DVD Reviews
Family Guy: The Freakin' Sweet Collection Fox Home Entertainment
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
I really hated this show when it originally aired. Peter is a prick, Lois is ignorant, Chris is just dumb, Meg is whiny and Brian and Stewie were the only appealing parts of the series. Well my opinions changed as I saw the show more and more often. It grew on me. It’s damn funny. This DVD collects five of Seth MacFarlane’s favourite episodes on to one DVD. I pretty much I agree with the series creator however I don’t see a point to this DVD.
Family Guy has sold freakin’ amazingly since the original release and helped the series to not only gain more popularity, but it helped it get renewed after being cancelled for a few years. The only value to this DVD that I see is raping the freakin’ fans. Fox is taunting them, “You might have the two box sets, but you won’t have the new commentaries and the new special features.” Well I say, “screw you Fox.” I’ll let you in a secret, the sneak preview to MacFarlane’s new series American Dad has been floating around the internet for months... and it’s damn terrible! It’s not freakin’ funny! In the interviews with Seth MacFarlane, he says absolutely nothing, it’s the usual, “Season 4 is gonna be great!” and “American Dad is going to be great!” Yeah, thanks. The only valuable part of this DVD is the commentary to “Road To Rhode Island” which is done in character by Brian and Stewie.
Don’t get me wrong, the show is damn funny and “When You Wish Upon A Weinstein” is hilarious (and I’m a freakin’ Jew), but you can get all this and more when you buy the complete box sets. If you’re really a die hard fan, you’d be better off with them anyway.
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Garfield & Friends, Volume 2 Fox Home Entertainment
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
Garfield was a mediocre comic strip about a fat lazy cat. Garfield & Friends was a great 80s Saturday morning cartoon. The worst I can say about Garfield & Friends is that it must be taken in small doses. One or two episodes a week is about all one should do. Well one other thing: too many songs. They’re always bad songs, and they do it too often. Once those problems are aside, you have a cast of characters who are great and funny. Garfield, but most importantly the characters of Orson’s Farm: Orson, Sheldon, Booker, Roy and especially Wade, are a group of characters that are always funny.
Season 2 only improves upon the first, containing the same fun that the first season had and following up with the return of some of the best characters including Binky The Clown. This season also kicks off the long running gag “Screaming With Binky.” “HEEEEEEEEEEY KIDS!”
The quality is consistent between episodes and rarely drops. This show makes you wonder why there are so few good children’s cartoons currently available. As with the first season, the DVDs contain only the episodes themselves (eight to a disc). No special features, no commentary, nothing bonus for the nostalgic 20-somethings who remember the series as it originally aired.
It’s Christmas time! Pick this up for a niece of nephew. Garfield will be a great treat for a child who doesn’t have enough good cartoons. It’ll fit nicely between episodes of Teen Titans and Kim Possible.
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Hero (Ying Xiong) Buena Vista Home Video
Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, and Ziyi Zhang
Directed by Yimou Zhang
Rating: PG-13
Reviewed by Shel Desormeaux
I’m not a martial arts movie aficionado. I know very little about the genre other than what little I’ve seen in theatres as an adult, and what I can remember watching when I was quite small, which was pretty much Bruce Lee movies, and a few flicks with a Carradine or two thrown in there.
I remember Shogun. I was seven years old when I saw that. For some reason, that movie had a profound and lasting effect on me. There are scenes from that film (and you might know which ones I mean) that both fascinated and horrified me. Since then, I’ve thought that’s what good, dramatic action movies do.
Now, when I’m watching a martial arts movie, I’m going to expect to be floored by its beauty. Warriors are going to have to sweep across the screen in the lushest of garb, colored by hues matched only, perhaps, by those found in nature.
I was stunned by Hero. As I said before, I don’t know enough about martial arts movies to offer a learned opinion. This movie, the tale of a nameless warrior’s (Jet Li) revenge for the death of his people, is the most majestic and breathtaking movie I’ve seen in a long, long time. Maybe I’ve never seen a film so beautiful.
