it’s done, and you unplug the drive, the interface is gone. The ClickFree does not require a power source, using the computer itself to draw power, so if a single USB port does not supply enough to run it, the provided dual-headed USB cable jacked into two ports on your computer should do the trick. In the event that this is still not enough power (even though it should be), you can purchase a power adaptor and plug it into the device.

 

For those who don’t want everything backup, you can change the drive’s settings to specify only the data you want to transfer onto the drive. This is done after you do a first time back-up on your PC, then allowing you to go into the options settings and tinker with how you want ClickFree to back-up stuff for future use. Obviously the amount of time it takes to transfer data depends on what type of files you’re backing-up. Simple documents are backed-up in a snap, but large sized photos, music or video files will take a bit longer, just as it would on any other external device.

 

The ClickFree can act as the external backup for one computer, or can be used for up to ten different PC’s by using the internal name of the computer to give it an ID. This all depends on how much space remains on the drive, because unless you’re only dealing with Word, Power Point or Excel files, you may run out of room real fast trying to squeeze info from 10 PC’s onto a single 120GB drive.

 

Being that all the software is on the ClickFree external drive itself, and you never actually need to install anything on your PC, any time you need to perform a new task, you will have to unplug and re-plug the drive back in to get the drive up and running again. This is a minor issue, but some may find it to be limiting.

 

The two main things that knock off some points for the ClickFree is that with a capacity of only 120GB, things are going to get crowded pretty fast in this day of heavy data. Yes there is also a 160GB version available (Model HD801), but still that is not enough for the heavy hitters such as myself who can bring 250GB to its knees easily. The next problem spot is that this device is only for Windows users (XP, 2000, Vista), so Mac folks like me are left out in the cold. Most external drives on the market cater to both PC and Mac operating systems, and this is something that should be included if another version of the ClickFree device is released.

 

ClickFree also offers a backup DVD disc that allows you to save all your photos safely and conveniently using the same easy process, but with no hard drive needed. You just stick the ClickFree disc into your PC’s DVD writer drive and all the software is already installed on the disc itself. The backup will begin automatically, finding all the pictures on your PC’s hard drive, and presto it’s done. The ClickFree backup DVDs come in a three-pack with a trio of 4.5GB DVD+R’s that can store up to 2,000 photos per disc, and work just as they say.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

The ClickFree HD701 Automatic Backup Drive does exactly what it says on the box without any complications. If you’re looking for a simple idiot-proof way to back-up your PC files with no hassle whatsoever, then this is the device for you. If you’re a storage junkie, the limited 120GB size will make you go elsewhere, and if you’re a Mac person, forget it. The ClickFree is recommended for its ease of use, particularly for those who hate tinkering with back-up devices, which prevents them from doing it regularly. For those looking for a simple back-up solution, the ClickFree will do the job.

 

SCORES (Out of 5):

 

Hardware: 4.0

Ease of Use: 4.5

Performance: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

 

If you go into any electronics store attempting to buy a digital camera, there are so many options that the average person who doesn’t know the difference between a mega pixel and a SD slot can get very confused. Most people are just looking for a simple point and shoot camera that takes great pictures, offering similar features of more expensive professional devices have, but at an affordable price. This is the target audience for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20; a device in a small package that tries to compete with the big boys.

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INSIDE THE BOX

 

-Lumix DMC-FS20 digital camera

 

-Battery

 

-Battery Charger

 

-AV cable

 

– USB cable

 

– CD Software

 

DESIGN AND FEATURES

 

The DMC-FS20 has a nice design, with a body measuring 2.25 x 3.74 x 0.9 and weighing 0.29lbs, it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Its super sharp 3.0 LCD monitor has a 230,000 pixel resolution; so viewing your photos provides instant gratification. With a 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor, a 4x optical zoom, five different shooting modes and an intelligent auto mode, the DMC-FS20 seems to be ready for all optical challenges.

 

The front of the camera has a smooth surface drawing your attention to the retracting lens, while the top of the body holds the on/off switch, zoom lever, shutter release and an E.Zoom button for swifter zooms. The bottom of the camera has a port that flips open allowing you to insert or remove the battery and a SD Memory Card. The rear of the camera around reveals its beautiful 3.0 LCD that takes up most of the real estate, allowing a small area to the right to hold the photo/menu/playback switches and the directional joystick nub that makes on screen navigation a breeze. There is no optical viewfinder, but it seems that most new cameras are eliminating this in exchange for a bigger brighter LCD screen. Those who prefer having the option of a standard viewfinder may feel cheated, but after some time with the DMC-FS20, you may not miss it as much as you think.

 

One of the highlights of the DMC FS20 is the Intelligent Auto Mode, which when enabled allows users to point and shoot without pre-selecting any specific modes. So for those who don’t have the patience for settings, the I.A.M. will deal with focusing, the ISO speed, face detection, and do its best to balance the shot via image stabilization. This feature works very effectively as long as your subject is standing in one spot next to the Eiffel Tower, but if you happen to run into Bigfoot and try to snap a picture, you’ll just get a hairy blur. Still for those who literally buy a digital camera to just point and shoot without dealing with the other complicated bells and whistles, the I.A.M. will produce some nice pictures for you.

