Richard Roeper | Hot Tub Time Machine | Summer Movies 2010

I have always been a fan of the classic Universal monster movies. As a kid, I had posters of Bela Lugois’s Dracula, Lon Chaney’s Phantom and Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein and Mummy adorning my bedroom walls, but for some reason, I never really was able to get into the Lon Chaney, Jr. character of the Wolfman or, for that matter, any of the scores of films that followed during the ensuing decades and that round out the werewolf film genre. I am not sure why that was the case. Perhaps it was because the werewolf transformation scenes that always seemed to be a prevalent part of those movies was oftentimes the keystone of the films, and despite probably eating up a large portion of the film’s budget, always just ended up looking too hokey and thus instantly pulled the viewer out of the filmgoing experience. Perhaps though it was the fact that the special effects, even dating back to the 1941 original, always tended to usurp any real development of character. The Wolfman would brood, would transform once the full moon came around and then would brood some more, but audiences would never really get into the real essence of the characters that they were able to in films like DRACULA or FRANKENSTEIN.

The same unfortunately holds true with director Joe Johnston’s (HIDALGO) remake of the classic film. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of exposition and a lot of explaining the different characters’ motives, so much so that it becomes tiresome and dreadfully slow in places, but as is always the case in the genre, the characters are constantly just reacting and never really proactive in their actions. The audience knows that the main character will turn into a werewolf during a full moon, and in the case with this movie, will go on an incredibly graphic and bloody killing spree, but that’s all there ever really is in regard to plot. Although the werewolf in this film is played by Benicio Del Toro, himself a very fine actor, there seems to be no true conflict for his non-wolf incarnation to explore. Here is a character that through the film is presented with the brutal death of his brother, is forced to return home to deal with a father he does not get along with, and then ultimately must wrestle with the fact that he becomes a werewolf and is killing townspeople. Instead of letting a talented actor really delve into these areas, Johnston instead allows Del Toro to sit and brood. Scene after excruciatingly similar scene.

It appears throughout the film that Johnston and screenwriters Andrew Kevin Walker (AMBUSH) and David Self (ROAD TO PERDITION) are more content with keeping the characters within the stereotypes of the genre as opposed to giving audiences a fresh and revitalized interpretation of the classic. Plot elements and entire characters are thrown in haphazardly and never fully developed, such as a mysterious gypsy woman who knows the intricacies of the curse of the werewolf lore, but whose explanations really have no semblance to other aspects of the plot, and an entire sequence in a mental institution that is completely inserted only as a catalyst for an inevitable kill fest. The film feels overall to be incredibly disjointed as if the filmmakers were not even sure which direction they were eventually going to take the movie, and instead of choosing a solidified path, resort instead to stereotype and conventionality. Even the film’s opening segment of Del Toro on stage performing HAMLET appears completely out of synch with the tonality of the film simply because Johnston has Del Toro presenting a caricature of a Victorian-era Shakespearean actor in a performance that is simply laughable and would make any patron of the RSC cringe. How is the audience supposed to believe that this is the most revered stage actor in England with such a superficial portrayal of the Bard’s most famous misanthrope? Johnston though keeps the character development and the plot at only this level of superficiality and in the process creates a film that is both predictable and dull.

There are some fantastic elements of the film however, and these are rooted specifically in the art direction of Andy Nicholson (ALICE IN WONDERLAND), the production design of Rick Heinrichs (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3: AT WORLD’S END) and the always beyond amazing work of make-up artist extrordinaire, Rick Baker (HELLBOY). Each of these individual’s teams creates a beautiful look to the film that easily captures the essence of the gothic horror tradition as found in the novels of Walpole and Radcliffe, utilizing both stark color palettes combined with cutting-edge make-up that gives the audience a truly authentic experience. These triumphs are marred though by the visual effects team that provide shots of a running werewolf that appear to be simply inserted in without any heft to the creature’s movements, making it look fake. Had the CGI been minimized in favor of more of Baker’s make-up, a stronger picture would have emerged.

In the end, despite the look of THE WOLFMAN being visually dynamic, the movie ends up being nothing more than talented actors trapped in superficial performances in a disjointed plot that was most likely the obvious victim of too many rewrites.

