#8: Oz the Great and Powerful (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)

Oz the Great and Powerful (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
James Franco (Actor), Michelle Williams (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
(169)
Release Date: June 11, 2013

Buy new: $44.99 $31.45

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Review & Description

Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz The Great And Powerful, from the director of the Spider-Man trilogy,follows Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics. When Diggs is hurled away to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot — until he meets three witches (Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams), who aren’t convinced he’s the great wizard everyone’s expecting. Reluctantly drawn into epic problems facing Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it’s too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity — and even some wizardry — Oscar transforms himself into the great wizard and a better man as well.                       
                       
For sheer visual splendor, Oz the Great and Powerful is hard to beat. Even before the hot-air balloon of carnival magician Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) gets swept up in a tornado and hurled to the Technicolor land of Oz, the sepia tones of Kansas have a lush, almost velvety texture. Once Diggs arrives in Oz, he learns of a prophecy that he might be the wizard to free the land from the grips of a tyrannical witch--and from there, the movie juggles visual delights with a story that is regrettably half-baked. Some sequences and characters are skillfully realized (a little girl made of china is perfectly developed, both visually and narratively), while others seem propped up like cardboard cutouts. (Unavoidable comparisons to The Wizard of Oz, a masterpiece of vividly drawn characters, don't help.) Franco doesn't have the theatricality one might want for a carnival huckster, but fortunately his low-key performing style helps to ground the bright spectacle in human emotions. As witches wicked and good, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams all display charm and verve. The movie is flawed, but when Oz the Great and Powerful hits a right note, merging wonder and fear, dazzle and darkness, it's easy to forgive the weaknesses. --Bret Fetzer Read more

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#8: Epic (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)

Epic (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
Colin Farrell (Actor), Josh Hutcherson (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
(6)

Buy new: $49.99 $24.99

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Review & Description

From the creators of Ice Age comes the year’s funniest, most exhilarating animated adventure! Transported to a magical world, a teenager (Amanda Seyfried) is recruited by a nature spirit, Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles), to help the “Leafmen” save their forest from evil warriors. The whole family will love this fast-paced thrill-ride, with its astonishing animation and an all-star voice cast that includes Colin Farrell, Oscar® Winner Christoph Waltz and Steven Tyler! Epic is a computer-animated adventure fantasy filled with gorgeous scenery, nice animated effects, plenty of action, and a somewhat familiar plot about the existence of a society of tiny people. Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried), or M.K. as she likes to be called, has recently come to live with her dad Bomba (Jason Sudeikis) in a ramshackle house in the middle of nowhere. Obsessed with proving the existence of a society of tiny guardians of the forest called Leafmen, who are responsible for maintaining balance by keeping the Boggans from spreading blight throughout the forest, M.K.'s dad has little time for a daughter or the realities of everyday life. A chance event lands M.K. right in the middle of the Leafmen's society, where she quickly develops a whole new appreciation for her father's eccentricities. She finds herself charged by the Leafmen's queen (Beyoncé Knowles) with a difficult task that will mean the difference between preservation and destruction for the forest. M.K. joins forces with an assortment of unlikely heroes, including slug and snail duo Mub and Grub (Aziz Ansari and Chris O'Dowd), overzealous Leafmen commander General Ronin (Colin Farrell), and Nod (Josh Hutcherson), a soldier with a bad habit of questioning authority. Their perilous journey introduces M.K. to a strange new breed of enemy and a whole new way of thinking. Loosely based on William Joyce's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, the film shares its premise--a society of tiny people tries to thrive without drawing the attention of the larger humans--with films like the Tinker Bell movies and The Secret World of Arrietty. What's unique about Epic is that it's just as much action film as fantasy. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi Read more

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#5: The Little Mermaid (Three-Disc Diamond Edition) (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy + Music)

The Little Mermaid (Three-Disc Diamond Edition) (Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy + Music)
Jodi Benson (Actor), Christopher Daniel Barnes (Actor), John Musker (Director), Ron Clements (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
(967)

Buy new: $49.99 $34.99

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Review & Description

With unforgettable characters, thrilling adventures, soaring Academy Award-winning music (1989: Best Music, Original Score, and Best Music, Original Song, Under The Sea.), The Little Mermaid is one of the most celebrated animated films of all time. Now spectacularly transformed for the first time on Blu-ray with digitally restored picture and brilliant high-definition sound! Venture under the sea where Ariel, a free-spirited mermaid princess, longs to be part of the human world. After bravely striking a bargain with Ursula, a sneaky sea witch, Ariel embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. With Flounder and Sebastian at her side, Ariel will need all of her courage and determination to make things right in both her worlds.From the moment that Prince Eric's ship emerged from the fog in the opening credits it was apparent that Disney had somehow, suddenly recaptured that "magic" that had been dormant for thirty years. In the tale of a headstrong young mermaid who yearns to "spend a day, warm on the sand," Ariel trades her voice to Ursula, the Sea Witch (classically voiced by Pat Carroll), for a pair of legs. Ariel can only succeed if she receives true love's kiss in a few day's time and she needs all the help she can from a singing crab named Sebastian, a loudmouth seagull, and a flounder. The lyrics and music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are top form: witty and relevant, and they advance the story (go on, hum a few bars of "Under the Sea"). Mermaid put animation back on the studio's "to do" list and was responsible for ushering Beauty and the Beast to theaters. A modern Disney classic. --Keith Simanton Read more

