Archives for DVD
Directed by Carl Upsdell
Starring Eli Gabay, Brian Drummond, Alex Zahara, Trevor Devall
Created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee
The Inhumans, a lesser-known yet intriguing aspect of Marvel Comics, breaks out into the video market with the motion comic of Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee’s award-winning miniseries. Does award-winning comic writing still translate into motion?
The Film
The Inhumans are a secretive culture of ancient genetically-modified people who have avoided contact with the rest of mankind for their entire existence. That avoidance is tested as their home city of Attilan, located on the recently-resurfaced island of Atlantis, has become a target for greedy politicians and warmongers wanting access to the Inhumans’ advanced technology. The Inhumans, lead by their King Black Bolt whose voice destroys mountains, must defend against an invading force and an unknown threat from within.
This motion comic collects the 1998-1999 12-issue miniseries by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, winning the pair an Eisner Award for best new series. (Eisners are basically the Academy Awards for comics) It splits focus between Black Bolt and his royal family, a young generation of Inhumans just getting their powers, the submissive Neanderthal-like Alpha Primitive race, and the humans outside.
The Inhumans are a lesser-known franchise in the Marvel universe, probably better known for their occasional run ins with the Fantastic Four. While there are small cameos by a couple of more notable Marvel characters, this is entirely their show. It does a good job catching the viewer up with the characters and the society, even the disturbing prejudice that runs through the Inhumans.
The Inhumans in the spotlight are well developed as characters, seeing their pros and cons and a wide range of emotions from frustration to elation and more. The human antagonists don’t fare as well, with shallow personalities and generic motivations.
As with every Marvel motion comic DVD/Blu-Ray release I’ve watched, this one also divides each part – all 12 of them – into its own short episodes, annoyingly playing credits between each one. With these interruptions every 10 minutes, it’s hard to stay engaged. Worse yet, the theme music used each time – an overly serious and somber tune that takes you out of the mood to watch the story.
Making the engagement matter worse is the heavy-handed third-person narration following the entire story. The dull, existentialist-wannabe narrator continually pulls you away from the actions on screen, making this work feel less like an event unfolding onscreen and more like the boring dribble you find yourself drifting off to in English class.
Perhaps because the narration and constant interruptions seem to draw this out, but the overall film feels far too long than it needs to be. Several parts in the middle could have been further compressed. What takes moments to read on a page takes considerably longer to watch play out, particularly with the aforementioned bloated narration.
With all of these hurdles, if you manage to stick with it, you do find yourself invested in the climatic payoff, only to be hampered by a weak resolution that leaves the audience unfulfilled.
I enjoy the Inhuman characters, their culture, and their culture clash with humanity. This conflict does a good job exploring all of that. The execution though, particularly in this motion comic form, is lacking.
5/10
The Video and Audio
The art drops quality from paper to motion video, not nearly as clean as Jae Lee’s original work. This is painfully obvious when you look at the cover adorned in art from the books. The animation itself is often jerky, laughably so at times.
The audio is workable. Some of the voices start sounding alike, and you start to not notice who is talking. (Also a fault of the poor animation) It doesn’t help that several of the voice cast perform multiple characters.
4/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
This one disc set in a flimsy cardboard case comes with a half-hour documentary on the making of the Inhumans comic mini-series that became this motion comic. The documentary features heavily on writer Paul Jenkins coming into the Inhumans franchise he wasn’t familiar with and working with artist Jae Lee. Also interviewed is Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada – who helped create the “Marvel Knights” label of outside creatives breathing new life into characters falling to the wayside, which included the Inhumans.
It’s usually enlightening to hear about the creative process of renowned comics, and this doc measures up. It’s honestly a more entertaining and easier watch than the motion comic itself.
With that said, the bonuses are otherwise slim pickings. Given the relative obscurity of the Inhumans over some of Marvel’s other properties, this really could have benefitted from character bios or a history recap.
6/10
Overall (Not an Average)
I read this story some number of years ago in the trade book. While I don’t remember too much from then, I know I didn’t feel like this work was as long and dull as this viewing. It’s the weakness of motion comics. Instead of properly adapting a story into a new medium in a way that better fits it, motion comics often just scan the comic and animate a character here and there. Things that work fine in print, like the narration, don’t play as well in video and audio.
I also understand that these parts, episodes, issues, or whatever were originally made to be released one at a time online, but on home video, they should be compiled for a single viewing experience without interruptions by the credits every 10 minutes. Think of trade collections versus single issues.
Until Marvel learns to adapt these comics for a video medium properly and change the storytelling aspects that don’t translate well from print to video, these home releases of Marvel’s motion comics suffer a steep handicap.
4/10
The Review
The Film 5/10
The Video and Audio 4/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10
Overall (Not an Average) 4/10
Directed by: James Tucker
Starring: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, John Noble, Molly C. Quinn
DC/Warner Brothers has a group of collaborators to craft these direct to DVD/blu-ray/VOD films that previously crafted some of the best animated super hero television shows of all time. As great as Marvel’s films are their animated movies have been failures. DC on the other hand has released a string of great animated feature films based on their classic super hero characters. Superman Unbound is the latest release featuring this familiar craftsman.
The Movie
Superman has a shortlist of classic villains including Doomsday, Lex Luthor, and Brainiac. These three baddies in particular are the only ones that have found ways to take out the Man of Steel in spite of him being nearly unbeatable. So, it’s inevitable that DC would eventually bring us a Brainiac film considering there has already been a Doomsday film and Luthor has permeated Superman’s animated life from the beginning. Brainiac is similar to a Borg from Star Trek; he’s mostly made of machine but there’s just enough bio matter to piece him together. He travels the universe taking the knowledge bio life forms and then destroying them in an attempt to better the universe. Along the way he takes samples of the most interesting life forms and stores them in bottles. Most notably, and a classic story in the DC comics, he took a single city from Superman’s home world of Krypton Via a probe Brainiac discovers the existence of Earth and of course the existence of Superman, so the battle begins.
On top of Superman vs. Brainiac there are a few subplots happening; Supergirl’s struggle to find her place on a world where she only has one other of her species and Lois and Clark finding their way in their relationship. Brainiac should be a truly scary character and for the first time in a Superman animated film the villain is horrifying. He’s cold, uncaring, and unstoppable. As powerful as Supergirl is she is frozen in fear at just the thought of Brainiac because she was on Krypton when he came, when she and no one else on her planet had any power to stop him. The film is edgy featuring a good bit of murder and bloodletting and that sense of fear is buffered by a much more adult atmosphere featuring strong language and even some hand gestures not common in animated films.