So I’m not sure whether I feel the extras are lacking because they pale in comparison to the feature, or they don’t do the feature justice, or whether they’re just disappointing. Hero Defined is a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie, of course, and while it’s mildly interesting, it’s not particularly engaging or impressive. At about twenty minutes, it feels longer. Little was said about special effects or wires or anything like that. “Inside the Action”: A Conversation with Quentin Tarantino and Jet Li is not all that interesting either, as much as I respect both men. There’s also a Storyboards section, which, again, doesn’t hold my interest.
I got restless, and I’m sorry but I fast forwarded some of it. I should have watched the extras before the movie. They didn’t live up to what director Yimou Zhang actually did with this movie: created a classic, stunned me into near breathlessness, and brought tears to my eyes. I was quite disappointed; more, perhaps, than I should be. I watched the movie in a moment when I needed it, so I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I feel I have to defend it against its own extras. You should probably skip those.
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The Marx Brothers Box Set Universal
Starring The Marx Brothers
Reviewed by D. R. Scott
Oddly enough, as I was watching Horse Feathers (one of the five Marx Brothers’ movies from this new DVD box set), I couldn’t stop thinking about poor Ashlee (“Read my lip-synch”) Simpson’s disastrous appearance on Saturday Night Live a few weeks earlier.
OK, giving Ashlee Simpson the benefit of the doubt, I’m sure she’s not a bad person. And although her pre-recorded performance was phony, her tears weren’t.
Even so, she deserved what she got. In spite of being an incredibly mediocre singer who wouldn’t last ten minutes on American Idol, Ashlee Simpson is still a celebrity in today’s pop culture simply because she looks good on MTV. The bar that measures talent these days has been lowered so far down, it’s damned near subterranean. And it’s depressing.
But there was a time when the currency that bought movie stars their fame was talent. And The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection is a big, goofball piggy bank stuffed with the lunatic genius of Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo Marx.
Now, don’t make the mistake of thinking of the Marx Brothers as cinematic dinosaurs from the Jurassic era of Hollywood. This isn’t a museum stocked with stale, forgotten jokes like banana peels, whoopee cushions, face-smearing cream pies and knock-knock gags.
Instead, what you realize is that the films Duck Soup, Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts were homework for future insane asylums like SCTV, Saturday Night Live’s Not Ready For Prime Time Players, Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The Kids in The Hall. Why? Because the jokes still make you laugh.
However, it isn’t just the bad puns, double entendres or slapstick that has us talking about the Marx Brothers 75 years later. When Groucho said, “I wouldn’t join a club that would have me as a member,” it’s that joyful anarchism behind his words that strongly resonates with audiences today.
Comedians are, by their nature, outcasts. They’re square pegs living in a world of round holes. But while others willingly cut off their own corners to fit in, the Marx Brothers gleefully grabbed a chainsaw and made the holes bigger. These guys were proud of who they were and fought like hell to stay that way.
Which brings me back to Ashlee Simpson. I used to get angry with counterfeit singers like her until I realized that I just had to be patient and wait. Con artists go away eventually. Remember Milli Vanilli? You can’t fake talent and, as usual, history will have the last laugh. And the Marx Brothers DVD collection is a triumphant celebration of the greatest comedy act in history.
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If you’re looking for a flash in the pan, this ain’t it.
The latest Norah Jones concert DVD is a wonderfully low-key performance by top-notch musicians recorded this year at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. What separates Norah from many other female singers in her age group is authentic musicianship and natural talent. There are no voice processors or lip-syncs here; just a group of singers and musicians playing original, easily accessible tunes. Throughout, Norah comes across as a quiet, soulful character who has let you into her small circle of friends, if only for a short while.
Several guests who have appeared with Jones and the Handsome Band over the last few years join her for this performance. One of these special guests is Dolly Parton, who makes a big splash for “Creepin’ In.” Dolly’s exuberant persona is such a contrast to Norah’s understated presence that they are palpably uncomfortable onstage together, despite an honest mutual appreciation (and a great performance). Dolly’s red mini-skirt with floor length fringe, pin-up figure at age 60-something (I don’t really want to know) and platinum artificial hair are quite an image. Yet she’s so much fun to watch. Her boisterous, cheerful demeanor brings the audience to their feet—even Norah laughs and claps her hands. Other guests include Richard Julian, Kevin Breit, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, all terrific musicians lending unique contributions to the show.
