DVD/VIDEO REVIEWS week of August 3, 2009
This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases
The following are capsule reviews of new and recent DVD and Blu-ray releases from the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Theatrical movies have a USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. These classifications refer only to the theatrical version of the films below, and do not take into account the discs' extra content.
Delgo
Well-meaning but only average animated children's parable, set in a mythical land, about a part-human, part-reptile teenager (voice of Freddie Prinze Jr.) who falls for the winged, pixielike princess (voice of Jennifer Love Hewitt) of a rival nation and enlists the help of his bumbling best friend (voice of Chris Kattan) and a fearless general (Val Kilmer) to thwart the warmongering schemes of the princess' exiled aunt (voice of Anne Bancroft). This Romeo-and-Juliet tale, co-written and directed by Marc F. Adler and Jason F. Maurer, exalts peace, racial and ethnic harmony and the power of mercy to break a cycle of hatred, values which compensate for special effects well behind the vanguard and a sometimes unimpressive script. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) 2008
Illegal Tender
The sins of a father (Manny Perez), who's been dead for 20 years, are visited on his widow (Wanda De Jesus), his son (Rick Gonzalez) and even his son's young stepbrother (Antonio Ortiz) as the gangster who once employed him (Gary Perez) pursues an apparently endless vendetta. This exhaustingly overacted and dreary melodrama, written and directed by Franc Reyes, features characters who spew platitudes and bullets with equal aplomb. Frequent rough and crude language, rear and partial upper female nudity, adulterous sexual activity, highly suggestive costuming and dancing, and graphic violence with gore and suicide. Spanish language and titles options. L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R)
(Universal Studios Home Video) 2007
Obsessed
Competent but forgettable suspense yarn in which a temporary office worker (Ali Larter) becomes fixated on a happily married executive (Idris Elba) eventually causing his wife (Beyonce Knowles) to suspect an affair. Director Steve Shill's feature debut, essentially a rickety star vehicle for Knowles, showcases marital fidelity, but dallies with vigilantism as the police -- led by Christine Lahti as a detective -- prove helpless. Moderate action violence, brief nongraphic sexual activity, a suicide attempt, some crude and crass language, a few sexual references and a half-dozen uses of profanity. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray) 2009
Race to Witch Mountain
Engaging sci-fi adventure about a Las Vegas cab driver (Dwayne Johnson) and a UFO expert (Carla Gugino) who try to help two alien children (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) find their spaceship and return home to head off an alien invasion of earth, while relentlessly pursued by a federal UFO investigator (Ciaran Hinds). Director Andy Fickman's reimagining of the 1975 "Escape to Witch Mountain" moves at a fast clip with likable lead performances and elaborate special effects making this recommendable family fare for all but young children who might be bothered by some scary moments. Generally mild action violence with explosions and gunshots. Spanish language and titles options. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) (Buena Vista Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray) 2009
The Soloist
Engrossing drama in which a Los Angeles journalist (Robert Downey Jr.) profiles and befriends a musically gifted homeless man (Jamie Foxx), and discovers, through the challenging relationship, an underworld of his city's dispossessed. Director Joe Wright's adaptation of Steve Lopez's book features impressive performances by both leads that lend eloquence to its implicit plea for treating the marginalized with dignity. Drug use, a few rough and crude words, a couple of uses of profanity and occasional sexual references. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) (Paramount Home Entertainment) 2009
The Tigger Movie
Buoyant animated feature in which Tigger, Winnie the Pooh's cheerful bouncing friend, tries to learn whether he's the only one as he seeks out his own "tigger" family. The artfully crafted animation leaps out with vivid colors and three-dimensionality in director Jun Falkenstein's happy exploration as Tigger is joined by Pooh, Piglet, Roo, Owl, Rabbit and all the others in the clever musical adventure.
A-I -- general patronage. (G) (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
2000
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.