Superman faces off against Brainiac with no previous knowledge of the villain and of course he underestimates Brainiac leading to even bigger and more dangerous battles. The sad thing about the film is the story does such a good job of building the atmosphere of feat that the failings of the artwork are painfully apparent. It’s not that the art is completely horrible but it just doesn’t always match the adult vibe of the story. Brainiac definitely has a much better design in this film than the character originally had in comics when he was first introduced but in later years he actually comes off scarier than he does in this film. Overall though this film is a solid success, the directing, acting, and story execution is outstanding. This is an adult story and the characters are complex and multilayered, Supergirl in particular. The action does devolve at a few points to Superman’s basic punch punch heat vision and punch again but the final act action works well. DC comics are much more sci-fi than Marvel’s more grounded stories and that trend continues here with some on the nose science fiction themes wrapping up the story. While this thematic choice does soften the horror elements of the film it does fit with the overall DC universe. The biggest failing of this film is the name. Superman Unbound is just a dumb name and it doesn’t really have any impact on the story.
8/10
The Video
The film is presented in widescreen in 1080p HD and colors and lines look great with no major aliasing issues, something that often plagues animated films. The artwork is just bizarre though. DC’s animated films have always gone for a retro sort of 50’s art deco approach and while that does continue here it’s augmented with some bad choices. Some scenes with Clark Kent in particular feature him having and enormous body and a tiny little pin head, it just looks dumb. There are also a couple of human characters that are just Daily Planet employees that are built identical to Superman. That just doesn’t make any sense. When in full on Superman mode the character looks a little like an old character from videogames called Vector Man. The important thing to know about the character is that he’s just sort of a stack of balls that make up his shape, Superman is the same.
7/10
The Audio
The Surround sound audio is fairly basic in design. The overall dynamics of the audio are almost flat lined, no explosive bass or ringing score here. On the upside dialogue is crisp and clean and special FX are distortion free and they sound exactly as they are meant to sound, not a spectacular presentation but it gets the job done.
1/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The Blu-ray is presented in a standard amaray case along with a digital copy and DVD of the film. The holographic slipcover featuring some action from the movie is quite eye catching and it feels much more special than the case itself actually is. There are a few good supplements on the blu-ray that actually enhance the movie watching experience. The best featurette is one that covers who Brainiac is and what impact he has had on the DC universe. The featurette has interviews with some of DC’s pros as well as those involved in the film. It’s a simple talking head affair but it features some great archival images from the comics. Speaking of archive there’s another featurette called “From the DC Archives” which sort of follows Brainiac’s timeline. On top of all that there’s actually an audio commentary that also features some great behind the scenes information. What we have here isn’t very deep but it’s so much better than we’d expect from a direct to home video animated film.
8/10
Superman Unbound is another solid entry in DC Entertainment’s stable of well executed super hero animated films. If you’re a fan then this one is a must see. It’s not as good as Superman/Batman Public Enemies but it’s better than Superman/Doomsday. Also thank you DC for avoiding the celebrity name dropping and just bringing back the voice actors that originally made these characters great.
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
The Review
The Movie 8/10
The Video 7/10
The Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 8/10
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
Directed by: Giancarlo Santi
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Peter O’Brien, Jess Hahn, Horst Frank
When I think Spaghetti Western I think The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood and music by Ennio Morricone. There’s more to the genre of course, according to Wikipedia there were six hundred westerns made in Europe between 1960 and 1980. Like anything else there are outstanding examples like the aforementioned The Good the Bad and the Ugly and not so outstanding examples the names of which I have mercifully forgotten. Near the top of the pile is Grand Duel.
The Movie
The titles for Grand Duel open on a baked rocky landscape with Luis Bacalov’s swelling score rising in the background. Then out from behind a rocky outcrop comes a stage coach. A shot rings out holing the drivers floppy hat. The driver, no dummy stops the coach. The man with the rifle is a trigger happy deputy. It seems the two lawmen in this hard scrabble desert outpost are on edge. The town, if you can call it that, is infested with a bunch of bounty hunters on the hunt for a fugitive. As the town isn’t safe the deputies instruct the passengers to stay on the coach. One of the passengers is thirsty and a couple of frightened deputies are not going to stop him from taking a little stroll to the saloon. The passenger’s name is Clayton which isn’t really all that important. The important thing is Clayton is played by Lee Van Cleef. A man who could stare eagles out of the sky.
After staring down the deputies, they never had a chance, Clayton strolls to the town and subtly exposes the location of every bounty hunter in the little town. This allows the fugitive a chance to fight himself out of the room that he’s holed up in. Which is exactly what Clayton had expected. Seems Clayton has some plans of his own for the fugitive. The fugitive, one Phillip Wermeer who is played by Peter O’Brien, is wanted for the murder of The Patriarch. The Patriarch is, or was, the head of the Saxon family which runs Saxon city, which kind of makes sense if you think about it. Now that the old man is dead the three sons are running the city and want to see the man who killed their father dead. Of course it’s not all that simple the plot is actually rather convoluted. Thrown in the mix are silver mines, patricide, genocide, cross dressing saloon keepers, shoe clapping, white glove wearing killers, black and white flashbacks and of course gun play, lots and lots of gun play.
The director, Giancarlo Santi, worked as an assistant to Sergio Leone on The Good the Bad and the Ugly and he learned his lessons. The look and feel are familiar but distinct. Santi, like Leone has an eye for landscape and close ups and while he may not be the master that Leone is, Grand Duel is very easy to watch. Lee Van Cleef steals the show. It’s interesting how the good guy can be so down right menacing. The rest of the cast isn’t horrible but the sometimes not exactly synced dialog doesn’t help their performances.
7/10
The Video
The video is presented in the original 16:9 aspect ratio. This is a new transfer from the original negative and it looks fantastic. I’ve seen this movie included in some of those cheap bundles of Western movies and it’s never come close to looking this great. The colors are a little washed out but this just helps make everything feel hot and dusty. The video is crisp and sharp for the most part, there are a few scenes with some atrocious bokeh but I’m sure that has more to do with the lenses used and not with the transfer that Blue Underground has done here. I never noticed any aliasing, moire, blooming or other digital artifacts.
8/10
The Audio
The audio is only presented in the original mono. It may be mono but it sounds great There are some syncing problems with the dialog but again I would imagine this is a reflection of the original material and not a problem with the transfer. It’s really not an issue it’s just a reminder that you’re watching a Spaghetti Western. The score by Luis Bacalov is obviously influenced heavily by Morricone and Bacalov actually manages to out Morricone. The main theme may be the most beautiful piece of music from a genre that is known for it’s great music. If you are a Tarantino fan the main theme will sound very familiar. The mix is great and I never noticed any distortion or any serious problems with the audio.
