New On DVD – March 30, 2010
Posted March 30, 2010 12:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Sherlock Holmes (Blu-ray) CityNews.ca Pick of the Week – After Detective Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner Watson (Jude Law) bust the evil, black magic-practicing Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), they close the case and wait for their next assignment. Skip ahead a few months and Blackwood is sent to the gallows. After his hanging, however, he returns from the grave and sends Holmes and Watson on an adventure into the world of secret societies and the occult. What makes Sherlock Holmes work is not so much the witty banter between Holmes and Watson, or the action and fight scenes (which there is plenty of thanks to director Guy Ritchie), but the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Law. They own these roles and play off each other brilliantly. The Blu-ray release is loud and crisp, and is definitely one I’ll be watching many more times. Special features include Maximum Movie Mode with director Guy Ritchie and a featurette on reinventing the Sherlock Holmes character. A regular DVD and digital copy of the film are also included. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
NOTE: There will be a special BD-LIVE Community Screening of Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. answering your questions on April 1 at 9:00 p.m. EST. You must have a network connected Blu-ray player and a copy of Sherlock Holmes on Blu-ray in order to participate.
An Education (Blu-ray) – Jenny (Carrey Mulligan) is a smart, pretty, well behaved 16-year-old girl growing up in 1960s London. Her strict parents want her to focus on getting good grades so she’ll be accepted to Oxford and she leads a fairly boring life because of this. When David (Peter Sarsgaard), an older, charming playboy enters her life, she falls for him and is whisked away to a world of partying at nightclubs and attending art auctions. This is the life she wants and she’s in heaven. But is it the life she should be living? Written for the screen by Nick Hornby, An Education is a smart, enjoyable movie and Mulligan is a true standout (her Oscar nomination was way more deserved than Sandra Bullock’s, who ultimately won the category). Special features include commentary with director Lone Scherfig and actors Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, plus more. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
Backyardigans: Escape from the Tower – Backyardigans is a kids show with CGI characters that sing, dance, and go on adventures in their backyard. If you have young kids you’ve probably seen it on Treehouse and either get so annoyed by it you turn it off or leave it on because your little one loves it. On the Backyardigans: Escape from the Tower DVD there is three new-to-DVD episodes and an episode of a new live-action show, The Fresh Beat Band. Makes a great Easter present if your kids do like the show. DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
The Killer / Hard Boiled – Two of John Woo’s most revered films, The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992), get re-released this week with “Ultimate Editions”. In The Killer, Chow Yun-Fat plays an assassin trying to go straight only to be double-crossed by his boss. Action and violence ensues. In Hard Boiled, Chow Yun-Fat plays a veteran cop in the middle of a gang war. Action and violence ensues. If you haven’t seen these two classics that have influenced many films and filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino for one) do yourself a favour and pick them up. Special features for The Killer include deleted scenes, interviews, and more. Special features for Hard Boiled include commentary by Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan, deleted scenes, an interview with John Woo, and more. Both are available on Blu-ray as well. The Killer **** DVD **** (out of 5 stars). Hard Boiled **** DVD **** (out of 5 stars).
Steven Seagal: Lawman – Season 1 – Did you know that action star Steven Seagal has been a Deputy Sheriff for almost 20 years in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana? Me neither until I saw his new A&E reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman. In the first season, which features 13, 30 minute episodes, Seagal busts people, signs autographs, and trains his co-workers in his martial arts skills (think of it as COPS starring Seagal). We also get a glimpse into Seagal’s other ventures such as his music career and his energy drink. Be warned that once you start watching it’s hard to stop as the show is highly addictive. Show (Season 1) **** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
Collateral (Blu-ray) – Collateral succeeds in not only being one of Michael Mann’s best films but also as one of Tom Cruise’s best performances. Crusie plays Vincent, a hitman who hires a cab in Los Angeles for the night to take him to five locations — locations that he has been hired to kill people at. The cab driver, Max (Jamie Foxx), finds out along the way what is happening and now has his life in danger. With the FBI on their trail and Vincent threatening Max’s life the film becomes a tense thriller that will leave you wanting more. This was one of the first Hollywood films to be shot on digital video, the 1080p transfer to Blu-ray is very clean and crisp with most of the motion blur from the original DVD release being unnoticeable. The DTS-HD soundtrack is very clean too and action scenes thump. Special features include commentary with director Michael Mann, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, plus more. Film **** Blu-ray **** (out of stars).
More New DVD releases this week: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Petropolis, Under the Sea (Blu-ray)
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com
Top image: A scene from Sherlock Holmes. Courtesy Warner Bros.
