Oh geez. I’m all confused here. There are just too many titles hitting shelves again this week but no obvious “must-buy” disc, as far as I’m concerned. The new Hollywood blockbuster remakes all stumble in the storytelling department, the catalogue titles feature far-from-perfect presentations and there are just no damn Criterion titles as far as the eye can see! But don’t fear, if none of the brand spanking new titles do it for you this week, I’m sure you can find something in the massive batch of Eastwood newly released or re-released, as the case may be, on Blu-ray! Seriously, how many movies did has that guy made?!
1. THE WOLFMAN
Yeah. Crucify me. Shoot me with a silver bullet. This movie doesn’t work where it should – some would even go so far as to say it sucks – but I’m a die-hard Universal Monsters fan and, like it or not, this is the title that I’m most excited about this week. I wasn’t sent a review copy of this Blu-ray (c’mon Universal, what have I ever done to you!) so I can’t tell you for certain whether it’s worth your dime or not, but I’ll be the first in line to pick up The Wolfman today. I’m really hoping that the extended “Director’s Cut” will help the film out but I fear the worst.
The biggest disappointment with this Blu-ray, however, has nothing to do with the new 2010 remake but the 1941 original Lon Chaney Jr. film – while the original film is included in the package, it’s only available as a stream and not on the disc. I’d gladly be bitten by a whole pack of werewolves if Universal would put the original black-and-white films on Blu!
So, here’s the second of two big-budget Hollywood remakes new on Blu-ray this week, both with big problems in the story department. But you already knew that, didn’t you? You’ve either already seen Tim Burton‘s Alice in Wonderland and were dissapointed by its outcome or you found the overuse of CGI too offensive to even get you as far as buying a ticket to see the film. Look, here’s the thing. It’s Tim Burton. The CGI is just another tool in his garish visual arsenal. Story will always take a back seat in a Burton film (unless you’re talking the brilliant, nearly-perfect Ed Wood or strikingly original Pee Wee’s Big Adventure) as design takes control of the ride. Luckily, that makes this Blu-ray as sweet as candy for the eyeballs! It looks and sounds great. Too bad about that script…
Full review coming this week!
Amazon: $19.99
3. LIFE
Did you love the BBC series Planet Earth? Do you use the Blu-ray discs on a regular basis to show off your HD system? Well, you’re in luck! The BBC and noted naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough are bringing us a brand new look at life on our planet, aptly titled Life! Sadly, Warner is making you choose between a couple of slightly different versions of this new Blu-ray set – one narrated by the man himself, Sir David, or the other, the version that aired on the Discovery network in the US narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Both feature the exact same footage in the exact same show. Only difference here is the voice that tells you whats what. Me? I’ll stick with the original, Sir David track. But seriously, you’re not going to pick this up for the audio. Life is another visual treat that you’ll be happy to enjoy in any language, or with the sound turned right down.
Here’s big-budget remake number three this week. And man, is War of the Worlds a disappointment. Perhaps even more so than Wolfman or Alice, simply because it just starts out so damn strong! This film tricked me into believing it would deliver the goods Close Encounters-style until around the halfway mark when it just completely goes off the rails with ridiculous character choices and over-the-top silly CGI nonsense. I realize that Spielberg is trying to offer a sort of homage to the old b-movies during the second and third acts but it just misses the mark. And it’s really a shame because the Blu-ray edition of the film completely shines in every other department! It looks amazing, damn-near perfect I’d say, sounds incredible and is packed with enough special features to keep this reviewer happy. I just wish the last half of the film was as well put together and thought out as the Blu-ray itself.
5. THE MAN WITH NO NAME TRILOGY
I haven’t had a chance to get a look at this set of films on Blu-ray yet but I doubt that I’ll be terribly dissapointed in any new editions of these three brilliant Sergio Leone films. Of the three “spaghetti western” films in the box, all starring Clint Eastwood at his most brilliant, only The Good, The Bad and The Ugly has been previously available on Blu in a much maligned edition with an uneven, sometimes DNR scrubbed image. But you know what, it’s still the best the film has ever looked. And if A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More look anywhere near as decent as the third part of the trilogy of films, I’ll be more than happy with this new Blu-ray set.
MORE CLINT ON BLU THIS WEEK:
Just in case the Man With No Name Trilogy Blu-ray set doesn’t offer you enough high-def Eastwood this week, Warner has got your back with a couple of new boxed sets, single and double-feature releases and re-releases on Blu. Check it out:
ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:
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