8/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The DVD comes in a standard clear DVD case. The artwork and copy is simple but attractive and effective. The inside of the case has a chapter list and a great still from the movie. Included is an original trailer for the film and a Spaghetti Western trailer reel. Blue Underground even includes a commentary by journalists C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke. I’m not sure who they are but they are obviously fans of the film and share a lot of information about the movie. For what is essentially a forty year old B movie this is an outstanding effort.
8/10
Spaghetti Westerns can be a bit of an acquired taste. If it’s a taste you have acquired I really think your going to like Grand Duel. This is certainly the best quality you will ever see this movie in. Blue Underground really deserves some kudos for this edition.
The Movie 7/10
The Video 8/10
The Audio 8/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 8/0
Overall (not an average) 8/10
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Directed By: Ron Howard
Starring: Val Kilmer, Warwick Davis, Joanne Whalley
Did you ever wonder how good a live action version of The Hobbit would look if it were produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard? Well look no further.
The Movie
Willow (Warwick Davis) is an unlikely hero who must rescue an infant destined to overthrow the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) before she can sacrifice the child. Assisting him in his quest is Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), the opossum turned sorceress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes) and two comical creatures known as Brownies (Rick Overton, Kevin Pollak). Also along for the ride is Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) who is the daughter of Bavmorda and burgeoning love interest for Madmartigan. Much adventure is had.
Willow started as a story idea by George Lucas who brought the project to Ron Howard during his post-production of Coccoon. Bob Dolman wrote the script. I had fond memories of this film but it has been many years since I last watched it. Sadly it doesn’t hold up as well as I had hoped. I have come to expect this from most of the television and movies from my youth but I always hold out hope. But the epic feel of Willow does remain. There is grandeur and Biblical imagery (Moses in the bull rushes anyone?) that is augmented by the practical effects and actual sets instead of CGI and green screens that proliferate today’s films. Peter Jackson could learn a thing or two from this film.
I remember Willow being considered a bit of a flop back in 1988 and its legacy has been one of silence for the last decade. While other lesser films from the era (I have a list that I’m not going to share) have gone into the pop culture pantheon this charming little film has faded into the background. Maybe this blu-ray release will help to raise Willow’s profile a bit and let it take its rightful place among other great movies from the 80’s.
7/10
The Video
Presented in Widescreen 2:39:1 and I must say that I am still amazed at how good a lot of these older movies look on blu-ray.
9/10
The Audio
Presented in DTS-HD Surround Dolby Digital. I really need to invest in a surround sound system for my living room. The standard speakers on my television just do not cut it. But everything did sound crisp and clear.
9/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
This release does have a moderate amount of bonus features but the packaging is a bit disappointing. Granted most blu-ray/dvd releases these days simply come in a standard blue clamshell case but the lack of a digital copy is surprising. It can’t be that expensive or difficult to package along with the blu-ray and dvd.
As far as the bonus features nothing really jumps out. Sure we get a making of, a video diary, deleted scenes and some special effects behind the scenes but this is all standard stuff nowadays. Strangely there is not a feature commentary. I was hoping for more from Lucas Film and Disney.
6/10
As I stated before I hadn’t watched Willow in a very long time and it was fun to revisit a this family-friendly fantasy film from the 80’s (say that ten times fast). In so many ways I enjoyed this more than any of Peter Jackson’s takes on Tolkien even if some of the effects were a bit dated. Maybe now that Disney has acquired LucasFilm we’ll see some more tales from this world. Or more preferably a themed ride.
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
The Review
The Movie 7/10
The Video 9/10
The Audio 9/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
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Directed by: Zak Penn
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross
When the popularity of poker exploded after Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 World Series of Poker victory, filmmakers tried to find a way to capitalize on both the popularity of the game and the popularity of the cult classic Rounders.
What resulted is numerous box office flops that clearly did not understand either the game or the players involved. That changed when director Zak Pen and producer Jeff Bowler released the poker mockumentary in 2008 known as the The Grand.
The Movie
The plot of The Grand was seemingly simplistic at first glance. A bunch of poker players come together to try and take down a “Winner Takes All” poker event known simply as “The Grand” and the $10 Million prize. As the viewer starts to watch, it become all too evident that this film is not taking itself too serious and that the “documentary” is indeed a “mockumentary” on the game of poker.
Much of the first half of the film is spent setting up the characters in the film. Woody Harrelson’s character of Jack Faro is your classic screwup that just happens to have one true talent, that being poker. Cheryl Hines character of Lainie Schwartzman is “The Woman” of the poker world and determined to prove she belongs. David Cross plays the “Bad Boy” in Larry Schwartzman but you soon find out there are deeper issues behind his persona.
Each character’s back story and motivation for playing the event is revealed in short order and in a way where you feel you get a solid gist of each person without any further explanation. This all eventually leads to the actual poker event where we see each player in their element.
Once The Grand is underway, we begin to see that the directors and actors actually do a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of tournament poker and what it has become since the beginning of the Moneymaker Era. The use of several top pros add to the realism of the game and also to the comic effect.
As part of the mockumentary process, the actors are basically just given an outline and they ad-lib a majority of their material. In the case of this film, that also included the actual playing of the poker tournament. Once the final table is set, the players are then actually allowed to play out the event to a winner. The result of this forced directors to film multiple ending to the film. You will have to watch to find out who comes out on top.
The Grand succeeds where others failed because it does not take itself too seriously and instead focuses on the things that have made tournament poker great, the people at the tables. It is a film that both poker fans and poker novices will enjoy and is worth a rental at your local RedBox or download on Netflix.
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This week we have a film ball showdown, Niko says cock, JJ Abrams talks trash about Trek, HBO Goes, and much more!
Want the video? Here ya go! We stream on Stitcher Radio also if that’s your thing. Get it in the app or check the sidebar of this very website!
Video streaming by Ustream
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![Band Of Brothers [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Wb5TwvL1L._SL75_.jpg "Band Of Brothers [Blu-ray]")
It’s time to get right to the goods this week with a gallery of early stills from the upcoming Ender’s Game film adaptation. Well there’s really only one image of note and that’s a shot from the set of the film. For those of us who love the book it’s still exciting to see the team patches brought to life, which makes up the remainder of the images. We are also featuring the first early image that was released from the film too.
