Activision, Infinity Ward Debut New COD Trailer

Courtesy: Activision/Infinity Ward

Courtesy: Activision/Infinity Ward

Mark your calendars, gamers.  On November 5^th, 2013, the latest installment in the highly successful Call of Duty franchise will be released. In anticipation of the game, the very first trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts has been released.  It made its debut this morning at Microsoft’s press event announcing what gamers can expect to come out this Fall.  The trailer shows that this proves to be the biggest game in the franchise yet.  Gamers get to go through big cities, jungle backdrops, and even more throughout the course of this upcoming game.  Its graphics live up to the expectations created by the series’ previous installments.

Courtesy: Activision/Infinity Ward

Here’s the gist of the storyline according to Mark Rubin, Executive Producer at Infinity Ward.  The game’s creators worked with Traffic and Syriana writer Stephen Gaghan on the story.  What players get in this new installment is a world n which the United States military has been devastated by a giant event.  The nation’s government is for all intents and purposes, in shambles.  Players get to play as one of the remaining U.S. military forces against those that caused all of this death and destruction.  The Ghosts are “ghost soldiers.”  They are the elite of the elite, the ultimate cream of the crop.  Fans who want even more info on the game, from its plot to everything on how the game came to life, they can check out a behind the scenes featurette on the game now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B00xKmtyfaY.

Courtesy: Activision/Infinity Ward

The mix of the trailer’s music bed and voice-over declaring, “We are ghosts, fighting for something that can’t be killed” will send chills up anyone’s spines, gamer or not.  Fans can check it out for themselves now, online right here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxnx3W-HA18.  Also provided throughout this article is just a handful of shots from the game that is to come this holiday shopping season.  So check it out, and spread the word to the gamers of the world.  Call of Duty: Ghosts is coming!

Courtesy: Activision/Infinity Ward

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Airheads Blu-ray Re-Issue Hits All the Right Notes

Courtesy: Starz/Anchor Bay Entertainment

Airheads is one of the most underappreciated comedies of the 90s.  This spoof on the inner workings of the music industry is one that every movie and music lover should see at least once.  This is regardless of what genre of music one listens to.  And thanks to Starz and Anchor Bay Entertainment, everybody can enjoy this undervalued movie once again.  It will be re-issued next Tuesday, May 28^th on Blu-ray.

Everybody by now knows how difficult it is to break out in the music industry.  So when three hard working musicians are turned down too many times by record label reps who barely give their demo tape the slightest listen, the trio—Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler—known as “The Lone Rangers” decide to take a drastic step and hold a radio station  hostage.  Ironically, the deejay on staff at the time (played by Joe Mantegna—The Simpsons, Criminal Minds, Joan of Arcadia) ends up actually helping the young musicians as he has become so jaded by the music that he is forced to play by the station manager.  Making things even worse is the revelation that the manager (played by fellow veteran actor Michael McKean) was going to sell the station and change its format, effectively laying off everyone on staff.  Thus ensues an absolutely hilarious poke at those in the highest positions of power within the music business.

Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler and Brendan Fraser have all gone on to relatively stable success, playing both more comedic roles and some very dramatic roles since the original release of Airheads in 1994.  But there is no denying the chemistry that the trio had in playing their roles together.  Nor is there denying how much fun they must have had, too.  There is not one moment throughout the movie’s roughly hour and a half run time that doesn’t generate its share of laughs.  This includes the late Chris Farley’s scene in which his character Wilson rips the nipple ring off of a man who was making fun of Wilson.  The reaction both by Wilson and the man to this is absolutely hilarious.  That and other moments are more proof that Farley was just as good on the big screen as he was as a cast member of Saturday Night Live.  The same can be said of his cast mate, Adam Sandler.  On a side note, Saturday Night Live hasn’t been as good to this day as it was in the 90s.  When the last member of that cast left, that show went downhill.

