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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - Page 17
Movies, DVDs with Jim Sherlock, Aaron Rourke What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs FILM: THE CALL OF THE WILD: Genre: Adventure/Family/Drama. Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens, Bradley Whitford. Year: 2020. Rating: PG. Length: 105 Minutes. Stars: **½ Review: A domesticated St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog named Buck is stolen from his California home and sold to freight haulers in 1890s Yukon where he crosses paths with a man named John Thornton, and the two embark on an adventure in the wilds of the Yukon. This latest big budget, big screen Disney adaptation based on the classic novel by Jack London has all the bells and whistles you could wish to expect: spectacular scenery, an abundance of thrills, chills, spills, excitement, adventure and moments of heartfelt poignancy between a man and his dog, it's all there, however, for all it has to offer, the overwhelming use of CGI, including the dog, and heavy-handedness of implausibility in situations, all may be too distracting to the more astute of the audience members. At a sprightly 77 Harrison Ford is perfectly cast as loner John Thornton, and is supported by a stellar supporting cast that includes Karen Gillan (Jumanji: The Next Level), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast) and Bradley Whitford (Get Out, The West Wing), but the real star here is not the computer generated dog, it is Oscar winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan), who captures the spectacular and breathtaking beauty of the Yukon terrain in Canada with jaw-dropping results. Directed by Chris Sanders, whose previous credits include the animated hit "How To T rain Your Dragon" (2010) and written for the screen by Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Logan), this comes hot on the heels of Disney's similarly 2019 themed (and far superior) "Togo" with Willem Dafoe and based on the true story of the sled dog who led the 1925 serum run, but nonetheless, "The Call of the Wild," is a beautifully filmed and fun adventure story, albeit a flawed one, and a story that will continue to enthral audiences for generations to come, even if the dog here is born from a computer. FILM: DOWNHILL: Genre: Comedy/Drama. Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell, Miranda Otto. Year: 2020. Rating: M. Length: 86 Minutes. Stars: ** Review: Barely escaping an avalanche during a family ski vacation in the Alps, a married couple is thrown into disarray as they are forced to re-evaluate their lives and how they feel about each other. A remake of the 2014 Swedish film "Force Majeure" by Ruben Ostlund, with the exception of the spectacular Austrian cinematography, this fails to reach the emotional heights or intense power of the aforementioned foreign language film in every way, however, it succeeds to a point, but only barely, as it all too often shows signs of reaching a peak, but then fails to grasp its intended reach. Though far from anything totally memorable, stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss are fun to watch at times through moments of brief humour as it works its way through the turmoil and conflict of a marital drama, however, there's definitely an unfulfilling mismatched chemistry between the two veterans of comedy that should have attained compelling and thought provoking results, most notably in the dramatic stakes, even though both stars are extremely gifted and are fully capable of fulfilling, but not so. Like all too many Hollywood remakes of acclaimed foreign language films, "Downhill" is far from being a total loss or a disaster, it's just a tame, less spirited, less energetic and shadowy remake of a far superior film that would be better served to catch, but overall, this is an ineffective and inoffensive time-filler to pass away its relatively short 86 minute running time, and unlike its original source film, this would have been far more suited as a streaming movie of the week. FILM: UNDERWATER: Genre: Action/Drama/Horror. Cast: Kristen Stewart, T.J. Miller, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick. Year: 2020. Rating: M. Length: 95 Minutes. Stars: ** Verdict: A crew of aquatic researchers work to get to safety after what they believe is an undersea quake that devastates their subterranean laboratory, but the crew has more than the ocean seabed to fear. Continued in Right Column
Rourke’s Reviews Bring Me Home
■ (MA). 108 minutes. Available now on Blu-ray and DVD. Managing to be both a bruising drama and a tense thriller, Bring Me Home is an impressive effort, even more so considering the writer/director is making his feature film debut. Lee Young-ae (who hasn't been seen on the big screen since 2005) stars as Jung-yeon, who, along with her husband Myeong-guk (Park Hae-joon), have been searching for their young son Yoon-su, who was snatched while at a playground six years before. Jung-yeon works long hours as a nurse while her husband travels far and wide handing out flyers and following up potential tips, to no avail. When Jung-yeon receives credible information that Yoon-su may have been seen at a coastal fishing village, she makes the long journey there, but is met with resistance by the people residing at the specific locale, which include highranking police officer Hong (Yoo Jae-myung), and the distraught mother soon starts suspecting that these strangers are hiding something. Debutant director Kim Seungwoo carefully lays the groundwork, developing both Jung-yeon's journey and the environment she encounters in confident, measured fashion, and is startlingly adept at knowing when to deliver a jarring body blow. The subject his screenplay tackles is certainly relevant, but never feels exploitative, and only during the finale do conventional elements creep in. The cast is superb, with Lee (Joint Security Area, Sympathy For Lady Vengeance) and Yoo (The Beast, Moonlit Winter) particular stand-outs. Some viewers may find aspects of the material distressing, but Bring Me Home never becomes overtly graphic, wanting instead to concentrate on the characters' psychological state of mind, leading a fine film to a moving, emotionally satisfying ending. Note : A multiregion player is required. RATING - ****