 

For those of you who like to tinker around to get their pictures perfect, you can access the menu to set the features to your satisfaction. The five shooting modes available are Landscape, Portrait, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, and Macro for those extreme close ups like snapping a picture of a lady bug crawling on a leaf and getting every detail. One thing that users will definitely appreciate is the DMC-FS20’s super fast start up time, which from the time you turn it on is ready to take a picture in roughly two seconds. So if you’re looking to get an on the spot photo, as long as you have the camera in your hand, you’re good to go.

 

PICTURE QUALITY

 

Without question the DMC-FS20 takes excellent pictures with vibrant colors, and also gets the best out of low light situations. I took some daylight shots in various areas, and the image quality was very impressive. Obviously, the better the light source, the better the picture, so at those points when the clouds took over, colors that stood out with the sun are somewhat muted. Night photography is decent, but again it’s all about how much light is on your subject. In a dark room with at least one small light source, you can get a fair image, but grain will still be highlighted. A basic point and shoot camera will never be able to match the image quality of a SLR, but the DMC-FS20 with a lot of practice can produce some impressive images.

 

The DMC-FS20 also allows you to take video clips, (storage permitted depends on the size of your memory card), with sound at 30 frames per second, so this is a nice feature when you’re at a party and want to get some blackmail material of intoxicated friends. Again, these video clips are simple point and shoot, perfect for small fun quick time and you tube viewing, and will not look like the material produced by a video camera.

 

Captured photos and videos can be viewed in different ways right from the camera, and though nothing will ever match viewing photos on a good computer monitor, the 3.0 LCD will give you a good idea of what to expect when you load up your photos on your PC. From the menu access your pictures and view them as tiny thumbnails, displaying up to thirty at a time. Here you can use the camera’s options to zoom in to see details, using the joystick to position the photo to your liking, or do a quick slide show. You can also do simple tasks such as re-sizing, or is you’re not happy with a shot delete it from the batch. A Dual Mode within the options will allow you to display two photos side-by-side if you want to make a quick comparison. So there are a lot of goodies under the hood of this little camera, giving you both quality and quantity for the price.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

The Panasonic DMC-FS20 is perfect for beginners or anyone looking to replace their old under 10 megapixel digital for the under $200 price mark. The camera takes great pictures and offers a variety of features, such as a nice 3.0 LCD screen, and Intelligent Auto Mode, and a plentiful selection of options to help you take better pictures. Anyone taking a trip, looking for a second camera to keep in your bag, or grandparents who just want to snap some pictures of their grandkids will find the DMC-FS20 to be the perfect companion.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

 

Features: 4.0

Ease of Use: 4.0

Picture Quality:4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Blu-ray Review: Where the @#%$ is Santa? [2008]

Warner Home Video – 109 minutes – 2008 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio Mix 

Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

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Okay let’s just cut to the chase, this Blu-ray is not for everybody and is definitely going after a specific audience. If you’re a fan of the Jackass movies and TV show, or you really dig Bam Margera, then this one has your name written all over it. If this type of gross in your face frat boy stuff is not for you, there’s always a Tom Hanks movie around. Where The Fuck Is Santa? comes to Blu-ray from Warner Home Video so grab so brews and get ready. 

THE MOVIE 

Basically Where The Fuck Is Santa is a promotional flick for Bam Margera and his entourage of loser buddies. For those of you who have no clue who Bam Margera is he is a professional skateboarder who rose to fame with a string of MTV shows such as Jackass and Viva La Bam, where he and his buddies play outrageous practical jokes on each other and perform insane stunts that cause a lot of bodily harm to the genitals area. 

Where The Fuck Is Santa? follows the formula as Bam’s other body of work, but attempts to go for a narrative form, centering around Bam wanting to give his wife Missy Margera the ultimate Christmas gift, and decides to locate and give her Santa Claus himself. Bam and his crew of misfits set out on an adventure that leads them to the fozen wasteland of Findland, because Bam is convinced that it’s here where the real Santa calls home and not the traditional North Pole theory. 

On their journey to Finland there are tons of hijinx involving such events as a Christmas tree being dropped from a crane like a torpedo to destroy Bam’s buddy Novak’s new car, or forcing another member of the crew to tattoo a crude map of Santa’s location on his beer gut. But this is tame compared to what comes later, such as the guys rubbing a severed reindeer penis all over themselves, or swallowing an animal’s eyeball and then pooping it out to see that it’s still whole. 

In between the road trip there is a lot of kicking and slamming each other upside one another’s heads, women being sexually harassed and they even manage to throw in some skateboarding. Live Music is providing by cameos from hard rock bands HIM and Hanoi Rocks, and these are actually the high points of the production. 

Co-Directed by Bam himself along with Joe DeVito, Where The Fuck Is Santa? Knows it’s not art and is definitely not trying to win any cinematic awards. It’s just a bunch of guys who are fortunate enough to get paid to do the stuff most of us do at parties after tossing down a lot of booze and smoking illegal substances, and occasionally ends up on You Tube.

VIDEO 

The movie was shot on video following the style of the Jackass flicks, so don’t expect anything that is Blu-ray worthy. The 1080p image in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio is sharp, showing full detail, but these guys are so gross with dirty features that you may not to look at their asses every time one of them drops their pants. 

