One of the strengths found in Batman: The Animated Series is its compassion for heroes and villains alike. In this series, inspired by the success of Tim Burton’s 1989 feature film, writers and animators alike brought a more adult, more mature approach to the stories, rewriting the rules for children’s animated fare.
In time, this gave them license to explore larger themes through direct-to-video films achieving mostly successes. Overlooked until now, is Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, released this week by Warner archive for the first time on Blu-ray. Written by Randy Rogel and Boyd Kirkland and directed by Kirkland, they build on the tragedy of Victor Fries.
The origin of Mr. Freeze was presented in “Heart of Ice”, written by Paul Dini and directed by Bruce Timm, explaining the accident that forced him to live in a cold suit and what twisted his mind.
This 67-minute film (short by contemporary standards), picks up from his last appearance on the animated series. We find Mr. Freeze has set up a home on an iceberg, dining on fish, and keeping a polar bear for a companion. Everything is fine until the day a submarine, on military exercises, accidentally damages Nora Fries’ containment capsule.
With her life once more in danger, he sets out to revive her by transplanting organs to revive her. Of course, the perfect match is Batgirl (Mary Kay Bergman), setting up the latest confrontation between Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Robin (Loren Lester). It’s a thin premise compared with the richer complexities in similar offerings but there’s enough action and humor to keep it interesting.
The characterizations are a little broader than the series itself so Barbara wisecracks too often and Mr. Freeze is more villainous than filled with pathos. Still, this anniversary edition reminds us of what can be done with solid characters and believable motivations.
The disc wisely includes “Heart of Ice” as well as “Cold Comfort” from The New Batman Adventures, “Meltdown” from Batman Beyond, “Deep Freeze” from The Adventures of Batman and Robin. Finally, there is “Get the Picture: How to Draw Batman” and “Art of Batman: Music Montage”.
Justice League should have been the super-hero film of 2017 but instead, was deemed an improvement over Superman vs Batman but not the blockbuster fans hoped for and Warner Bros prayed for. While it’s incredibly sad why director Zack Snyder had to bow out in favor of Joss Whedon coming in to handle reshoots but the finished product is a much-needed course correction from the wrongheaded approach to super-powered people. By lightening things up, Whedon helped us welcome the new heroes and formation of a team.
That the threat was incredibly boring has to be laid directly at the feet of screenwriters Chris Terrio and Snyder. He feels straight out of central casting with nary a hint of the Jack Kirby bombast that was woven into his Fourth World. There’s nothing wrong with a CGI villain (Gollum, Thanos) so it comes down to writing and performance and in both cases, they fail.
The movie, out now from Warner Home Entertainment, is worth a second look because there’s a lot to admire, starting with the easy comradery between Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Ben Affleck’s Batman. By picking up in the wake of Superman’s seeming death, we see the need for a team, a new for positive energy. From there, we look in on Aquaman (complete with Amber Heard cameoing as Mera, a nice tease for their film in December), Flash, and Cyborg, each approaching the notion of a team from different perspectives.
After that, there are extended action sequences that all go on too long and three Mother Box McGuffins that we all know will be united for the climactic battle so the level of suspense is low. The same with the resurrection of the Man of Steel (Henry Cavill), which should have been epic but is oddly underplayed.
All in all, it’s a fine, but underwhelming outing, not at all living up to the hype when DC belatedly launched their shared cinematic universe. The transfer to disc is equally adequate, leaving you wanting more and better.
The special features found in the Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD code) are a fairly typical and unexceptional collection of featurettes.
We start with Road to Justice (14:10) wherein Bruce Timm, Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, Marv Wolfman and others briefly walk you through highlights of the team’s comic book existence. In Heart of Justice (11:52), the filmmakers and cast extol the virtues of the trinity: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The rest of the team get their due in Justice League: The New Heroes (12:24), hosted by Ray Fisher but also featuring commentary from Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller. Technology of the Justice League (8:14) looks at all the new toys that were created for the film. Ciarán Hinds tries to make Steppenwolf the Conqueror (3:03) sound far more interesting than he appeared in the film.
