A scene from 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Courtesy Warner Bros.
Where the Wild Things Are (Blu-ray)
Pick of the Week – Max (Max Records) is a lonely, rambunctious boy with a great sense of storytelling. He dresses in a wolf costume, plays in snow forts, has a lot of energy… and is also very sad. In fact, he is only truly happy when his mother (Catherine Keener) or sister (Pepita Emmerichs) pay attention to him, and when they don’t, he lashes out. After getting into a fight one night with his mother, he runs away and ends up on an island with giant, wild creatures Carol (James Gandolfini), Judith (Catherine O’Hara), Ira (Forest Whitaker), Alexander (Paul Dano), Douglas (Chris Cooper), KW (Lauren Ambrose), and The Bull (Michael Berry Jr.).
Spike Jonze adapted the beloved Maurice Sendak book with the same heart and magic it possesses, and has produced one of the best family films ever made. Special features exclusive to the Blu-ray release include a new National Film Board short based on Sendak’s book Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More To Life, an HBO behind-the-scenes featurette, a series of Where the Wild Things Are shorts by Lance Bangs, and a regular DVD and digital copy of the film. Film **** Blu-ray **** out of 5 stars.
2012 (Blu-ray)
- In my original review, I suggested waiting to see 2012 once released on DVD, and although I was more comfortable sitting through the almost three-hour long “disaster-porn” film at home, it’s still a pretty lame end-of-the-world movie. Sure, the high-def release looks great, but when you have choppy CGI, bad acting, and a horrible script, it’s just polished crap. Roland Emmerich’s The Day After Tomorrow is a much more enjoyable watch and one I can recommend. Starring John Cusack, Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, and Amanda Peet. Special features include deleted scenes and alternate scenes, commentary, an Adam Lambert music video, a digital copy of the film, and more. Film ** Blu-ray *** (out of 5 stars).
Ponyo (Blu-ray)
– An interesting take on the story The Little Mermaid, Ponyo follows a young boy as he becomes close friends with a goldfish who transforms into a human girl. This is a Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) film that Disney has imported from Japan, and the 2-D anime-style animation is beautiful in high-def. Both the Japanese audio track and the John Lasseter directed English audio track (including the voices of Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Betty White, and Liam Neeson) are included. Special features include a storyboard presentation of the film, a behind-the-scenes look at Studio Ghibli, a regular DVD of the film, and more. Film *** Blu-ray **** (out of 5 stars).
Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey
– I could tell you about the story, animation, or voices in Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey but why bother? This is a movie for kids and if my tot was able to write a review, he would give this a 10 out of 5. He loves it so much that I’ve been forced to watch the DVD at least once a day in the last week. My son laughs, interacts with George (or “monkey”, as he fondly refers to him), and is ridiculously happy while we watch it. Like last week’s release Penguins of Madagascar: Operation DVD Premiere, this is purely for entertainment and your little one isn’t going to get anything educational out of it. Special features include two never-before-seen episodes from the Curious George TV show, interactive games, activities, and more. DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
Bollywood Hero
– In this three-part, made-for-TV show, Chris Kattan plays an actor who is sick of the the Hollywood system and decides to try his chops as a Bollywood star. It’s a funny fish-out-of-water show that pokes fun at Kattan and Hollywood in general. Maya Rudolph, Pooja Kumar, Neha Dhupia, and Jennifer Coolidge also star. Special features include deleted scenes and outtakes. DVD *** (out of 5 stars).
More New DVD releases this week: Gentlemen Broncos
, Alice
, Welcome
, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