AUDIO 

It’s just your basic Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix going to waste. For the most part dialogue is clear, but whenever we’re not clear what they’re saying subtitles will pop on. The live music spots from HIM and Hanoi Rocks are well modulated, but just as long as you don’t expect much, you won’t be disappointed. 

EXTRAS 

The extras are small, including 20 minutes of outtakes that are mainly extended scenes. In addition there’s the trailer and a photo gallery of Santa’s sexy helpers. 

BOTTOM LINE 

If you’re a fan of Jackass and Bam, give it a shot. If you don’t care for this type of humor then watching it will be complete torture for you. Proceed with caution. 

SCORES (Out of 5): 

The Movie: 2.0

Video:  2.5

Sound:  2.5

Extras:  2.0

Bottom Line: 2.0 

Box Office Review: Four Christmases [2008]

Dec. 17, 2008

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released Nov. 28

1 hr. 22 min.

Pg-13

Seth Gordon/New Line Cinema

Vince Vaughn

Reese Witherspoon

Robert DuVall

Sissy Spacek

Jon Voight

Jon Favreau

Mary Steenburgen

Dwight Yoakam

Kristin Chenowith

Where do I begin? Should I opine about the fact that a cast like this should be working on Oscar caliber movies and not “this year’s Christmas movie” that we will all see (even the head of Warner Brothers gave an exact quote that this is the only movie out there that deals with Christmas, ergo we will all see it) because, really, how many times can you watch A Christmas Story?  Should I rage at the fact that heavy marketing budgets almost always work–regardless of the quality of the film? (Queue the sheep!) Would it be fruitful to ask you to expect a greater movie from an 80 Million Dollar Budget!? Could I possibly convince you to admit that you laugh at a movie like this in great part because you showed up, $5 or $10 bill in hand, expecting to exercise those pesky yuletide stress demons?

Might I at least convince you that comedies, good comedies, take inventory of what they have and utilize said inventory for comic effect? Have you ever seen a comic not use his or her body for comic effect when the golden opportunity presents itself? Watch Chaplin, the Marx brothers. Hell, watch Sarah Silverman or Robin Williams or Roseanne or…you get the point. You use comedy where you find it. So…

Did anyone notice that Vince Vaughn is a wee bit taller than Reese Witherspoon? Even the poster had to recognize this. In interviews they both consistently spoke about it. This isn’t about short jokes, my friends. This isn’t about tall jokes either. This is about mining for comedy gold! How do you not take advantage of this sight gag in a film whose very premise is to expose childhood scars and differences among a couple? Now don’t even try to tell me that the film didn’t go there because it was obvious–most of these jokes were as obvious as Tennessee Williams screens in his original The Glass Menagerie concept. Do not try to tell me that the joke was so über-apparent that it was better left unsaid. Why? Because I counted the amount of times Reese stood on a box to hide their height difference. I also counted the times they forgot to put her on a box. I haven’t seen this sort of “height up and down” since Sly and Hulk Hogan squared off in Rocky 3!

Furthermore, can we stop handing over such big cast movies to guys who think Seinfeld is an old, old, show? Give me a guy who wasn’t raised on South Park and Axe cologne. I tire easily when I see projectile vomiting as the lead joke, the advertised joke, the repeated joke, the button joke. This film even ends with it. People, this is not a $268 SNL skit–this is cinema. If you are going to hire comedians then let them be comedians. Not everyone in the audience thinks it is the height of comedy to simply reference whatever is in vogue either. Nothing is staler than watching cage matches. Nothing is staler than the 30-something ticking clock. Nothing is staler than the concept that a movie need only to elicit four or five laughs. Four or five, obvious, forced, projectile, arrested development laughs at that. After all, South Park runs daily for free.

bottom line 2.5/5.0

Blu-ray Review: I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector’s Edition [2007]

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Home Video – 107 minutes – 2007 – Rated PG-13 and Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio Mix – Digital Copy

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* Note: Portions of this review are from the original stand-alone Blu-ray release: http://www.fusedwire.com/index.php/2008/04/14/blu-ray-review-i-am-legend-2007/

I Am Legend was a big hit, both at the box office, as well as when it was released on Blu-ray earlier this year. Now Warner has decided to use the George Lucas textbook to milk the film even more with a three discs Blu-ray box set. I Am Legend was an entertaining film, but does it deserve the treatment that a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings film gets? Nope, not at all. So unless you think of this film as the second coming, and you worship the ground Will Smith stands on, there’s really no reason to buy this box set if you already have the original Blu-ray release.

THE MOVIE

The novel I Am Legend, which was written over fifty years ago by author Richard Matheson has had quite a life cycle. It was first adapted as a movie in 1964 with Vincent Price using the title The Last Man on Earth, and the again in the 70’s with Charleston Heston under the title The Omega Man. Well being that Hollywood loves remakes, Matheson’s novel has come to life again, originally planned as a big budget Arnold Schwarzenneger film, the script was re-tinkered for the current box office champ, Will Smith, and given back it’s original title, I Am Legend.