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#5: The Last Stand [Blu-ray]

The Last Stand [Blu-ray]
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Actor), Eduardo Noriega (Actor), Jee-woon Kim (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
(124)
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Buy new: $39.99 $24.96
16 used & new from $14.03

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Review & Description

Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez' path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.Any movie that heralds the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to movie star action hero-dom after his foray into politics was going to bear the dubious honor of being auspicious. For better or worse, The Last Stand takes that honor right down the middle of the road, being neither overly ambitious nor groaningly silly in letting this 66-year-old man mug, grunt, punch, and shoot his way back into our hearts and minds as the Ah-nold screen character for which we had such affection. Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens, the sheriff of a tiny Arizona border burg who likes the peace and calm of his job and his townsfolk friends. When the FBI informs him that an escaped Mexican drug kingpin is barreling straight toward all that calm in a supercharged custom car, he sighs and saddles up, locking and loading with his wacky friends and deputies by his side for the inevitable stand. In fact, one might well call it a last stand. There are very few surprises in how it's all going to play out, right down to the bone-crunching mano a mano fistfight between Ray and the kingpin (Eduardo Noriega) on a makeshift bridge over the border. Ray has a history as a savvy big city cop, and he smells and foresees all the trouble coming his way, even though no one expects him to do much in the way of making any kind of last stand. That includes Forest Whitaker as the flummoxed FBI agent whose screwup sets the stage for the bloody showdown. Others who are surprised at Ray's chutzpah and ingenuity are Peter Stormare (sporting cowboy boots and a weirdly drawling accent) as the kingpin's sadistic lieutenant, and Luis Guzmán as Ray's bumbling sidekick, who unexpectedly pulls out all his stops at just the right moment. Also on hand is Johnny Knoxville as another town weirdo who happens to own an arsenal of antiquated weaponry that's drafted into action for the fiery climax. Like most of the cast--Schwarzenegger included--these guys are pretty much playing it for laughs even though the body count is exceedingly high among the gangs of henchmen and lawmen alike. The violence is also exceptionally gruesome, whether caused by vehicles, firearms, knives, explosions, or fisticuffs, with loving, lingering shots of spouting blood and severed body parts that were clearly designed to prompt cheerfully vocal responses from the audience. This is the first American film directed by Kim Jee-woon, one of the top names from a booming contemporary South Korean cinema machine, and he has brought an outsider's sensibility and stylistic flourish along with the gory details. People who care about such things might have hoped for a little more auspiciousness from him than Ah-nold's comeback (if it turns out to be that). Otherwise The Last Stand is pretty much exactly what most people would expect from such a thing, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. --Ted Fry Read more

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#9: Star Trek Into Darkness Starfleet Phaser Limited Edition Gift Set (Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack)

Star Trek Into Darkness Starfleet Phaser Limited Edition Gift Set (Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack)
Chris Pine (Actor), Zachary Quinto (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
(136)

Buy new: $99.99 $79.99

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Review & Description

The Star Trek: Into Darkness Starfleet Phaser Gift Set includes a collectible version of the Starfleet phaser, a display stand and the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack.  This screen authentic version was created by Quantum Mechanix Inc. exactly the same way the on-screen props were made. The stunt version of the pistol features a manual spinner that uses magnets to lock the barrel into position.  According to QMx CEO Andy Gore, “We refer to our line of Star Trek Into Darkness collectibles as ‘screen-authentic,’ because fans will be getting exactly what they see in the theater.” Read more

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#4: True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Anna Paquin (Actor), Stephen Moyer (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
(79)
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Buy new: $79.98 $34.99
5 used & new from $34.99

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Review & Description

Returning for its fifth season, True Blood is HBO’s sexy, scary, wildly entertaining drama series from Oscar®- and Emmy®-winner Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. In addition to returning cast favorites – human/faerie waitress Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire suitors Bill Compton and Eric Northman, soul-searching pal Tara, shape-shifting boss Sam, rakish brother Jason, clairvoyant Lafayette and teen-vamp Jessica – Season 5 introduces a whole new wave of otherworldly characters. There’s Vampire Guardian Roman, president of the Vampire Authority, who wants co-existence between humans and vampires; vampire zealot Salome (yes, the Salome), intent on recreating the world in God’s vampyric image; Authority Chancellor Nora, who shares the same maker as Eric; werewolves J.D. and Martha, who want a reluctant Alcide to take his rightful place as packmaster; and many more. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, True Blood Season 5 goes deep into the battle between the Vampire Authority and “vampire fundamentalists” – a political power play whose outcome could decide not only the fate of Sookie and her Bon Temps friends, but of all human existence. Read more