While we all hoped to see more of what director Zack Snyder had trimmed out of the final cut, all we get in the way of deleted scenes are tow focusing on The Return of Superman, portions of one we saw in the trailer.
There are a series of Scene Studies (15:16) that look at how different set pieces were achieved including Revisiting the Amazons (the best of the bunch); Wonder Woman’s Rescue, Heroes Park; and The Tunnel Battle.
Suit Up: The Look of the League (10:21) shines the deserved spotlight on Costume Designer Michael Wilkins, who gives us a look at how each JL member’s look was created, crediting all the diverse hands that contributed to the process.
What’s missing? Any sense that Joss Whedon was involved in the film. He’s not seen in any of the BTS material nor is there any discussion of his contributions including just how much of the finished product was his. This explains, of course, why there’s no director’s commentary. Snyder is also absent as a talking head, letting his producer wife Deborah Snyder represent the pair.
With Shazam, Wonder Woman 2, and Suicide Squad 2 all shooting this year, the DC cinematic universe seems here to stay and we can hope things improve with each subsequent film. This is a stumbling step in that direction.
Thor: Ragnarok is funny, bright, colorful and imaginative. Clearly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s cosmos is a brilliantly lit place and a lot of fun to visit. The 2:10 movie, out on disc now from Walt Disney Home Entertainment is a joy to rewatch because of director Taika Waititi’s imaginative approach to the now-familiar characters.
The blending of the prophesied Norse end times with the beloved Planet Hulk storyline is made to work but only by giving each story short shrift and robbing the former of its power. As much fun as it is to see Thor (Chirrs Hemsworth) shorn of hair, robbed of his enchanted hammer Mjolnir, and subjected to appearing in a remake of Gladiator, the film doesn’t pause long enough to make audiences feel anything for the end of the Norse way of life. Early on, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is revealed to have replaced Odin and allowed his prejudices to reshape life in the fabled kingdom. It has also allowed events to bring back Thor’s heretofore unknown sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), who is determined to force Ragnarok’s early arrival.
Thor and Loki seek the All-Father (Anthony Hopkins) with the aid of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and once they find him, watch his demise. Once he fades away, Thor and Hela vie for inheriting the throne and once he loses, the movie is kicked into high gear. But Odin’s passing, like that of Asgard itself, is never truly dwelt upon so feels like a rushed plot point. We see refugees board a starship but never know them or understand their plight.
Hela is fascinating, all sensual moves and snarling hatred for being banished from the Nine Realms so is quick to make her mark. However, much of it happens quickly and is then off screen for too long. As a result, the Warriors Three are dispatched so fast you barely register them and no dialogue accounts for the absence of Sif.
Instead, Waititi and screenwriters Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost spend more time with Thor and the Hulk on Sakaar, in the clutches of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). We feel far more for the Hulk’s two-year exile from Earth thanks to the screen time and Mark Ruffalo’s moving performance.
Neither is not particularly happy of being trapped and help foment rebellion, which had already been brewing thanks to Korg (voiced by Waititi). Along the way they redeem a fallen Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), kick ass, and have a bromance that is a delight to watch. The laughs come at the expense of the gravitas the passing of Asgard and Odin deserve.
The film is out in various additions including a Multi-Screen Format (Blu-ray, DVD, Movies Anywhere Digital HD code). The high definition transfer is superb, capturing every shade in the rainbow and making things pop. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is strong, not perfect.
Like the film itself the Special Features are short, fizzy, and avoids depth in favor of light-hearted affection for one another.
Things kick off with the Director Intro (1:44) as Waititi talks taking on the project; Getting In Touch With Your Inner Thor (6:39); Unstoppable Women: Hela & Valkyrie (5:58); Finding Korg (7:34); Sakaar: On the Edge of the Known and Unknown (8:24); Journey Into Mystery (5:47), which gives Jack Kirby his due for creating the original look; Gag Reel (2:18); Team Darryl (6:08), the latest short with Thor’s hapless roommate, now hosting The Grandmaster; Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years – The Evolution of Heroes (5:23); Deleted Scenes (5:43); 8-Bit Sequences, claiming to be pre-film tests for certain sequences but they look like they were done for fun: Sakaar Spaceship Battle (0:58) and Final Bridge Battle (2:17). There’s an entertaining Audio Commentary from Waititi.