This film should have been called the ‘I Am Will Smith,’ because he literally carries the entire movie. With the exception of the end and various flashback scenes, Smith is the only actor in the movie playing Dr. Robert Neville, a scientist who specializes in deadly viruses, who becomes the only living survivor of a bacteria that has wiped out humanity, which he is immune to, and the only others remaining are mutant creatures who come out at night to hunt for flesh called the Dark Seekers.

Neville has the entire island of Manhattan all to himself, where he and his loyal dog, race through the decaying streets of the city during the day in a cool Mustang, and then locks himself inside his home at night clutching a high-powered rifle to protect himself from the dark seekers. He constantly sends out radio messages hoping that someone else who has survived will arrive, while at the same time struggling to find a cure for the virus. Finally someone does arrive, a young woman and a little boy, who are trying to make their way to a camp where it’s assumed that other survivors like them are holding out. But Neville has a bigger problem on his hand because the mutant woman he holds captive in his home to perform experiments on is the wife of the mutant leader, who is desperately trying to find her. When Neville’s location is found by the mutants, their leader launches an all out attack in hopes of getting her back, pitting him against Neville face-to-face.

Director Frances Lawrence has delivered a good popcorn movie that as long as you don’t take it very seriously is very entertaining. Will Smith does a good job with his role and you do feel his sense of loneliness. Not many actors can keep a movie going with a solo performance, but Smith does his best with the material. New York City has been the backdrop for many post-apocalyptic movies, but it just looked too neat at times. It would have been more effective if corpses and skeletal remains were everywhere and there was much more destroyed scenery. Most would actually not mind being in this vision of Manhattan and having the place to themselves. I’m a New Yorker and I can testify that on most nights in the lower village it already looks like mutants are roaming around, so it would have been interesting if the city had a different look.

The original Blu-ray release let you watch both the theatrical and alternate ending version on one disc, but this collector’s set gives each version of the film it’s own disc. By now we all know that in the theatrical version Neville dies and in the director’s alternate version Neville survives. I actually preferred the alternative ending because I felt that when Neville died at the end of the theatrical version it was an easy way out to conclude the story. This new ending has more of an impact because it’s saying something about humanity instead of just ending with cliché big explosion.

I Am Legend is not perfect, but it does successfully breathe life in a fifty year old story; and even though it plays it safe and avoids taking risk in terms of story, there are many good moments. It’ll probably be another two decades before there is another remake of I Am Legend, so until then this will have to suffice. Word of advice to whoever holds the rights then, how about the last woman on earth? The guys have already had three tries at it.

VIDEO

I Am Legend is one of the best looking Blu-ray movies you’re going to find, hands down. Both the theatrical and the alternate version are presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio in full 1080p. Colors, skin tones and dark scenes all flow evenly and look superb. The image is so sharp that during close-ups you can see the grey hairs in Will Smith’s beard. Probably the only problem with the transfer is that the image quality is so good that you can see how bad the CGI effects look. Instead of looking photo-realistic, the mutants look like cartoon characters. Just look at the final scene when they mutants attack Neville’s house; it looks like a videogame cut scene. But despite that minor issue, I Am Legend is complete HD show off material.

AUDIO

Like with its picture quality, I Am Legend scores another home run in the sound department, offering a TrueHD 5.1 surround sound mix. This will blow your speakers off, especially during the action scenes, such as when Neville is trying to find his dog that has wondered in a dark abandoned building and he has to rely on sound to find him. Another standout audio scene is the flashback where Neville is trying to get his family out of the city. The sounds of the sirens, helicopters, and screaming crowds will make you feel like you’re right in the scene. And when you hear the mutant’s shrieks as they attack, that’s the icing on the cake. If you’ve got a good sound system, and your neighbors won’t complain, crank this one up full volume and enjoy.

EXTRAS

The one highlight with this collector’s edition against the original Blu-ray release is the selection of new extras, such as a director’s audio commentary, deleted scenes, and a Digital Copy, all split up on three discs.

Here’s the new stuff for the collector’s edition:

The audio commentary features Director Francis Lawrence and co-writer/producer Akiva Goldsman. This is something I wanted to be on the original Blu-ray release, but now that it’s available I found myself disappointed, because it’s a dull commentary. You will definitely get much more useful information watching the making of docs than listening to these guys talk about it.

Focus Points allows you to watch the film and when an icon appears on the screen, pressing enter on your remote will trigger a behind the scenes clip for that sequence to be viewed, and when the clip ends the film continues where it left off.

There are twelve deleted scenes running about twenty minutes, with the option to view them with director’s commentary. These scenes are only in standard definition and really don’t add anything new to the film, being that most are just extended clips to what’s already in the film. A few a raw before the special effects were added, so it’s worth a look.

I Am Legend: The Making of Shots” is five quick behind the scenes featurettes that run five minutes each, labeled – Seaport Evacuation, Alpha Male, Times Square Hunt, Visual Effects Highlights, and Alternate Ending.

Making I Am Legend” is a twenty-five long promotional reel, showing everything we’ve already seen done better in the other behind the scenes documentaries.

A Digital Copy is available on the third disc for those who want their Will Smith on the go. (Theatrical version only).

There’s a 44 page Concept Sketch Book that sounds more exciting than it is, because it’s just some weak pictures stuck in a badly bonded booklet.