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#2: True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Anna Paquin (Actor), Stephen Moyer (Actor) | Format: Blu-ray
(64)
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Buy new: $79.98 $34.99
5 used & new from $34.99

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Review & Description

Returning for its fifth season, True Blood is HBO’s sexy, scary, wildly entertaining drama series from Oscar®- and Emmy®-winner Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. In addition to returning cast favorites – human/faerie waitress Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire suitors Bill Compton and Eric Northman, soul-searching pal Tara, shape-shifting boss Sam, rakish brother Jason, clairvoyant Lafayette and teen-vamp Jessica – Season 5 introduces a whole new wave of otherworldly characters. There’s Vampire Guardian Roman, president of the Vampire Authority, who wants co-existence between humans and vampires; vampire zealot Salome (yes, the Salome), intent on recreating the world in God’s vampyric image; Authority Chancellor Nora, who shares the same maker as Eric; werewolves J.D. and Martha, who want a reluctant Alcide to take his rightful place as packmaster; and many more. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, True Blood Season 5 goes deep into the battle between the Vampire Authority and “vampire fundamentalists” – a political power play whose outcome could decide not only the fate of Sookie and her Bon Temps friends, but of all human existence. Read more

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#7: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy +UltraViolet)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy +UltraViolet)
Channing Tatum (Actor), Dwayne Johnson (Actor), Jon M. Chu (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
(50)

Buy new: $39.99 $19.99

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Review & Description

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.For everyone who rolled their eyes even as they were secretly digging 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as a guilty pleasure (not to mention giving it big box-office clout), this rejiggered sequel will probably prove irresistible. Hasbro and Hollywood have successfully created a franchise based on toy action figures that were introduced almost 50 years ago, now featuring all the guns, glory, and apocalyptic politics of the modern age. Along with that come the heights of preposterous circumstances and childish fantasy that any $200-plus million action movie requires. The video game quality and action figure/comic book childishness notwithstanding, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is anything but childlike with its incalculable body count, physical carnage, and extreme fetishization of violence and techno armaments. Feeling cocky from their vanquishing the evil Cobra organization in the first movie, the Joes are all the more ready to save the world from itself, making clandestine forays into North Korea and Pakistan with deadly precision. (The dizzying assault on a Pakistani weapons base is genuinely spectacular.) What they don't know is that Cobra has been lying in wait, and that the free world's Commander in Chief (Jonathan Pryce, having a fine time) is being impersonated by the nefarious Cobra operative Zartan (Arnold Vosloo). In the guise of a benevolent leader seeking world nuclear disarmament, "President" Zartan discredits and wipes out all but three of the Joe force. Fortunately Dwayne Johnson is among them, and every moviegoer knows he's pretty much an army of one. The script is so whiz-bang fast and full of impossibly extravagant CGI-enhanced eye-poppery that any synopsis would be akin to, well, 10-year-olds smashing three-inch action figures into each other and making up a narrative to go along with their guttural sound effects. And isn't that a pretty good description of escapism? Mention must be made of an incredible sustained set piece staged on sheer Himalayan cliffs where sword-wielding ninjas soar on ropes in an elaborate choreography that is as inventive as it is thrilling. The finale explodes at historic Fort Sumter, of all places, where the faceless Cobra Commander showdowns with the revivified Joes during "The President's" bogus disarmament summit. The cast is adequate in portraying good or bad real-life action figures with funny names and unbreakable bodies. Bruce Willis seems very happy chomping in to a glorified cameo as the retired Joe commander. Though the Joes carry the day and glory can be claimed, it should be noted that a sequel is teed up perfectly, especially in light of the fact that Cobra pretty much succeeds in its world-domination plan by obliterating the whole of London and its eight million inhabitants. It is the most extreme of money shots, rendered with loving detail; but don't worry, kids, it's only a movie. --Ted Fry Read more

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#1: The Last Stand [Blu-ray]

The Last Stand [Blu-ray]
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Actor), Eduardo Noriega (Actor), Jee-woon Kim (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
(70)
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Buy new: $39.99 $14.99

