Upcoming Blu-ray releases: August 28 - September 1

US Blu-ray releases

August 30

The 5^th Quarter

The 10^th Victim

All About Eve

Angie

The Ant Bully

Batman

Bereavement

BKO: Bangkok Knockout

Blood Simple

Boys

The Brave One

Carmen

The Cemetery Club

Children of the Corn: Genesis

The Coen Brothers Collection:

Blood Simple / Miller’s Crossing / Raising Arizona / Fargo

The Complete Jean Vigo (Criterion Collection):

À propos de Nice / Taris / Zéro de conduite / L’Atalante

Counting Crows: August and Everything After

Crossing the Bridge

Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious

Deadgirl

Final Destination 2

Final Destination 3

Forks Over Knives

Fracture

Funny Bones

Gantz

The Gauntlet

Good Will Hunting

Heartbreak Hotel

House: Season Seven

If…. (Criterion Collection)

In a Better World

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Latter Days

Madea’s Big Happy Family

Maillot, Jean-Christophe: Le Songe

The Mummy Trilogy

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D

Nikita: The Complete First Season

Ocean’s Twelve

Orpheus (Criterion Collection)

The Perfect Host

Point of No Return

Prom

Radley Metzger’s Erotica Psychedelia

Raising Arizona

Rio 3D

Rumor Has It…

Rush Hour 3

Semi-Pro

Set It Off

Shoot ‘Em Up

Shrek

Shrek 2

Shrek the Third

Skateland

Sons of Anarchy: Season Three

Spice and Wolf: Season One

Spice and Wolf: Season Two

Strike

Swordfish

Tango & Cash

Top Gun

Torso

Tributes - Pulse

The Twilight Zone: Season 5

UFC: Bad Blood

Under Siege

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season

Various: Eastern Voices

Various: Salzburg Festival Opening Concert

We Are Marshall

The Wild Bunch

Wonders of the Universe

Wrecked

The Wrong Guy

Canadian Blu-ray releases

August 29

Counting Crows: August and Everything After

August 30

The 5^th Quarter

Alien

All About Eve

Alvin and the Chipmunks

An Affair To Remember

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend

Bereavement

Best of Travel: South Africa

The Big Bang

Blood Simple

The Borgias

Bulletproof Monk

The Coen Brothers Collection:

Blood Simple / Miller’s Crossing / Raising Arizona / Fargo

The Complete Jean Vigo (Criterion Collection):

À propos de Nice / Taris / Zéro de conduite / L’Atalante

The Conspirator

Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious

The Devil Wears Prada

Eden of the East: Paradise Lost

Edward Scissorhands

Ernest Goes to Jail

Gantz

Holy Matrimony

House: Season Seven

Ice Age

If….

In a Better World

Juno (In the Frame Review)

Last Dance

Madea’s Big Happy Family

Miami Rhapsody

Miller’s Crossing

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov

Night at the Museum

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D

Nikita: The Complete First Season

Orpheus

Perfect Host

Play It to the Bone

Prom

Radley Metzger’s Erotica Psychedelia

Raising Arizona

Ring of Fire

Scenes From a Mall

Shrek

Shrek 2

Shrek the Third

Sons of Anarchy: Season Three

Spice and Wolf: Season One

Spice and Wolf: Season Two

Strike

The Tie That Binds

Top Gun

Tributes - Pulse

Tropical Rainforest

The Twilight Zone: Season 5

UFC Bad Blood: Liddell vs. Ortiz

Ultimate Jordan

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season

Various: Eastern Voices

Various: Salzburg Festival Opening Concert

The War at Home

The Ward

X-Cross

UK Blu-ray releases

August 29

Beastly

Counting Crows: August and Everything After

Dark Star

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

Europe: Live at Shepherd’s Bush, London

Farewell

The Founding of a Republic

Hanna

Hanna (Steelbook)

Hatchet II

High School of the Dead

Hop

Miller’s Crossing

The Other Woman

Outside the Law

Something Borrowed

Trust (In the Frame Review)