Six cheesy lobby cards that basically look like post cards that have had the Photoshop treatment to show the regions have been effected by the virus: Spain, Tokyo, Paris, Taiwan, London, and India.

A Collectible Lenticular is included, which is basically a plastic block with a hologram sealed inside that when tilted will show a frame-by-frame quick scene from the film’s finale. Maybe one day it may be worth something on e-bay, but now…Yawn.

The bonus features from the original release are also included:

Creating I Am Legend” is just about an hour long and goes deep into the making of the movie, featuring interviews with Will Smith, director Frances Lawrence, screenwriter Akiva Goldsmith. There’s a lot of good stuff in here looking at everything from updated the book for today’s audience, converting NYC into an apocalyptic dead zone, and creature design. This is an interesting documentary that should satisfy those who enjoyed the film.

Cautionary Tale: The Science of I Am Legend” is a 20 minute that looks at the science behind the virus presented in the film. Real doctors and scientist are interviewed talking about the possibility of something like this occurring and what the aftermath would be on the planet. This plays out like a science channel special, and is set up to make what was in the film more terrifying. It’s worth a look, but you’ll find better info about all these scary viruses on the Internet.

There are four animated shorts that all together run 20 minutes; Shelter, Death as a Gift, Sacrificing the Few for the Many and Isolation are tales that relate to the virus wiping out humanity and a look at other survivors dealing with the aftermath. These shorts are well done, and interesting in an alternative way.

One thing that must be noted is that the packaging for this collector’s edition wasn’t well thought out. When you think of the cool way something like the Blade Runner collector’s edition was done, I Am Legend’s cheap box falls apart the minute it’s unwrapped and within a few days looks like it’s old and ready for the scrap pile. For the $60 asking price for this set, Warner could have done a better job with the packaging.

BOTTOM LINE

If you own the original release, there’s really nothing inside this box set that is worth shelling out more cash. If you have a friend who is going to get it, just check out their set first before deciding if it deserves your double-dip dollars. But if you’re new to Blu-ray and enjoyed this film, you will benefit from this box set more.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.5

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 4.5

Bottom Line: 4.5

Blu-ray Review: Hell Ride [2008]

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Weinstein Company – 83 minutes – 2008 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Audio

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There was a time when a biker flick was considered a cash machine. These were films that were B level indie productions with a miscellaneous cast of familiar faces, that cost little to make but made a fortune back. Beyond the early 70’s, this genre never picked up again, because after Star Wars, spaceships became the new Harleys. The movie Hell Ride, produced by the Weinstein brothers and Quentin Tarantino hopes to recapture that point in time when Easy Rider was cool. Now available on Blu-ray from Hell Ride is a smorgasbord of bikes, babes, and badasses.

THE MOVIE

Even though the film is set in present day, Hell Ride attempts to legitimize itself by beginning it’s story in the 70’s, which was ironically the end of the biker culture in cinema. A biker named Pistolero (Larry Bishop), makes a promise to a woman named Cherokee Chisum (Julia Jones), that if anything happens to her, he would take care of her only son and makes sure he gets the hidden inheritance that was left for him. Cherokee is killed by a rival gang, and Pistolero watches over her son from afar for over thirty years, but now that a rival biker gang has learned about the boy and targeted him, Pistolero gathers a gang of the biggest lowlife bikers for an all out war.

Written and Directed by the star of the film, Larry Bishop, Hell Ride does all it can to capture the genre, with extreme violence, hot naked girls, and of course bikes galore. The film also has a noteworthy cast of movie bad boys from the past, as well as some familiar to us now. Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Eric Balfour, Francesco Quinn, and of course the original Easy Rider himself, Dennis Hopper. Every character introduced appears to be crazier and tougher than the last, and you wouldn’t want to be locked in a room with any of them.

In the tradition of biker films, women play a huge roll in the intertwining of the story, and how they use the guys like chess pieces, playing them of each other. Julia Jones as Cherokee is the angelic figure of the story, seen only in flashbacks that motivate the leads. Cassandra Hepburn, Leonor Varela, Laura Cayouette, and Tracy Phillips are all hot and fit the molding perfectly as seductive biker babes. In many ways the women of the movie are more complex and interesting than the male leads.

Hell Ride has problems, the main being a confusing storyline and so many characters popping up all over the place that you have no idea which gang they belong to. But it does follow the blueprint of biker films with extreme violence, making the war between the two gangs more like a wild-west shootout. Bishop does an acceptable job with the film, but it would have been very interesting to see how Quentin Tarantino would have handled the material, because he was inspired by films of this molding from the 60’s and 70’s, and maybe he would have been able to chip away the rough edges that would have made this a better movie. Hell Ride is definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of the biker genre, but the second coming of Easy Rider it is not.

VIDEO

Hell Ride looks great with a full 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The desert scenes are nice photographed allowing you to see every crack in the dry terrain. Most of the male casts of the film are guys in there 40’s and up, and here you can see every line on their faces. Some scenes are over saturated, such as flashbacks, but it works because this film is one big gritty fantasy. Visually, the film is strong and stands out on Blu-ray.