The primary story of “The Lone Rangers” taking over the radio station will keep any comedy lover engaged throughout the story.  It’s obvious that no one either behind the cameras or in front of them, had any intention of taking themselves seriously.  That’s a big part of why this was such a fun story.  It is just as obvious how much fun the cast and crew had when Ian The Shark (Joe Mantegna) goes off on Milo when he finds out that Milo was going to sell the station.  It would have been funny to see a gag reel showing how many takes it had to have taken for that one scene, everything else aside.  What many people don’t realize about the music industry is just how much radio personalities hate the music that comes through their headphones.  Nearly twenty years after the movie’s debut, Ian’s statement that so much of the music sounds the same rings true.  Making things worse is station program directors who are scared to death of trying anything new and different, I.E. Milo.  It’s one of those timeless stories to which so many hopeful musicians can relate.  Every struggling musician has reached the point of desperation because of those in positions of power.  But none have ever gone to the lengths which “The Lone Rangers” went.  Keeping that in mind, Airheads becomes one of those matters of circumstantial comedy that for once is actually funny and will be for another near two decades and then some.  It will be available next Tuesday on DVD and Blu-ray and can be ordered direct via the Anchor Bay Entertainment website at http://www.anchorbayentertainment and sign up for the store.

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Iron Man 3 Fun, Even With Some Kinks In The Armor

Courtesy: Paramount/Marvel

When is a man not a man?  A man is not a man only when he gives up.  That is what those who have not yet seen Marvel’s new blockbuster Iron Man 3 need to remember when going into this movie.  Many of those who have seen this movie have complained that the movie didn’t feature enough of Tony in his suit; that it was essentially more melodrama than movie.  Here’s the thing.  Just as start Robert Downey Junior noted in recent reviews, he can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again.  He meant that in terms of playing Iron Man/Tony Stark again in a potential Iron Man 4 and/or Avengers 2.  But the reality is that those comments apply within the context of Iron Man 3 itself, too.  Fans have seen Tony Stark don his armor time and again in the first two movies in this franchise.  And for the most part, his armor has done the same sort of feats.  So seeing Tony lose everything, including his suits (albeit temporarily) and forced to rely on just his wits was actually a nice change of pace.  It showed that while he may not have been a superhero for much of the movie, he was still a hero and no less a man.   That’s because he didn’t give up.  He didn’t even let anxiety attacks hold him down.  These are messages that any viewer, comic book fan or not, should take away from this movie.

The messages contained within Iron Man 3 are just one positive aspect to this movie.  While it’s hardly perfect, the fan boys and fan girls that have lambasted it for its surprise regarding The Mandarin and the Extremis story arc have gone into the movie with too much of a closed mind.  They perhaps didn’t catch that Writer/Director Shane Black and his Co-Writer Drew Pearce did in fact poke fun at themselves indirectly concerning this matter.  When the truth is revealed about The Mandarin, Rhodey asks Tony, “This is The Mandarin?!”  Tony retorts with one of so many wisecracks that audiences have come to love from him.  Those that are open minded enough will appreciate that this short moment is actually Pearce and Black’s way of beating the fan boys and fan girls to the punch in hopes that it will get them to laugh at the story changes with them.  Though, in defense of the fan boys and fan girls, it is a bit of a slap in their faces to turn The Mandarin into the minor figure that Black and Pearce did.  Maybe in any future installments, audiences will get The Mandarin that they deserve.

Any viewer that can accept the story changes to Iron Man 3 will appreciate the eventual reward in the movie’s final climactic battle scene between Tony, Rhodey, and Killian.  There are those that say this final showdown is the movie’s only real good part.  But as already noted there is much more to be taken away from the movie.  Seeing all the armor from Tony’s “Hall of Armor” lets audiences know that regardless of whether RDJ returns for Iron Man 4 or Avengers 2, odds are audiences will still see Iron Man return with much more armor and action in future installments.  After all, certain parties noted that the most recent take on The Incredible Hulk would be the last one for a while.  But obviously that’s now been proven false as the not so Jolly Green Giant is apparently back on the table again for Marvel’s next phase.  So even if RDJ is done (as he seemed to note even within the context of the movie), it would be no surprise if Shellhead returns with someone else donning the Iron Man suit….or suits?

