Blu-ray Review: Dolphin Tale

Dolphin Tale (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
List Price: $35.99
Street Price: $18.99
Amazon.com: $12.95
Release Date: Dec 20, 2011
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Running Time: 0 minutes

Synopsis

Dolphin Tale is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle-a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world. -- (C) Warner Bros

Review

Cute movie based on a true story, it’s a great movie to watch as a family. It is a heart-wrenching story that had the wife crying. The script is extremely well written. Nathan Gamble delivers a likeable performance as Sawyer, generating chemistry with both Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Winter. There's also strong support from Ashley Judd (as Sawyer's single mother) and Harry Connick Jr, while Morgan Freeman and Kris Kristofferson try to out-twinkle each other. The true story factor means this movie is very predictable; however you will still recommend it to everyone you know.  Superb movie…from beginning to the “Tale” end.

Posted by Ryan Gibbs, February 17, 2012 7:48 AM

Blu-ray Review: The Debt

The Debt [Blu-ray]

Studio: Miramax Films
List Price: $34.98
Street Price: $19.99
Amazon.com: $13.07
Release Date: Dec 6, 2011
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Running Time: 113 minutes

Synopsis

The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations. -- (C) Focus

Review

Interesting concept to tell a little history about a lesser villain. Based just after the war the threesome of Rachel, Stephan and David plot to bring “The Butcher” to justice. As the story unfolds you become more involved in the personal aspects of the people themselves not just the mission.  It is very much a blockbuster with brains, one that neatly examines the psychological toll of living with a long-standing lie and, less successfully, explores how the power of unrequited love can reach through the decades. The Debt is definitely worth a watch or two.

Posted by Ryan Gibbs, February 15, 2012 7:50 AM

Blu-ray Review: Killer Elite

Killer Elite [Blu-ray]

Studio: Universal Studios
List Price: $34.98
Street Price: $19.99
Amazon.com: $19.50
Release Date: Jan 10, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Running Time: 116 minutes

Synopsis

A match-up made in tough-guy heaven -- Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro star in Killer Elite. Based on a shocking true story, Killer Elite pits two of the world's most elite operatives - Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) - against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen). Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse - where the predators become the prey. -- (C) Open Road Films

Review

This film is billed as "Action Thriller"...lies.  This film is billed as "Keep you guessing", maybe if you make it through the entire movie.  It's not really the story that keeps you guessing, it’s more along the will this ever go anywhere, or maybe why am I still watching this. Of course, you have Jason Statham, who does what he always does in movies. Drives fast cars, gets the beautiful woman and beats a lot of guys up. Sorry DeNiro fans but this is one of his worst films in a long while. Not only is he not on screen much, he doesn’t portray an older special ops type agent to well. Then there’s Clive Owen. He’s actually not too bad but it’s his 1970’s-style porn mustache that stills the show. I can't say if it was a bad script or bad directing but it was definitely a bad movie.  My opinion, don't bother.

Posted by Ryan Gibbs, February 13, 2012 7:49 AM

Blu-ray Review: Real Steel

Real Steel (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Studio: Touchstone / Disney
List Price: $39.99
Street Price:
Amazon.com: $21.99
Release Date: Jan 24, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 0 minutes

4.7 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

In a future world where flesh-and-blood boxers have been replaced by towering mechanized fighters, pugilist-turned-promoter Charlie Kenton reconnects with his estranged son, Max, to convert a discarded machine into a World Robot Boxing contender.

Starring:

Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, Dakota Goyo, James Rebhorn, Karl Yune, Olga Fonda, Marco Ruggeri

Director:

Shawn Levy

Blu-ray Release Date:

January 24, 2012

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:

Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

● Subwoofer – 5.0 Stars

● Dialog – 4.5 Stars

● Surround Effects – 5.0 Stars

● Dynamic Range – 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French: DTS-HD HR 7.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

If robots the size of cars fought in your living room, this is what it would sound like. Each hydraulic powered punch lands with crushing heavy thuds. The booming thumps of robot footsteps are reason enough to earn a 5 on subwoofer performance. This film is filled with tight deep rumbles, if your couch doesn’t move watching this consider getting new speakers. Rear channels also get into the action ranging from soft ambient sounds of rain, crickets, and thunder to louder effects like roaring crowds, ring announcers, and of course robot on robot action. Every once in a while a line or two is hard to hear during the fights, but that’s my only gripe in this otherwise great audio presentation.

Video 4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

● Color Accuracy - 5.0 Stars

● Shadow detail – 4.5 Stars

● Clarity – 5.0 Stars

● Skin tones – 5.0 Stars

● Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

This movie looks gorgeous on Blu-ray. Colors are vivid and warm and help show off the paint jobs of the brawling robots. There are even a few beautiful landscapes of golden wheat fields, mountain ranges, and green forests that visually show contrast between the robots and nature. The video has very little film grain and is clean and smooth. Beard stubble, chipped robot paint, bricks, pebbles in mud, and Evangeline Lilly’s freckles all look stunning due to this Blu-ray’s clarity. Dark colors look great but at times are a little too dark for the shadows, but show no signs of compression issues.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

● Real Steel Second Screen: Ringside with Director Shawn Levy.

● Countdown to the Fight -- The Charlie Kenton Story (1080p, 13:51): A short video with in-character cast members discussing the story of Charlie, Max, and Atom leading up to the fight with Zeus.

● Making of Metal Valley (1080p, 14:14): In depth look at making a key scene in the film.

● Building the Bots (1080p, 5:38): A look at designing original robots.

● Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman's Champ (1080p, 6:19): Discusses some of the contributions Sugar Ray Leonard added to the film.

● Deleted & Extended Scenes (1080p, 17:49): One extended scene and an entire storyline that was deleted.