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Review & Description

Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez' path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.Any movie that heralds the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to movie star action hero-dom after his foray into politics was going to bear the dubious honor of being auspicious. For better or worse, The Last Stand takes that honor right down the middle of the road, being neither overly ambitious nor groaningly silly in letting this 66-year-old man mug, grunt, punch, and shoot his way back into our hearts and minds as the Ah-nold screen character for which we had such affection. Schwarzenegger plays Ray Owens, the sheriff of a tiny Arizona border burg who likes the peace and calm of his job and his townsfolk friends. When the FBI informs him that an escaped Mexican drug kingpin is barreling straight toward all that calm in a supercharged custom car, he sighs and saddles up, locking and loading with his wacky friends and deputies by his side for the inevitable stand. In fact, one might well call it a last stand. There are very few surprises in how it's all going to play out, right down to the bone-crunching mano a mano fistfight between Ray and the kingpin (Eduardo Noriega) on a makeshift bridge over the border. Ray has a history as a savvy big city cop, and he smells and foresees all the trouble coming his way, even though no one expects him to do much in the way of making any kind of last stand. That includes Forest Whitaker as the flummoxed FBI agent whose screwup sets the stage for the bloody showdown. Others who are surprised at Ray's chutzpah and ingenuity are Peter Stormare (sporting cowboy boots and a weirdly drawling accent) as the kingpin's sadistic lieutenant, and Luis Guzmán as Ray's bumbling sidekick, who unexpectedly pulls out all his stops at just the right moment. Also on hand is Johnny Knoxville as another town weirdo who happens to own an arsenal of antiquated weaponry that's drafted into action for the fiery climax. Like most of the cast--Schwarzenegger included--these guys are pretty much playing it for laughs even though the body count is exceedingly high among the gangs of henchmen and lawmen alike. The violence is also exceptionally gruesome, whether caused by vehicles, firearms, knives, explosions, or fisticuffs, with loving, lingering shots of spouting blood and severed body parts that were clearly designed to prompt cheerfully vocal responses from the audience. This is the first American film directed by Kim Jee-woon, one of the top names from a booming contemporary South Korean cinema machine, and he has brought an outsider's sensibility and stylistic flourish along with the gory details. People who care about such things might have hoped for a little more auspiciousness from him than Ah-nold's comeback (if it turns out to be that). Otherwise The Last Stand is pretty much exactly what most people would expect from such a thing, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. --Ted Fry Read more

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#3: Oblivion (Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)

Oblivion (Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet)
Tom Cruise (Actor), Morgan Freeman (Actor), Joseph Kosinski (Director) | Format: Blu-ray
(74)

Buy new: $34.98 $23.99

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Review & Description

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the visionary director of Tron: Legacy and producers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.The contrast between stunning blue-hued technology and the moldering remnants of an Earth that has been decimated by environmental catastrophe and weapons of absolute destruction is kind of a neat parallel to the twisty story that makes Oblivion such a fun, albeit decidedly bleak Tom Cruise sci-fi crowd pleaser. Cruise is Jack Harper, a futuristic maverick who patrols the wasteland of our planet in 2077, 60 years after an alien invasion by the "scavs" left it a dying cinder. His girlfriend/partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) whispers directives in his ear from their iPad-like headquarters in the clouds, getting her orders from a video-only spectral overlord named Sally (Melissa Leo), who oozes not-quite-right with every politely southern-drawled command. Jack's job is to zip around repairing security drones and keep safe from scav attacks the enormous fusion converters that are sucking Earth's last ocean resources dry for the surviving humans who now populate Saturn's moon Titan. Very soon Jack and Victoria will be departing to the massive hovering mothership for their escape to Titan and a life of love and leisure. But something's not quite right in Jack's perception of things, in spite of the "security memory wipe" both he and Victoria live with. He can't shake persistent dreams of a thriving New York City, a place he experiences in reality only as crumbling canyons marked by the ground-level spire of the Empire State Building. There are other troubling signs as Jack whizzes through dangerous atmospheres and landscapes in a snazzy bubble-shaped spacecraft or rides a streamlined motorbike that's the perfect accessory for his sleek leather suit and ergonomic armaments. He thinks the scavs are trying to capture, not kill him, plus he's spending more and more secret time shooting hoops and listening to Led Zeppelin at a bucolic lakeside log cabin where Victoria can't track him. Oblivion takes its time with this absorbing mood-setting background of visually ravishing tableaux. At the halfway mark, it starts throwing around wild twists and turns after Jack investigates the crash landing of a spaceship from Earth's past. From it he rescues the woman of his dreams (Olga Kurylenko), which is the breaking point for his already almost-blown mind. The sinister vibe that has been a background rumble throughout quickly gains volume. An appearance by Morgan Freeman in cool-cat shades and a black cape gives the extra complexity some real class. It's a bit of a paradox that the script has such bold insights, yet is also so brashly derivative. The stylistic flourishes and elegant conceptual designs are singular in their vision, but there are direct references and plot cues taken from dozens of other movies, including WALL-E, The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, Moon, and Total Recall. It's not too hard to see where the threads lead, but flying along as Oblivion ties them together is a trip of its very own. --Ted Fry Read more

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