Wrecked

August 30

Chopin: Piano Concertos

Handel: Alcina

Maillot, Jean-Christophe: Le Songe

Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf

Schumann: Scènes Du Faust De Goethe

Szymanowski: Symphonies No. 3 Et No. 4

Tributes - Pulse

Various: Eastern Voices

Various: Salzburg Festival Opening Concert

Verdi: Les Vepres Siciliennes

Australian Blu-ray releases

August 28

Hybrid 3D

August 31

Battle: Los Angeles

The Blues Brothers

Blues Brothers 2000

The Curse of the Golden Flower

Johnny English

The Leopard

Scarface

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series 1-5

September 1

Barb Wire

Billy Elliot

Born on the Fourth of July

Candyman

The Faculty

Freddy vs. Jason

The Ladykillers

Middle Men

French Blu-ray releases

August 27

Beethoven / Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos

Ravel: Bolero

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Concertos for Double Orchestra

August 29

Puccini: Turandot

Verdi: Aida

August 30

Counting Crows: August and Everything After

Harry Brown

August 31

AC/DC: Let There Be Rock

Scream 4

September 1

5 Days of War

Mogadiscio

Toi, moi, les autres

Upcoming Blu-ray releases: August 20-24

US Blu-ray releases

August 23

Bambi II

The Beaver

Blitz

Burial Ground

Eden of the East: Paradise Lost

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: 40^th Anniversary Reunion Concert

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Henry’s Crime

Hostage

Little Big Soldier

My Dog Tulip

Poetry

Road to Nowhere

Rounders

Samurai Girls: Complete Collection

Secret Sunshine (Criterion Collection)

Super Hybrid

Swingers

Sympathy for Delicious

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz

Trollhunter

Win Win

The Women in Cages Collection

WWE: OMG! The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History

X-Cross

Canadian Blu-ray releases

August 23

Accidents Happen 

Across the Hall

Amy Winehouse: I Told You I Was Trouble – Live in London

Bambi II

The Beaver

Beneath Hill 60

Bikini Girls on Ice

Blitz

Don McKay

Franklyn

Freeway Killer

Good Will Hunting

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Hairspray

Henry’s Crime

Knut & Friends

Lucky Number Slevin

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

Samurai Girls: Complete Collection

Sex and the City: The Movie

Shoot ‘Em Up

Super Hybrid

Swingers

Tactical Force

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz

Trollhunter

The Wedding Singer

Win Win

The Women in Cages Collection

WWE: OMG! The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History

UK Blu-ray releases

August 22

Before the Revolution

The Big Lebowski

The Blues Brothers

Blues Brothers 2000

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Dolphins

Final Destination 2

Final Destination 3

Final Destination Quadrilogy

Fun at St. Fanny’s / You Lucky People

The Hour

Little White Lies

The Living Sea

Our Day Will Come

Red Riding Hood

The Revelation of the Pyramids

Scream 4

Supernatural: The Complete First Season

Supernatural: The Complete Second Season

Tomorrow When the War Began

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season

The Vampire Diaries: Seasons 1-2 Complete

 

Australian Blu-ray releases

August 23

The Lost Bladesman

August 24

Arthur

Fast & Furious 5

Fast & Furious: The Complete Collection

Sons of Anarchy: Season One

French Blu-ray releases

August 20

Stanley Kubrick Collection

August 22

Donizetti: Don Pasquale

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier

August 23

Clash of Empires

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

Devil

Ice Twisters

Ma part du gateau

Sea Monsters 3D

Venus & Vegas

The World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries

August 24

Bleach Film 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion

Bonobos

Conviction

Fargo

Final Destination 4

The Final Destination Tetralogie

Janacek: Jenufa

Les femmes du 6ème étage

The Lion King

The Lion King 3D

The Lion King Trilogy

Miller’s Crossing

Morning Glory

Mussgorsky: Boris Godunov

Naruto Shippuden: The Lost Tower

Once Upon a Time in America

One Piece

Raising Arizona

Red Riding Hood

Turnage: Anna Nicole

The Big Lebowski: Classic slightly disappoints on Blu-ray

The Big Lebowski (Comedy, Crime)

Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi

Universal Studios | 1998 | 119 min | Rated R | Released Aug 16, 2011

Video:
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1 (less)

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

English SDH, French, Spanish (less)

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital Copy

BD-Live

The Film 4/5

The Big Lebowski is essentially about mistaken identity if you care about the plot. Jeffrey Lebowski is known to his friends as The Dude (Bridges) and a gang of criminals pay him a visit thinking that he’s another Lebowski who happens to be a millionaire. After they urinate on his rug, he seeks out the millionaire to claim compensation.