AUDIO

With a TrueHD 5.1 sound mix Hell Ride sounds acceptable, but it’s not anything more than you would get from a standard DVD. There is a lot of dialogue in this film and because these guys are all trying to be tough, most of them are mumbling their lines making it difficult to know what they are saying. The sound is nothing fancy, it just gets the job done.

EXTRAS

Hell ride offers a pretty good list of bonus features, but there all a port from the DVD because they’re all in standard definition.

Writer/Director Larry Bishop and Director of Photography Scott Kevan provide an audio commentary track that is actually quite entertaining, telling stories about the production and trying to get this film done on a micro budget.

‘The Making of Hell Ride’ is too short running barely 10 minutes, and even though it cuts to the chase, you may wish there was more.

‘The Guys of Hell Ride’ looks at the testosterone filled casts of the movie that reads like a who’s who list of tough guys.

‘The Babes of Hell Ride’ is the opposite side of the corn, focusing on the ladies of the flick, who are all hot and seductive.

‘The Choppers of Hell Ride’ shows of the great bikes of the film, highlighting how each machine is just as much a character in the film as the actors.

‘Michael Madsen’s Video Diary’ is a ten-minute compilation of Madsen’s own footage taken during the making of the film.

BOTTOM LINE

If you can recite every line from Easy Rider and are a fan of biker movies, or you just like to look at hot girls, then Hell Ride is definitely worth a look. It would have been great if Quentin Tarantino offered more to the film, even if it was just something in the bonus features, but his absence takes points off. Hell Ride does what it can to pay homage to the genre, but with more crafting it could have been something more. Rent it first.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

Blu-ray Review: Space Chimps [2008]

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment – 81 minutes – 2008 – Rated G – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 5.1 Lossless Audio

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There were some great animated movies that came in the summer of 2008, one of them Wall-E and the other was Kung Fu Panda; then there was one really bad one, Space Chimps. To be on the positive side, Space Chimps has its heart in the right place, but its execution makes it painful to watch if you’re above the age of five. Space Chimps is now available on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment, but if you had the option to pick up something else, you’d probably be better off.

THE MOVIE

During the space race in the 1950’s NASA used chimps, our closest relatives in the animal chain, to see how humans would survive space travel. Space Chimps uses this as its premise, beginning with a US probe being sucked into a wormhole and losing contact with NASA. Desperate to retrieve the vessel wants to send a manned team through the wormhole, but they are not sure humans would survive. This is where the Space Chimps come in, Titan and Luna. Needed a third member for the team, Ham III a chimp circus star who is the grandson of Ham I, who was the first chimp in space and an American hero. The trios are sent through the wormhole where they discover a new planet and an alien race, leading to the greatest simian adventure ever told.

The space chimps are voiced by Adam Samberg from Saturday Night Live, Cheryl Hines from Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as Patrick Warburton and Zack Shada. Unlike animated films like Shrek, Toy Story and The Incredibles, which are aimed at all audiences, Space Chimps is only aimed at kids. It just goes for the silly antics you’ll find in any Saturday morning cartoon, making it a perfect 80-minute baby sitter. If this film attempted to be clever instead of remaining on the sugar coated cereal level, it would have captured a wider audience.

There are some cute moments and some things that will make you chuckle, but other than that, this is a G rated children’s film and it’s not trying to go beyond that. If you have a very young child, this film is recommended because they will find it entertaining, but if you’re expecting something more Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda are also on store shelves and are more suited for the rest of us.

VIDEO

With a full 1080p image and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio Space Chimp looks good because of it’s pure CG source, but it’s not as detailed as other animated films looking flat in places. The chimps themselves look decent, but they were a little too plastic for my taste. The colors are sharp and stand out, but it may be strange to say this about an animated film, but it looks too cartoon-ish. Kids will not mind and will probably be thrilled, so on this level Space Chimps works.

AUDIO

Space Chimps sounds good with a DTS-HD 5.1 lossless mix, so moments such as when the rocket ship blasts off from Earth and into space are very effective. The dialogue is crisp and clean, and sound effects such as all the creatures on the alien planet are well done. The voice work from the actors is solid, but being that the talents involved are actors who are used to improve, you shouldn’t expect less.

EXTRAS

The bonus features are simple and sweet like the film itself, but again even here they seem to be aimed at the youngsters.

‘Fox Movie Channel Presents Casting Session’ runs a bout 10 minutes and gives a behind the scenes look at the actors providing the voices for the characters in Space Chimps.

A Trivia Track plays along with certain scenes, showing a pop-up track that runs with the clips offering various areas of information.

There are also five TV Spots that ran before the film hit theaters and a still gallery.

BOTTOM LINE

Space Chimps is cute, but it’s G rated cute and that a whole lot different form Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda cute. The little kiddies may gather around the TV and love you for getting them this Blu-ray, and that alone may make it all worth it.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 3.5

Sound: 3.5

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 2.5

Box Office Review: Changeling [2008]

Dec. 8, 2008

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released Oct. 31, 2008

2 hr. 21 min.

R

Clint Eastwood/Universal

Angelina Jolie

John Malkovich

Colm Feore

Michael Kelly

The great thing about streetcars, the kind that used to run in places like 1928 Los Angeles, is that they move so smoothly, so slowly, to a place they are so obviously going. The terrible thing about streetcars is that they move so slowly, and their destination is obvious.