For the DVD release of the film, Universal is including both the theatrical and the unrated director’s cut of the film that adds sixteen minutes of additional footage, though you will honestly prefer to have that time in your life free for other pursuits. The DVD includes:

• Deleted and Extended scenes: Lawrence Talks with Gwen; Singh’s Story; Extended Mausoleum Transformation; Extended London Chase; Extended Final Fight

To order the DVD directly from Amazon for less, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

DVD Bonus Features: LACKING

Now, here is your chance to take a look at the exclusive trailer from the action film, starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and Billy Connolly who are each reprising their roles from the first film.

Writer and director Nancy Meyers (SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE), has crafted a fantastic film that not only has some great comedic moments in it that will have audiences laughing out loud, but that also explores the relationships between some exceptionally well crafted characters who form the central core of the picture. IT’S COMPLICATED follows the story of Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin), a couple who have been divorced for a decade, but who are reunited for their son’s graduation from college. After an inebriating night of celebrating though, they find themselves in the same bed once again. Complicating the matter is the fact that Jake is now remarried to a substantially younger trophy wife, Agness (Lake Bell) who is trying to persuade him to have another child, and Jane has just begun flirting with her architect Adam (Steve Martin). On top of this, there are Jane and Jack’s three children whom they must hide their affair from. As can be expected, hilarity ensues as everyone’s relationships become more and more complicated as the film unfolds.

What Meyers does exceptionally well with her films is to build strong characters that seem very true to real life and that never become simply stock or predictable. Meyers’s characters are flawed, they are allowed to make mistakes and to go against the grain of what an audience might expect from them, and IT’S COMPLICATED further exemplifies this. Both Jake and Jane are the direct cause for all of the complications they face in the film, but this makes them even more endearing. This here is where Meyers’s plot is the strongest, for not only is there a sense of authenticity to the characters, but in having them be multi-dimensional, they become even more accessible to the audience, and in turn, IT’S COMPLICATED becomes a film with a tremendous amount of heart. Audiences may not agree with each of the decisions that Jake or Jane make throughout the movie, but at the same instance they could most likely imagine themselves making similar decisions when caught up in a similar moment.

With such a solid plot though, the casting had to be dead right for the movie to work, and IT’S COMPLICATED features such an enormously talented cast that it exceeds all expectations. While the genius of artists such as Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin or Steve Martin really does not need to be spoken, what becomes striking in IT’S COMPLICATED is just how generous each of these seasoned professionals are. They each appear to always allow whomever they are sharing the screen with to shine, and in doing so, create a palpable chemistry that resonates throughout the film. There is even a restraint to some of their performances, and this adds to the believability of the characters and does not allow the comedy in the film to devolve into the ridiculous. Viewers get the sense that they are watching actors, who may each be at the pinnacle of their craft, but who still are able to elevate each other through their performances.

IT’S COMPLICATED is a movie well worth seeing and even one that you will most likely find yourself revisiting time and time again.

The DVD release of the film contains:

• The Making of IT’S COMPLICATED (20:00)
• Feature commentary with Writer/Director/Producer Nancy Meyers, Executive Producer Suzanne Farwell, Director of Photography John Toll and Editor Joe Hutsching

To order the DVD from Amazon for less, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

DVD bonus features: AVERAGE

I am an enormous Buster Keaton fan. I have been for as long as I can remember. In fact, I still vividly recall the very first time I ever saw Keaton. It was the famous clip from his 1928 film STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. where an entire side of a house falls onto the unsuspecting Keaton, who barely escapes from harm due to a perfectly aligned open window frame on the top floor that was just big enough for his body to fit through as the wall came crashing to the ground. It was spectacular. In the days long before CGI, even as a child I understood that Keaton’s stunts balanced precariously between life and death for the star. I thus promptly told my parents that I wanted to be a stuntman. Fortunately though, no one in our neighborhood would drop a house on me. A few decades later, I had the opportunity to see two of Keaton’s films, COLLEGE and COPS on the big screen when the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago held a special screening complete with live accompaniment. Seeing clean prints of those classics was like rediscovering Keaton all over again, and after watching the blu-ray release of THE GENERAL, I feel exactly the same way.

THE GENERAL is Keaton’s classic from 1926 and the first of his films to make its way to blu-ray. Set during the Civil War, THE GENERAL follows the story of Johnny Gray (Keaton), a railroad engineer who wants desperately to enlist in the Confederate army, but who is consistently rejected since he is thought to be more valuable working the rails. When Gray’s trusty locomotive, The General, is stolen by Yankee spies though, he sets out on a cross country chase to recover his beloved train and prevent the North from waging an attack on Southern troops. Based on a true story, THE GENERAL is an amazing movies and one that easily features some of the best chase sequences ever captured on film.