As one can tell by now, there is plenty for which Iron Man 3 should be applauded.  For all of its positives, there are some negatives.  The first of those negatives is the movie’s pacing.  Its run time is roughly two hours and fifteen minutes.  But it feels like it is much longer.  Unlike its competitor, Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3 felt like (just as with DC’s The Dark Knight Rises), Black and Pearce were trying way too hard to cram everything they could into this one last installment so as to close the trilogy.  What’s more, incorporating multiple villains, as so many of the comic based movies have done in recent years, only added to the movie’s length.  It would have been much easier to simply stick with Killian as the main villain.  After all, audiences are hand delivered early on the fact that Killian would be the main villain.  The extra storyline may lead some viewers to find themselves checking their watches every now and then, wondering when the two hour plus movie will finally end.  And because of this, it will ultimately leave some viewers realizing that this key issue has and will forever keep Iron Man 3 from being the movie that it was hyped up to be.  Rather, it will keep Iron Man 3 little more than another transition point to Marvel’s next property, just like its comic books.

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Star Trek Sequel One Of Summer 2013′s Best

Courtesy: Paramount

Star Trek Into Darkness is one of the best movies of the Summer 2013 movie season.  However, for all of its successes, there is no denying that it is not a perfect work.  The movie, which clocks in at just over two hours keeps audiences engaged from the story’s opening moments.  And that is thanks in large part to following the standard Summer blockbuster formula.  Here’s where things get dicey, and some of this critic’s fellow Trek fans might be angered.  To those potentially angered readers, please read this entire review before attacking.

One of the biggest factors in the success of Star Trek Into Darkness is that much like its predecessor, audiences don’t have to know the rich history of Gene Roddenberry’s creation that started with Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS).  Its references to the movie franchise’s reboot were so few that audiences that have yet to see that movie need not worry about having seen it in order to enjoy this story.  Director J.J. Abrams and his staff of writers did an impressive job in keeping this tradition alive from the movies based on both TOS and TNG.  Though, those that are long-time fans of both Star Trek TOS and the long running movie franchise will enjoy it just as much as TOS and the movie franchise’s reboot.  Long-time fans will enjoy the reference in this movie to the famed Troubles with Tribbles episode from TOS.  Long-time fans will enjoy seeing actor Leonard Nimoy reprise his role as the original Spock just as much (not to reveal too much).  That’s right.  Leonard Nimoy is back once again.  And long-time fans will love how Abrams and company poke fun at themselves with his re-appearance.  How they go about doing so will be kept under wraps so as to not spoil another positive moment from an overall impressive work.

Director J.J. Abrams and his staff of writers did an impressive job making a story that much like the movies from TOS and TNG, doesn’t require knowledge of the previous movie to be enjoyed.  This and the references to TOS played important roles in this movie’s success.  Just as much cause for success was the personal growth of Chris Pine’s Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s Spock.  Kirk starts off in this movie the same brash almost Tom Cruise “Maverick” style figure as they were introduced to in the series’ 2009 reboot.  It would be impossible to explain this without spoiling at least one aspect of the movie.  That aspect would be that Admiral Pike is killed off.  In his death, audiences finally see Kirk grow as a person.  They see what was obviously the relationship of a son and his (for all intents and purposes) surrogate father in Pike.  Audiences also see the relationship between Spock and Kirk grow even more from their initial meeting in the 2009 reboot.  This is perhaps one of very few aspects of this work that would require viewers to have seen the previous film in order to appreciate it.  Theirs are the only relationships that show any growth from the previous installment in the franchise.  That’s not an entirely bad thing.  Simon Pegg is as funny as ever in his role as Scotty.  And the relationship between Scotty, Kirk, Spock and Bones produces more than its share of laughs once again.