The millionaire’s wife goes missing and the gang asks for a million dollars in ransom. The Dude is chosen as the courier.

That’s about it. The plot is incidental; this is a movie about a way of life.

The Dude hangs out with two of his bowling buddies, Walter (Goodman) and Donny (Buscemi). Walter is a Vietnam veteran who has anger management issues; Donny hardly says a word and is told to shut up every time he tries to make a comment.

The Dude is a mellow kind of a guy. He shops in his robe, gets high, and talks like he's permanently stoned. Walter is a mystery to him because he is so easily annoyed. When a competing team puts a toe over the line during a bowling game, Walter pulls out a gun and insists that it is marked down as a zero. It’s a league game after all.

The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and can be classed as a comedy more than anything, but the style of comedy may be different to the type you are used to. Many of the jokes are clever and subtle, and it’s rare for the humor to be aimed too low.

Watching The Big Lebowski is an experience. You’re never quite sure what it is or where it is going. The plot elements aren’t very important, but everything adds up and provides a reason for the characters to do what they do. It’s the sort of movie where nothing happens, but you find yourself thinking about it days later.

Fargo and No Country for Old Men are exceptional movies from the Coen Brothers, but many fans would argue that The Big Lebowski is better. I’m not among them, but it amuses me and I’m glad to finally own it on Blu-ray.

Video Quality 3.5/5

Although the Blu-ray is a vast upgrade over the DVD, I’m a little disappointed with the overall look. Colors are much improved and everything looks brighter and cleaner, but the VC-1 presentation could have been better. Fine detail is present in a few scenes, but is lacking for the most part. Faces in particular seem badly defined. It just about earns a passing grade, but don’t expect to be dazzled.

Audio Quality 4.5/5

The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds great. The songs carry a lot more weight than in previous releases. Dialogue is clear throughout and the predominantly front-heavy mix blends well with the action. No complaints about the sound.

Special Features 4/5

Worthy Adversaries: What's My Line Trivia – A game for one or two players in which you have to supply missing dialogue from The Dude and Walter.

An Exclusive Introduction (4:40, SD)

The Dude’s Life (10:08, HD)

The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:26, HD)

Making of The Big Lebowski (24:35, SD)

The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story (13:53, SD)

Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:20, HD)

Interactive Map

Jeff Bridges Photo Book (17:30, HD) – Bridges took shots while filming and explains them here.

Photo Gallery (3:25, SD)

U-Control: Three features with PiP, text and a profanity counter.

Scene Companion

The Music of The Big Lebowski

Mark It, Dude

28-page digibook

The Big Lebowski is a typically quirky effort from the Coen Brothers. While not their very best work, it deserves a place in your collection. Bridges and Goodman excel in their roles and hold the whole thing together. The Blu-ray presentation enhances the experience, but not quite as much as I had hoped. The packaging is good and there’s plenty of behind the scenes information if The Big Lebowski is your kind of film.

Overall score 4/5

Return to index of every review on the site.

Upcoming Blu-ray releases August 10-18

 

US Blu-ray releases

August 10

Darr

Hum Tum

August 12

Wacken – Live at Wacken Open Air

August 16

Agent 8 3/4

Armed and Dangerous

Assassins

The Bang Bang Club

The Big Lebowski

Breaking Glass

Campbell’s Kingdom

Cobra

The Conspirator

Cul-de-Sac (Criterion Collection)

David Holzman’s Diary

Demolition Man

Dexter: The Complete Seasons 1-5

Dexter: The Fifth Season

Friday the 13th

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil

Hostage

Hush

Jane Eyre

The Killing / Killer’s Kiss (Criterion Collection)