Clint Eastwood’s Changeling feels exactly like a streetcar. And there is a streetcar in this film, moving assuredly up and down the crime-filled streets of Los Angeles in 1928. It is beautiful to look at, as is Angelina Jolie, upon whose face the camera closes and lingers in consistent fashion–looking more at her screen presence than, well, her screen presence. Jolie does tone down her usual video-game antics to slide into this primly dressed, anti-flapper character. For the most part she does a good job, save for a few key moments here and there where she seems to strain at the appropriate method. Though she likely will be nominated, given the dearth of such roles in Hollywood, one wonders what a more accomplished actress like Hilary Swank might have given in said pivotal scenes.

At the center of this film is the nightmare of child abduction, and subsequent serial murders. There may be no heavier subject to undertake. It is a story so disturbing it is almost impossible to tell head-on. And the film knows this. Much of the action centers not around the brutality (awkwardly detailed in an under-directed flashback scene), but around the corruption of the L.A. police force. This part of the story takes up so much of the film that it begins to play like a lesser L.A. Confidential. Where L.A Confidential boasted the acting talents of Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, David Straithairn and James Cromwell, Changeling gives us Colm Feore, Angelina Jolie, and Michael Kelly. The one acting bright spot is the iconic John Malkovich–an actor known for stealing scenes he does not disappoint here.

As brutal as the story is, we see much of it before it unravels on screen. At times it reads like an NC-17 Lifetime movie. There is a noticeable lack of attention to editing (one might argue to achieve verisimilitude), lack of score (again…), and for that matter: pathos. There is a large budget here–one that will no doubt not be recouped on U.S. receipts alone. Much of the money, it would seem, went into lavish re-creations of 1920’s L.A. Many of the street scenes are Oscar worthy set designs, and beautifully shot. The toxic red lipstick of the time, the wardrobes, the model T’s–they are all here. Even the unbelievable, smarmy treatment of women is painstakingly reproduced.

In the end, this is a film inspired by real events–a story about to be swept into the trash can that did indeed need to be told. But something is amiss here, given the large budget and the undeniable talents of Clint Eastwood. Perhaps it is simply the film’s complete refusal to explore the rationale (however reprehensible) behind the obviously transgressive behaviors of the exploiting parties.

Bottom line 3.5/5.0

Blu-ray Review: The Dark Knight [2008]

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Home Video – 153 minutes – 2008 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p – Both 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 IMAX aspect ratios – Dolby TrueHD 5.1 EX Audio Mix – Digital Copy

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When Director Christopher Nolan re-invented Gotham City’s protector in the 2005 film Batman Begins, he finally got the bad taste out of Bat fans that was left by the previous George Clooney in a cape disaster, Batman & Robin. Finally there was a Batman film where the character was taken seriously and not camped into a day-glo package with nipples on the bat suit. The anticipation for the next film, and the icing on the cake being that is was to be titled The Dark Night, made fans drool in delight, but the choice of actor Heath Ledger playing the Joker didn’t sound right, so most just had a wait-and-see attitude. But then right after principle photography of the film something major happened, Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose, and a whole new audience for the film was born Now everybody wanted to see the movie just to see what drove Ledger to such an unfortunate fate. To say that The Dark Knight was a success is an understatement, because not only did it win the praises of both critics and audiences, but it also made over $500 million dollars domestic and became the number two highest grossing film in U.S. history nearly sinking the mighty Titanic. For the 3 or 4 people left who haven’t seen the film and for those who can’t wait to own it, The Dark Knight is finally available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video, and it’s one hell of a ride, as well as the most serious comic book film to date. Why so serious?

THE MOVIE

When we last left the caped crusader in Batman Begins, he had just let Gotham City’s underworld know that things were going to change, and he wasn’t taking any of their crap. The Dark Knight opens with a new villain on the scene calling himself The Joker (Heath Ledger), who gets off more on causing chaos than the actual crimes he does. Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), has his work cut out for him, going after lowlifes and masked vigilantes in cheap bat suits, but all this was a piece of cake compared to the what a guy wearing clown make-up has in store for him.

Several characters from Batman Begins return for this new adventure including, Michael Caine as Alfred, Bruce’s loyal caretaker, Gary Oldman as Gordon, the only good lawman in town, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Bruce’s right hand man at Wayne Enterprises, and his childhood love Rachel who is now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal (replacing Katie Holmes). Besides Heath Ledger as the Joker, one of the best additions to the casts is Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent, who will later become another threat to Batman when he becomes Two-Face.

Instead of describing details of the movie’s plot, the best way to review this movie is to focus on why it works where so many other comic book adaptations have failed. For one, Director Christopher Nolan sincerely wanted to make a good film and stick to his vision. Whereas other directors bend to the studio’s favor or just cut and paste to match the audience’s taste, The Dark Knight never shies away from making things complicated. Next actors who can actually “act” are in the roles, whereas most comic book flicks use the star of the moment, hoping that’s enough, The Dark Knight has so many solid actors, (several Academy Award winners and nominees) who make every word said and every situation that unfolds believable. Yes, Heath Ledger’s performance is excellent, but in my opinion Aaron Eckhart rules in this movie, delivering a complex performance that displays why his on his way to becoming an A-list star in Hollywood.