For everything that makes Star Trek Into Darkness such a success, it isn’t without its faults.  This story has plenty of comical moments between cast members; enough that they would make quite the blooper reel in the movie’s home release.  But one can’t help but look back on the movie and realize just how much running around and yelling filled most of the story.  There was so much that in hindsight, it makes for more than enough fodder for Saturday Night Live’s writers to spoof.  Thankfully for the movie’s staff of writers, all the running around and yelling wasn’t enough to overpower the story’s main plot that while not overly original, is still nicely updated.  It’s a story that is well worth its time overall, whether one is an experienced Star Trek fan or not.

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Hyde Park On Hudson One Of The Worst Historical Works In Years

Courtesy: Universal Studios/Focus Features

Hyde Park on Hudson is one of the least enjoyable movies of 2012 and just as uninteresting now that is has been released to DVD and Blu-ray.  The problem with this attempt at a semi-biopic is the lack of balance between the story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s relationship with his mistress Margaret “Daisy” Stuckley and that of the visit by King George and his wife, Queen Elizabeth.  The script attempts to tie the two storylines together.  But in that effort, writer Richard Nelson and director Roger Michell have instead crafted a story that ends up plodding along at a near snail’s pace all while not really amounting to anything by the time it ends.  The story is narrated by what is supposed to be Margaret Suckley, explaining her relationship.  Herein lies another issue with the story.  Because it is told from the vantage point of “the other woman”, there’s no way to ignore the comparison to the Madonna helmed W./E.  Just as the latter was an art film, this movie comes across the same way, eventually amounting to nothing.

The initial comparison to W./E. is only one problem with Hyde Park on Hudson.  Anyone that has any knowledge of presidential history or even the slightest interest in said history know that Roosevelt was just one of so many political figures that has been anything but faithful in their marriage.  Keeping this in mind, it makes the storyline of FDR’s relationship with his mistress–and only certain people knowing about it—all the less interesting.  Had the story been more focused and aimed perhaps at the political relationship between the British royals and the President, it might have actually had more substance about it.  But sadly, Nelson opts instead for the more dramatized side of things, going more for the intended soap opera that surrounded FDR and his mistress, again causing the story’s pacing to drag along slowly, and thus leave audiences feel robbed of their time.

For all of the negatives surrounding Hyde Park on Hudson, it does have at least one positive.  That positive would be its backdrops and associated cinematography.  The beautiful countryside backdrops of the story are beautiful.  And thanks to the expert work of the movie’s film crew, those backdrops became the real stars of the movie; even more so than lead star Bill Murray who did quite the job of portraying the late President.  Murray’s portrayal leaves one wondering if he did so well, then how much better could this script have been had Nelson and Michell come to terms on which story was more important.  But because of Hollywood’s seemingly insatiable appetite for prequels, sequels, and reboots, one can only hope that should the story of Roosevelt’s “secret” ever be retold, it will star Murray again, but actually have more worth seeing.

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Hope Springs A Funny, Heartfelt Rom-Com For Every Married Couple

Courtesy: MGM/Escape Artists/Mandate Pictures/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Hope Springs is one of Meryl Streep’s most heartfelt, moving performances of her entire career.  Despite what many might want to believe, it isn’t just another chick flick.  It’s a movie that every married couple should see no matter how long they have been married.  Co-star Tommy Lee Jones has been typecast once again as another gruff personality in a power of authority.  Typically, he stars as a police officer or another similar authority figure in his movies.  This time, he stars as a high powered businessman.  Ironically enough, while he has been typecast yet again, his character Arnold is a fitting counterpoint to Streep’s Kay.  The couple has gotten far too comfortable in its marriage, and has completely grown apart.  It’s a simple story.  Yet it’s such a realistic story, unlike so many rom-coms that Hollywood has churned out over the years.

