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TOP 10 LIST for DECEMBER 2013
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By Bob Grimm The Wolverine 20th Century Fox, released Dec. 3 I’m not a hater of X-Men Origins: Wolverine; I thought it was stupid fun. I am in the minority, though, so along came The Wolverine, a new attempt to take Hugh Jackman’s Logan into a freestanding franchise. Directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma), The Wolverine goes in a darker, more-serious direction, although the film still includes some fine action scenes. (The opening scene in Nagasaki and a fight above a bullet train are both incredible.) Jackman, who has a lot more veins popping here than he did last time, again has a blast in the title role. The plot involves an old friend of Logan looking for the key to eternal life—a key which Wolverine actually has, making him a mutant with extra value. Most of the action takes place in Japan, and Wolverine loses his powers for a stretch, so we get the odd sight of him bleeding and getting lethargic. Mangold and his crew deserve credit for filming two of the world’s most beautiful women: Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima. The also-remarkable-looking Famke Janssen makes some dream appearances as Jean Grey—and stay through the credits to get what some might consider the film’s best scene. While I didn’t hate X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this is a better movie. The upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past looks like the stuff of a comicbook-lover’s wet dream, and is sure to give Mr. Jackman another wondrous showcase for those sideburns. Special Features: The extended edition comes on its own disc and features about 12 more minutes, as well as a commentary by Mangold. You also get the theatrical version, with a nearly one-hour documentary on the film’s making, and an alternate ending. There’s also a short preview for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Breaking Bad Sony, released Nov. 26 My personal list of truly great TV shows is a bit short: Twin Peaks, Mr. Show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Happy Days (the first two seasons), Lost and this, Vince Gilligan’s epic masterpiece.
The conclusion of Breaking Bad was astoundingly, astonishingly good. Bryan Cranston’s final moments as chemistry teacher turned meth master Walter White count as one of the best series finales I’ve ever seen (along with Agent Cooper’s bloody face laughing into a cracked mirror on Twin Peaks). The final season starts where the prior season left off, with Dean Norris’ Hank finally figuring out what his brother-in-law was doing in his spare time. From the moment he confronts Walter, to the musical strains of Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” in the last episode, the final season is a wild, wild ride. You know a show is great when you feel a void as it ends. Breaking Bad is a series worth viewing multiple times—which I have done. This is a true gem. They’d better throw a bunch of acting Emmys at this show. Nobody in the history of TV did a better job of creating a character than Mr. Cranston did here (and I’d put his dad from Malcolm in the Middle in the Top 20 as well). Special Features: All of the seasons come to you in a nifty “money” barrel; those who saw the final season know of the barrel’s significance. You get a nice booklet, an awesome Los Pollos Hermanos apron, and many hours of special features, including a documentary, more than two hours long, special to this set. The alreadycirculated Malcolm in the Middle fake ending is here, too. The World’s End Universal, released Nov. 19 Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star in The World’s End as members of an old gang of friends getting back together to finish a hometown pub crawl they failed to complete 20 years earlier. Pegg plays King, the group’s leader, a slightly disturbed man-child; Frost plays Andy, the group pessimist who is still recovering from a partying incident years before. They start drinking pints— only to discover that robots have overrun their old town. So in addition to completing the crawl, they must save the world. This is the third film from Pegg and director Edgar Wright after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and it is a worthy conclusion to their “Cornetto” trilogy (named for a brand of ice cream that appears in all three films). It delivers a lot of laughs, great action and even a
significant emotional punch. It’s the second great apocalypse comedy of 2013; This Is the End is the other. Special Features: This package is absolutely loaded with extra material, including three commentaries, long and enjoyable documentaries, lots of making-of shorts, and much more. Trust me: You get your money’s worth. Blackfish Magnolia, released Nov. 12 Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite puts together a compelling argument against keeping killer whales in captivity. The No. 1 argument: the death of head Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. She was killed during a non-show exercise by Tilikum, one of the amusement park’s star-attraction killer whales. Trainers and friends of Brancheau recall, in chilling detail, how Brancheau died—and the extent of her injuries are a shocker. She didn’t simply slip into the tank and get dragged under by her hair, as Sea World first claimed: She suffered many, horrible injuries in the mouth of the whale. Tilikum has been involved in three human deaths while in captivity, including one at another, smaller park. It’s sad to hear the stories about this majestic, sometimes-placid creature basically losing his mind in captivity. There’s also stunning footage of a 2006 incident in which a whale seemed determined to drown its trainer, taking him to the bottom of the pool numerous times during an extended incident. Blackfish is a blistering indictment of Sea World’s practices. Clearly, trainers shouldn’t be allowed to swim around in tanks performing tricks with these whales, a practice currently legally banned at Sea World (a fact Sea World execs continue to protest). Hopefully, this film will lead to further steps— including the stoppage of killer whales being used for the purpose of amusement. Special Features: There’s a director’s commentary, and some unused segments, including one about excessive damage to a whale’s teeth during captivity, and another featuring a former trainer talking about his positive experiences with whales.
Fast and Furious 6
1. Fast and Furious 6 (Universal) 2. Man of Steel (Warner Bros.) 3. We’re the Millers (New Line) 4. The Wolverine (20th Century Fox) 5. 2 Guns (Universal) 6. Prisoners (Warner Bros.) 7. The Lone Ranger (Disney) 8. Kick-Ass 2 (Universal) 9. Insidious: Chapter 2 (Sony) 10. Don Jon (20th Century Fox)
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