A full slate of theatrical films includes two interesting animated features (one from the director of Watchmen), a crime drama with Oscar potential, one of the year’s better mainstream comedies, a less-than-successful 1980s rehash, and a dark comedy that mixes Hollywood actors with an indie/mumblecore directing duo.
Theatrical Films
For a change there is a surfeit of titles in this category this week including two animated features (Despicable Me and Legend of the Guardians) as well as The Town, a film with definite Oscar possibilities.
There is little doubt that Despicable Me (Universal,”PG,” Single-disc $29.99, Double-Pack $34.98, 4-Disc Combo BD $49.98), which earned $537 million at the worldwide box office, will be the best-selling release of the week. The 4-disc BD and the Double-Pack contain 3 all-new mini-movies featuring supervillain Gru’s Minions in new adventures. Universal’s first entry into the increasingly crowded category of computer-animated features is not very adventurous, but Despicable Me is a lot fun and benefits from solid voice work from Steve Carell and Jason Segel.
Even though he has only directed two films, Ben Affleck has established himself as one of our top contemporary directing talents with The Town, (Warner Bros., “R,” $28.98, BD $35.99), which proves that his first feature Gone Baby Gone was no fluke. This character-driven crime drama, set like Gone Baby Gone in working class
The Town is not the only interesting new live-action movie out this week. The Other Guys (Sony, “PG-13,” $28.96, BD $38.96), which made $120 million at the domestic box office, spoofs the cop buddy movie genre. It fared much better with critics (77% positive on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences than Kevin Smith’s Cop Out did. Sharply directed and written by Adam McKay (Talladega Nights), The Other Guys stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, and Eva Mendes, who are backed up by an excellent supporting cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, The Rock, Michael Keaton, Anne Heche, and Steve Coogan.
Mark and Jay DuPlass, the “mumblecore” auteurs behind Cyrus (Fox Searchlight, “R,” $29.98, BD $39.99) take a much different approach to comedy, but the results are interesting in this unsparing portrait of a lonely middle-aged divorced loser right out of the Dan Clowes playbook (John C. Reilly) who meets the woman of his dreams (Marisa Tomei), who unfortunately comes with the considerable baggage of an overly dependent overweight 22-year-old son (Jonah Hill). The humor in this darkly comic film comes from the characters and not from any clever writing or staging—the movie is as rigorously plain in its own way as any modern Danish film—but connoisseurs of the off-beat will find much to like here.
That can’t be said for The A-Team (Fox, “PG-13,” $29.98, BD $39.99), which largely wastes the talents of a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, and Bradley Cooper in a forgettable popcorn movie with a far-fetched plot and over-the-top action sequences. But hardcore fans of action movies should be pleased enough by the film's sheer headlong, plot-be-damned drive to note that it's far from the worst Tinseltown remake of a classic TV series.
Those looking for a “family movie” could certainly do worse than Nanny McPhee Returns (Universal, “PG,” $29.98, BD $39.98), which stars Emma Thompson, who reprises her role as the governess with the clock-stopping mug who somehow manages to help her charges, which in this movie include two incredibly spoiled city kids who have to adjust to the rigors of life on the farm, learn how to behave.
Anime
After several lean weeks there’s some more action in this category thanks to the release of sets from two well known properties and a better-than-might-be-expected anime romcom. Dragon Ball Kai Season 1, Part 3 (Funimation, “13+,” 325 min. $49.98, BD $54.98), is the slimmed down, hi-def reworking of the popular DBZ anime that is airing on the Nicktoons network. Meanwhile Viz Media’s program of releasing the original Naruto series in 26-episode chunks continues with Naruto Uncut Season 4 Box Set 2 (Viz, “13+,” 650 min., $49.95).
There is also a solid selection of re-priced and re-packaged sets including the Trigun-like Gun x Sword Complete Collection (Funimation, “16+,” 650 min., $49.95), which was originally released by Geneon, the mecha-heavy Guyver: Bioboosted Armor Complete Collection (Funimation, “16+,” 625 min., $39.98), originally released by ADV, the Gonzo-produced Tower of Druaga: Complete Collection (Funimation, “16+,” 540 min., $49.98), and the Sands of Destruction: Complete Collection (Funimation, “13+,” 290 min., $39.98), which is based on the Sega role-playing game.
TV on DVD
Also out on Tuesday is Jack Bauer’s final nation-saving, real-time counter-terrorism epic, 24 Season 8 (Fox, 1008 min., $59.98, BD $69.98). All eight of Bauer’s contrived, but pulse-pounidng, 24-hour epics are available in the massive 24: The Complete Series (Fox, $349.98), which contains 57 discs.
Another Fox series debuts in complete form in Married…With Children: The Complete Series (Sony, $250.95), a 32-disc compilation of the raunchy series about the highly dysfunctional Bundy family.
There are lots of vintage series releases this week including Gunsmoke: The 4th Season Vol.2 (
The only major animated “TV on DVD” release is SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron—The Complete Collection, a 5-disc compilation of the 26-episode series about a group of anthropomorphic felines that appeared on The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera from 1993-1995.