Many audiences seem to have had a belief that Hope Springs was aimed largely at older audiences.  But the reality of the story is that it mirrors life for younger married couples just as much as for those with years of experience.  The story is less about Kay and Arnold’s sex life or lack thereof than it is about simply how the pair has forgotten who the other is.  As a result Kay and Arnold are more strangers to each other than a married couple.  Again, this is something that is just as easy for younger couples to have happen as for those who have been marred for decades.  Maybe that is why the audiences and critics that panned it did so.  Perhaps, just perhaps, those that panned it didn’t like seeing the reality of their own lives playing out on screen.  This sort of denial and rejection is exemplified through Arnold’s own refusal and denial to talk to Doctor Feld (played here by Steve Carell in what is one of his most impressive roles yet, too).  No one likes to have to admit when things aren’t the way they are in life.  This is especially the case when it comes to relationships and marriages.  If viewers can get past their own pride—as Arnold was forced to do—they will see just how much value this story has, even if watched just once and that it is okay to admit that no one’s marriage is perfect.  It’s something that couples have to work at throughout their lives.  As John Lennon and his band mates in The Beatles sang, “All you need is love.”

The central story of Hope Springs is one to which any married couple can relate.  For all of its deep, heartfelt moments, audiences can’t possibly ignore the story’s funnier moments.  The way in which Doctor Feld candidly talks about Kay and Arnold’s sexual relationship and the couple’s reaction to his candid discussion.  This is just one more factor that makes Hope Springs so enjoyable for any married couple.  The very thought of discussing what goes on behind closed doors or in the deepest recesses of a person’s mind is still considered very taboo by most Americans.  Keeping this in mind in seeing the reaction of both Kay and Arnold will leave any viewer laughing.  It’s obvious how uncomfortable both Kay and Arnold felt in discussing their sex life…or in their case, the lack thereof.  For all of the comic elements of these moments, the deeper more emotional root of the couple’s lack of intimacy reminds audiences how serious this can be on a marriage.  It’s just one more aspect of the near two hour movie that makes it surprisingly enjoyable.

The acting and the writing of Hope Springs are both important to the movie’s success.  There is one more factor that should be given note here in the story’s success.  That factor is the work of the movie’s makeup department.  In so many of the movies in which Streep has starred, she has managed to look different from her previous role.  This movie is one more of those cases.  This movie’s makeup department is to be highly commended for making Meryl look so believable as an older woman.  From the makeup to the hair, there was something about her look that was completely different from her previous roles.  It was done so expertly that one can’t help but wonder, is this perhaps what she would look like off-screen without her makeup?  In other words, the hair and makeup looked natural.  And to look natural is a success.  It makes Kay that much more believable as a character.  And along with the acting of both Streep and Jones, and the story’s writing, Hope Springs turns out as a whole, to be a movie that any married couple should see at least once in their marriage.  It is available now in stores and online.

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Trouble With The Heights More Proof Of The Power Of Indie Flicks

Courtesy: Viva Pictures

Viva Pictures’ crime drama, Trouble in the Heights is an interesting movie.  This is not exactly what one would think about when one thinks about crime dramas.  And it’s also not the standard shoot-‘em-up action movie, either.  Rather than letting itself descend into the standard action subgenre, Writer/Director Jonathan Ullman offers audiences a story that is a deeply emotional piece that will instantly pull in audiences and keep them engaged right to the end of the story’s roughly ninety-minute runtime.       

The story at the center of Trouble in the Heights focuses on the theft of drug dealer Nevada’s (Raul Esparza) ill gotten money by main character Diego’s little brother Javy (Antonio Ortiz) and his friend, Robby (Cruz Santiago).  Because of the actions of Javy and Robby, Diego (Rayniel Rufino) is forced to make some tough decisions.  Those tough decisions only make this hard working man’s life even more difficult, especially in finding out that his girlfriend Ana (Alexandra Metz) is carrying his child.  Diego’s personal struggles both as a result of his brother’s actions and news that he gets from Ana make him a sympathetic and far more believable character than any of the anti-hero stereotypes from other closely related crime thrillers.  Because he is such a believable character, audiences will find it so much easier to root for him.  And because viewers will find it so easy to root for Diego, they will in turn find themselves becoming increasingly engaged in the overall story right to its surprise conclusion.