The 1950s was an interesting era for Walt Disney as they moved further away from movies with humans as the protagonist to ones featuring anthropomorphic animals. Although work had begun a decade earlier, 1955’s Lady and the Tramp is one example and one of the more charming stories, if lacking in the wonder of earlier efforts.
We’re given the chance to revisit this now that Disney has made it their latest Signature Collection release, offering it in a Multi-Screen Edition (we used to call them Combo Packs so you get the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD code).
You mention Lady and the Tramp and the iconic image of the two dogs sharing a romantic spaghetti dinner springs to mind, usually accompanied with snatches of the memorable soundtrack. The story is an old one, opposites attract as you can tell by the character names of Lady (Barbara Luddy) and Tramp (Larry Roberts). One is cared for by Jim and Darling Dear (Lee Millar and Peggy Lee), and the other is out on his own, making his way. They meet, as Lady escapes from cat lover Aunt Sarah (Verna Felton), runs into Tramp; sparks fly, and romance ensues.
There’s plenty in Disney’s fifteenth full-length animated feature to amuse kiddies and engage whole families. The music is good; the animation is fluid and energetic, superior to the more contemporary analog, Oliver and Company.
The 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is superb, one of the finest in their library. It is matched by the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. This is, essentially, the Diamond Edition repackaged with some new extras and others relocated for digital-only access.
New to the Signature Blu-ray: Walt & His Dogs (8:27); Stories From Walt’s Office (6:02); How to Make a Meatball and Other Fun Facts About Lady and the Tramp (9:06); Song Selection (9:59), Sing-along versions of songs from the film include “Peace on Earth,” “What is a Baby/La La Lu,” “The Siamese Cat Song,” “Bella Notte,” and “He’s a Tramp” (also in Sing-Along Mode); and Classic Bonus Preview (0:48).
The following extras carry over from the Diamond Edition:
Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad (7:51), Deleted Scenes (19:11); Never Recorded Song -“I’m Free as the Breeze” (1:26): A song Tramp sang that was cut prior to the final version of the film; Audio Commentary: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings.
The following Diamond Edition extras do not appear on the Signature disc, nor do they appear to be in the digital collection archive: Disc Introduction by Diane Disney Miller and Disney Second Screen.
The following extras are listed as digital-only on the Classic Bonus Preview supplement: Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad; Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp; Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard; Never Recorded Song “I’m Free as the Breeze”; 1955 Original Theatrical Trailer; 1972 Reissue Trailer; 1986 Theatrical Reissue Trailer; PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs; Deleted Scenes – Introduction of Boris, Waiting for Baby, Dog Show, Turning the Tables, The Arrival of Baby, Baby Arrives, Lady’s Sweater; and Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film.
This sixth release in the Signature series has nice elements, but if you have the Diamond Edition, you’re good. The film is a charmer and worth adding to your library in one form or another.
The notion of placing Batman in other times and places seems so obvious now, but when Brian Augustyn first hatched the notion with Mark Waid, it was radical. As Augustyn recounts on the 21 minute Caped Fear: The First Elseworld featurette, it was immediately embraced. So enticing was the concept that when artist Mike Mignola first heard about it, he kept saying he had no time but then kept contributing ideas that it was clear he’d make the time.
Gotham by Gaslight pitted an 1889 Dark Knight against Jack the Ripper, come to Gotham City. It was moody, atmospheric, and somber, a perfect Victorian take on the crimefighter. As a result, it ignited imitators, prompting DC Comics to finally invent the Elseworlds imprint and inspired Augustyn to write a sequel, Master of the Future, set three years later as Gotham hosted the American Discovery Exposition.
It was only a matter of time before Warner Animation tried their hands at the Elseworlds and no title was more fitting to kick it off than this one. The direct-to-video release is out this week and it’s pretty entertaining stuff.