Keaton is of course the quintessential indie film maker, an incredibly talented performer who not only starred in his films, but who also wrote and directed many of them as well. THE GENERAL is no exception, with Keaton sharing directing and writing duties with frequent collaborator Clyde Bruckman, and the result is a masterpiece of a movie, where incredible action sequences are blended seamlessly with the trademark Keaton humor and unbelievable gags. At the time it was filmed, THE GENERAL featured the most expensive shot ever staged for a silent film with the spectacular train crash of The Texas locomotive off of a bridge. Costing $42,000 in 1926, the single shot would surpass the half-million mark in today’s dollars and is a prime example of the lengths Keaton went to in ensuring that the stunts featured in his films were second to none.

The blu-ray edition of THE GENERAL is amazing, and one that should make it into everyone’s collection, silent film buff or not. Mastered in HD from a 35mm archive print struck from the original camera negative, the picture is absolutely stunning and presents Keaton’s masterpiece as it should be seen. Hopefully this release will mark the beginning of more of Keaton’s works to appear in the blu-ray medium so more people may fall in love with Keaton’s work all over again and so that a new generation of viewers can see why performers such as Jackie Chan site Keaton as one of their biggest influences.

The blu-ray release features:

• Video tour of The General: A look at the actual locomotive Keaton’s film is based on that now resides at The Southern Museum (18:00)
• The Buster Express: clips of Buster Keaton’s famous train scenes from various movies (5:47)
• Tour of filming locations: John Bengston, author of the book SILENT ECHOES, visits Oregon to find some of the original filming locations (4:00)
• Home movie footage shot in Cottage Grove, OR during the filming of THE GENERAL (1:00)
• Intro by Gloria Swanson from the 1960s television show “Silents Please” (2:13)
• Intro by Orson Welles from the PBS show “The Silent Years: Films from the collection of Paul Killiam” (12:21)
• DVD release trailer from 2008 (1:00)
• Photo Gallery
• Carl Davis score from 1987
• Robert Israel score from 1995
• Lee Irwin score from the 1970s

To order the blu-ray directly from Amazon for less, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blu-ray bonus featues: AVERAGE

The ABC Player app extends the reach of ABC.com’s full episode player onto the iPad. iPad users will have the ability to watch free, ad-supported episodes from approximately twenty popular ABC series through a wi-fi connection. The application will also allow iPad users to purchase downloads of episodes via the iTunes store. The ABC iPad app brings the full experience of ABC.com’s Emmy Award-winning full episode player to a touch-screen, handheld device for the first time. Additionally, the ABC.com site is now optimized for the iPad, complete with full-functionality for all its features, including short-form video.

Disney Publishing Worldwide has built two original TOY STORY read-along apps for the iPad, both combining Disney stories and unique activities with cutting edge technology. Each TOY STORY read-along is an immersive multimedia experience. The books feature video from the feature films, karaoke and voice record features, the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, songs from the movies, original games, and even an interactive coloring feature that lets kids finger-paint with up to ten fingers on the screen. The TOY STORY app is free and the TOY STORY 2 app is $8.99 and comes with a one month free subscription to disneydigitalbooks.com. In addition, new “Disney Princess,” “Phineas & Ferb,” “Winnie the Pooh” and TOY STORY 3 apps will go live on the iPad later this spring.

Disney Online has built a custom iPad version of its flagship website, Disney.com, which focuses on exclusive video content. iPad videos featured at launch include new scenes from highly-anticipated Disney films THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE and PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, full-episodes of popular Disney Channel and Disney XD series “Hannah Montana,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Suite Life on Deck” and “Phineas & Ferb,” and a new Muppets music video, “Stand by Me.”