Ullman’s writing and acting on the part of Rayniel Rufino in Trouble in the Heights are both important parts of the movie’s success.  Just as important to its success was its general lack of violence.  This may come across as a minor factor.  But one would be remiss to ignore this factor.  While guns are brandished, not a single shot is fired and not a single drop of blood is shed throughout the course of the story.  The most extreme level that the violence reaches comes early in the story when Nevada has two of his men throw Robby over a bridge in front of an oncoming train for having stolen his money.  The actual act is never actually shown.  But it is understood that this is what happens to Robby.  Aside from this vile act, the only other extreme included in Trouble in the Heights is the movie’s coarse language.  The language is obviously not suitable for younger viewers.  But it helps to make the characters and story that much more believable.

The general lack of violence, the solid acting of Rayniel Rufino, and writing throughout Trouble in the Heights help to make the movie stand on its own feet against the endless flow of fare more violence and sex laden movies within the crime drama/thriller genre.  There is at least one more factor that viewers should take into account in considering the movie’s success.  The movie’s cast in general has plenty of acting chops under its belt.  But none of the cast members are major name stars.  Case in point: Dominic Colon.  Colon plays Diego’s friend, Junior, which is a small role.  Colon is known largely for his role of Manny Spamboni on PBS’ re-imagined take on the classic educational show, The Electric Company.  He has also had roles in the hit movies, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, August Rush, and We Own The Night just to name a few.  Keeping in mind that the cast is largely unknowns, they have collectively put on performances that play their own role in the overall success of the story.  This, along with the story’s other previously mentioned factors makes Trouble in the Heights a surprisingly interesting movie within the annals of recently released crime dramas/thrillers.  It turns out to be a movie that is deserving of at least one watch.  It is available in stores and online now.  It can be purchased online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BF7FGOM/ref=s9_csaiv_gw_p318_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1AEJPXX8M7XCJ271FKKV&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846.  A trailer for the movie can be viewed via YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flqzhEXyNdI.

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The Great Escape Is A Great War Movie

Courtesy: 20th Century Fox/MGM

The world celebrated what is one of the most important dates in history last week with the remembrance of VE Day.  That was the day that the war in Europe ended.  Interestingly enough, last Tuesday, MGM and 20^th Century Fox released the fiftieth anniversary edition of what is one of the most talked about films centered on the war in Europe in The Great Escape.  This is hardly the shortest movie made about events from the war.  It clocks in at nearly three hours long.  And even with certain fictionalized portions as noted in the movie’s bonus features, it still proves almost half a century later to be one of the greatest WWII themed movies to ever be crafted.

What makes The Great Escape enjoyable, despite its run time, is that while it is on the surface a story based in WWII, it is more a story about the power of teamwork and of the human spirit to survive.  Having so many P.O.W.s from so many different backgrounds in one confined area could be argued to be a microcosm of the nations of the world.  This likely wasn’t the primary intent of script writers James Clavell and W.R. Burnett.  But seeing this and the ability of the men to work together for a singular cause despite their varied backgrounds helps to illustrate the power of teamwork and the human spirit to survive.  Those messages are made even more powerful when juxtaposed against the ideologies of the Nazi party.  It shows that no matter how great the odds, even ordinary people can do extraordinary feats when they come together.

The messages of teamwork and the human spirit are integral to the enjoyment of The Great Escape.  Those same messages are illustrated even more through the movie’s main storyline and its action sequences.  The movie’s main storyline is not that difficult to follow.  A group of P.O.W.s is sent to what is supposed to be an inescapable P.O.W. camp created by the Nazis.  The allied prisoners find every way to hide their “great” escape plan from the Nazi guards manning the camp.  The ways in which the plan is covered up are funny.  From singing Christmas music to using special code, it all seems so outrageous.  But it’s that outrageousness that is so entertaining.  As soon as audiences allow themselves to be pulled into the story, and get over the fact that some of the story was in fact fictionalized, they will find themselves appreciating the story even more.

