After the jump check out reviews for a bunch of great and a few not so great releases.
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The Raid: Redemption
Sony / Released 8/14/12
Gareth Edward's sensation is a martial arts tour de force that is a must see for action fans. A rookie member of an elite special forces team finds himself outnumbered as a raid on a criminal headquarters goes bad as the boss offers lifetime sanctuary to any criminal who takes down the special forces team. Story and characterization are virtually non-existent as the kinetic action sequences offer plenty of gore, violence and inspired choreography. Unfortunately, at times, the film's pace lags as the fairly redundant plotline offers little more than a bare-bones skeleton to hang an awful lot of violence on. Extra features include commentary, video blogs, interviews, featurettes, and trailers. The Raid: Redemption is a solid recommendation for action fans, but for those looking for more, it's likely not for you.
Spaceballs: The 25th Anniversary Edition
20th Century Fox / Released 8/7/12
The beginning of the end of Mel Brooks' reign as the king of parody, Spaceballs was dated when it was released, and twenty five years certainly hasn't made the film any better. Brooks' take on Star Wars and period sci-fi films in general is miscast with talent not generally known for humor (Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga) and unfortunately, misdirected performances from Rick Moranis, John Candy and Brooks' himself. Spaceballs does succeed with it's visual effects which are as comparable to pretty much anything else at the time. The Blu-ray itself is gorgeous, with amazing picture and sound and features a plentiful supply of extras including commentary, featurettes, image galleries, storyboard to film comparisons and trailers. I have friends who swear by Spaceballs, but the film pales in comparison to Brooks' better films; but for both Star Wars fans unfamiliar with Spaceballs or fans of Spaceballs, itself, this release is a likely must have.
Jaws
Universal / Released 8/14/12
First off, Jaws is my favorite film of all time. It's inherently watchable, flawlessly constructed and perfectly executed. If I come across it on television I usually stop and watch it from whatever point it's at. It's quotable beyond belief, the more obscure lines being the most quotable ("Beaches Closed - No Swimming. By the Order of the Amity PD. And let Polly do the printing."; "What's wrong with my printing?"; "Let Polly do the printing..."). My excitement for this Blu-ray release is only equaled by the fact that it is among one of the best Blu-ray's ever released. Universal's restoration is amazing as are the supplements including two feature length documentaries, The Shark is Still Working and The Making of Jaws, featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers and more. For people ready to dismiss the film on the notion that the shark looks fake, I dare you to watch the film and go for a swim in the ocean. Jaws is a must own and a necessary addition to every Blu--ray collection. Highest recommendation.
Glee: The Complete Third Season
20th Century Fox / Released 8/14/12
The students and characters of McKinley High School are back, improving from it's sophomore slump. Although season three is full of stunt tribute episodes and excessive guest stars, it's best moments are the small ones, from the sweet moments between Kurt and his father in the finale, to the long overdue humanization of Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester (a character that on more than one occasion was more caricature than human being) to dealing with real issues such as spousal abuse, suicide, sexual identity, the uncertainty of one's future and coming to terms with the realization that a parent makes mistakes and aren't always as infallible as they seem. The season does a great job transitioning several of the characters from seniors through their graduation and in several cases uncertain futures. The cast is uniformly good and as always Heather Morris steals every scene she's in as the inimitable Brittany. Extras include deleted/extended scenes, featurettes, and the Glee jukebox feature, which indexes and allows you to find every song performed. Glee is a fantastic series and regular viewers as well as Gleeks who were disappointed with the second season have no reason not to add this great season into their collection. If you haven't seen the series, do yourself a favor and start with season 1 and tear through all three before the fall premiere. Highly recommended.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One Volume One
Shout! Factory / Released 8/21/12
I was in college when the MMPR launched and never really saw much of it until now. I always liked the concept, tried unsuccessfully to get into their first film, and now, almost twenty years after their debut consider myself a fan. Season One Part One is certainly a bit cheesy and dated, but extremely entertaining, reminding me of the original Batman television series mixed with H.R. Pufnstuf. This set contains 30 episodes of over the top heroes and villains, action and characters and stories and dinosaur inspired robots. Extras are non-existent. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season One Volume One is an easy recommendation for nostalgiac fans of the series and a worthwhile risk for curious genre fans who dismissed the series when it was originally released. Recommended.