Marley and Me: The Puppy Years

Meet Monica Velour

Muppets from Space

The Muppets Take Manhattan

Night Raid 1931: Complete Collection

Outcasts: Season One

Priest

Priest 3D

Something Borrowed

The Specialist

Subspecies

The Tenant

That’s What I Am

The Twelve Kingdoms, Part 1: Shadow of the Moon, The Sea of Shadow

Two Can Play That Game

The Ward

Canadian Blu-ray releases

August 16

Assassins

Babe 

Backdraft

The Bang Bang Club

Barb Wire

The Big Lebowski

Black Dahlia 

Blue Crush 2

Brick

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish

Bruce Almighty 

Cirque Du Freak

Cobra

Cul-de-Sac

Darkman

David Holzman’s Diary

Death Race 

Demolition Man

Dexter: The Complete Seasons 1-5

Dexter: The Fifth Season

Doom 

End of Days

Executive Decision

The Final Destination 3D

Flash Gordon

Fletch

Grand Canyon Serenade

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil

The Jackal

Jane Eyre

The Killing / Killer’s Kiss

The Kingdom

Land of the Dead

The Last Starfighter

Love Happens

Marley and Me: The Puppy Years

Meet Monica Velour

Mercury Rising

Miami Vice

Muppets from Space

The Muppets Take Manhattan

Night Raid 1931: Complete Collection

Outcasts: Season One

Priest

Priest 3D

Puccini: Turandot

Red Dragon

The Rundown

Sands of the Kalahari

Skeleton Key

Something Borrowed

Spy Game

Spy Kids

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams

Spy Kids 3: Game Over

The Specialist

The Unborn 

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Verdi: Aida

UK Blu-ray releases

August 12

Wacken – Live at Wacken Open Air

August 15

Curse of the Golden Flower

Deep Sea 3D

Earth and Space

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec Steelbook

Legendary Warriors Box Set

Troy / 10,000 BC / Clash of the Titans / 300

Source Code

Source Code (Play.com Exclusive Steelbook)

Spy Kids

Spy Kids 1-3 Collection

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams

Spy Kids 3: Game Over

Australian Blu-ray releases

August 17

The Big Lebowski

Brighton Rock

Dance in the Vampire Bund Series Collection

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

High School of the Dead Collection

It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Paul

TO

August 18

Dexter: The Fifth Season

Dog Pound

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

French Blu-ray releases

August 12

Wacken – Live at Wacken Open Air

August 16

The Fighter

The Mechanic

Solitary Man

August 17

A Better Tomorrow

The Brest Fortress

The Company Men

Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Barbarian / Conan the Destroyer

Easy Money

Ice

La Proie

Legitime Defense

Les yeux de sa mere

Mr. Nice

Rabbit Hole

Rio

Rio 3D

Slipstream

Sucker Punch

Winx 3D

August 18

Battle of Los Angeles

The Green Mile: Another perfect Stephen King adaptation from Darabont

The Green Mile (Drama, Fantasy)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Starring Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jeffrey DeMunn and David Morse

Warner Bros. | 1999 | 188 min | Rated R | Released Dec 01, 2009

Video:

Video codec: VC-1

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio:

English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1

English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Turkish: Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles:

English SDH, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German SDH, Greek, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 5/5

If you read my Top 20 Drama articles, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Frank Darabont’s Stephen King adaptations. The Shawshank Redemption ranks second and The Green Mile is just behind in fourth.

Watching a Darabont movie is like entering another world. He takes his time with the story and the development of the characters. Don’t expect fast cuts and short scenes; each film is a work of art that is meant to be savored.

Before I talk about the film, I have to mention a funny story. Stephen King decided to write the book in a series of six installments. King was inspired by Charles Dickens, who also liked the serial novel format. I found the first installment in a supermarket and kept the receipt. A scan of it is shown opposite. See if you can spot the unusual item (five items from the top). It’s amazing what you can buy in supermarkets these days. I guess I was low on junk food that week? What a terrible diet I had back then.

The Green Mile is set in a Louisiana prison, but, unlike The Shawshank Redemption, the inmates can only interact by talking and never leave their cells to mingle. Each prisoner is condemned to death and is awaiting a meeting with Old Sparky, the electric chair.

The story is narrated by Paul Edgecomb (Dabbs Greer and Tom Hanks), the head warder, and the vast majority of the story is told through the use of flashback and is set in 1935. He explains how he met a huge black prisoner named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). Coffey is a simple man and seemingly gentle despite his size, but he was found guilty of murdering two little girls. His behavior doesn’t do anything to suggest that he was capable of such an act.

Coffey has a secret, but I can’t reveal it here without ruining the movie. His nature becomes apparent about an hour into the film and it changes everything.