● Bloopers (1080p, 2:36).

● DVD Copy (includes audio commentary track).

● Digital Copy.

Movie – 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

When I first saw previews for this film, I chucked thinking that it was just a glorified version of Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots. Boy was I wrong. I’ve seen it three times now, and I like it more every time. It’s a fun futuristic boxing movie that I can watch with my family. At its heart the film is about the touching relationship between a father and son. It also has a great message about seeing potential and value in discarded or forgotten things. The action scenes are exciting and somehow make you care about the robots in the ring. All the robot’s boxing movements in the ring are fluid due to motion capture and coaching from Sugar Ray Leonard himself. The actor’s performances are solid and charismatic. Hugh Jackman did a great job of transforming his character from a jerk into a caring father believable. Considering that this film almost received a perfect score on audio and video, this Blu-ray can be considered a great choice to show off any home theater system.

Posted by The HT Guys, February 10, 2012 7:43 AM

Blu-ray Review: The Double

The Double [Blu-ray]

Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
List Price: $29.97
Street Price: $13.99
Amazon.com: $10.94
Release Date: Jan 31, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 92 minutes

Synopsis

In The Double, the mysterious murder of a US senator bearing the distinctive trademark of the legendary Soviet assassin "Cassius”, forces Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere), a retired CIA operative, to team with rookie FBI agent, Ben Geary (Topher Grace), to solve the crime. Having spent his career chasing Cassius, Shepherdson is convinced his nemesis is long dead, but is pushed to take on the case by his former supervisor, Tom Highland (Martin Sheen). Meanwhile, Agent Geary, who wrote his Master's thesis on Shepherdson's pursuit of the Soviet killer, is certain that Cassius has resurfaced. As Shepherdson and Geary work their way through crimes both past and present, they discover that Cassius may not be the person they always thought him to be, forcing both to re-examine everything and everyone around them. -- (C) Image

Review

Suspense fans unite; finally Hollywood has made a movie you can write home about! This seemingly up front plot takes a wild turn into the deep. Is that really what I think I saw? Comes to mind as a phrase you will repeat at least once. It will also make you rethink if the "Bad Guy" is really a bad guy. Well written, and although it may seem slow moving at times, you need it to fill in the blanks with the subtle clues hidden within. I say pop the corn, ice the soda…you will not want to get up once it starts. This movie is a definite Double…watch it twice.

Posted by Ryan Gibbs, February 9, 2012 7:51 AM

Blu-ray Review: Paranormal Activity 3

Paranormal Activity 3 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

Studio: Paramount Pictures
List Price: $44.99
Street Price:
Amazon.com: $14.96
Release Date: Jan 24, 2012
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 83 minutes

3.7 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

A malign and murderous spirit continues to dwell within a San Diego home in this second creepy sequel to 2007's chilling Paranormal Activity. Hoping to catch photo evidence of Bloody Mary, the residents soon become victims in their own horror film.

Starring:

Katie Featherston, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Sprague Grayden, Lauren Bittner, Mark Fredrichs, Brian Boland

Director:

Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Blu-ray Release Date:

January 24, 2012

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:

Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

● Subwoofer – 5.0 Stars

● Dialog – 5.0 Stars

● Surround Effects – 2.0 Stars

● Dynamic Range – 4.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1

Every once in a while a Blu-ray features a sound effect that astounds me and makes me watch the scene again just to hear it one more time. This movie has the best earthquake sounds I’ve ever heard. The subwoofer vibrates so violently I begin to wonder if the earthquake was real. Other low frequencies are handled just as awesome. Whenever the ghost is near soft low rumbles are heard, doors slam with tight booms, and bumps on walls sound all too real. Rear speakers are hardly ever heard. Every once in a while you can hear squeaks and rattles behind you, but that’s it. Whispers of children are easily heard thanks to the dialog’s well engineered performance. Overall, this movie is mostly quiet without much action. When the action does happen, it performs well and can be startling at times.

Video 4.3 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

● Color Accuracy - 4.5 Stars

● Shadow detail – 4.0 Stars

● Clarity – 3.5 Stars

● Skin tones – 5.0 Stars

● Compression – 4.5 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Most of this film is intended to be actual footage of VHS tapes from 1988. Fortunately, they don’t go overboard trying to make this movie look too authentic. However, it seems they dialed down the clarity and added more grain in an effort to commit to the VHS look. This movie features lots of scenes in the dark, and details get lost. This is expected, because if everything is visible in the dark, it wouldn’t be as scary, just like sleeping with the lights on. Colors are natural and somewhat muted, but skin tones look great.

Bonus Features 2.0 Stars (out of 5)

● Scare Montage (1080p, 2:15): Clips of Dennis trying to scare his girlfriend.

● Dennis' Commercial (1080p, 0:56): A commercial for Dennis' business.

● Digital Copy.

● UV Copy

● DVD Copy

Movie – 2.5 Stars (out of 5)

Review

Paranormal Activity 3 does a great job of cranking up the tension, but fails to be a movie I’ll remember watching next month. I will admit, I jumped a few times, and it was creepy watching it, but these movies are kind of boring. Lots of the movie was spent watching people sleep. Granted, that’s when the paranormals seam to be most active, but watching people sleep is still dull. This type of movie gets a lot of mileage out of you anticipating the scare, and most of the time it doesn’t pay off since most of the interesting stuff happens off screen. The plot never fully develops and the reasons why all these creepy things are happening aren’t completely explained. However, the actors in this movie did a great job of making it seam real. So much so that at times I felt uncomfortable and creepy spying on someone’s life. Paranormal Activity is a surprisingly successful franchise. Since the movies cost less than $10 million to make and gross an average of $300 million, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of these movies.

Posted by The HT Guys, February 8, 2012 7:36 AM