“The iPad provides a very compelling consumer experience, and we are pleased to have new forms of original, interactive content on this great device,” said Bob Iger, President and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

In addition to the ABC player and TOY STORY read-along apps, Disney, ABC and ESPN will launch the following applications:

• Fairies Fly on iPad: Fly with the Fairies and discover a world of adventure and fun like never before! Enhanced with visually stunning graphics and new art just for the iPad, this magical game captures the excitement of the changing seasons in a place called Pixie Hollow.
• JellyCar 2 on iPad: The sequel to one of last year’s top games, JellyCar 2 comes fully loaded with more than 30 levels, power-ups, new Two-Player Modes: Tether and Race. Jelly Car is the hit driving platform game developed by Walaber. The game is about driving a squishy car through squishy worlds to reach the exit.
• Phineas and Ferb Arcade on iPad: Inspired by Disney Channel and DXD’s #1 animated program for kids 6-11 comes Phineas and Ferb Arcade. Play with your favorite characters in three simple, silly mini games: win the surfing trophy in Cowabunga Candance, test your secret agent skills in Agent P’s Hideout, and build a mountain in S’no Problem!
• ESPN Pinball on iPad: ESPN Pinball offers a new twist on classic arcade gameplay. ESPN Pinball is packed with features including minigames, unique basketball sound effects and play by play voiceover by ESPN SportsCenter host Jay Harris.
• ESPN ScoreCenter XL: ESPN introduces ScoreCenter XL, the ultimate game companion experience for the iPad. The original, award-winning ESPN ScoreCenter app for iPhone and iPod touch devices, downloaded more than 5 million times since it first launched in June, has been optimized for the iPad’s interface and enhanced with new, premium features. These include live play-by-play, video highlights, game summaries and statistics, box scores and standings. In addition, ESPN ScoreCenter XL offers personalized news and video on “myTeams,” and the leading headlines and highlights of the day available through “Top Events.”
• FamilyFun Craft Finder on iPad: The Disney FamilyFun Craft Finder App provides instant access to FamilyFun’s library of great craft ideas for the whole family. The iPad version features includes more crafts and full-size pictures. Whether you’re looking to make a Carryall Castle or a Pipe Cleaner Penguins, you’ll find ideas for any occasion or season.

For more details, and to see a demo of the ABC Player on the iPad, go to www.abc.com/ipad.

It is impossible to believe that this year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the release of TOY STORY, and the eleventh anniversary of TOY STORY 2. Watching them again though with their release now in high-definition on Blu-ray, makes it easy to see why the films were both instant classics and why they still resonate just as strongly today as they did so many years ago. Yes, the movies are simply “buddy films,” pairing two opposites together and sending them on a seemingly impossible quest, that was even not a fresh idea back when Laurel & Hardy were utilizing the same concept in the thirties, but the fact is, at the heart of each of the TOY STORY films is such an incredible amount of heart. Seeing the films now even as an older adult is like welcoming old friends home once again. John Lasseter and his crew at Pixar excel at creating characters that an audience can immediately identify with and empathize with. None of their characters are perfect, and it is with these small flaws that they become even more accessible. This gives each of the characters such a great range of depth and is the central reason why the films endure. Audiences can watch a film and feel like they identify on a greater level with the exuberance of Woody or with the confidence of Buzz. Even when the new characters of Jessie and Bullseye from “Woody’s Roundup” were introduced in the second film, the interpersonal dynamics of distinctively different individuals interacting with one another remained and thus illustrated the importance of character when crafting any story.

It’s also easy now to look at computer animation as routine and something that is seen everyday in movies, television and commercials, but one can never overlook exactly what Pixar was able to achieve with these films. It is easy to say that Pixar’s animation sets the standard that the rest follow, and that they constantly keep setting the bar higher and higher with each subsequent movie, but one may forget just how revolutionary the animation in TOY STORY was when it first hit the screens in 1995. Even in the blu-ray medium, the movies never look dated as could be expected from films that each are over a decade old, and which in the world of computer technology, equates to that of the archaic. The films simply look amazing in HD and still fill the viewer with wonder and a sense of excitement in viewing the amazing animation with its intricate attention to detail and great lighting that reveals such carefully planned and brilliantly animated surface textures that give the films an incredible vibrancy and realism.

Pairing this with outstanding voice talent and direction, both TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 rank among the best and imaginative movies ever released. With the upcoming release of TOY STORY 3 on June 18th, families have the chance to introduce their children to these classics before the adventure continues once again, and both of these films are must-have’s for anyone’s collection.

Continuing a fantastic practice with their new releases as well, Disney has included both a Blu-ray and a DVD in Special Edition Combo Packs that allow the films to be watched on varying platforms in the home and to ensure that viewers can enjoy the films without having to purchase multiple copies of it.