The story revolves around Edgecomb’s role in running the prison and how he reacts when he finds out Coffey’s true nature. Prison life is fairly quiet, but Edgecomb has to deal with an annoying warder called Percy Wetmore. We are told that Wetmore has connections and so the other warders have to tolerate him or risk losing their jobs. Another thing that upsets Edgecomb’s routine is the addition of a new prisoner, 'Wild Bill' Wharton (Sam Rockwell), who likes to make as much trouble as possible.

One part of the story concerns the appearance of a mouse. The reaction of the individual warders reveals something about their own nature and it’s a brilliant plot device. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything more about the mouse without ruining the story.

The Green Mile isn’t what it seems. It begins like a hard-hitting drama, but things change as we discover more about the characters. In the end, the story is about trust and belief. It’s very powerful and some of the characters do extraordinary things. The warders, with the exception of Percy, are a close-knit group. They demonstrate the kind of trust that can only occur between close friends. The stakes are high and the story is compelling.

I’ll say no more about the plot other than that the conclusion is very satisfying.

Darabont draws strong performances from every member of the cast. Hanks is superb as usual, but the story wouldn’t work without Michael Clarke Duncan’s performance and his Oscar nomination was well deserved. I could mention at least 15 actors who played their role to perfection. Darabont was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay and the film deserved all of the recognition it received. The mouse should have won an Oscar.

The film has a couple of disturbing scenes, such as one of the executions, but is generally a series of character studies. You’ll be sucked into the story because of what the characters do, rather than for any special effects or shocking scenes. The story has a lot of heart and will stay with you long after the credits roll. At 189-minutes, many will be wary of watching the film. Don’t let that put you off. Good films never feel too long, and this is a very good film.

Video Quality 4/5

The VC-1 transfer looks very good for the most part. Detail in close-ups is exceptional and, apart from a few soft scenes, detail is generally strong throughout. Black levels are problematic on occasion. Darabont uses plenty of dark shots using blacks, grays and browns. Sometimes, shadows obscure some of the detail. I’m very happy with the upgrade, but it could have been slightly better. Owners of the DVD will be relieved that the Blu-ray comfortably contains the entire film, so you won’t have to flip the disc over as you did with the DVD.

Audio Quality 4/5

The English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is quiet and I found myself increasing the volume by 10 decibels over my normal level. Once that adjustment was made, everything sounded clear. It’s a dialogue-driven film, but the surrounds do play a part when required. Listen to the sound of the mouse running across the floor and you’ll hear the fine detail in the mix. One electrocution is particularly noisy and you’ll feel like it’s happening right in front of you. I couldn’t detect any imperfections in the track at all.

Special Features 5/5

The extras all appear in standard definition:

Commentary by Director Frank Darabont

Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile (25:30)

Miracles and Mystery: Creating The Green Mile (1:42:54) – If the commentary and “Making Of” features weren’t enough, here’s an in-depth look at every aspect of making the film. It’s split into six parts if the running time seems daunting:

Stephen King: Storyteller

The Art of Adaptation

Acting on the Mile

Designing the Mile

The Magic of the Mile

The Tail of Mr. Jingles

Deleted Scenes (3:38) – Two scenes which didn’t make it into the film.

Michael Clarke Duncan's Screen Test (8:26)

Tom Hanks' Makeup Tests (5:30)

Trailers

The Green Mile is a film about hope, trust, friendship and the power of belief. It’s a stunning achievement and the story never feels boring despite the long running time. I give it a spin every three months or so and am always glad to visit that world once again. Anyone who enjoys good acting, master storytelling and emotional drama would probably find a lot to like in this film.

Overall score 5/5

Return to index of every review on the site.

The Adjustment Bureau: An unconventional love story

The Adjustment Bureau (Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller)

Directed by George Nolfi

Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Anthony Mackie

Universal Studios | 2011 | 106 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Jun 21, 2011

Video:

Video codec: VC-1

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: DTS 5.1

Spanish: DTS 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy

Digital copy (on disc)

The Film 4/5

I almost went to see The Adjustment Bureau at the theater, but generally negative reviews made me decide to wait for the Blu-ray release. The same was true of Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter, also starring Matt Damon. I’m going to have to trust my instincts more because I found both movies entertaining.

So why the negative reviews?

