DVD/Blu-ray DISCussion (New for 3.13.12)

After the awards season we are now starting to get the DVD and Blu-ray releases of these movies. The Descendants was one of the leading contenders, one of our favorite movies of 2011, and now our DVD and Blu-ray Recommendation of the Week.

First Release
- The Descendants (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Melancholia (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Three Musketeers (2011) (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Neverland (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Arthur & the Invisibles 2 & 3 - The New Minimoy Adventures (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Happy Feet Two (Release Date Mar. 17) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Re-Release
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (Blu-ray)
- American Pie (1999) (Blu-ray)
- American Pie 2 (2001) (Blu-ray)
- American Wedding (2003) (Blu-ray)


The Descendants (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*

Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (screenplay), Kaui Hart Hemmings (novel)
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard

What’s the Deal?
The Descendants was one of the big contenders this awards season and was the movie most likely to derail The Artist’s momentum. George Clooney was nominated for Best Actor and the film won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also a movie that was in a large number of top 10 lists.

Matt King (Clooney) is a Hawaiian lawyer who’s wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), had an accident and is now in a coma. Matt struggles to raise his troublesome younger daughter, Scottie (Amara Miller), and through his older daughter Alex (Shailene Woodley, The Secret Life of the American Teenager) finds out Elizabeth was having an affair. Matt and Alex have to tell all of Elizabeth’s friends and family she is about to die and determine to confront her lover. At the same time, Matt is in control of a family trust and needs to make a decision to about selling land the King family owns.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (excellent) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 8.8/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


It is a mixed bag of releases this week, including the critically acclaimed art-house movie Melancholia, Paul W. S. Anderson’s version of The Three Musketeers and the animated flop Happy Feet Two. The whole "American Pie" trilogy is coming out onto Blu-ray, cashing in just in time for the release of American Reunion, and the Criterion Collection is re-releasing the controversial Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ.


Melancholia (DVD and Blu-ray)

Written and directed by Lars von Trier
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland

What’s the Deal?
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival last May, Melancholia was one of the favorites to win Palme d’Or, something that writer/director Lars von Trier ensured would not happen when he made a joke in extremely poor taste about understanding Hitler and claiming he was a Nazi, which is a criminal offense in France.

Melancholia is the story of two sisters. Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is a young woman about to be married and her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist) and brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland) keep the bride and guest in. Earth is also hurtling toward another planet as Justine struggles to maintain her composure through the impending unimaginabl.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 78% (very good) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 7.7/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $13.99 (DVD), $18.49 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


The Three Musketeers (2011) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
Written by  Andrew Davies, Alex Litvak (screenplay), Alexandre Dumas (novel)
Starring: Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Mads Mikkelsen, Christoph Waltz

What’s the Deal?
Paul W. S. Anderson is a cinematic prior and when it was announced he was going to make a 3D movie about The Three Musketeers, it was met with dread. The 2011 version of Alexandre Dumas’ book was a box-office disappointment and met with a negative critical reception. But it was not as bad as first feared and Quentin Tarantino even named it as one of his favorite movies of 2011.

In the Early 17th Century, France is surrounded by enemies, ruled by a young king (Freddie Fox) and Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz), who is the real power behind the throne. After a failed mission in Venice, The Three Musketeers (Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans) disband. A year later they are called back to duty when a young man who wants to join them, D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief) and also the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) has created a powerful airship for France’s mortal enemy, England. Added to the mix, Richelieu and the assassin Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich) try to plant evidence that Buckingham is having an affair with the queen of France (Juno Temple, Atonement).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 26% (poor) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 5.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Deleted & Extended Scenes; Cast & Crew stories; 17th Century Action; Audio Commentary with the Director & more

Amazon Price: $17.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray), $24.99 (3D Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 2.5 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Rent It.



Neverland (DVD and Blu-ray)

Written and directed by Nick Willing
Starring: Rhys Ifans, Anna, Charles Dance, Q’orianka Kilcher, Charlie Rowe, Bob Hoskins, Keira Knightley

What’s the Deal?
Made for the Syfy network and Sky Movies, Neverland is a two-part prequel to Peter Pan that features Rhys Ifans as Captain Hook, Keira Knightley voicing Tinkerbell, Bob Hoskins as Smee and Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies).

Peter (Charlie Rowe, Never Let Me Go) is an orphan boy living as a pickpocket on the streets of London, led by his mentor Jimmy Hook (Ifans). Peter is ordered to steal magical items and ends up teleported into another world, a world that is filled with 18th Century pirates, Native American tribes and many magical elements.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): N/A
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Director Commentary: Nick Willing; The Story Behind The Story: Cast Interviews; Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel, Charlie Rowe, Raoul Trujillo, Bob Hoskins and Director Nick Willing; "Green Screen to Scene": The Special Effects of Neverland; Journey Into Neverland: Art Gallery

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


Arthur & The Invisibles 2 & 3 - New Minimoy Adventures (DVD and Blu-ray)

Arthur and the Revenge of the Maltazard
Directed by Luc Besson
Written by Luc Besson, Celine Garcia
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Selena Gomez, Stacey Ferguson

Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds
Directed by Luc Besson
Written by Luc Besson, Celine Garcia
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Selena Gomez, Mia Farrow, Jimmy Fallon


What’s the Deal?
Do you remember the days when Luc Besson was an edgy action director making movies La Femme Nikita and Leon: The Professional? Those were the days. Sadly, Mr. Besson has been trying to ram his animated-live action hybrid of the Arthur and the Invisibles down our throats, with two new films based on his own children’s books.