Each film also contains an extraordinary amount of bonus material that will keep cinephiles happy for hours that include:

TOY STORY BONUS FEATURES

• TOY STORY 3 Sneak Peek: “The Story” (2:02)
• Audio Commentary with John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Bill Reeves, Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Log: Blast Off (3:27)
• Paths to Pixar: Artists (4:49)
• Studio Stories: John’s Car (1:27)
• Studio Stories: Scooter Races (2:16)
• Buzz Takes Manhattan (2:19)
• Black Friday: The TOY STORY you never saw (7:34) This includes the original very dark storyreel that was originally shown to Disney and that Lasseter still to this day despises

Classic DVD Bonus Features

• Filmmakers reflect (16:56)
• Making TOY STORY (20:17)
• The Legacy of TOY STORY (11:41)
• Designing TOY STORY (6:12)
• Deleted Scenes: Deleted Animation Intro (1:45), Torture (:48), Rain (1:23), Deleted Storyreel Intro (1:21), Alternate Opening: Buzz Show (2:43), Alternate Opening: Shootout (1:48), Woody’s Nightmare (1:20), Eastern Gate (3:03), Shakes the Rattle (1:52), Sid’s Comeuppance (2:47)
• Design: Galleries–Woody (1:52), Buzz (1:49), Andy’s Toys (1:42), Misc. Toys (1:21), Mutant Toys (1:53), Andy’s Family (1:07), Sid’s Family (1:47), Andy’s Room (:42), Gas Station (:23), Sid’s Room (:42), Pizza Planet (:45); 3-D Visualization–Woody (:22), Buzz (:22), Andy’s Toys (1:28), Alien (:22), Andy’s Room (:52), Gas Station (1:09), Sid’s Room (1:06); Color–Designing Color (3:34), Concept Art (1:15), Color Script (3:05)
• Story: Green Army Men (4:41), Andy’s New Toy Storyreel (4:40), “The Chase” Storyreel/Film Comparison (3:21)
• Production: Production Tour (1:51), Layout Tricks (3:25), Animation Tour (1:23), Multi-language Reel (4:30)
• Music & Sound: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” Music Video (2:15), Designing Sound (6:35), Randy Newman Demos
• Publicity: Character Interview (1:29), Trailers (4:38), TV Spots (2:08), Posters (:57), Toys & Stuff (1:02); TOY STORY Treats–Hobbies (2:18), Dreams (:22), Space Rangers (:53), Games (1:52), Rex at Play (1:10), Hamm Salesman (:31), Night Time (:45), Thrill Ride (:40), TV Time (1:33), Professor Rex (:41), Fast Food (1:01), Alien Encounter (:56), Go Fish (:11), Mrs. Nesbit (:11), Buzz Lightyear Commercial (:52)

TOY STORY 2 BONUS FEATURES

• TOY STORY 3 Sneak Peek: “The Characters” (4:00) A great look at some of the new characters in the upcoming TOY STORY 3 including the large pink stuffed bear that smells like strawberries, Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty), Ken (Michael Keaton) of Barbie and Ken fame, and the hedgehog Shakespearean actor who loves to wear lederhosen, Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton)
• Audio Commentary with John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannor, Andrew Stanton
• Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: International Space Station (3:43)
• Paths to Pixar: Technical Artists (4:24)
• Studio Stories: TOY STORY 2 Sleep Deprivation Lab (1:25)
• Studio Stories: Pinocchio (2:15)
• Studio Stories: The Movie Vanishes (2:32)
• Pixar’s Zoetrope (1:58)
• Clebrating Our Friend Joe Ranft (12:46)