Community: The Complete Third Season
Sony / Released 8/14/12
What appears to be an ordinary situation comedy on the surface, Community is anything but. Creator Dan Harmon's work on this season can be incredibly frustrating. As the show flirts with meta and self awareness, it sometimes finds itself torn between the most cliche episodes and others which rank as some of the best episodes of television ever produced. At times it's hard to process whether or not if even the mundane moments on the show are intentionally crafted to be just that. This season features a number of guest stars including John Hodgman Michael K. Williams, Jeff Garlin, Luis Guzmán, Martin Starr, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Giancarlo Esposito and John Goodman, but unlike other shows (I'm looking at you, 30 Rock), these appearances never take away from the series itself and only add to the complicated mythology of Greendale. Extras include commentary on every episode, featurettes, gag reels, and deleted scenes. Community: The Complete Third Season is a must have and it's brilliance is worth revisiting again and again. Pop, pop!
Black Hand
Warner Archive / Released 7/10/12
Gene Kelly makes a rare dramatic performance playing Johnny Colombo in this pretty solid revenge thriller. Kelly's father is killed by the mob when he was a child and his mother moves him back to Italy. Years later, he returns, switchblade in hand, swearing vengeance on the terrifically named Black Hand. Going to the authorities only makes the situation worse and Colombo is forced to assemble a gang to fight the mobsters. Previously having only seen Kelly in musicals, I was more than pleasantly surprised by his performance. Black Hand is a familiar tale, and certainly earns it's place as a noir/gangster film worth checking out. Recommended.
Devil Makes Three
Warner Archive / Released 7/10/12
Gene Kelly makes another, albeit less successful, foray into drama in this predictable film where Kelly portrays a United States Army captain who is forced to help some Nazi smugglers with a nightclub hostess (Pier Angeli). Technically, this film is beautifully shot on location in West Germany, and it's certainly a watchable film, just not a particularly memorable or must see effort. Performances are solid, but the characters have so little in common, it's hard to connect with them as a couple. No extras, but for a Gene Kelly fan or old movie buff, it's worth renting before a purchase. Mildly recommended.
Heidi’s Song
Warner Archive / Released 7/31/12
A decade after Charlotte's Web, Will Hanna and Joseph Barbera returned to feature animation with this extremely dated and loose adaptation of Johanna Spyri's book; emphasizing plenty of slapstick, the addition of various creatures, cute animals and trippy dream sequences straight out of Scooby-Doo. There are songs aplenty (none of them particularly memorable) and solid voice work all around (with special mention of Lorne Greene and Sammy Davis, Jr, as well as voice over legends Janet Waldo, Peter Cullen and Frank Welker). Heidi's Song is definitely geared toward a young girl audience, but it's simple minded and sticky sweet execution might only service the youngest viewers. Animation is mediocre, and the print is fairly dirty and spotty. For parents hoping to introduce the story to their children, they might be better serviced with the more charming 1937 Shirley Temple version.
Grimm: Season One
Universal / Released 8/7/12
In Portland, Oregon, a police detective learns his familial legacy that he is a Grimm, a human with the powers to perceive Wesen, various creatures that have been dismissed by the world as the stuff of children's fairy tales. But that's not all, he's also a guardian, protecting the innocent and hunting and killing the monsters that lurk, hidden from mainstream society by human forms. Plus, there's good Wesen and bad Wesen, which also can complicate things. With the majority of the first season playing like a monster-of-the-week procedural mashed with familiar genre tropes like Buffy and Supernatural, many of the episodes feel redundant. But, thankfully, the series finds it's footing and by season's end, the mythology is pretty well established. And it's pretty damned fun. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes, gag reel and audition tapes. Grimm is fairly standard stuff, albeit entertaining. Stick with it, though and by the end, you'll be clamoring for more. Recommended.