Visually, the color palette is muted and does a fine job evoking the grittier environment from fashion to architecture. It is still too bright compared with Mignola and P. Craig Russell’s art (a shame Russell is never mentioned on camera). Director Sam Liu clearly had a good time exploring the action set pieces in fresh environs so the confrontations are pretty nifty.
Jim Krieg’s adaptation, though, is far from perfect. He can’t resist transplanting modern Bat-mythos figures to the past – a comics trope Augustyn wisely avoid. So, in addition to Batman (Bruce Greenwood) and Alfred (Anthony Head) we have Commissioner Gordon (Scott Patterson), Harvey Bullock (John DiMaggio), Harvey Dent (Yuri Lowenthal)Poison Ivy (Kari Wuhrer), Selina Kyle (Jennifer Carpenter), Leslie Thompkins (Grey Griffin), Hugo Strange (William Salyers) and others. A few would have been fine, but it started to feel like one of those television episodes where the main character merely dreams his contemporaries in new roles rather than a fresher take.
He also melded elements from Master of the Future, notably the exposition but doesn’t sand off the edges. The sequel was more about changing eras and the need for a Batman which is sadly missing here. What Krieg does get right, though, is treating Dick Grayson (Lincoln Melcher), Jason Todd, and Tim Drake (Tara strong) as a trio of street urchins in needs of Bruce Wayne’s protection, or more accurately, Alfred’s involvement.
The nicest addition he makes is a genuine romance with Selina that feels mature and right for the time. By expanding the 48-page comic into a 78-minute feature, Krieg also plays around with the identity of the Ripper – totally changing Augustyn’s story. It’s twisted stuff but veers into melodrama as we build towards the fiery climax.
Others have raved about this one, but I prefer the source material, and think they’ve done better adaptations. You can make up your mind by checking it out on streaming video or buy the combo pack which comes with a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and Digital HD code.
Beyond the featurette, we get the usual preview of the next offering, April’s Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay, which reimagines the team as a 1970’s grindhouse production. From what’s shown here, it wants to be Tarantino and falls far short.
Finally, there are two classic episodes from the vault: “Showdown” from Batman: The Animated Series and “Trials of the Demon!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Milestone Media’s best-known character, Static, is back in the third volume of his animated adventures after the release of the first two seasons last year. Static Shock was somewhat revolutionary back in the day, featuring an African-American teen super-hero who juggled classes, girls, villains, and parents, not all that dissimilar to a certain wall-crawler. The comic was long gone, but he left a mark.
Virgil Hawkins (Phil LaMarr) arrived for the Static Shock the Complete Third Season sporting a brand new costume and during the season, his BFF Richie (Jason Marsden) gained powers, taking on the name Gear. Throughout the thirteen episodes comprising the series, which aired in the Kids’ WB, he left the confines of Dakota and journeyed to Africa and even partnered with Superman after fighting alongside the Justice League.
It helped that there were strong scripts from Milestone co-founder Dwayne McDuffie, backed by Paul Dini, Len Uhley, Ernie Altbacker, John Semper, Courtney Lilly and Adam Beechen. John Ridley, who wrote 12 Years a Slave and is about to write for DC Comics, penned the story for the Superman meeting, which was them scripted by Semper. They were backed with the usual strong vocal cast we have come to expect from Warner Animation.
The season opened strong with a return visit to Gotham City where he partnered with Batman (Kevin Conroy) to take on Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin) and Poison Ivy.
It was anything but meet cute when Static and Gear continually confront a new superhero named She-Bang (Rosslynn Taylor Jordan). As it turns out, she’s a fellow classmate with dark secrets that require her to seek their help. She makes a welcome return later in the season.
“A League of Their Own” was a fine two-parter that saw Batman ask Static for help when the JLA Watchtower was compromised. However, it also meant Brainiac (Corey Burton) managed to infiltrate the headquarters so Static and Gear have to help the Dark Knight, Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly), Green Lantern (LaMarr), Hawkgirl (Maria Canals), and the Flash (Michael Rosenbaum). This and “Trouble Squared” show Virgil in his previous outfit, suggesting these were second season productions held over.