There is also no indication that you’re watching a comic book movie, with no over the top color schemes, or camera angles that try to emulate comic book panels. Instead the film is directed like a thriller that happens to feature a guy named Batman and some maniac clown. The Dark Night is aimed at adults who have the patience to see characters develop instead of things exploding every ten minutes and special effects thrown at them from every corner. Nolan’s past movies relied on the decision of the characters, rather than extraordinary situations, and both the Batman films he has directed follow this guideline.

Is The Dark Knight perfect? No. It is a long film and you feel it upon watching it a second time, and why did go to all that trouble to show the transition of Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face when the character is rubbed out before he’s even had the chance to do anything? Two-Face is a major Batman villain, so why didn’t they choose to continue his story in the third film? I kind of wished that the double-villain gimmick that was used o death in last decade’s Batman films wasn’t done here, because just having Batman focus on one villain at a time and building that character up and pitting them against one another would have been satisfying enough.

There is no question that The Dark Knight is not only one of the best comic book movies, but just a good movie in general. It has issues and is not flawless, but Nolan has crafted his vision in a way that all comic book adaptations from this point all will have to take note. There are even rumors of the Superman film franchise being updated to have a more darker adult feel, so already the fuse it lit. Everyone with a Blu-ray player will own this film, and Warner will make a fortune from it, just as it did with the theatrical release. Years from now, will The Dark Knight still capture the high praises it did this summer? Time will tell, but for now when a comic book based movie is mentioned people should ask, is it like The Dark Knight…or is it like Daredevil? Hopefully it won’t be the latter.

VIDEO

Now here’s the thing that may be appreciated by some, but bothered by others. Certain scenes for The Dark Knight were shot in the IMAX format (1.78:1) and the rest was shot in the standard widescreen ratio (2.40:1). What does this mean? Basically there will be scenes where you view the movie as you are normally accustomed to with the black bars at the bottom and top of the screen, but for specific scenes such as the opening bank robbery where The Joker is introduced, the image will expand to a full screen view eliminating the bars. It doesn’t happen every five minutes, but when the image flips from wide to full screen, and you’re not aware why, some may think they’re losing something and getting a cropped picture, but actually you’re getting more. As you would expect from an A+ title, Warner has spared no cost to ensure that you get the best possible image of the movie for your Blu-ray, and here they have succeeded. The Dark Knight looks incredible, making great use of the dark scenery and highlighting blacks and shadows. Skin tones look fantastic with so much detail that you can literally count every mole on Morgan Freeman’s face. This is as perfect as it gets and the use of the IMAX footage is the cherry on top.

AUDIO

With a blasting Doldy TrueHD 5.1 Surround audio mix, The Dar Knight is a must for sound enthusiasts whom are looking for a reason to show off their home theater system. Real world sounds are highlighted over the standard “Boom” and “Kapow” sound effects you expect from conventional comic book movies. Even sequences such as the car chase through the streets of Gotham goes more for a realistic feel rather than something exaggerated. Dialogue is crisp, allowing you to hear every mumbled word that Heath Ledger says, and just listen to the Bat-pod as it races down the streets making your subwoofer bounce. No complaints here, this is a top-notch mix.

EXTRAS

This Blu-ray contains three discs, one for the movie, one for the extras, and a third for the digital copy. Even though there is a good surplus of bonus goodies, you have to think that with a movie this successful can you imagine how many times Warner will dip into the well to have a special edition, then a deluxe edition, then an ultimate edition, then a God couldn’t pass this up edition. Trust me this will not be the only time you see this film coming out on Blu-ray.

On disc one along with the movie there is a feature called Focus Points that basically allows you to access behind the scenes footage when an icon appears on screen during the movie. This takes you out of the movie to show a quick clip and once it’s over the movie continues where you left off.

Disc two has all the main goodies starting with Batman Unmasked, which runs 45 minutes and is a collection of various interviews from experts in comic book history, law, and other theorists giving their views on who is Batman, and why does he do what he does.

Batman Tech also runs about 45 minutes and as the title says, it’s about all those wonderful toys Batman has access to, from his Batmobile (uh tank), to those cool Batarangs he’s always tossing around.

Gotham Tonight is an odd collection of newscasts letting you know what chaotic situations are going down in Gotham City and Batman’s exploits.

There are a variety of photos and concept art in the still galleries section. Most of this stuff has already been seen online or in one of the various Art of The Dark Knight books that are out there, but it’s worth seeing them again in high definition.

There are also a collection of the film’s trailers and TV spots for those who appreciate that, all obviously in glorious HD.

The third disc’s only purpose is to access a Digital Copy of the film that you can play on your portable player of choice.

It really sucks that there is no Director’s audio commentary, but when they release future versions of the Blu-ray/DVD (and they will), maybe it will be included then.

BOTTOM LINE

The Dark Knight was more than a film…it was an event. Cash registers will be singing when the movie is released and hopefully Warner will meet the demand and press as many Blu-rays as they can pump out. Christopher Nolan has raised the bar for the comic book movie, and everyone is anxiously waiting for the next Batman adventure, which has to prove, because The Dark Knight is a tough act to follow. Should you add this Blu-ray to your collection? Duh!!

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 5.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0