Once Upon A Time: The Complete First Season
WDHV / Released 8/28/12
With impeccable timing, ABC's Once Upon a Time debuted just as the fairy tale reimagining trend began. The series takes place in Storybrooke where fairy tale characters live in the modern world, frozen in time and unaware of their actual identities. The series runs two parallel storylines, one in Storybrooke and the other in the fairy tale land where the characters and their mythologies intertwine. One of the things that sets this show apart is that ABC is owned by Disney allowing live action versions of their iconic animated characters to be included within. The cast is uniformly great and the mythology is extremely engaging. Extras include featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes, bloopers and Easter Eggs. Once Upon a Time: Season One succeeds not only because of it's concept, but also thanks to it's spectacular execution. Highly recommended.
Mike & Molly: The Complete Second Season
Warner Bros. / Released 8/21/12
The second season of Mike & Molly focuses on an overall arc leading to it's title characters' nuptials. What was refreshing about the second season is they didn't waste time separating the couple and creating the illusion of change. The story is about Mike & Molly and their life is far more interesting together than it was apart and the characters are certainly self aware of this. The strongest element of the series is the cast and their chemistry with one another. Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy are fantastic and the supporting cast which includes Swoosie Kurtz, Katy Mixon, Reno Wilson, Cleo King, Rondi Reed, Nyambi Nyambi, Louis Mustillo, and Holly Robinson Peete. The second season set includes 23 episodes, a gag reel and a Wedding video featurette. Mike & Molly doesn't break any new ground, but doesn't have to. It's a charming, fun sitcom with a likeable cast and solid storylines and is the perfect distraction for a weekend vegging out on the couch. Recommended.
Lockout: Unrated
Sony / Released 7/17/2012
Tremendously entertaining, Lockout is a throwback to sci-fi films of the eighties. This low budget effort starring Guy Pierce is an Escape From New York homage that offers non stop action and over the top silliness that deserves a watch. In the future, Snow (Pierce) is the anti-hero with chip on his shoulder who after being convicted of a crime he claims he didn't commit, is given a chance for freedom when the President's daughter (Maggie Grace) is stuck on a satellite during a riot at an "escape-proof-prison" and needs a rescue. So it's up to Swan to save the day; which he does of course. Extras include two featurettes. Lockout was largely ignored theatrically and deserves a wide audience, especially if your taste is tongue-in-cheek escapism. Highly recommended.
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
Warner Bros. / Released 8/21/12
Now, almost forgotten, Tiny Toon Adventures was one of the early nineties' best ideas. Under the eye of Steven Spielberg, Warner Bros. introduced a new, younger generation of cartoon characters. The youngsters attended Acme Looniversity where many of the original Looney Toons characters appeared as instructors. Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation was a 1992 direct to video original movie release (a rarity at the time), which focused on the summer vacation adventures of main characters Buster and Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig, and Elmyra Duff. The twenty year old film is extremely pop culture savvy (if it were 1992, with appearances and/or references to Roseanne Barr, Johnny Carson, The Little Mermaid, Arsenio Hall, David Letterman, Deliverance, Jay Leno, Superman, Oprah Winfrey, and Sylvester Stallone. Being a direct to video release, the animation quality wasn't any better than the series itself, which is fine, but there's little incentive for any new viewers to check this out (it might have been served better as a bonus in a season release if they ever continued to do so). I remember liking this just fine back in the day (a Superman cameo used to go a long way), but watching it now, it's not nearly as clever or charming as I once remembered it. Watching Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation is like sitting through someone's vacation photos; you recognize the players but it's more of a chore. Extras are limited to a trailer. Unless you grew up in the nineties and feeling nostalgiac, this release might be better left as a fond memory.