What you get with this DVD is a close-up version of Norah Jones in concert: the music is the main attraction, and the music is terrific. There are no flashy video effects and there is no question as to whether or not the recording you are hearing is exactly what was performed that night. Live concert footage is interspersed with tunes recorded at the soundcheck the day before, which makes for a nice contrast without changing the mood of the entire piece.
Another enjoyable quality of this recording is a taste of the camaraderie between Norah and her fellow musicians. You get the feeling that these folks really enjoy composing and performing together and have a lot of fun while they’re at it. It’s nice to see a group of talented musicians who really enjoy the music they create together.
The special features include four outtake tracks from recent recordings, mini documentaries which are fairly entertaining, and two music videos. Most of these are pretty good, but the video for “Those Sweet Words” is just weird. The premise is that Norah is dressed in a tacky prom dress, flowers pinned just above each ear, and she’s singing at a Karaoke night at either an airport bar or an ice cream shop, it’s hard to tell which. Several overused character types are sitting at the tables, complete with three Japanese businessmen, and it all seems rather funny until the camera pans to the predictable barfly. This woman actually looks as if she has been beaten up by her pimp, perhaps spent the night in jail, and they picked her up at Denny’s and paid her fifty bucks to be a prop in the video. Then later when the waitress starts dancing with the Handsome Young Buck (quite professionally), and the others join in for a quick Broadway-style turn around the floor, the barfly does her part and it all becomes, well, bizarre. Fortunately, it’s just an extra feature and is easily avoided.
It’s the music that matters, and this DVD delivers a terrific, authentic performance of music that I love to hear.
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Ray Charles: O Genio - Live in Brazil 1963 Rhino
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
Since the death of Ray Charles, we've seen the release of a greatest hits package, an album of duets, and a film and its accompanying soundtrack. This won't take anyone familiar with the music industry by surprise, and in the time since his death, Charles has had some of his biggest sales ever, as well as several Grammy nominations. Rhino has now released a DVD of two television performances from the 1960s shot in Brazil.
Recorded live in 1963, a large backing band kicks out to perform with one of the greatest musicians at the time. Ray Charles would lead this band in two great performances of rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, blues and more. If there are any people who doubt the genius of Ray Charles, you should make them listen to this… but don’t let them watch it.
If you ignore the terrible camera work, the low quality of video from the 60s and the washed out black and white, it’s an amazing performance. Charles was on the ball with this performance and his band left me amazed. Song after song of mostly covers were incredible. Scattering a few gems like “Hallelujah, I Love Her So”, “Hit The Road Jack” and the forever classic “What’d I Say”.
The second performance loses some of the gusto that the first had. With poorer video and audio quality, at times getting to terrible, they also included (for true purists) the Brazilian commercials that had originally aired with the performance. The band still generates a great performance, while cameras zoom into singers’ noses and shake as the operators move.
O Genio makes me wonder if so much of Ray Charles’ material had been released that they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. It seems that way and only leaves us to wonder what else Charles’ estate has that they thought this was better than. Making this a CD rather than a DVD perhaps would have been smarter and have made a better product.
Definitely a product designed for fans, O Genio looks more like a bootleg than an official release. It’s not something that will appeal to those who aren’t already collecting rare performances of Charles’. Still, it’s Ray Charles, and the product suffers from technology, not performance.
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The Saddest Music In The World MGM
Starring Mark McKinney and Isabella Rossellini
Directed by Guy Maddin
Rated: R
Reviewed by Sharon Gissy
There's a fine line to walk in art between sincerity and originality. Guy Maddin speaks his own cinematic language, both unlike anything you have seen and emotionally effective in a way that you can't describe. It is composed of the desolate snow-laden emptiness of Winnipeg, the static of silent films, the surrealism of German expressionism, and the heightened feelings of melodrama. But just as David Lynch's film Eraserhead - while looking nothing like our lives in its exaggerated urban decay - is one of the most truthful elegies about having suddenly grown up and looking around at a life unfamiliar to you, Maddin's films are some of the most sincere portrayals of loneliness and memory that we have. They exceed rationality until they exist in a new emotional territory, and although they are composed of elements of our past, they are wholly original.