Ender’s Game stars Asa Butterfield from Hugo as our hero along with Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Viola Davis, and Ben Kingsley and it’s based on the book series by Orson Scott Card. The film is being directed by Gavin Hood who previously brought us X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film is currently in post production and set to be released later this year.
We aren’t done though! One of last year’s best films and arguably last year’s best animated film Wreck-It-Ralph is hitting DVD and Blu-Ray shortly and to celebrate we’ve got some behind the scenes clips! The movie follows a videogame bad guy desperate to become more than just a pixelated villain. He wants to be a hero and more importantly he wants some friends. The film follows his adventure as he seeks his goal. Check out these clips!
Bonus Clip: Sugar Rush – The animators share the original inspiration for Sugar Rush- the architecture of Antoni Gaudi and how concept models of the game’s landscape were made out of actual candy and cookies!
Bonus Clip: Creating the 8 Bit World – The animators discuss creating the different worlds within Wreck-It Ralph and what it was like asking some of the best animators in the business to ignore years of training to go back to linear worlds and pixelated characters.
Bonus! Check out this trailer for an upcoming Batman documentary!
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We have some fun stuff for you this week! Battlestar Galactica lives on with a new movie; Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome airing on Syfy. We got an early sneak peek! Also Syfy will be throwing down some robot battles arena style and we have an interview with wrestler Chris Jericho talking about hosting this new fun series for Syfy. We have more Defiance and Merlin for you too! Finally the great home video company Shout Factory! Has a kids category of shows and films and we have early clips of their latest release!
Continuum—Airs Mondays at 8/7c.
A Test of Time – Sneak Peek
SUMMARY: Kagame’s return begins with a reset of Liber8′s agenda, away from violence and towards blending into the community and fostering their revolution through co-opting existing structures. But they have a vulnerability – the possibility that if their ancestors, living in this time, are murdered, they might cease to exist. A test of this theory is devised and Kiera and her grandmother are the guinea pigs.
Robot Combat League
So we all new it was inevitable, Syfy is launching a series called Robot Combat League in which human opponents duke it out via giant robot avatars. This seems like the Hugh Jackman movie Real Steel come to life. Let’s just hope this doesn’t bring about the reality of the rest of that film! At any rate we have for you an interview with wrestler Chris Jericho who will be hosting the show. He talks about his interactions with the robots and the show in general. Check it out:
Defiance—Premieres April 15 at 9/8c.
Fight Risk – Trailer
SUMMARY: This is a town worth fighting for. Join the fight with Defiance premiering April 15 at 9/8c.
Merlin—Airs Fridays at 10/9c.
The Dark Tower – Sneak Peek
SUMMARY: When Gwen is snatched from Camelot without warning, Merlin knows there can be only one person responsible: Morgana. Watch a sneak peek into “The Dark Tower,” when Merlin meets Queen Mab.
Colin Morgan Talks Ep. 505 – Recap
SUMMARY: Merlin star Colin Morgan talks about the important events from episode 505 ‘The Disir.’
Mordred’s Moment – Clip from Ep. 505
SUMMARY: Mordred sacrifices himself for the sake of his king.
For the Druids – Clip from Ep. 505
SUMMARY: A druid elder spends his last breath pleading with Arthur to make amends with the old religion.
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome—Premieres Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9/8c.
Blood & Chrome – Trailer
SUMMARY: The story you never knew of William Adama. Catch the premiere of Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on air, premiering Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9/8c.
On February 12th, Shout! Factory Kids, in collaboration with Nerd Corps Entertainment, will release SLUGTERRA: RETURN OF THE SHANE GANG on DVD! Check out these clips:
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Directed by Ryan Polito
Starring Chris Hardwick
Chris Hardwick of The Nerdist and Talking Dead hits the stage in this Comedy Central special, but can this nerd celebrity appease mainstream comedy, or will his geek humor fall on his face?
The Film
Chris Hardwick, the TV/internet personality known for hosting AMC’s Talking Dead, appearing on G4, and running his web channel The Nerdist, puts on his shiny stand-up suit for the Comedy Central special Mandroid.
Hardwick is a nerd’s nerd. Several of his jokes contain references to his time in chess club, Harry Potter, and Atari games. He goes on about the proliferation of geek culture as of late, compared to his almost Revenge-of-the-Nerds-esque childhood, and the differences between true nerds from hipsters and dweebs.
Unlike a lot of geeky comedians though, the simple references aren’t a crutch for Hardwick’s act, nor do they make up the entirety of his performance. Hardwick goes all over the place, from his drinking experiences to aging over 35. A lot of his routine is very relatable, nerd or not, so his comedy is still going to strike a chord even if you don’t know what Platform 9 and ¾ is.
The parental advisory on the box is no joke. Hardwick has several sexual-related bits, from virginity to shark vaginas, and even fake screwing the mic and the mic stand. It’s crude, but the humor hits its mark. Hardwick’s performance keeps everything light and playful, lessening any offense one may take. Still, keep the kiddies away.
This special is a fun hour’s worth of chuckles. It doesn’t have many stand-out memorable bits, but it’s worth the watch. Thankfully, what geeky pop-culture references Hardwick uses are fairly benign and timeless, so it won’t feel immediately out of date. That is, unless you like New MySpace.
7/10
The Video and Audio
This comedy special is widescreen, and the audio is English. The sound is clearly audible. You can understand everything Hardwick is saying. It’s a stand-up special, so nothing is exceptional in terms of the audio or visual production. Can you clearly see and hear the comedian? Yep, and that’s what matters.
Random thought: The case notes that the program is in widescreen and that the black bars on the top and bottom are normal. How much longer do you think we have to go before we can drop that message?
7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The one-disc DVD comes in a standard DVD. The jacket art is reminiscent of an old pulp comic or novel, with Hardwick drawn in a robot suit fighting a dinosaur on an alien planet, complete with fake worn corners. That alone is enough to make me pick up the DVD.
The feature has three extras: two comedic songs by the musical duo “Hard ‘n Phirm” (Hardwick himself and Mike Phirman), and a “Totally Hidden Easter Egg” blooper from one of their performance. The songs are chuckle-worthy. The bloopers of missed cues and screwed-up guitar playing show that sometimes the ad-libbed filler is as funny as or more than the pre-planned material, showcasing Hardwick’s adaptability.
7/10
Overall (Not an Average)
Mandroid is a fun watch, both the special itself and the bonuses. It’s not a must-have comedy special, but if you can rent or buy it cheap, give it try and then pass to your next nerdy buddy in need of some laughs.