Staying on the matter of the fictionalized portions of The Great Escape, the bonus features included in the movie’s fiftieth anniversary Blu-ray edition do a lot to justify the fictionalized portions of the story.  It is noted in the bonus features that portions of the story were in fact added that didn’t happen, such as Steve McQueen’s famous motorcycle chase.  It is noted that he made the demand that unless this scene was added, he was not going to star in the movie based.  Perhaps most interesting to note in the included bonus features is that despite some changes and additions here and there, the men that actually escaped from Stalag Luft III were quite accepting of the movie and even tried to claim that this character and that was based on him.  One can’t help but laugh at the pride brought out in those men when they shared their stories and joked about being the influence behind given characters in the movie.  The pride of the men on whom the movie was based is the most important reason for the movie having been made.  And it’s the most important reason for the movie to be seen to this day.  It is a tribute to just one more group of individuals of what former newsman Tom Brokaw properly called “The Greatest Generation.”  With members of this generation passing away each day, a movie like this is increasingly necessary in order to keep the memory of that generation alive.  It’s a movie that members of every generation should see at least once.  It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered direct online via the Fox store at http://www.foxconnect.com. 

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Bailey’s Latest Adventure One Fun Roundup For The Whole Family

Courtesy: Entertainment One/Engine 15 Media Group

The latest release from Engine 15 Media Group’s Adventures of Bailey series takes the beloved Golden Retriever down south to the Lone Star State in a mix of young love and literal puppy love and a madcap canine caper.  A Night in Cowtown centers on a bumbling criminal that accidentally steals an elderly woman’s dog named Felix after losing Frankie, his boss’s dog.  The theft happens as a result of a case of mistaken identity.  This leads to the intertwining stories of young love between Bailey and Trixie, and that of his teenage owner, Abbi (Christine Galyean) and Marc (Mason Dye).  The resultant hunt for Felix offers plenty of laughs and warm moments for the whole family.

The story behind this latest of Bailey’s adventures is a pretty simple one to follow.  And much like many of Engine 15 Media Group’s other releases, this story too offers some slight Christian undertones.  During one scene, audiences find Ski Bidwell (Mark Hanson) in a small church, holding Felix, and contemplating his personal future.  This is the only moment throughout the course of the movie’s near hour and a half run time in which any religious imagery is presented.  This is actually a very good thing for church groups as it keeps the story from being too preachy.  It offers the remainder of its time to plenty of moments that make it a fun, family friendly movie that is worth the occasional watch.

While A Night in Cowtown is not a major motion picture, it holds its own with Disney’s releases in its Buddies franchise.  Sure, the dog’s mouths don’t move with the Bailey movies.  But other than that, Bailey’s latest adventure has just as much heart as Disney’s Buddy movies.  Its production values, cinematography, and acting are at about the same level as the aforementioned series.  Rick Shew, Trey Bumpass, and Christine Galyean have all returned for this third installment of the series as are Kenzie Pallone and Liz Franke who just happens to be directly related to director Steve Franke.  That so much of the cast from the series’ second installment has returned for this film is largely to credit for the on screen performances.  The performances from the cast are but one part of what held this direct-to-DVD movie together.  Its cinematography was just as nice as the series’ previous installments.  David Pinkston headed up the movie’s cinematography.  He is the series third head of cinematography.  And while each movie has now had someone different heading up that department, the shooting for this movie was just as solid as that of the previous installments.  That leads to the movie’s production values.  These are just as positive as everything else that went into bringing this installment of Bailey’s adventures to life. 

