There are some very interesting home entertainment releases this week including the surprisingly good Veronica Mars Movie, Son of Batman, the 20th direct-to-DVD animated movie from DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, an underrated caper film starring the oh-so-reliable Kurt Russell, plus a new edition of the complete Transformers: Energon animated series.
Theatrical Movies
This week’s top release is The Veronica Mars Movie (Warner Bros., “PG-13,” 107 min., $28.98, BD $29.98), the Kickstarter-financed epilog to the late lamented Veronica Mars TV series that lasted three years before the brain dead execs at the CW Network were able to kill it. Fans of the TV series will not be disappointed in the movie, which reunites creator/writer/director Rob Thomas with all the key members of the TV series cast. The fact that all the actors involved were so eager to reprise their TV roles in a low-budget movie speaks volumes about their dedication. The film’s plot is a satisfying mystery in its own right, but it also ties up loose ends from the series and brings us up to speed on the show’s many varied characters. The Veronica Mars Movie earned a solid 74% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While it may not be as good as the first season of the TV series, which was one of strongest debuts in TV history, in The Veronica Mars Movie Thomas and company have provided a superior entertainment on a limited budget.
Those who enjoy caper movies might want to check out The Art of the Steal (Anchor Bay, “R,” 90 min., $24.98, BD $29.99), which stars Kurt Russell and Matt Dillion as brothers involved in a major art theft in a story that has one twist after another. Jonathan Sobol directs a strong cast in a heist film that most fans of the genre will enjoy in spite of some obvious contrivances. Those who enjoy Kurt Russell’s work in classics like Big Trouble in Little China will enjoy seeing the actor strut his stuff in this caper flick.
Older viewers might be interested in Still Mine (Fox, “PG-13,” 103 min., $22.98, BD $29.99), which stars James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold in a love story about a husband, who runs afoul of a government bureaucrat when trying to build a suitable house for his ailing wife. Based on a true story, the tough-minded, but sentiment-filled Still Mine earned an excellent 93% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Be forewarned however that, in spite of some humorous elements, this is at least a three-handkerchief movie.
Direct to DVD
Son of Batman (Warner Bros., “Not Rated,” 74 min., $19.98, BD or 2-disc DVD $24.98) is Warner Animation’s twentieth direct-to-DVD animated film featuring the DC Comics superheroes in adventures that target older viewers rather than the pre-teen and tween audiences that watch the DC Nation block on the Cartoon Network. Son of Batman is a loose adaptation of Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert’s 2006 saga “Batman and Son, which introduced Bruce Wayne’s ten-year-old son Damian, the result of a night of passion with Ra’s Al Ghul’s daughter Talia (Alfred should add a zipper pocket for condoms to the Caped Crusader’s utility belt). Unfortunately the creators of Son of Batman just took the skeleton of Morrison’s story and fleshed it out with lots of action sequences, while leaving out a lot of the interesting character-revealing bits.
There are some positive things about Son of Batman. The animation of the movie’s numerous fight scenes is very fluid and Stuart Allen hits the right notes as the voice of the bratty and arrogant Damian. But, while Batman collectors will definitely want Son of Batman on their shelves, don’t think that this film is suitable for children or of particular interest to mainstream audiences. There is an “R-rated” level of violence throughout much of Son of Batman, and frankly a good bit of it seems gratuitous, especially when considering the interesting story elements that were left out in order to accommodate the animated mayhem.
While it is far from the worst of the 20 films in the DC Animated Universe, Son of Batman is still something of a disappointment when compared with the other recent DCAU Batman films like the two-part Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, and Batman: Under the Red Hood.
TV on DVD
The top releases in this category this week are largely animated TV series including Transformers: Energon (Shout Factory, 1200 min., $39.97), which includes all 52-episodes of the series produced in Japan by ACTAS and directed by Jun Kawagoe. Energon was the first Japanese transformers cartoon series that features computer-generated versions of the autobots and decepticons.
Other key animated releases include the single-disc Adventure Time, Vol. 6: The Suitor (Warner Bros., 176 min., $19.82), which contains 16 episodes from the popular D&D-influenced Cartoon Network series that has spawned successful games and comics; the vintage superhero animated collection, The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure: The Filmation Adventures, Vol. 2 (Warner Bros., $9.97); a DVD-R release of Challenge of the Gobots: The Series, Vol. 1 (Warner Bros., 660 min., $29.95); and yet another collection of 14 classic Warner Bros. cartoons by Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, and Chuck Jones, etc.—The Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes Comedy Hour: Looney Tunes, Center Stage Vol. 2 (Warner Bros., 155 min., $9.97).
The only contemporary domestic live-action shows due out this week are the fine Canadian-produced TV police drama Rookie Blue: The Complete 4th Season (eOne, 546 min., $39.98), and the Syfy series Eureka: Season 3 (Universal, 789 min., $29.98), which aired in 2008 and 2009 (and which was previously released on DVD in two parts in 2009 and 2010).
A number of classic vintage TV series will debut on Blu-ray this week including the classic rural sitcom The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete First Season (Paramount, 915 min., BD $129.99), The Honeymooners: The Classic 39 Episodes (Paramount, 1017 min., BD $129.99), I Love Lucy: The Ultimate Season One (Paramount, 907 min., BD $129.99), and Little House on the Prairie: Season 2 Deluxe Remastered (Lionsgate, 1077 min., BD $38.99).
Conventional DVD releases of vintage TV shows this week include the excellent Vietnam War-era drama China Beach: Season 3 (Time/Life, 1087 min., $29.98), Laverne & Shirley: The Complete 8th & Final Season (Paramount, $39.98), and the always hilarious The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Season 3 (Shout Factory, 880 min., $29.98).
The top UK release available here in the U.S. this week is Poirot: Series 12 (Acorn Media, 371 min., $39.99, BD $49.99), which includes four meticulously-produced and hugely entertaining Agatha Christie mysteries including the classic Murder on the Orient Express and the equally intriguing The Clocks. With their brilliantly-rendered art deco period settings and a brilliant cast headed by David Suchet, these are the definitive adaptations of the classic Agatha Christie murder mysteries. Guest stars include Jessica Chastain (who got an Oscar for The Help), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Barbara Hershey (Hannah and Her Sisters), Toby Jones, and David Morrisey, to name just a few.
For those who enjoy more contemporary mysteries, there is the highly entertaining Republic of Doyle: Season 1 (Acorn Media, 539 min., $39.99), which includes 12 exciting adventures featuring Allan Hawoo as the title character Jake Doyle, a private investigator who plies his trade along the rugged and beautiful Newfoundland coast. This is a contemporary series that does include some rough language and sexual situations, but nothing we haven’t seen on basic cable series here in the States.
Anime
There are no major anime releases this week.
Tom Flinn
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
Week of May 6th, 2014
Posted by ICv2 on May 4, 2014 @ 9:00 pm CT
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