7/10
The Review
The Film 7/10
The Video and Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 7/10
Overall (Not an Average) 7/10
Directed by: Pete Travis
Starring: Carl Urban, Lena Headey
No Dredd 3D did not make it into my top 10 of 2012 list. Does that mean it’s a bad movie? Not by a long shot. There are those movies that are just plain fun.
The Movie
Dredd 3D tells the story of a post-apocalyptic United States with only one giant city remaining surrounded by massive walls. The name of the city: Mega City. The only thing standing between the crime threatening to overtake the city and the good people are the Judges, cops that have complete control of how criminals are handled. They are literally judge, jury, and if necessary executioner. Judge Dredd has been given the menial task of testing a rookie to determine if she is eligible to become a full-fledged judge. She failed her written tests but Dredd’s bosses want to give her another chance because she is special. I won’t reveal what’s special about her as it was not revealed in the ads either. Suffice it to say that she completely changes Dredd’s job.
He and his new partner take a call to a giant 200 hundred story all inclusive building where two people have been gruesomely murdered. The ads made the set up feel a lot like another film Called The Raid Redemption ( a fantastic film by the way). The truth is that some elements are similar but the movies are thematically completely different. Within this building are drug addicts hooked on a drug called slo-mo. The drug makes the brain see things moving at 1% normal speed. The drugged out scenes are the true sweet spot for the 3-D. At one point a character is relaxing in the tub at the beginning of the film and enjoying the effects of the drug as she splashes in the water. We in turn enjoy it because the look and effect is completely beautiful.
One might expect Urban to do his best Stallone but he’s actually channeling more Dirty Harry in this version of Dredd. There’s really nothing goofy about this film at all unless you happen to find the uniforms somewhat comical. Dredd 3-D is unapologetically brutal and bloody and gratuitous. This is grindhouse scifi in 3-D and we love it. Lena Headey is wonderfully drugged out, violent, and insane; almost unrecognizable compared to her other genre roles in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Game of Thrones.
Dredd 3D is exhilarating, shocking and shockingly beautiful. The film absolutely pulls no punches and there will be a scene or two that may truly knock you out of your comfy theater seat. There are a few flaws, mostly in the lack of character development. Well, there almost is no character development. Headey’s character gets a rap sheet sort of development but it too is pretty damn shocking in the way it’s shot. Dredd gets a little purposeful mystery added to his character. Was this done in hopes of developing him more in a future film? This flaw is so outweighed by the roller coaster feel of the film and the unabashed story that it just doesn’t matter. This may be one of the most truly unadulterated stories to hit theaters this year and for that reason alone it deserves recognition. The film is low budget, but every dollar is on screen and used with precision. I joked with a friend that there must have been six production company names listed at the beginning of the film. There is one interesting section at the end of the film that’s riddled with digital noise, not film grain, actual digital noise. It looks like camcorder footage shot in too low of light. As a low budget filmmaker myself I loved seeing it but in the end I wonder why it was kept in the film. A director commentary on the eventual blu-ray should be interesting.
8.5/10
The video
The 3D experience of this movie was the best of 2012 without a doubt and overall the home version does as good a job as possible at representing that experience. It’ll never be the same or as good until we can all have theater sized screens in our homes. With that said the general viewing of the movie will feel a bit different than you’d normally expect from a 3D film. The slo-mo shots are stunning and of course are the 3D show pieces but there are some more subtle shots too that offer great depth by using the #D cameras and CGI. This film feels midling in budget so some instances of CGI don’t work but overall the movie looks jsut as it did in the theater which all you can really hope for.
9/10
The Audio
This film features a 7.1 master audio track that sounds fantastic. The film feels alive from begining to end with great ambient sounds and booming base. Action scenes and slo-mo scenes again are the audio show stoppers but its great to see an action film get solid surround treatment even in quieter scenes. Dialogue is clean throughout the film which is saying a lot when you consider Urban’s gravely low line delivery.
9.5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The multidisc set comes packaged in a standard blu-ray amaray case with a slipcover featuring typical somewhat uninspired character art that we’ve seen over and over again with these sorts of films. Army of Darkness should have been the last time we saw this kind of artwork.
There are a handful of featurettes that are completely lackluster. They all feel like marketing pieces rather than in depth behind the scenes presentations. This film deserved more attention to the film-making process and what we have here is just a huge let down.
Perhaps the coolest bonus feature is the motion comic which gives background on the drug and villian featured in this film. It’s a fun one time watch.
4/10
The Review
The Movie 8.5/10
The Video 9/10
The Audio 9.5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 4/10
Overall (Not an average) 8/10
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, and Aleksey Rozin
Caught between a well-off life in her second marriage and her son’s jobless and impoverished life, Elena takes matters into her own hands to make sure her family is taken care of, even if it means losing the new family she has.
The Film
In this Russian-language character drama, Elena is a retired nurse living the good life while her family lives below the poverty line, and she means to fix that. Elena’s son from a previous marriage is poor and lives in the slums of the city. Vladimir, her well-off and elderly businessman husband, shows no love for her family, and more importantly, no financial support. With more grandchildren on the way and her eldest grandson facing compulsory military service, Elena takes matters into her own hands.
This film examines two different lifestyles: the haves and the have-nots. Vladimir is quite successful in whatever not-mentioned business he is in. His home is a large apartment with granite and wood surfaces. He drives a nice, shiny car. He keeps stacks of money in his safe. However much he has, it’s enough to keep his heirs interested.
In contrast is Elena’s son Sergey, who lives with his wife and two children in a cramped apartment within a cramped apartment building in the ghetto. He’s unemployed and relies on his mother’s pension funds to get by.
Also in contrast is how these characters act and interact with others. No one in this film is without flaws, but Vladimir at least treats his family well (his wife Elena and his estranged daughter Katerina). His attitude towards Sergey is less of a disdain or indifference and more like that crotchety old-man “back in my day, we worked for what we wanted” mentality, viewing his poor lifestyle as laziness. He’s probably right. Sergey uses his mother’s money to drink while he dominates over his wife. Instead of facing issues, he plays Playstation games with his son. No effort in the film shows him trying to overcome his situation. And Elena plays blind to her son’s slothfulness.
But Vladimir’s daughter Katerina is no shining apple either. Name a vice, and she’s apparently an addict of it. Alcohol, drugs, sex, what have you. And she has no interest in starting a family and continuing Vladimir’s family line.