Any viewer that is a fan of Disney’s Buddy movies or PBS’ classic series, Wishbone, will enjoy Adventures of Bailey: A Night in Cowtown.  It isn’t as well known as the previously mentioned movies and series.  But young viewers will enjoy this movie (and the previous adventures of Bailey) just as much as them.  Its cast does a good job in its own right.  The camera work, production, and scenery are just as good, too.  All said and done, for a straight-to-DVD feature, it’s an enjoyable feature.  It will be available in stores and online next Tuesday, May 21^st.  It can be purchased online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Bailey-Night-Cowtown/dp/B009X66EP2/.  The Phil’s Picks Facebook page is also giving away three copies of the movie on DVD this week for three lucky fans.  Fans need only “Like” the Phil’s Picks Facebook page and write on the page’s timeline, noting that they want to be entered in the drawing for a copy of the movie. 

To keep up with the latest news from Entertainment One on its latest releases, fans can go online to http://entertainmentone.com/home.  And to keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, fans can go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always get the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Dragon A Good Martial Arts/Crime Drama Hybrid

Courtesy: Anchor Bay Entertainment/RadiusTWC

The Americanized re-telling of Wu Xia (Dragon) is not what one might expect when one thinks of films in the martial arts genre.  This story takes place in an unnamed region of Asia in the early 20^th Century.  To be exact, it takes place in 1917, according to a note late in the movie, not to give away too much.  Viewers that can get past the fact that it is a foreign language film will appreciate that it is more than just another martial arts flick.  Rather, it is a murder mystery of sorts that mixes elements of today’s crime procedurals with a story about redemption.  Somehow, in combining all of these elements, director Peter Ho-Sun Chan, writer Aubrey Lam and everyone else involved in this film have crafted a story that anyone that has an interest in Asian films will appreciate.

The story of Dragon starts somewhat abruptly with a pair of tough guys coming into an elderly man’s business and shaking him down for money.  This immediately leads to a fight scene which results in the eventual murder mystery and companion story of redemption that is to come.  The redemption in question comes as it is revealed that Liu Jinxi has his own dark past from which he is simply trying to escape.  Inspector Xu Bai-Jiu discovers this over time after investigating the early incident between Liu Jinxi and his foes.  He eventually comes to discover Liu Jinxi’s past, but in understanding his past, ends up befriending Liu Jinxi in his attempt to live a normal life.  This eventually leads to a final somewhat Shakespearian showdown that audiences will have to see for themselves.

Audiences will appreciate the initial fight scene (and others throughout the movie) in Dragon for not just the action, but for its shooting style, too.  Viewers that watch the movie’s bonus features will catch the note by Chan about the use of a technology called “Phantom” which allows scenes to be shot at a much higher frame rate than standard styles of shooting.  The best comparison that can be made is to fight scenes in the highly popular Matrix trilogy.  This same shooting style is used throughout the movie’s many fight scenes.  It is sure to entertain any martial arts movie enthusiast just as much as those incorporated into other previously released films within the genre.

The relatively simple story and the shooting style help make Dragon the enjoyable story that it is for fans of movies within the martial arts genre.  Just as impressive as these factors are the movie’s soundtrack and its backdrop.  The soundtrack is anything but what one might expect out of a martial arts movie.  Rather there is a lot of up-tempo rock/techno hybrid music backing the movie.  This is especially the case with the action packed fight scenes.  The story’s backdrop is just as impressive as its soundtrack.  Being that the story is set in an unnamed region of Asia in 1917, setting the story in a more rural region added to its believability.  The lush backdrops also in their own way, helped to heighten the brutality of the violence which Liu Jinxi was trying to escape.  The seemingly peaceful setting is in direct contrast to the violence that is brought to town when Liu Jinxi’s past is discovered.  Of course, after one final plot twist, peace does finally return to the village once more, leaving viewers who have made it to this point with a feeling of fulfillment and realization that this is not a movie that can be fully taken in and appreciated after just one viewing.  It is a story that must be watched more than once to really take in the full scope of what it has to offer audiences.  It ends up proving that while it is a foreign language film, it is still a fun, action packed murder mystery that mixes the best of the crime procedurals from the “Big Four” and certain martial arts flicks.   It is available now in stores and online.  It can be ordered via Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Blu-ray-Kara-Hui/dp/B00B6OEFPK/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1368099745&sr=1-2&keywords=Dragon. 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.