Horrible Bosses: Totally Inappropriate Edition (Blu-ray)
WARNER
MOVIE B-
SPECIAL FEATURES B
BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 6.25
(OUT OF 10)
This is not a great comedy, but it does have its share of laughs. Jason Bateman gets one of his best movie roles yet as a beleaguered employee having murderous thoughts about his sicko boss (a very funny Colin Farrell). Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day are equally funny as friends who are also looking into the idea of killing their bosses (Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston).
This is an R-rated comedy that earns its rating, so don't watch it with your kids or your grandma—unless your kids and/or grandma are truly twisted.
SPECIAL FEATURES: An extended cut, plus interviews with the cast. You also get some deleted scenes.
The Tree of Life (Blu-ray)
20TH CENTURY FOX
MOVIE A
SPECIAL FEATURES B-
BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 8
(OUT OF 10)
In a year that has been artistically barren, Terrence Malick's latest towers above all other films. The Tree of Life is a work of monumental, lyrical beauty that transcends mere movie classification. Yes ... I like it that much.
You will hear the word "impressionistic" summoned to describe this film. Brad Pitt, who is getting better with age, plays a complicated father raising his sons in the '50s. You also get Sean Penn as one of Pitt's sons in the future, still struggling with his upbringing and the loss of one of his brothers to war.
Oh, you also go back to the creation of the universe, the emergence of life and the first act of animal-upon-animal aggression. In other words, Malick's film attempts to encompass everything—and does a pretty damn good job of it.
Jessica Chastain is enchanting and powerful as Pitt's wife, and an assortment of young actors are amazing as the sons. This is incredible, ambitious filmmaking in which every shot and every edit is somehow perfect. While some might find The Tree of Life to be a little slow, it stands as one of the more impressive cinematic feats of the past 10 years.
I've had discussions with many people about this film since I first saw it in a theater. When viewing Life, you need to fully commit to the vibe and construction of the movie. Malick doesn't make movies in any way that could be perceived as conventional, and if you take too many bathroom breaks or start playing with your phone while watching this, you will more than likely disengage.
So, set aside a good block of time when you won't be interrupted. Commit to the idea of watching the film without stopping. (Pee before the film, and gather your snacks in front of you before you commence viewing.) Then clear your mind of all expectations—and let the movie wash over you.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Exploring 'The Tree of Life' is an excellent half-hour documentary about the creation of the film, with Pitt and directors Christopher Nolan and David Fincher participating. It's the only feature, but it's a good one.
Winnie the Pooh (DVD + Blu-ray)
DISNEY
MOVIE A-
SPECIAL FEATURES B
BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 7.5
(OUT OF 10)
It's so cool to see Winnie the Pooh done the right way again. This is a short film (just 63 minutes), but it is concentrated goodness, and that makes me happy.
The film retains a lot of the look and joy of the first Disney Pooh movies; nothing about it feels processed or rushed. It's good to see that Disney still sees the value in doing traditionally animated films. I don't think a computer-animated Pooh would feel right.
Hats off to those who realized that the singing voice of Zooey Deschanel would be perfect for the Hundred Acre Wood. This is one of the movie year's great delights, for so many reasons.
SPECIAL FEATURES: There's a sing-along-with-Pooh feature, a mini Pooh adventure short, some deleted scenes, and "The Ballad of Nessie," the short that showed in theaters before the main feature.
Green Lantern (Blu-ray)
WARNER
MOVIE C-
SPECIAL FEATURES B
BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 5
(OUT OF 10)
I like Ryan Reynolds ... and I dislike a lot of his movies.
Director Martin Campbell has made a rather silly film. This is not all Campbell's fault; the story of Hal Jordan and his super ring is not the most compelling comic-book tale. No matter how hard Reynolds tries to impress in his green, CGI-enhanced suit, my eyes just glaze over.
There's talk of a sequel, but this movie didn't perform well at the box office. If it sells a billion Blu-rays, Reynolds might get another crack at Jordan, but I doubt that will happen.
SPECIAL FEATURES: You get the always-cool Maximum Movie Mode, with picture-in-picture commentary. There are also some deleted scenes, many featurettes and more. The disc contains both the theatrical and extended versions.