All of this on class differences, on if our positions in life make us who we are, or do we make our own place in life, would be better served if the film doesn’t feel cut off instead. The film builds itself as a suspense piece, making the audience wonder if Elena will get away with her ill-gotten goods. And then it ends, with no climatic build up or resolution. The climax ends up actually halfway through the film, and the denouement falls flat as you’re left wondering about the crime thriller aspect. It’s after reflection that you realize that the film isn’t about the thrilling suspense, which isn’t all that thrilling or suspenseful, but is about these two dynamically different class structures that Elena straddles the line of, and how everyone is almost equally screwed up, just in different ways.
It’s almost a fake out, and that may throw some viewers off. Not finding out if Elena gets caught, if her efforts help her family or not, so much about the film is left to question without answering anything. Some people like that. Me, I like a little bit of concrete with my interpretive endings. The film is otherwise well put-together, but its slow pacing and a frustratingly unsatisfactory ending leaves the film falling flat.
5.5/10
The Video and Audio
The film is in 2.35:1 widescreen. The film is crisp and sharp. It’s a generally dim film, not too much sunny weather, but what color there is comes through well. The audio is all in Russian, with both 5.1 surround and stereo tracks, and English subtitles so you know what’s happening, but otherwise the audio is nothing impressive.
6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The label on the disc is a sticker that wasn’t applied well, so there’s a crease in it. It makes this release look like a cheap bootleg. Since there’s nothing on the packaging or sent with the DVD that implies that this is a pre-release review copy, I can only assume that’s what it will look like in retail, which is kind of sad.
The extras included are a half-hour interview with director Andrey Zvyagintsev, the U.S. theatrical trailer of the film, and a video showing the screen printing of the movie poster. The director interview is scattered in how it covers the film, jumping around without really maintaining interest.
Sadly, the most interesting extra is the poster screen printing video. The movie poster, which is also the box art, is a simple and clean silhouette. The actual process is fun to see. Also, local fact, the image’s designer Sam Smith and the print shop for the posters Kangaroo Press are in Nashville, TN, as is this review’s writer and CineGeek in general, so yay local props. Not enough to help much though.
4/10
Overall (Not an Average)
This will be a rough film if you don’t know what you’re getting into. Despite the premise and the plot of a suspense piece, it does away with that by the end to solely compare and contrast these two lifestyles of the well-off and the welfare-needing. Even knowing that, the film’s ending will still leave you wondering where the rest of the story is.
5.5/10
The Review
The Film 5.5/10
The Video and Audio 6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 4/10
Overall (Not an Average) 5.5/10
Related Reading:
Created by Mitch Glazer
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Steven Strait, and Danny Huston
Extravagance is what you get when you visit Magic City and Ike Evans’ Miramar Playa Hotel, with mob hits, romantic trysts, and high-rolling wining and dining to spice things up. But is the show simply all dolled up, or is it as deep as the murky water where they keep the bodies?
The Series
On Miami Beach in 1959, the Miramar Playa Hotel is the epitome of luxury, and the man responsible for making the dream for its guests is its stalwart owner Isaac “Ike” Evans. Maintaining the illusion of glamor becomes harder and harder as Evans and the hotel are swarmed with mob hits, underground gambling, spouses sleeping around, multiple break ins, and police investigations into Ike’s mysterious business partner Ben “The Butcher” Diamond. Can Ike hold his family and his hotel together as everything tries to tear it down?
This series is an ensemble piece of well-acted characters, but the focus is centered on Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Isaac “Ike” Evans. Ike is a burdened man, stressed with providing for his family and protecting his life’s work. Morgan does a great job looking like he has the weight of his world on his shoulders, and he also knows how to make the character put on a smile and be a generally likeable guy. Morgan’s Ike earns the adoration of his employees, almost so that you want to work for him.
Pitted against Ike Evans is his business partner and sinister mobster Ben “The Butcher” Diamond, eerily played by Danny Huston. Huston effortlessly adds a sadistic undertone to every scene he’s in, even when he’s simply playing cards by the pool. As predictable as much of the actions in the series may be, Huston’s Diamond is just enough off-kilter that you still fear for Ike’s close ones when Diamond’s gaze is turned towards them.
Continuing a trend of mid-20th century period pieces, Magic City sets itself at the end of the ‘50s in Miami, FL, utilizing that sharp ’50-‘60s fashion and the real life tension of the times. The mob was in full force, and Fidel Castro was taking over Cuba just miles off Miami’s shores. Unlike current period piece champ Mad Men, the setting doesn’t beat you over the head with itself. It’s less of a main feature and selling point, more of a backdrop. The history of the time sets up the environment the characters live in, but these characters could stand out at any time, which is its own selling point.
Unfortunately the story isn’t quite as strong. The show, especially early on, is plagued by obvious turns, actions whose results are called well ahead of time. It’s easy to see who the mob is going to knock off, why some girl is bad news for some guy, and how some characters are just fated for despair from the get go.
Then we have one of the biggest downfalls to this first season in its season finale, which I didn’t even realize was the season finale until no more episodes followed. There’s no thematic break to lead from one season to the next. Hardly any of the story lines resolve or reach a logical breaking point before the almost year-long pause for season two. It feels more like “we’ll be back next week” instead of “we’ll be back next year,” leaving the audience underwhelmed and less likely to stay on the hook until season two starts.
The show doesn’t bring anything new to the table with the businessman-mobster relationship story, but it dresses it up nicely with style and immersive characters. Its predictability will likely keep some away early on, but the characters will still be a treat for those who stick around.
7/10
The Video and Audio
The series is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound audio. For our Spanish speakers, you only get mono audio though, or Spanish subtitles of you prefer. For the most part, everything comes out clearly. The brightness of sunny Miami, the warm glow of the blue water, all of the color is nice and crisp.
The opening credits though, an underwater montage, have a graininess the rest of the show doesn’t. I don’t know if that’s intentional, to evoke the idea of television of that era, or what. If I can’t tell, though, then it might not be working.
7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The three-disc set comes in a folding case. The inside has a nice panoramic cast shot, with the episode titles neatly hidden under each respective disc.
The bonuses are made up of short featurettes covering various aspects of the series, from the cars to the fashion, music to the setting, and so on. Personally, I would have preferred more from the segments covering the history of Miami during this period and the construction of the impressive Miramar Playa Hotel sets.
6/10
Overall (Not an Average)
The show is a fun run on the Miami Beach with enjoyable characters that you get invested if you give them the time. The story takes some effort to build into something more interesting, and even then it’s not much, but if you stick with it, you’ll probably find yourself glad you did. Just don’t expect much extended value from the bonuses.