The final team-up was “Toys in the Hood” brings Toyman (Bud Cort) to Dakota with Superman (George Newbern) hot on his spring-heels. The story, in part, ties up loose ends from the Superman: The Animated Series episode “Obsession.”
Apart from the super-heroic geekiness of Static meeting the other heroes, the season’s most important episode was “Static in Africa”, which brought the Hawkins family to Ghana. Of course, danger followed the vacationers so Static teamed with a legendary African folk hero to combat a group of bandits. The cultural impact of the episodes still resonates.
The season nicely ends with “Flashback”, examining life in Dakota before the blackout the rise of super-powered beings. A new character, Time-Zone (Rachel MacFarlane), brings Virgil and Gear to the past allowing him to come face to face with his mother (Alfre Woodard), whose memory was beginning to fade form his mind. And then we have “Blast From the Past”, a passing-of-the-torch episode as Static teams with a sixties-era hero, Soul Power (Brock Peters) to close out a crimefighting career.
The two-disc DVD set from Warner Archive contains all thirteen episodes with the S:TAS episode “Obsession” as the only bonus feature.
Sequels are always an iffy proposition. There was a time that a hot film spawned an almost mirror-image sequel as a fast cash grab. After it was clear that was not what audiences wanted, sequels grew smarter and more sophisticated. In many cases, though, the first question asked is, “Does this really merit a sequel?” Sometimes, the creators have more they want to say or, after time has passed, feel there is something new to explore.
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner took Philip K. Dick’s prose work and envisioned a near future that was a darker reflection of 1982. We had gobs of atmosphere, some very restrained and impactful performances, and were left to wonder. While talk of a sequel has bopped up every few years, everyone held out until now. Director Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, Blade Runner 2049, recruited many of the original cast and crew to take use a bit further into the future to see what has changed.
Judging from the box office, apparently the audience, which was wowed in 1982, has changed and shrugged at the sequel. That’s a shame, because the movie, out now on home video from Warner Home Entertainment, is well worth a look. Yes, it pales in comparison to the impact the original had, but so much has changed in filmmaking and society that it should be expected. A meditation on humanity and the decline of Western civilization is always a welcome subject, but this story left too many gaps, too much unexplained so ultimately proved a disappointing experience.
Screenwriter Hampton Fancher picks up thirty years later and Tyrell Corporation’s Nexus 8 is the cutting edge Replicant model, complete with an average human lifespan and finely tuned memories. We learn that Replicants have been invaluable in colonizing near-space, letting humanity escape the world they ruined. After a technology disaster in 2022 destroyed most of the world’s digital data, Los Angeles and other major cities are largely abandoned, sprawling slums.
No one machine is perfect and the imperfect 8’s get hunted down by blade runners and that’s where we meet “K” (Ryan Gosling), following commands from Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright). When he finishes his work, he returns to his tiny apartment and charming AI companion Joi (Ana de Armas). They have such an intimate connection that she later arranges to hire a hooker, Mariette (Mackenzie Davis), and seemingly merges with her to pleasure K in one of the film’s most visually compelling scenes.
His most recent case, dispatching an 8 (David Bautista in a small but fine part), sends him on a case that eventually leads him to Las Vegas, where Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), has been living in solitude. Visionary industrialist Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), who took over Tyrell, is blind and wants any hint of competition wiped out, issuing orders through his replicant assistant Luv (Sylvia Hoeks), contrasting with the K/Joi team.
There’s a hunt for K and Deckard, the revelation of an underground movement (isn’t there always?), and things blow up real well here and there.
Visual futurist Syd Mead nicely extrapolates his future over three decades and you can’t question that the money went into the production. It’s rich and textured, the effects strong, and Dennis Gassner’s production design superb. But the overall effect leaves one cold, and the story’s flaws leaves too many unanswered questions to be truly successful. It certainly leaves you thinking, which is a cut above much of the genre fare we were offered in 2017.