What do you expect from a Matt Damon movie? His biggest role was as Jason Bourne in the hugely successful trilogy and I think he’s expected to be an action hero in every role he plays. That’s simply not the case. The man can act and he has a lot more to offer than some give him credit for. The marketing for The Adjustment Bureau is selling it as an action movie, but it’s actually a love story with a science fiction element. The front cover shows Damon and Blunt running. They do run in the movie, but that’s not the point of the story.

This is not an action movie.

David Norris (Damon) is running for Senate and he’s losing. He meets Elise (Blunt) in a bathroom and they kiss. A brief conversation influences his concession speech and he decides to be completely honest with the assembled crowd. This is not typical behavior for a politician. The entire meeting was arranged without his knowledge just for the purpose of influencing his speech.

We are introduced to four men in suits and hats. They look like the Men in Black. What is their origin and why and how are they trying to influence events? One has an assignment to delay Norris by making him spill coffee on his shirt, but he fails to intervene in time. As a result, Norris walks into his office and sees the men altering the memories of his colleagues. He runs, but is quickly caught. They make him promise to keep their secret. They also demand that he drops any interest in Elise as the two aren’t supposed to be together.

Norris isn’t ready to give up on Elise and feels strongly attracted to her. He searches for years and eventually tracks her down. The Adjustment Bureau fails to anticipate his resourcefulness and level of determination. In order to prevent the relationship, other methods are tried to tear the two apart. Norris is given some strong reasons to walk away from Elise. Will they be enough, or will his attraction toward her prove to be too strong?

Philip K. Dick wrote the short story on which the movie is based. He was also responsible for Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which resulted in Blade Runner being made. I’m not saying that the Adjustment Bureau is on the same level, but it’s certainly a thought-provoking story worthy of your time.

Think about fate and predestination for a moment. Do you live your life thinking that every step has been mapped out? If that were the case, why bother to do anything? Do you think that your overall destination has been decided, but it’s up to you how you get there? That would at least give your actions some meaning. Or do you think that everything is random and there’s no reason or purpose behind anything we do? The Adjustment Bureau raises similar questions. You might be able to predict how the movie ends, but the fun is experiencing the journey.

Emily Blunt has good chemistry with Damon and the casting was spot on. She had to learn how to look like a ballet dancer for the part and she was utterly convincing in the role.  

I love the Bourne movies, but I’m a fan of Damon’s acting in general. It dates back to Good Will Hunting and Rounders. In fact, I’ve rarely seen Damon disappoint. Hereafter and The Adjustment Bureau will stay in my collection and I’m happy to own them. If you give The Adjustment Bureau a try without expecting an action movie, you might end up enjoying it as much as I did.

Video Quality 4/5

While most recent releases use the MPEG-4 AVC codec, The Adjustment Bureau uses VC-1. The result isn’t bad, but I’ve seen more striking presentations. Grain is moderately thick and detail is average. Many of the scenes have an intentional blue tint, but colors are otherwise accurate. I wouldn’t complain about the picture quality, but it’s far from exceptional.

Audio Quality 4/5

The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix does a good job for the most part. Dialogue is clear, apart from in noisy settings when it’s not supposed to be. When Norris is talking to the crowds of people, the atmosphere seems realistic and sounds are separated well. There are no gunshots or explosions, but the sound quality is good throughout.

Special Features 2.5/5

Audio Commentary by Writer/Director George Nolfi.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (6:54)

Labyrinth of Doors – A Google Map allowing you to explore various parts of New York. Each door offers a small feature; normally under a minute long. It’s a lot of work to navigate through everything and the reward doesn’t seem worth it.

Leaping Through New York (7:36) – Showing the wide range of locations used during the shoot.

Destined to Be (4:51) – Damon and Blunt talk about the casting process and their characters.

Becoming Elise (7:08) – How Blunt learned how to become a dancer for the role. Acting can be hard!

The Adjustment Bureau asks some interesting questions. It’s well-acted and kept my interest for the 106-minute duration. The mystery element and slow exposition have the effect of placing the viewer in the same situation as David Norris, and it works effectively. If you go in with the right expectations (not anticipating explosions and constant action), the story has a lot to offer.

Overall score 4/5

Return to index of every review on the site.