6/10
The Review
The Series 7/10
The Video and Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10
Overall (Not an Average) 6/10
The weekly tease features all the great teaser images and video from upcoming TV, movies, comics, toys, and much more! This week we get an official trailer for Tarantino XX 8 film Collection that includes every feature film he has directed, a trailer the next Die Hard film, early art from the upcoming Marvel NOW! initiative, and even a new trailer for the Hitchcock biopic.
Two of the teaser images from Marvel NOW! are from an upcoming new series called Superior Spider-man. The concept is that he’s finally taken everything he’s learned as a hero and used it to make himself smarter and faster than ever before. His new atitude also brings a new look.
Scroll on down and take it all in!
Click the images for larger versions.
Hitchcock Trailer and stills
Mega Photo Gallery!
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- New poster for Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3-D! The movie hits theaters January 4th 2013
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- Ice Age: Continental Drift Blu-Ray box art! Hits store shelves December 11th!
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- Here we have cover art for the upcoming unrated blu-ray release of Ted hitting store shelves December 11th!
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- Cover art for issue #1 of the new Marvel NOW! series Superior Spider-man
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- Sketch art showing many of the design changes to the new Superior Spider-man
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- Scene from the upcoming Hitchcock biopic
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- Scene from the upcoming Hitchcock biopic
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- Scene from the upcoming Hitchcock biopic
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- Box art for the upcoming Tarantino 8 film collection Tarantino XX!
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- Get ‘em for Halloween! Images of Diamond Select’s Walking Dead minimates!
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- Wolverine issue #1 cover art from the upcoming Marvel NOW! reset of many of Marvel’s most popular characters
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- Young Avengers #1 cover art, part of the Marvel NOW! initiative!
Tarantino XX 8 Film Collection Trailer
Die Hard: It’s a Good Day to Die Hard
Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Starring Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin
When you think of classic movie trilogies you probably think of the Star Wars trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or maybe the first three Indiana Jones films. Not many people mention the Paradise Lost trilogy and they probably should at least give it some consideration. If you don’t know the story of the West Memphis Three you may simply want to skip to the last paragraph of this review in order to avoid spoilers. These events were all over the news so as I write the review I’m assuming you already know what happened. If you don’t, then skip ahead, decide whether you want to watch this film or all three, and return here and share what you think with me.
The Movie
This film starts with a recap of the previous two before leading into what is perceived to be the final chapter of the story. So by recapping the first two films here I’m in essence covering the first two thirds of the film.
The first Paradise Lost, title Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills was a true benchmark in documentary film making. The original film aired on HBO in 1996 and it profiled three teenage boys accused of brutally murdering three other younger boys. The mutilated bodies of the boys were found in a shallow creek in West Memphis, Arkansas. The three teen boys were linked to the crime via satanic rituals. As dumb as that may sound at this point in American history the idea of Satanic rituals and even murder was at an all time high, coming off the heavy metal years, a form of music that was also connected to Satanism at the time. One of the three boys confessed to the crimes. The documentary begins as the trial was also beginning. The filmmakers gained unprecedented access to the legal teams on both sides of the case, they covered the courtroom drama and broke the proceedings up by interviewing nearly everyone connected with the murdered boys and those accused of doing the killing. The film was gripping and emotionally challenging. The film features crime scene photos and videos that brought the horror of the crime home and engendered true pain to me when I saw the film for the first time. The band Metallica became involved in the events only because they believed the boys innocent and they contributed their music to the film, which made it all even more dark and sad.
It’s impossible for a documentary filmmaker to craft a film with true objectivity. There must be some passion for a subject in order to want to spend countless hours covering it for a film that you are likely to make no money from. With that said as the film progresses and the filmmakers become more invested in the subject you can tell that they believe the trial to be in many ways a farce. By the end you may have questions too? Was the police work handled properly? Was the trial taken seriously enough? Did the politicians want a scape goat and they found it in these boys or did these Goth kids with troubled pasts commit the crime? At the end of that film the verdicts are passed down and it doesn’t seem to matter what anyone thinks. Paradise Lost is easily one of the most important and effective documentary films ever made.
In real life stories don’t usually end until we die and sometimes they don’t even end there. Documentaries just have to stop at some point. Paradise Lost returns to the story of the Memphis three in 2000 to follow their maddening appeals process and the work of an internet advocacy group called “Free the West Memphis Three”. More importantly they follow up on one of the kid’s stepfather, Mark Byers. Byers was a particularly creepy individual during the first film. He actually ended up involving the filmmakers when he gifted them a pocket knife that had blood on it. There was new evidence during the appeal of bite marks on one of the mutilated bodies. In the time since the previous film Mark Byers had all of his teeth removed. The filmmakers are embroiled in the process now and the first film has had a profound effect on the town, the victims, and those accused. The documentary actually becomes somewhat personal but the filmmakers do a good job of still keeping themselves out of the film unless it’s completely necessary that they be mentioned or included. There’s no real ending to this film, it just asks questions that the courts aren’t asking and shows the stonewalling that is going on in regard to the Memphis Three. It’s real life and it’s dramatic.
Finally this year the filmmakers returned for what will probably be a final look at this story. Two of the kids had been sentenced to life in prison and Damien had been sentenced to death so the final push to save his life was on from many directions. Even the Dixie Chicks, a country music group, and actor Johnny Depp came out in support of the West Memphis Three. The Save the West Memphis Three group is still in full effect and one of them has even married the now in his 30’s Damien Echols. At the beginning of the recap we once again see the horrifying video footage of the murdered children in the creek bed and I was immediately nauseous and emotionally jolted. It may seem like exploitation but the truth is that with this entire circus going on the filmmakers never want us to forget what the film is truly about. Who committed this brutal crime? A team of experts descended upon the small Arkansas town to take advantage of a new law that allowed DNA evidence to get a case reconsidered. A hair was found on one of the bodies that could now prove that the boys weren’t involved or that the evidence that did convict them was completely circumstantial. A new figure, possible other murderer had also come to light and warranted consideration. The new investigations were followed as well as profiles executed to show what the events of the last 17 years had done to the families and the town.
Enough evidence was gathered to probably get the boys, now men, a new trial. They geared up for a new fight that they would probably win because by today’s standards the circumstantial evidence compared to the hard DNA evidence wouldn’t convict them, or so they believe. As they prepared for the big fight, one that might take more years but they that they really had potential to win the state does something unexpected that gives the boys what they want while forcing the boys to do exactly what they don’t want to do. This part I won’t spoil, I won’t give away. The ending of this film was completely devastating. These three men have fought from prison for nearly half their lives and the eventual outcome isn’t satisfying and even with what seems like a layer of finality the story still isn’t over. I actually wanted to break down with Jason Baldwin who made the ultimate sacrifice to save his friend. The story is maddening and sad, it’s real life.
