FLICKA - Fox
Young Katie claims a wild horse as her own -- an effort to
prove to her father that she is capable of one day taking
over the family ranch. This film is an updated version of
the original “My Friend Flicka” that starred young Roddy
McDowell as Ken Mclaughlin. As remakes go, this one isn’t
too bad. Allison Lohman portrays the confused and defiant
teenager that is looking for her place in the world and the
chance to make her father proud. Lovely Maria Bello plays
the mother and the biggest surprise of the film for me was
the father, played by Tim McGraw. Wow, he can act too?? The
story stays close to the book and the original film with
obvious differences including the main character being
played by a female this time. Horse-lovers will enjoy the
breathtaking mountain scenery and the various shots of
horses throughout the film. The script is very predictable
and leaves little to the imagination. I don’t see this being
a classic, but ok for a night of entertainment. The DVD
presents the film in Widescreen format with Dolby Digital
5.1 surround. Extras include commentary with Director
Michael Mayer, Deleted Scenes with optional commentary,
bloopers and a gag reel.
HELLBOY: SWORD OF STORMS - Starz
A professor of folklore opens a forbidden
scroll and becomes possessed by the ancient Japanese demons
of Thunder and Lightning, who seek to return and dominate
our world. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
sends Hellboy and a team of agents to investigate, but when
Hellboy picks up a samurai sword, he literally disappears
into a weird wonderland of Japanese legends, ghosts and
monsters. Meanwhile, BPRD agents Kate Corrigan and Russell
Thorne are on the trail of the possessed professor to bring
Hellboy back. If you like the comic book and the movie, you
will love this film. The cast includes the voices of actor
Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Selma Blair with a supporting
cast including John Hurt, Peri Gilpin and Yuriana Kim. The
overall script is entertaining and full of plot and action
that will keep you pinned to your seat. I enjoyed the movie
and seeing this animated film brought me closer to the
story. The animation is top-notch and original musical score
by Christopher Drake really puts the show into perspective.
The DVD presents the film in Widescreen with Dolby
Digital 5.1 surround. Extras include a
collectable comic book, Audio commentary with Hellboy
creator Mike Mignola, Supervising Producer/Director Tad
Stones and Director Phil Weinstein. There are numerous
featurettes on this disc that give backstory to the
characters, special effects, creating Hellboy to name but a
few. The packaging is attractive with lots of color and
stills from the show. Don’t view this as just an animated
adaptation of a comic book, look at this as the next chapter
in a great series.
RENO 911 - Paramount
Created by the team behind the cult
television series The State and Viva Variety, Comedy
Central’s Reno 911! parodies reality cop shows through the
outrageous antics of an inept police force in Reno, Nevada.
The series’ eccentric characters--a closeted lieutenant in
hot shorts, a former topless dancer, a bilingual police dog
trainer, and more than a few mentally unhinged deputies--are
brought to zany life by a funny cast that includes The State
alums Thomas Lennon, Ben Garant, and Kerri Kenney. This
compilation presents a selection of episodes chosen as the
series’ best. If you are into uncensored humor, check it
out. You won’t regret it!
BABEL - Paramount
Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate
Blanchett) are a wealthy couple from San Diego who are
vacationing in Morocco in order to heal after the death of
their young child; their other two children are at home with
their Mexican maid, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). In a complex
shift of ownership to which the audience is privy, a rifle
finds its way into the hands of a local herdsman’s young
sons (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid), who recklessly
take a shot at a tour bus and catch Susan in the shoulder,
causing her to nearly lose her life. The distraught Richard
calls home to tell Amelia of the situation, who promptly
departs for Mexico to attend her child’s wedding, with
Richard and Susan’s children in tow. Disaster thus
multiplies, with the situation in Morocco ascribed to
terrorists in the media, while Amelia meets with the harsh
immigration policies of the Bush
administration. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a widower (Koji
Yakusho) tied to the rifle in question attempts to deal with
his memories and his raucous, promiscuous, deaf daughter (Rinko
Kikuchi). Nearly every performance of the film is
devastating, offering an intimate, emotional experience that
would approach melodrama if it weren’t rendered so
realistically. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto’s color
palette masterfully captures the muted tones of the harsh
natural landscapes of Morocco and the Mexican border, as
well as the fluorescent lights of Tokyo that denote another,
though equally barren, end of the spectrum. The
misunderstandings born of cultural, language, and class
barriers are on par with those that occur between family
members, depicting a world that, while connected in the
least expected of ways, is also faced with a deep-seated
crisis that threatens to alienate humanity from itself.
Simply put, you don’t want to miss this DVD in your
collection.