Rio: Predictable, but the presentation enhances the experience

Rio (Animation, Adventure, Comedy)

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

Starring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway and George Lopez

20th Century Fox | 2011 | 96 min | Rated G | Released Aug 02, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1

French, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy

Digital copy

The Film 3.5/5

After seeing a trailer for Rio, I wasn’t expecting much when I finally sat down to watch the movie. The trailer consisted of animals shrieking or screaming and performing stupid moves such as dancing. I also dislike that every scene has to be punctuated with a blast from the subwoofer. I chose to watch your trailer and you’re going to hold my attention for two minutes, so you don’t have to blast noise at me to keep me watching. I'll decide whether something is interesting or dramatic by myself, thanks. That’s becoming a huge annoyance.

Anyway, let’s get back to the movie.

I love the way Rio opens. There are birds everywhere and they are happily dancing. The colors are very striking and I don’t think I have ever seen a more colorful movie. Birds and other animals seem to cover most of the colors in the spectrum and the look of the movie is appealing throughout.

Blu (Eisenberg) is a tiny young macaw and he’s captured during the opening scene. We see him rescued by a girl named Linda (Leslie Mann), and he’s completely happy as her pet for the next 15 years. The two share a bond and it’s a heartwarming relationship. Their world is turned upside down when an ornithologist begs her to take Blu to Brazil as he’s thought to be the last male of his species. Linda is reluctant, but eventually agrees.

The two fly to Rio and Blu is introduced to Jewel (Hathaway), his prospective mate. Jewel is more concerned about escape and can’t understand why Blu tolerates humans. The two are left overnight to begin their courtship, but a boy steals them and sells them to a gang which deals in rare birds. 

The remainder of the story shows what happens as Linda tries to find Blu. She initially rescued him before he learned how to fly and it becomes clear that he still hasn’t discovered how it’s done. Blu is aided by a variety of other birds as he attempts to find Linda. The gang enlists minions to find Blu and Jewel, resulting in a number of fights and chase scenes.

Rio lacks the heart of Pixar movies, but it does have some redeeming qualities. The story is far from original and it’s not difficult to guess the entire plot after a few minutes. Despite that, some of the scenes are quite charming. It’s fast-paced and doesn’t contain any dull moments. I imagine younger children being captivated by Blu’s adventures and the color scheme and ever-present Brazilian music is more than enough to hold their attention. 

I enjoyed the story. Yes, I knew what was going to happen, but I found the characters quite likable. The animation becomes more detailed as the story progresses and some of the scenes contain incredible detail. The music is catchy and will be burned into your brain if you’re not careful. This movie won’t change your life, but it’s an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes.

Video Quality 5/5

The most obvious thing about the picture quality is the excellent use of color. The transfer boasts a variety of appealing colors and will capture your attention. The backgrounds seem a little unfinished in the opening scenes, but that’s a stylistic choice and not a fault of the presentation. Later scenes, such as those in the Carnaval, are full of detail. You can clearly make out feathers and hairs on the various animals, and some of the scenery looks spectacular. This is a feast for the eyes and shouldn’t disappoint anyone.

Audio Quality 5/5

The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix matches the excellent video quality. The opening scene hints at what is to come and features a pounding Brazilian beat with a multitude of birds singing and squawking. Dialogue is clear throughout the movie and background sounds are frequently worked into the mix.

Special Features 4/5

The extras are all presented in full HD:

The Fruit Stand (1:29) – A deleted scene in which the animation is unfinished.

Explore the World of Rio – An interactive map with four locations to explore.

Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time (24:49) – The best of the features includes comments from the cast and crew.

The Making of Hot Wings (8:02) – Talking about some of the music used in the movie.

Boom-Boom Tish-Tish: The Sounds of Rio (13:30) – A more in-depth look at the music.

Carnival Dance-o-Rama – Learn various dance moves.

Welcome to Rio Music Video (1:37)

Taio Cruz – Telling the World Music Video (1:54)

Rio de Jam-eiro Jukebox (8:34) – Includes five songs from the movie.

Postcards from Rio – Create your own postcards.

The Real Rio (9:31) – Cast and crew comment on the real place.

Theatrical Trailer (2:26)

Digital Copy “How To” (3:35)

Angry Birds:

Trailer (1:32), Nigel Mashup (2:17) and Exclusive Clue Video (0:28)

BD-Live

Rio is fun to experience at least once. It’s suitable for the whole family, but children will probably get the most from it. The Blu-ray presentation is wonderful and makes a slightly above average story a lot easier to enjoy. 

Overall score 4/5 

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