The Saddest Music in the World is a good introduction for newcomers to his work, with its cohesive story about Depression-era Winnipeg and the beer baroness Lady Port-Huntley, played by the sultry Isabella Rossellini, who capitalizes on its misery. The most obvious way she does this is to host an international contest to see who can compose the saddest music in the world for a $25,000 cash prize. In an operatic romantic triangle typical of Maddin's oeuvre, Port-Huntley’s ex-lover Chester Kent (Mark McKinney of Kids in the Hall), the opportunistic American, becomes a forerunner in the contest with his elaborate big-band simulations of sadness featuring the lovely and mysterious Narcissa (Maria de Medeiros, best remembered as Bruce Willis's girlfriend in Pulp Fiction). Another competitor is Kent’s father, whose drunken ode to Canada is at least heartfelt, who is still obsessed with Port-Huntley after divesting her of both legs in an accident years ago, and who woos her by making her a pair of beer-filled glass prosthetics. Chester's brother Fyodor, whose lovely and plaintive cello compositions represent Serbia, is convinced that Narcissa is his estranged wife. This is the source of the sadness which causes him to dress in long black veils and speak like a character in a Russian tragedy. She does not remember him. Unrequited love, amnesia, and imagined happiness are recurring themes of Maddin’s melodrama.
Within this story, inexplicable oddities like a prophetic tapeworm and a meandering sleepwalker course through. The characters are modern and cynical in their jealousy and greed, clashing with their picturesque silent-movie background and creating something more extreme than was ever filmed in that fashion. In his famous short The Heart of the World, Guy Maddin imagines and recreates Abel Gance's lost film The End of the World. I feel as though each of his films is an imagined "lost film," part of our bizarre cinematic history that has been locked away in a vault for years. This film certainly looks that way, with its elaborate expressionistic sets, hazy shots, and slight lapse in synchronization between speech and action. It is a history worth discovering; at once familiar and startlingly exciting and new.
The DVD is nicely preserved in Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and a widescreen transfer that captures the beauty of Maddin’s anachronistic style. While I was excited to see the three short films featured here, none of them match the creativity of The Heart of the World, featured in The Guy Maddin Collection. In fact, Sissy-Boy Slap Party is a one-trick pony, A Trip to the Orphanage, while melancholy, seems tame compared to his usual inventiveness, and only Sombra Dolorosa contains hints of Maddin’s typical strangeness. Featurettes on the casting and making of the film are more interesting, although the real treasure here is a film so rich in both retaining and creating cinematic history.
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Starring Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
The simultaneous release of Seinfeld – Seasons 1 & 2 and Seinfeld – Season 3 on DVD is an occasion worth celebrating. Despite the fact that in most markets the show is still played several times daily in syndication, the departure of Seinfeld from the NBC primetime lineup in 1998 has left a void for an audience that came to eagerly anticipate a new episode every Thursday night.
With television show box sets extremely common nowadays, many wondered when Seinfeld would finally appear. For quite some time, it was uncertain as to whether or not the DVDs would ever see the light of day. The studio wanted the full support and involvement of the cast. Finally, once the cast members settled their economic squabbles, they readied these excellent DVD box sets, complete with insight from the show’s cast and crew.
But be warned: the first two seasons of Seinfeld are pretty rough. Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are still developing as characters, and many of the other entertaining supporting characters such as Newman and The Costanzas won’t appear for few more seasons. The scripts aren’t as quirky and laugh-out-loud funny, with many of the jokes recycled. The show that would soon add words to the pop culture dictionary (“Yadda Yadda”, “Festivus”, etc.) is still finding its foundation.
Still, the first two seasons do contain a few gems: “The Chinese Restaurant” was the show’s first controversial episode. It was unheard of for a sitcom to run in real time. This episode from Season 1 features Jerry, George, and Elaine waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant before seeing Plan 9 From Outer Space. “The Pony Remark” serves as our first introduction to Jerry’s family, including his parents and Uncle Leo. The episodes seem to get progressively better as the series progresses, and while none of it is as innovative or groundbreaking as Seinfeld would become in later seasons, it is still a funny and entertaining viewing experience.