Classic DVD Bonus Features

• Making TOY STORY 2 (8:10)
• John Lasseter Profile (3:02)
• Cast of Characters (3:28)
• Toy Box: Outtakes (5:27), Jessie’s Gag (1:00), Who’s the Coolest Toy? (3:19), Riders in the Sky Music Medley (3:11), Autographed Pictures (:45)
• Deleted Scenes: Deleted Animation Intro (:47), Godzilla Rex (1:28), Crossing the Road (1:56)
• Production: Designing Woody’s Past (2:50), Making Woody’s Roundup (1:51), Production Tour (2:31), Early Animation Tests (3:04), Special Effects (1:38), International Scene (1:47)
• Music & Sound: Designing Sound (5:38), Making the Songs (3:25), Woody’s Roundup Music Video (2:17), “Jessie’s Song” Randy Newman Demo (2:48)
• Publicity: Character Interview (2:05), Trailers (3:24), TV Spots (2:12), Posters (:51), Baseball Woody (:19)
• Design: Galleries–Woody (1:52), Buzz (2:03), Andy’s Toys (2:09), Woody’s Roundup (3:06), Zurg (1:00), Al (1:10), Zurg’s Planet (:55), Andy’s House (:36), Al’s Apartment (1:04), Al’s Toy Barn (1:40), Airport (1:08); 3-D Visualization–Woody (:22), Buzz (:22), Andy’s Toys (2:34), Roundup Gang (1:06), Zurg (:22), Al (:22), Tour Guide Barbie (:22), Zurg’s Planet (:32), Andy’s House (1:04), Al’s Apartment (1:04), Al’s Toy Barn (2:10), Airport (1:04); Color–Intro (:33), Color Script (2:19), Color Keys (1:38)

To order TOY STORY directly from Amazon, CLICK HERE.

To order TOY STORY 2 directly from Amazon, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blu-ray Bonus Features: EXTENSIVE

Disney marked an amazingly triumphant return to hand drawn animation, the very foundation which the studio was built upon, with their 2009 release, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. For moviegoers who are accustomed now to the barrage of computer animation and CGI that not only dominates the feature animated film medium, but is also routinely found in just about every other facet of the entertainment industry, the question arose that would a modern audience find the hand drawn animation relevant, or would it appear to be dated and not as technically proficient as its modern stylized counterparts? The fact is, the animation in THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is astounding and is only further enhanced by experiencing it in the Blu-ray medium in HD. Set in the vibrant backdrop of a 1920s Jazz Age New Orleans, the team of animators at Disney were able to bring the vitality of the city to life, and utilizing techniques first developed during features such as BAMBI, were able to seamlessly blend an almost impressionistic background with the exquisite detailing of items in the foreground of the picture. As one of my favorite cities to visit, I have always found that the essence of the French Quarter in New Orleans becomes hard to convey at times on the big screen, being compressed into its two-dimensional representation. This though is not the case with THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, where at times you actually feel like you are standing on Canal Street and hearing the jazz music permeating from the clubs around you.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG loosely follows the classic children’s story, but in this instance, it offers up a twist, for now when the Prince (Bruno Campos), trapped inside of a frog’s body, asks the Princess (Anika Noni Rose) for a kiss, he is not instantly transformed into his human form, but rather, she is now turned into a frog. As is always the case with a Disney film, a host of characters join the principals in their quest, and in THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, audiences are introduced to wonderful additions to the Disney family such as the jazz-loving, trumpeting alligator Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) and the lovelorn Cajun firefly, Ray (Jim Cummings) who each deliver phenomenal voice performances and bring a great joviality to the film.

At the heart of THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is a strong story driven by character, and central to that is Tiana, the “Princess” who tries throughout the film to be transformed back into a human along with Prince Naveen. The ninth Princess in the Disney stable, and the first African-American, Tiana is a modernized definition of a Princess. She is not reactive, passively letting the plot drive her actions, but is instead driven with a strong direction and goal in life, while maintaining a grounding in reality. With an outstanding performance, encompassing both acting as well as singing by the talented Anika Noni Rose, the character of Tiana comes alive in the film and will thus serve to be one of the most inspirational Disney Princesses to have graced the screen.

A Disney film would not be complete without a villain, and THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG offers a fantastic embodiment in the character of the voodoo trickster, Dr. Facilier, performed by one of the greatest voices you will hear on screen in any capacity, Keith David (DEATH AT A FUNERAL). Dr. Facilier’s scenes steal the show, and with wild animation of swirling colors and disembodied voodoo spirits accompanying him in the “Friends on the Other Side” musical number, echoes of FANTASIA will instantly be recognized in some of the daring animation.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is simply animation excellence. The film has great characters, great songs, and an original twist on a familiar story that will keep audiences engaged throughout and should definitely be on everyone’s list of must-own Blu-rays.