This film is the least objective of the three. This time around the filmmakers aren’t really showing both sides. They are simply profiling the three men in prison and all of the efforts going on to save their lives. The first film did look at both sides but as the story began to feel more and more like one of those horror films where everyone knows the truth except a few characters on screen the director’s decided to stop trying to play at both sides and just tell the story of the Memphis Three. If there’s one complaint it might be that the majority of the film is recapping the first two. At the same time the recapping is used as threads to tie events from those three films to current happenings so even that is a nitpick because the filmmakers handled it well. The true issue is that if you haven’t seen the first two films these recaps short sheet the overall story a bit. They’d have to though: we aren’t watching Lord of the Rings here. The movie can only be so long. This film does put a cap on a story that has been ongoing for 17 years and while it isn’t satisfying it is real life.
9.5/10
The Video
This is a documentary so expecting reference quality video is a mistake. With that said the images shot by the filmmakers specifically for this film have good color and an overall solid television video appearance. There is low quality deposition video and archival footage that varies in quality but overall the image is acceptable considering the type of film.
7/10
The Audio
Again audio can vary drastically depending on age of the footage and the way it was shot. For the most part everything is clean enough to understand here and that’s about all you can expect considering the mix of media types and age of some of the footage.
6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The single disc release features a standard amaray case with a gradiated image of yearbook pictures that turns into the name of the film. It’s not special in any way but it is consistent artistically with the previous films’ DVD releases.
First up for bonus features is a series of deleted scenes. There’s one deleted scene from the first film and the rest are from the third one. All of these scenes are fascinating but they mostly don’t lead anywhere so it’s obvious why they were cut.
There’s a press day panel that should have been provided uncut but instead it’s cut into sound bites from the West Memphis Three and the two filmmakers. Good stuff, I wanted more. There’s a bit more from the filmmakers in an additional interview with them. These are interesting guys who’ve been through the whole thing the last 17 years so they have a lot to say; probably a lot more than is included in this all too brief featurette. Finally there are text based bios for the filmmakers.
There should have been a lot more in the way of bonus features on this disc including but not limited to a full length audio commentary. What we have is better than is often provided on documentary releases though.
6/10
Paradise Lost: Purgatory is at its core such a sad film. Three 2nd graders weren’t just murdered; they were tortured and killed in the worst of ways. Then three other children were blamed and made to pay for it for the rest of their lives in one way or another. This film is epic, it’s moving, it’s shocking, and it’s well executed. I do hope this story doesn’t end here though. There are still too many unanswered questions. See this film but see the previous two first.
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
The Review
The Movie 9.5/10
The Video 7/10
The Audio 6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10
Related Reading:
Directed by Sam Liu and Rick Morales
Starring Josh Keaton, Kevin Michael Richardson, Grey DeLisle, and Jason Spisak
The Series
The “Rise of the Red Lanterns” story arc focuses on Green Lanterns human pilot Hal Jordon and hulking pink alien Kilowag traversing far off planets as they investigate and combat against the emerging threat of the oppressive Red Lanterns. Right there, the show fixes one of the problems the live-action film has, which is to take it off Earth, although I think a balance needs to be struck with some Earth adventures, which will probably be fixed in later episodes. We get to see the Green Lanterns actually be space cops. Just as much of the show, if not more, features Hal and Kilowag dealing with extraterrestrial problems that don’t deal with the Red Lanterns.
The series does a good job exploring and reinventing some of the standard Green Lantern mythos. The series takes reasonable liberties introducing other Green Lanterns and more alien species that DC fans will be sure to enjoy. Viewers get to see more of the color spectrum than the usual Green Lantern green and Sinestro yellow. I’m glad the series keeps away from the easy villains of Sinestro and Parallax, although I’m sure the series is even gladder after the film.
The acting is all well done. Josh Keaton and Kevin Michael Richardson pull off a great Hal and Kilowag respectively. The character of Red Lantern Razor (Josh Spisak) is acted well, but I find his sort of newbie character cliché he feeels tired, the reformed bad guy looking for redemption and begrudgingly opening to the good guys’ ways. The computer Aya (Grey Delisle) is a more interesting computer program with sentience trying to fit in, and that fits better with me but could also be tired to others.
The series has a few slower points in the middle going towards the end, as it revisits and emphasizes elements from its earlier episodes. It also lacks a sense of suspense, the characters don’t feel as in too much trouble, but this does add to the excitement on those moments where they do (usually when facing Atrocitus).
All together, Green Lantern: The Animated Series is off to a decent start. As the show moves away from the movie and can play with more of the Green Lantern canon, I’m sure it’ll be more fun. The one thing I missed from the show is more Earth Green Lanterns. From what I hear, Guy Gardner is showing up in part two, so here’s to that.
7/10
The Video and Audio
The video is presented in a matted widescreen format to maintain its broadcast aspect ratio, yet also enhanced for widescreen TVs, so what you saw on Cartoon Network may be what you see here.
The CGI animation unfortunately isn’t all that much to look at. The character and background designs are simple, and while some are pretty interesting and unique, others come off as bland and empty, particularly the scenery. Hal himself looks like the classic Bruce Timm character style from his work in the Batman, Superman, and Justice League animated series in the ‘90s and ‘00s, and I don’t think it looks as well in CGI as in 2-D. Adding to this is some occasionally jerky movements, which overall gives the show a cheap feel, which is still well transferred to disc, so while it may look cheap, at least it’s clean.
The series audio and subtitles come in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and I believe Thai. The reason for the uncertainty? The box only lists English and Spanish, and I don’t understand the alphabet used to spell out the Thai language option, if that is indeed it. Sounds enough like Ong Bak though.
The audio is easily understood and comes through clearly. The soundtrack does a good job setting the theme of this epic space journey, especially the main opening theme.
6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The two-disc set comes in a standard DVD case. The only extra is Green Lantern: The Animated Series #0 in digital comic form. It plays a page at a time, then each individual panel before moving on to the next page. It’s more trouble than it’s worth on any screen 20 inches or smaller.
3/10
Overall (Not an Average)
The series is just starting, and this is an early release. I like where the show is going, and I want to see more. With its weak selection of bonuses, this isn’t the release for collectors of DC animated works, of which there are plenty. It will be fine for kids to go through, or to watch while waiting for the second part of season one to finish and a complete season set with more bells and whistles is released.
6/10
The Review
The Series 7/10
The Video and Audio 6/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 3/10
Overall (Not an Average) 6/10