The DVD extras here are also a delight: Audio commentaries from cast and writers on several episodes, such as “The Busboy” and “The Baby Shower”; two versions of Seinfeld’s pilot “The Seinfeld Chronicles;” and several “Inside Looks,” which feature cast and crew interviews about many of the episodes. There are also a handful of deleted scenes and bloopers. The main highlight of the extras is an hour-long “How It Began” feature. Somewhat unnecessary are “Notes About Nothing,” a feature which captions each of the episodes with random facts and bits of information, some related to the show, and some entirely unrelated.
If you are expecting Seinfeld at its peak than your best bet would be waiting for Season 4 before beginning to purchase these box sets. However, if you were a fan of Seinfeld from the very beginning, and are interested in seeing the show’s origins, then this is absolutely an essential release.
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Short Cuts: Criterion Collection Criterion
Starring Andie McDowell, Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins, Frances McDormand, etc, etc, etc.
Directed by Robert Altman
Rating: R
Reviewed by Nathan Williams
When 20th Century Fox was negligent enough to let Robert Altman direct M.A.S.H (1970) his way, they made possible the career of one of America’s best and least marketable filmmakers. Unlike almost every other Altman film, MASH was a smash hit, and the crabby, 45 year-old Altman looked a lot more palatable to the studios than the coked up freaks like Scorsese and De Palma banging at their doors. As the studios lost their bearings and their guts, Altman tore through the 70s making better films at a faster pace than anyone else in America. But eventually—as must always be—the moneymen regained control, and maverick artists were shut out (Malick), tamed (Scorsese), bought (Spielberg), or driven to madness (Coppola). Altman tried to join the rising kiddie film tide with Popeye (1980), but failed because, well, even kids in 1980 weren’t quite that indiscriminate.
Into the wilderness he fell, finding secret honor on the stage, small film projects (HealtH, Vincent & Theo), and cable television (Tanner ’88). He got another chance at relative respectability with The Player (1992) and succeeded, scoring a major critical hit and a minor financial one. As an encore, he returned to big money indulgence with a madcap idea to interweave nine disparate Raymond Carver short stories (and one poem) into a three-hour feature. Would a mainstream audience shower love on this sprawling and bittersweet film? In the words of Will Smith setting eyes on something alien and/or robotic, “Awww, hell no.”
So Short Cuts flopped, and since its release fans of the film had to be content with an ugly—but at least widescreen—VHS (or P.T. Anderson’s increasingly embarrassing attempts to crib from the master). That is, until now. The Criterion Collection now offers the film on DVD in one of their healthiest two-disc packages.
The Film:
Like most of Altman’s work, Short Cuts requires repeat viewing. No, not to understand its plot (of which there is very little) but to get past that informational barrier—who is saying what to whom—and fall into the director’s rhythm. The film can be somewhat alienating on first viewing; Altman fiercely resists using technique to help the viewer empathize with his characters. Some will find themselves reacting coldly to even the most tragic of events the first time through. But the stories are moving, the acting is exceptionally good, and the camera keeps not an ironic distance, but a polite one. My suspicion is that Altman, like Antonioni before him, resists emotional string-pulling not out of lack of ability but because he is genuinely moved more easily than most of us.
The film is fairly impossible to synopsize. 22 major characters, connected only by their home city of L.A. and a few, usually inconsequential chance meetings, muddle through life for three nights and days and come out, generally, somewhat worse for wear. Some stories are more inherently interesting than others, but none of the characters lack the humanity to make their plight compelling. The cast is outstanding, and even those among them who are usually terrible (Andy MacDowell, Matthew Modine) manage to distinguish themselves. While shots are effectively composed and executed, the film image itself does not look especially good. Altman usually preferred to trade subtle lighting for his actors’ freedom of movement, and this tendency is apparent but not distracting here. Also, for some reason, Agfa film was used instead of the more standard Kodak, and the film’s colors have a somewhat unnatural vibrancy to them. It should be noted, though, that Criterion’s transfer is superb.
There’s also a new 5.1 mix for people who care about that sort of thing.
The Extras:
The 2nd disc features several hours of genuinely interesting material. The feature-length “making of” documentary gives a revealing and educational look at Altman’s methods; a highlight is his adamant direction to a mulleted 3 year-old about the best way to deliver the line, “Daddy, why can’t you buy me a monkey?” Other extras include an amusing modern-day interview between Altman and Tim Robbins, a radio interview with Carver, excerpts from one of the short stories as recited by Robbins and Frances McDormand, and demo recordings of the songs performed by Dr. John. There is, unfortunately, no commentary track.