Disney has released a three-disc combo pack that includes a Blu-ray, a DVD and a digital copy of the film to allow viewers to experience it across a variety of mediums without having to purchase the film again and again. The bonus features included:

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG bonus features

• Deleted Scenes: “Intro,” “Advice from Mama,” “Alternate Louis Intro,” “Stop and Smell the Roses,” “Naveen Confides in Ray”
• Music and more: “Never Knew I Needed” music video by Ne-Yo
• Bringing Life to Animation (Live action reference footage): “Intro,” “Dig a Little Deeper,” “The Proposal” (8:08)
• Audio commentary with Co-writers/Directors John Musker and Ron Clements and Producer Peter Del Vecho
• Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess (22:11)
• The Return of Hand Drawn Animation (2:43)
• The Disney Legacy
• Disney’s Newest Princess
• The Princess and the Animator (2:26)
• Conjuring the Villain (1:50)
• A Return to the Animated Musical
• Art Galleries
• What Do You See: Princess Portraits

To order directly from Amazon for less, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blu-ray Bonus Features: AVERAGE

This review is real. Every word that you are about to read is real. It can be corroborated by actual accounts.

There’s nothing wrong with filmmakers trying to find some sort of gimmick to hook an audience and to generate enough word of mouth and buzz about their film in hopes to fill theatre seats. When THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT came out in 1999, I was shocked to find out just how many people actually believed that the film’s premise was real and that the footage seen on the screen truly happened. The film transcended the usual moviegoing experience into that of urban legend, where people were convinced that everything was true and that they knew someone who knew someone who knew someone that knew one of the “documentary” film crew members. To me, I found it to be brilliant marketing, and the film’s box office numbers would attest to that fact, garnering close to $250 million worldwide on an estimated $60,000 budget. So when I saw the initial trailer for THE FOURTH KIND, where actress Milla Jovovich breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience to tell them that all of the events in the film are real and are corroborated with original video footage, I looked around the theatre and sure enough you could see the audience was hooked. I imagined that soon I would begin hearing once again how someone knew someone who knew someone who…well, you get the picture. Unfortunately though, where THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT offered a solid horror flick with a distinctive, and now often imitated style, THE FOURTH KIND falls way short of being even a watchable movie.

THE FOURTH KIND follows the story of “Dr. Abigail Tyler,” a psychiatrist in Nome, Alaska who discovers after putting some of her patients under hypnosis that a slew of disappearances in the small city over many years could actually be attributed to alien abductions. Much like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT though, these boogeymen never are seen throughout the film, but in THE FOURTH KIND, they are introduced to the audience via voice only, something that sounds a bit like one of the Transformers speaking ancient Sumerian. I am not kidding. The aliens speak Sumerian. To remind the audience though that this actually happened, writer and director (and also actor in the film), Olatunde Osunsanmi (SMOKIN’ ACES 2: ASSASSINS BALL) intercuts the “film” footage with “actual” footage showing him interviewing the “real life” Dr. Tyler as well as “real” footage from her “sessions” with patients and “real” video captured from “police cruiser” cameras. If that seems like a lot of items in parentheticals, it is, but the audience is asked to swallow the premise hook, line and sinker, over and over again.

This is where the film completely falls apart. Osunsanmi tries so hard to convince the audience that the movie is real and he devotes a lot of screen time to grainy VHS footage of the supposed events complete with titles saying that what is on screen is “actual footage.” This at first is distracting, but after seeing the technique used repeatedly throughout the movie, it just becomes annoying. Whenever the aliens are about to appear too, the footage will conveniently scramble and the audience will be left staring at a fuzzy picture for way too long. Osunsanmi also employs the use of split screens, sometimes dividing the picture up into four separate images in an attempt to make it feel more like a documentary. In one unbearable example of this, Jovovich (Dr. Abigail Tyler) and the poor, uncredited actress playing the “real” Dr. Abigail Tyler share a split screen both uttering the same lines simultaneously in an attempt to make the scene that much more powerful I suppose. It does not. Osunsanmi never lets up with this heavy handed approach and finds it necessary to make the audience endure it relentlessly. If you expend so much energy into trying to convince an audience that what they are saying is real, maybe the gimmick itself is not effective to begin with and perhaps that energy should be directed back into developing the actual film itself.