The disc does a strong job transferring the film to 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray at the standard 2.40:1 width, with nary a hint of the material shot at 1.90:1 for IMAX. If anything, the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is better so you won’t miss a beat from the Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch score.
The film comes with complete with assortment of interesting special features. None are spectacular but given the look and feel of the future, makes for good watching. Perhaps the best is Designing the World of Blade Runner 2049 (21:55). There is also To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049 (17:15); Prologues — 2022: Black Out (15:45), anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, 2036: Nexus Dawn (6:31), directed by Luke Scott, and 2048: Nowhere to Run (5:49), directed by Scott; Blade Runner 101 (11:22) — Blade Runners, The Replicant Revolution, The Rise of Wallace Corp., Welcome to 2049, Jois, and Within the Skies: Spinners, Pilotfish and Barracudas.
I wish I had a grandchild to enjoy Scooby-Doo! and Batman: The Brave and the Bold with since I am far from the target audience. I was outgrowing Saturday morning TV when Scooby and the gang debuted and never warmed up to them. Over time, the troublesome teens have encountered countless pop culture celebrities in their storied career but this, their fourth meeting with the Caped Crusader, is a record.
It makes perfect sense that the 1960s homage version of Batman (Diedrich Bader) is used here since it is stylistically appropriate for this sort of crossover. Paul Giacoppo acquits himself well with a breezy script that uses touchstone elements from both series so fans are satisfied. Comics aficionados will appreciate the use of the New Look era Mystery Analysts of Gotham, even though the novelists have been replaced by the more colorful Martian Manhunter (Nicholas Guest), Detective Chimp (Kevin Michael Richardson), the Black Canary (Grey Griffin), the Question (Jeffrey Coombs), and Plastic Man (Tom Kenny). It’s funny to see Aquaman (John DiMaggio) trying to be a member while the Scooby (Frank Welker) and the gang are tested for admittance.
Since these sorts of mashups require a major threat, it seemed right that Batman’s rogues cause the trouble so of course we get to see Catwoman (Nika Futterman), Riddler (John Michael Higgins), Penguin (Tom Kenny), Clayface (Kevin Michael Richardson), Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy (both by Tara Strong).
There’s action, humorous hijinks, Scooby snacks, familiar catch phrases, and more all nicely handled by director Jake Castorena, who graduates from numerous art director assignments (Batman: The Killing Joke, Justice League: Gods & Monsters, etc.) to his third directorial job, following directing episodes of Justice League Action and Batman Unlimited.
The 75 minutes definitely feels padded but that’s to be expected given the limited range of the Scooby half of the match. Thankfully, the disc is rounded out with two classic episode from the New Scooby-Doo Movies: “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and “The Caped Crusader Caper”.
Regardless of the subject matter, director Christopher Nolan remains an interesting, inventive director. It’s no surprise, then, that this summer’s Dunkirk was a sober look at war through the eyes of the participants. That it lacked a traditional story and characters was just par for the course.
The film, out ow on disc from Warner Home Entertainment, is 106 minutes looking at the first day of the British withdrawal from the shore while dodging German gunfire from the ground and the air. The film offers up a 360-degree view of the carnage and heroism from the point of view of enlisted men, officers, pilots, and civilians.
Beyond the slightly unorthodox storytelling, the film is a visual masterpiece, with Nolan relying on traditional special effects, eschewing CGI, which gives the story a gritty, raw feel. He shot it with director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, using IMAX 65 and Panavision 65 cameras, releasing the film in differing formats depending on the house. The commercial video push is for the 4K Ultra HD edition but the film looks pretty spectacular on Blu-ray although it is said to pale next to the 4K version.
The events of Dunkirk, rescuing more than 300,000 men over eight days, largely though civilian vessels, is a small item in the history of World War II and is often overlooked here, especially since we hadn’t entered the war yet. As a result, the story unfolds like something brand new in all its tension-filled glory. We are made to feel as if we were also on the beach, tired, hungry, soaked, and certain death was seconds away.