Made up of five terrifying tales, this is a stylishly handled piece that perfectly balances black humour with gore and genuine scares. Romero, best known for his series of Dead films, beautifully evokes the striking colours and designs of a comic book, and teaming with best-selling author Stephen King, infuses the material with absolute care and attention, showing what an obvious labour of love this was for the both of them. A first-rate cast includes Hal Holbrook, E.G. Marshall, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, and Viveca Lindfors. Though the 1987 sequel and the recent TV series were huge disappointments, the original Creepshow is still knockout viewing, and deserves to be rediscovered by a whole new generation. It is a pity the local blu-ray is missing the extensive extras that are on the UK. and US editions. RATING - ****½
Uncommon Valor
■ (M) (1983). 105 minutes. Available now on Blu-ray and DVD. The first of a string of 80's movies that involved ex-vets returning to Vietnam to rescue POW's held in camps long after the war had ended, Uncommon Valor is the best of the bunch (others include Rambo II and Missing In Action), but a poor script prevents an intriguing premise from being fully realised. Gene Hackman stars as Colonel Jason Rhodes, whose son was captured by North Vietnamese soldiers in 1972, and 10 years later, aided by Frank's old platoon, returns to a country that still contains much personal and national pain. The foundation is there to create a heady mix of political commentary and explosive action, but writer Joe Gayton never develops any of the compelling elements beyond the basics, and while direction by Ted Kotcheff (Wake In Fright, First Blood), is generally slick, it can't quite overcome the script's shortcomings. The strong cast also includes Fred Ward (Southern Comfort, ■ (M) (1982). 120 minutes. Avail- Remo), Tim Thomerson (Near able now on Blu-ray and DVD. Dark), Randall 'Tex' Cobb (RaisWith big screen comic book ad- ing Arizona), and a young Patrick aptations a matter of routine now, it is great to go back and revisit Swayze. While it never reaches its full Creepshow, the late George A. Romero's loving tribute to the hor- potential, Uncommon Valor does ror comics of the 1950s, and argu- just enough to entertain. RATING - *** ably remains the best representation of the medium on film. - Aaron Rourke
Cr eepshow
What’s Hot and What’s Not Continued from Left Column Slick, tight, loud and claustrophobic action creature-feature- horror pot-boiler that borrows heavily from so many predecessors of the genre, from Ridley Scott's "Alien" to James Cameron's "The Abyss," as well as many before and in-between, and other than the cast, has nothing new to offer. Star Kristen Stewart complete with a Sigourney Weaver "Alien 3" style haircut, does well under the circumstances, as do the rest of the cast that includes veteran French actor Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones) and T.J. Miller (Deadpool 1-2), but the failings here lay in the story and screenplay by Brian Duffield, along with Adam Cozad, and the weak and uninspired direction by William Eubank. - James Sherlock
Top 10 Lists
JUNE 7-13 THE DVD AND BLU-RAY TOP RENTALS & SALES: 1. ONWARD [Animated/Adventure/ Comedy/Voices: Chris Pratt, Julia LouiseDreyfus]. 2. BLOODSHOT [Sci-Fi/Action/Drama/Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce]. 3. THE CALL OF THE WILD [Family/ Adventure/Drama/Harrison Ford]. 4. FANTASY ISLAND [Horror/Fantasy/ Adventure/Kim Coates, Michael Rooker]. 5. EMMA [Comedy/Drama/Anya TaylorJoy, Bill Nighy, Miranda Hart]. 6. DOWNHILL [Comedy/Drama/Will Ferrell, Julia Louise-Dreyfus]. 7. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG [Adventure/ Comedy/Jim Carrey]. 8. MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN [Crime/ Mystery/Drama/Edward Norton, Alec Baldwin]. 9. BIRDS OF PREY [Action/Crime/ Adventure/Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead]. NEW HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK: DEATH DO US PART [Horror/Drama/Zoe Tapper, Edward Speleers]. ENEMY LINES [War/Action/John Hannah, Corey Johnson, Ed Westwick]. WE DIE YOUNG [Action/Crime/Drama/ Jean-Claude Van Damme]. THE GREAT WAR [War/Drama/Billy Zane, Ron Perlman]. ESCAPE AND EVASION [Action/War/ Drama/Steve Le Marquand, Bonnie Sveen]. 3022 [Science Fiction/Angus Macfadyen, Kate Walsh, Omar Epps]. DVD AND/OR BLU-RAY NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSIC MOVIES HIGHLIGHTS: UNCOMMON VALOR [Action/Drama/Gene hackman, patrick Swayze]. NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS: WONDERS OF THE SEA. PLAY SCHOOL: Nursery Rhyme News. POWER: Season 6. THOMAS & FRIENDS: The Royal Engi
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