Arthur and the Revenge of the Maltazard
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 0% (awful)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): N/A
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $13.49 (DVD), $17.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 3.5 stars, Video 0 stars, Audio 0 stars, Extras 0 stars, Replay 3 stars (out of 5). Recommended.



Happy Feet Two (Release Date Mar. 17) (DVD and Blu-ray)

Directed by George Miller
Written by George Miller, Gary Eck, Warren Coleman, Paul Livingston
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Pink, Sofia Vergara, Hugo Weaving

What’s the Deal?
In 2006, Happy Feet was a highly successful family movie and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Happy Feet Two was nowhere near matching that movie’s success, being a box-office flop, a critical disappointment and resulting in 600 people losing their jobs at Dr D Studios in Sydney, Australia.

Set after the events of Happy Feet, the tap-dancing Emperor penguin Mumble (Elijah Wood) now has a son, who is reluctant to dance. Erik runs away and meets The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria), a penguin that can fly! At the same time the penguin colonies are trapped by the force of nature and Will the Krill (Brad Pitt) and his sidekick Bill (Matt Damon) have an existential crisis.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 44% (poor) (read our review)
Player Affinity Score: 5.0/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Helping Penguins and Pals; How to Draw a Penguin; I Taut I Taw a Putty Tat; 3 Sing-A-Longs

Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Running with Boadicea; The Amazing Voices of Happy Feet 2; Pink's New Song

Amazon Price: $14.99 (DVD), $24.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo), $29.99 (3D Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 1 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 0.5 stars (out of 5). Skip It.


The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Paul Schrader (screenplay), Nikos Kazantzakis (novel)
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, Harry Dean Stanton, David Bowie

What’s the Deal?
Based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, The Last Temptation of Christ was a controversial movie when it was first released. Willem Dafoe stars as Jesus of Nazareth, a man who believes that he needs to spread the word of God and a very political man in Roman-occupied Judea. But he is also a man who suffers from great temptation as he tries to find out God’s will and be a good man.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 83% (very good)
Player Affinity Score: N/A

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack by supervising sound editor Skip Lievsay; Audio commentary featuring director Martin Scorsese, actor Willem Dafoe, and writers Paul Schrader and Jay Cocks; Galleries of production stills, research materials, and costume designs; Location production footage shot by Scorsese; Interview with composer Peter Gabriel, with a stills gallery of traditional instruments used in the score; PLUS: An essay by film critic David Ehrenstein

Amazon Price: $27.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.



American Pie (1999) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
Written by Adam Herz
Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy

What’s the Deal?
American Pie has spawned seven movies and the eighth, American Reunion, is set hit theaters on the April 6. So there is no better time to re-release the original three theatrical movies onto Blu-ray. The teen comedy genre was in the midst of a lull before American Pie was released. This low-budget comedy ended up being a massive hit, turning its cast and directors into sought-after people.

The first film sees four friends, Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) who are about to graduate high school. They make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night, but some of them find love on the way.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 60% (good)
Player Affinity Score: 7.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $13.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): Content: 3 stars, Video 3.5 stars, Audio 3 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 2.5 stars (out of 5). Recommended.



American Pie 2 (2001) (Blu-ray)

Directed by J.B. Rogers
Written by Adam Herz (screenplay), Adam Herz, David H. Steinberg (story)
Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy

What’s the Deal?
Because of the success of American Pie, a sequel was quickly commissioned and all actors returned to reprise their roles. The Weitz Brothers only stayed on as producers so first assistant director J.B. Rogers was promoted to director.

Our four pals return home after their first year at college and it seems their sexual exploits were disappointing. They decide to spend the summer at a beach house with their friend Stifler (Seann William Scott) as they deal with their various relationship issues: Oz’s girlfriend is abroad, Kevin wants to get back with his ex (Tara Reid) and Jim seeks advice from the only girl he ever had sex with to find out how to be a better lover.

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 52% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 7.3/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A


American Wedding (2003) (Blu-ray)

Directed by Jesse Dylan
Written by Adam Herz
Starring: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Ian Nicholas, Eugence Levy, Fred Willard

What’s the Deal?
American Wedding was the last movie of the original trilogy before the series ended up being a string of awful straight-to-DVD releases. This three-quel sees Jim and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan, How I Met Your Mother) getting engaged and preparing for their wedding as Stifler becomes both an asset and a hindrance.

Chris Klein, Tara Reid and Mena Suvari did not return for the third movie, presumably having better things to do, like starring in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Alone in the Dark and Day of the Dead (2008).

Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 55% (average)
Player Affinity Score: 6.8/10

DISC DETAILS

DVD Special Features: N/A

Amazon Price: $14.99 (Blu-ray)

Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A