While the cast is filled with familiar faces – Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy among them – every performance is unstated, the dialogue kept to a bare minimum. The role with the mot lines is like that of the civilian fisherman, Mark Rylance, an actor known for his subtle, quiet work. Most of his work is with his character’s son, Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney), and their friend, George (Barry Keoghan), both reacting differently to getting this close to the war. The first man they rescue is a shell-shocked soldier (Cillian Murphy), a stark reminder of wounds that go deep.
You have to pay attention while getting caught up in the story since there are three main storylines and each unfolds at different speeds.
The Blu-ray was overseen by Nolan, color correcting and pushing the 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer to its limits. Similarly, Nolan eschewed Dolby Atmos for a lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track. It is a perfect complement so no one should feel there was loss.
Nolan also insisted the Special Features be packed on a separate Blu-ray disc. The strong Behind the Scenes material is organized into five chapters with a “play all” function. There are sub-chapters as well.
Recreating the look and feel of the 1940 setting takes up much of the material in these diverting featurettes:
Creation (22:19)
Revisiting the Miracle
Dunkurque
Expanding the Frame
The In Camera Approach
Land (16:39)
Rebuilding the Mole
The Army on the Beach
Uniform Approach
Air (18:30)
Taking to the Air
Inside the Cockpit
Sea (36:57)
Assembling the Naval Fleet
Launching the Moonstone
Taking to the Sea
Sinking the Ships
The Little Ships
Conclusion (1519)
Turning Up the Tension
The Dunkirk Spirit
Additionally, there is a featurette about the U.S. Coast Guard (2:02).
With the comic book-based movie ascendant, other genres have worn out their welcome with audiences, largely given to them being played out mines of creativity. One such casualty of staleness was the romcom; I would argue we haven’t had a good one of those in at least a decade. It makes sense, therefore, that the next generation of filmmaker tries the genre. You can’t have a better pedigree for this than Writer/Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, who with parents Nancy Meyers (The Holiday) and Charles Shyer, were the last interesting purveyors in this field.
The trailers for Universal’s Home Again certainly looked promising with a look at 40-year old single mom Alice Kinney (Reese Witherspoon) raising her two daughters Isabel (Lola Flanery) and Rose (Eden Grace Redfield) in the house her now deceased father owned. He was a legendary director who married his last major star, Lillian (Candice Bergen), who remains a cheerful nudge. Alice is separated from her husband, music producer Austen (Michael Sheen) who can’t seem to make time for his family.
While out getting hammered in celebration of turning 40, Alice and her pals encounter fledgling filmmakers Harry (Pico Alexander), Teddy (Nat Wolff), and George (Jon Rudnitsky), in town to work on turning their short film into a feature. For some reason, none of them have money, but Harry has plenty of chemist with Alice, resulting in the three crashing at her house. Lillian invites them to stay in the guest house our back and so begins the romcom.
The three keep telling us how in awe they are with how well Alice is handling the single mom thing but Meyers-Shyer keeps forgetting to show evidence of this. Instead, these three are like elves who cook, shop, and chauffeur while also working on their careers, collectively and increasingly individually.
All the elements are here for a fun exploration of romance and parenthood in the 21st century but instead, everything is under-baked. The age difference between 20-something Harry and Alice is never an issue, the men’s fraying relationship is more contrivance than character-based dilemma, and the ultimate arrival of Austen in the mix goes along predictable lines. In fact, the further into the film we go, the more predictable the plot points get, robbing the film of being truly engaging.
The film is out now on a Combo Pack from Universal Home Entertainment so you get a fine high definition transfer, a DVD, and Digital HD code. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is equally competent.
Despite middling to positive reviews, the movie underwhelmed at the box office, which may explain why the sole special feature is an audio commentary with Meyers-Shyer and mama Meyers.
One of the strengths found in Batman: The Animated Series is its compassion for heroes and villains alike. In this series, inspired by the success of Tim Burton’s 1989 feature film, writers and animators alike brought a more adult, more mature approach to the stories, rewriting the rules for children’s animated fare.
