DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray 12.17.2013)

Here's this week's entry of DISCussion, where we take a look at films being released on Home Video. From the box office bomb of the summer, to re-releases of Paramount's and Lucasfilm's classic Indiana Jones series, there's a ton of stuff being released right before the holiday. First Release - The Lone Ranger (DVD and Blu-ray) - Elysium (DVD and Blu-ray) - Kick-Ass 2 (DVD and Blu-ray) - Prisoners (DVD and Blu-ray) - Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (DVD and Blu-ray) - The Family (DVD and Blu-ray) - Ain't Them Bodies Saints (DVD and Blu-ray) - One Direction: This is Us (DVD and Blu-ray) Re-Release - Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (Blu-ray) - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (Blu-ray) - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) (Blu-ray) Prisoners (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed by Denis Villeneuve Written by Aaron Guzikowski Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano The thriller Prisoners was seen as one of the early contenders for the up-coming awards season, earning the second runner up place at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Prisoners focuses on a father, Keller (Hugh Jackson) pushed to extremes after his young daughter and her friend disappear and when the police has a lack of evidence against the main suspect Keller takes the law into his own hands. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 81% (very good) Metacritic Rating: 74/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.5/10 DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Prionsers - every moment matters: Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal explore the tense relationship between Keller and Loki; Prioners - powerful performances: get up close and personal with this all-star cast Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 2 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended. It is the last shopping week before Christmas and a large number of movies are coming out onto DVD and Blu-ray, including The Lone Ranger, Elysium and Kick-Ass 2. The Lone Ranger (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Gore Verbinski Written by Justin Haythe Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio (screenplay), Fran Striker, George W. Trendle (characters) Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Helena Bonham Carter Jerry Bruckheimer struck gold with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and hope to repeat that success with a reboot of The Lone Ranger series, bringing in 'Pirates' director Gore Verbinski and writers to adapt it. The Lone Ranger ended up being one of the biggest flops of 2013 and has ended Bruckheimer's partnership with Disney. In the Old West an idealistic lawyer, John Reid (Armie Hammer, The Social Network) moves to Texas, but ends up in an ambush which kills his Texas Ranger brother (James Badge Dale, Iron Man 3). Surviving the attack John ends up partnering with a native American, Tonto (Johnny Depp) and set out to bring down the ruthless Butch Cavenish (William Fichtner). Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 31% (poor) Metacritic Rating: 37/100 (poor) Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10 (read our review) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Bloopers -- Saddle Up With Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer And The Rest Of The Cast As They Battle Unruly Horses, Malfunctioning Props, Gunslinging Misfires And Mutinous Mustaches In This Blooper Showdown Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Deleted scene; Riding the Rails of The Lone Ranger - Learn what it takes to film one of the most epic train chases of all time; Armie's Western Road Trip - Hit the trail with Armie Hammer as he wades through rivers, battles dust storms, and shares what it's like to shoot in the film's spectacular and historic American Southwest locations; Becoming a Cowboy - How do you turn a bunch of greenhorn actors into gunslingers? Send them to Cowboy Boot Camp to learn how to rope, ride, shoot...and stop a horse on a mark Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 2.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 4 stars, Replay 3 stars (out of 5). Rent It. Elysium (DVD and Blu-ray) Written and Directed by Neill Blomkamp Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner Elysium was Neill Blomkamp's big follow-up movie after the success of District 9 and is another politically minded sci-fi movie. In 2154 Earth has been devastated by environmental collapse and urban poverty and the rich has abandoned the planet to live on the Elysium space station. Everyone else lives in poverty on Earth and are desperate to get to Elysium to use their miracle healing CT-scanners. Max Da Costa (Matt Damon) is a ex-con turned factory worker who is trying to live an honest life. But after he is pushed by his bosses to make quota he suffers a lethal dose of radiation and only has five days to live. Desperate Max sets out to do everything he can to get to Elysium. But in Elysium the Secretary of Defence, Delacourt (Jodie Foster) plans to overthrow the governm`ent with her sociopathic henchman Kruger (Sharlto Copley). Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 68% (good) Metacritic Rating: 61/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 7.2/10 DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Engineering utopia: creating a society in the sky; Collaboration: crafting the performances in Elysium Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Extended scene; Visions of 2154 - an interactive exploration of the art & design of Elysium; The journey to Elysium: envisioning Elysium/Capturing Elysium/Enhancing Elysium; In support of story: the visual effects of Elysium; The technology of 2154 Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Kick-Ass 2 (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Jeff Wadlow Written by Jeff Wadlow (screenplay), Mark Millar, John Romita, Jr (comic book) Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, Olga Kurkulina The original Kick-Ass has quickly become a cult classic and the DVD and Blu-ray sells ensured the sequel was made. Based on the controversial comic-book sequel series by Mark Millar the director of the first movie, Matthew Vaughn stepped down and handed the reins to Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down). Six months after retiring as Kick-Ass Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is bored with live and dons the costume once again and trains with Mindy Macready AKA Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz). Dave soon teams up with a group of superheroes he inspired, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) whilst Mindy tries to live a normal high school life. But Chris D'Amico (Chrisopther Mintz-Plasse) sets to have revenge against Kick-Ass, hiring his own 'evil' army and taking up the identity of the Motherf**ker. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 29% (very bad) Metacritic Rating: 41/100 (poor) Entertainment Fuse Score: 5.3/10 (read our review) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Extended scenes; Upping the game; Creating a badass world; Going ballistic: Weapons & stunts; Feature Commentary with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz and Writer/Director Jeff Wadlow Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Alternate opening; Big Daddy returns: The unshot scene; An ass-kicking cast; Street Rules: Showdown at the evil lair; Hit Girl attacks: Creating the van sequence; Additional features Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Thor Freudenthal Written by Marc Guggenheim (screenplay), Rick Riordan (novel) Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, Jake Abel, Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion The other delayed sequel of the week is Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Thor Freudental (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) took over the directional duties from Chris Columbus as Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and his friends set out to find the Golden Fleece to save Camp Half-blood. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 38% (poor) Metacritic Rating: 39/100 (poor) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Back to Camp Half-Blood; It's all in the eye Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in high definition; Tyson motion comic; Deconstructing a demigod Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray), $22.99 (3D Blu-ray) The Family (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Luc Besson Written by Luc Besson, Michael Caleo (screenplay), Tonino Benacquista (novel 'Malvita') Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Tommy Lee Jones, John D'Leo From Director Luc Besson (Leon) and Robert De Niro comes the crime-comedy The Family. The Manzoni family are a mafia family who relocate to rural France under the witness protection program. But they struggle to assimilate as they solve their problems by 'the family way'. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 29% (very bad) Metacritic Rating: 44/100 (poor) Entertainment Fuse Score: 6.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $14.96 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray) Ain't Them Bodies Saints (DVD and Blu-ray) Written and directed by David Lowery Starring: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Rami Malek, Keith Carradine, Charles Baker, Nate Parker Ain't Them Bodies Saints is an crime drama about Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck, Gone Baby Gone), a man who escapes from prison and journey across Texas to reunite with his wife (Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and the daughter he has never met. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 81% (very good) Metacritic Rating: 74/100 (good) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: Making of documentary; Deleted scenes; Music video; Behind the scenes; Teasers; Trailer; St. Nick - director David Lowery's first feature Amazon Price: $21.23 (DVD), $16.98 (Blu-ray) One Direction: This is Us (DVD and Blu-ray) Directed by Morgan Spurlock Starring: Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson One Direction are a blight on the modern music scene and Simon Cowell and his reality TV empire is a cancer on contemporary culture. Like all teen music sensations One Direction have a 3D concert movie which follows their lives behind the scenes. What is strange about this movie is it is directed by Morgan Spurlock, the man who gave us Supersize Me and The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 64% (good) Metacritic Rating: 49/100 (average) DISC DETAILS DVD Special Features: "Best Song Ever" music video; Going home: Harry - Liam - Louis - Niall - Zayn; Extended scenes; Before the show; The 1D family Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (Blu-ray) Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas, Phillip Kaufman (story) Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott Following the disappointment that was 1941 Steven Spielberg teamed up with his old film school friend George Lucas to make a homage to the film serials of the 1930s and ending up giving us one of cinema's most memorial characters. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an adventure and professor of archaeology who is hired by the American military to find The Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 90/100 (excellent) Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $17.49 (Blu-ray) Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 5 stars, Extras 0.5 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (Blu-ray) Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz (screenplay), George Lucas (story) Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone The second Indiana Jones sees the series take a darker turn when Indiana Jones with singer Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) and his kid sidekick Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan, The Goonies) end up in northern India and having to stop a cult who enslave children. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 57/100 (average) Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.2/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $17.49 (Blu-ray) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) (Blu-ray) Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Jeffery Boam (screenplay), George Lucas, Menno Meyjes (story) Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover, John Rhys-Davies, Michael Bryne, Alison Doody, River Phoenix The final movie of the original Indiana Jones trilogy was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as Indy has to escape his father Henry Jones (Sean Connery) and stop the Nazis from finding the Holy Grail. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 88% (excellent) Metacritic Rating: 65/100 (good) Entertainment Fuse Score: 9.1/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon Price: $17.49 (Blu-ray)