New On DVD – March 23, 2010

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Blu-ray) CityNews.ca Pick of the Week – Based on the Roald Dahl book and directed by Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of a fox (voiced by George Clooney) and his family (wife voiced by Meryl Streep, son voiced by Jason Schwartzman) who are uprooted from their home and hunted by local farmers after Mr. Fox steals from them. Fans of Anderson will enjoy the wit of the dialogue, as well as the overall sense of the film. The muted colour palette, voices, and score are all typical of Anderson’s style. It’s funny, sweet, and was the best animated film of 2009 in my opinion. Special features on the Blu-ray release include a making-of, a featurette on the world of Dahl, and more. A regular DVD and digital copy of the film are included as well. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).

Read my full review of Fantastic Mr. Fox

Brothers – Sam Cahill (Toby Maguire) and his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) were high school sweethearts who got married, had two kids, and live a generally ideal family life. Sam is also a respected captain in the Marines and is about to head back to Afghanistan on a new mission. Meanwhile, Sam’s brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) has been in prison for a few years for robbing a bank and is just being released before Sam heads out. Part family drama, part war movie, Brothers is a well-made and intense film that includes solid performances from Maguire, Gyllenhaal, and Portman. Special features include commentary with director Jim Sheridan, a featurette on adapting the original film Brødre for North American audiences, and more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film *** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).

The African Queen (Blu-ray) – The blueprint for many romantic comedies of recent years finally gets a release on DVD and Blu-ray this week. Set during WWI and starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, The African Queen follows Charlie (Bogart) and Rose (Hepburn) as they attempt to make their way down the Ulanga-Bora river on Charlie’s steamboat, “The African Queen”, in order to blow up the German ship the “Louisa”. As they spend time together on the river the two become attracted to each other and eventually fall in love. This 1951 classic has been meticulously restored for Blu-ray in a beautiful 1080p transfer, and although presented in a 4×3 aspect ratio, the image is crisp and clean and the age of the film is only present during scenes that were shot using green screen techniques. The sound is also impressive with the jungle noises being especially amazing. Special features are slim on the single-disc Blu-ray release and only include a making-of. Also available in a limited edition DVD and Blu-ray box set. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).

Flashpoint Season 2, Vol. 1 – There is nothing I hate more than when a television series is released on DVD and the studio splits a season in two. That’s what Phase 4 Films has done for season two of Flashpoint, the hit Canadian show about a special police tactical team in Toronto. The reason behind the split season is that Season Two had an initial run of 13 episodes before another nine were added. On the whole, Season Two was not as intriguing to me as Season One was and I can’t see myself rushing out to add this to my collection without all the episodes together in one package. I’m also disappointed that there will be no Blu-ray release of Season 2, Vol. 1 even though there was for The Complete First Season (this is a show meant to be seen in high-def). Special features include a music video for Hugh Dillon’s Works Well With Others. Show (Season 2) ** DVD * (out of 5 stars).

More New DVD releases this week: Mad Men Season 3, The Men Who Stare At Goats, The Blind Side, Toy Story (Blu-ray), Toy Story 2 (Blu-ray)

brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com

Top image: A scene from Fantastic Mr. Fox. Courtesy Fox Searchlight.