There is unfortunately not much in the way of development though either with the story itself or with the characters in THE FOURTH KIND and the audience is left with a second rate movie that relies more on a contrived gimmick than in actually providing any good scares. THE FOURTH KIND does not work on any level cinematically, and it appears that the only goal of the film was to convince an audience that it was real. I am sure that there will still be those who know someone who knows it really happened, or that will attest to the fact that they read the “real” news accounts of the movie’s events somewhere (even though the AP reported that Universal agreed to pay the Alaska Press Club $20,000 to settle complaints about fake news archives used to promote the film), or knew one of the people portrayed in the movie (even though there is an actor credited as playing a police officer in the “real” archive footage on IMDb). If the film was to be graded then solely on its viral marketing campaign, it would receive high marks, and this contributed to the movie’s financial success, but it must be remembered that this is supposed to be a movie and not just a marketing campaign. Unfortunately it looks like those involved with this project forgot that part.

The DVD release contains only deleted scenes for bonus features.

To order the DVD directly from Amazon, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

DVD Bonus Features: LACKING

In real life, John Travolta and Robin Williams are old friends. In OLD DOGS, John Travolta (Charlie) and Robin Williams (Dan) are old friends. In real life, Ella Bleu Travolta is John Travolta’s daughter. In OLD DOGS, Ella Bleu Travolta is Robin Williams’s daughter (Emily). In real life, Kelly Preston is John Travolta’s wife. In OLD DOGS, Kelly Preston is Robin Williams’s wife (Vicki). Get the picture? While it may seem like this could be a great vehicle for such closely related individuals in real life to work together on a project and let their natural chemistry create some great moments, much the way the George Clooney coven made the OCEANS 11 films seem like you were watching a group of good friends just having fun making a movie, this is definitely not the case with OLD DOGS. Instead, the audience is subjected to a tired, old plot retreaded out again on the screen.

OLD DOGS follows the two lifelong friends who own the hottest sports marketing agency in New York. Now on the verge of landing the biggest deal of their careers by picking up a coveted account from a Japanese company, the strait-laced and uptight Williams discovers that a wild, forget your troubles weekend in Florida he was forced to partake in by Travolta years ago, a weekend that caused him to get tattooed and married in his inebriated state, actually produced two children whom he did not know existed. His life is of course turned upside down when the mother of his children shows up with them and he now must take care of them. Will the cold, all business Williams warm up to the two youngsters? Of course he will, because, if one makes it through this film in its entirety, they will learn that at least it is always predictable in its plotting.

There are some lightly amusing moments, for instance when Williams’s and Travolta’s medicines, each with wacky side effects get accidentally mixed up by the children, or when the kiss-up young exec at the company, Seth Green (“Family Guy”) is coddled by a large gorilla. The fact is though, there are far too many moments in the film that while they could be comedic, are never allowed to develop and instead just are introduced by the screenwriter and then never followed up on. For instance, there is a subplot that involves Green’s character disappearing in Tokyo to pursue his karaoke addiction, but nothing is really made of this. Or there is the brief scene where a creepy Justin Long (ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO) is confrontational at a scout outing. Neither of these stories are even allowed to have a comedic payout, the filmmakers merely set up the jokes and then forget about them, and their inclusion instead of being humorous, instead seems disjointed and frivolous in the film.

In the end, the entire cast is much more talented than this film gives them credit for and unfortunately what could have turned out to be an amusing family comedy is turned into a lukewarm film with nothing to really offer to children or adults alike. That begs the question then, who in actuality is the intended audience for this film? Are kids going to care about the numerous scenes that are piled one atop the other about landing the Japanese business account? Are adults likewise even going to be interested? Are kids going to like the incredibly brief, and bizarre scene of Bernie Mac as a puppeteer onstage with large Muppets that is only inserted so as to give Travolta an excuse to wear a suit that gives him the ability to control Williams like a puppet? Everything is geared unfortunately for outlandish plot devices such as this and grow exceptionally tiresome throughout the movie. Unfortunately, with no real comedic moments to sustain these painful plot devices, the audience is left with little else.

Disney does do a great job in their Blu-ray packaging by including a three-disc combo pack that includes a Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy of the movie to ensure families can watch the film on a variety of platforms. The bonus features include:

• Young Dogs Learn New Tricks (2:51)
• Bloopers (2:26)
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentary
• Music Videos: “You’ve Been a Friend to Me” and “Every Little Step,” a bizarre video of Travolta and his daughter singing and dancing together in front of giant letters spelling the young actress’s name in what appears more like a wealthy father’s home movie than a music video and just seems a bit too nepotistic as opposed to endearing (3:33)

To order directly from Amazon, CLICK HERE.

Movie Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Blu-ray Bonus Features: LACKING