The most fulfilling extra, however, is the paperback collection of Carver short stories that comes with the set. You know, for reading?
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Spider-Man 2 Columbia Tri-Star
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Alfred Molina
Directed by Sam Raimi
Rated: PG-13
Reviewed by Russell Bartholomee
The conventional wisdom on Spider-Man 2 is that it’s one of the best (if not the best) superhero movies ever made. I’m not going to argue, though the X-Men films and The Incredibles are up there as well. But even stipulating that it is the best, there is a danger that such a compliment might diminish another important fact—that Spider-Man 2 is not just a great comic book film. It’s a great film period.
Where most superhero movies—even the really good ones—concentrate on eye candy and superpowers, the Spider-Man series tells a great story first; that it looks fantastic and is full of great action sequences is gravy. Director Sam Raimi has the good sense to let the story drive the effects and not the other way around, which is what distinguishes this franchise from the competition.
The characters are so well developed, with multiple dimensions and real world conflicts that audience members can instantly understand them. This time around, Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) is a college student who is having a terrible time keeping his life in order. His rent is late, he’s behind in classes, he can’t hold down a job, and he lets down every one of his family and friends, especially the one he loves most, Mary Jane (Kirstin Dunst). And it’s all because of that great power he has that comes with such great responsibility. The criminal element won’t give Spider-Man a minute’s rest, and fighting crime takes time away from his other priorities. He’s doing too many things, none of them very well.
Worst of all, he can’t tell anyone why he keeps failing to follow through. Being a crimefighter is ruining his life; he’s about to lose everything and everyone that means something to him. So he quits. Wouldn’t you? Of course you would, and it’s that very human quality that comes across so successfully in the film. Screenwriter Alvin Sargent’s paints Parker as a real person with real problems whose superpowers actually make matters worse. We’re able to connect to the character because we can see for ourselves that being a superhero in the real world would suck. Peter Parker just wants to be happy, and not one of us can blame him.
Another key element to the film’s success is the way we are made to sympathize with the villain, Dr. Otto Octavious. Sargent and Raimi understand that a film of this sort is only as good as the villain. And Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) is a great villain. In a way, he’s very much like Peter Parker. Neither character seeks their powers, and both are conflicted about how to use them. Their roles could easily be reversed, if either of them had made slightly different choices. That the audience can easily sympathize with the hero and the villain is a tribute to the strengths of the script, the direction, and the superb performances of Maguire and Molina.
Also smashing is the rest of the returning cast. Dunst is still great as doe-eyed damsel Mary Jane Watson. When she loses her patience with Parker, you feel her pain. Rosemary Harris is still magnificent as Aunt May. And J.K Simmons was born to play the gruff, pigheaded J. Jonah Jameson; he steals every scene he’s in. Of course the filmmakers have Spider-Man creator Stan Lee to thank for the complex characters. It’s to their credit that they allow Lee’s vision to guide the film.
Having said all that, Spider-Man 2 wouldn’t be in the running for best superhero movie if the effects and action sequences were lame. Raimi does not disappoint on this count, either. Every time Spidey and Doc Ock face off, the visuals are thrilling. The CGI looks much more real than it did in the first film and is used to glorious effect in the animation of Dr. Octopus’ tentacles. Each of them has a life all its own, a personality, if a mechanical arm can have such a thing. In a scene that would not have been out of place in Evil Dead 2, the tentacles annihilate a hospital room full of surgeons trying to remove them from Ock’s body. It could have been incredibly cheesy, but with Raimi’s eye for detail and technical prowess, the scene is totally believable—and utterly terrifying. All in all, Raimi’s made a rare thing—a highly intelligent and compelling character driven story that is also a top-notch action movie.
The two-disc DVD comes loaded with special features, behind-the-scenes documentaries, a blooper reel, and plenty of other goodies (though I could do without the Train video. But then, I could do without Train, so that may be why). The extras are great stuff, but it’s the film that’s going to keep us coming back for repeated viewings. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go watch it again right now.
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