New on DVD
After a slow week of new DVD offerings because of the July Fourth holiday, there’s a flood of new titles being released Tuesday.
“Smurfs: The Lost Village”: The film looked more like a direct-to-DVD production when it had its original theatrical run, so now that it is on DVD, it should be a lot of entertainment for anyone 6 years old and younger.
Just like the TV series, this film is a fun adventure that comes with a touch of danger as supplied by Gargamel. It’s not a bad thing that the film is aimed at youngsters, but it does increase the odds the production will fall on its blue bottom with the parents or older siblings who have to watch along with younger fans.
The story is very familiar. Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) wants to capture a Smurfload of Smurfs so he can take their essence and use it to become a very powerful wizard. Smurfette (Demi Lovato) and a couple of her Smurf buddies lead Gargamel to the secret Smurf village.
The film has a beautiful look and some of the new characters added to the Smurf lore are interesting. But the beautiful animation and interesting supporting cast don’t give the movie the kind of appeal it needs.
“The Fate of the Furious”: Does anyone remember when this franchise was all about street racing? Each release has taken the story to more elaborate areas and pushed the action to extremes. The movies have become a battle royale with more destruction than a week of “Transformers” films.
Here’s what you will see in “The Fate of the Furious.” There’s a high-speed chase in New York, a massive prison break, a gunfight on an airplane and a major showdown in a Russian stronghold. It all reaches a peak in a battle that includes a submarine.
All of the action ? logical and illogical —takes time, but having the production run more than two hours and 20 minutes is a big mistake. One of the words in the title is “Fast” and that’s how the pacing should have been.
“The Lost City of Z”;: Director-writer James Gray opted not to take a strictly commercial approach to his adaptation of David Gann’s “The Lost City of Z.” Instead of trying to blind the audience with massive bloody battles, terror in the jungle and a war story more intent on embracing big action, he goes for a production that banks on holding the moviegoer’s attention with big emotional scenes.
In taking that tactic, the director finds the right balance of action and emotions to create a production that will make you think while you’re being entertained by the story of British explorer Percy Fawcett’s (Charlie Hunnam) quest in the early 20th century to discover a lost civilization.
Gray wants the viewer to understand what would make a person go on such dangerous missions and uses casual conversations between Fawcett and his aide-de-camp —played with quiet power by Robert Pattison ? for part of that insight. The best scenes that show the heart of this explorer feature quiet moments shared by Fawcett and his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller). Gray never forces the conversations between the husband and wife and that gives the production a feeling of being rooted in reality.
The strong performances by Hunnam and Miller give the film a beauty and sweetness that contrasts with the uncertainties and struggles faced during the explorations. This is by far the best performance of Hunnam’s career.
Overall, “The Lost City of Z” shows that a smart and compelling film doesn’t need big gimmicks. Also new on DVD this week “Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”: The animated cat and mouse find themselves in the famous candy factory.
“Underground: Season Two”: Escaped slaves continue their travels to a free life.
“Rake: Series 2”: Richard Roxburgh plays a self-destructive lawyer.
“London Heist”: Career criminal and family man goes on a mission of revenge.
“La Vie de Jean-Marie”: Documentary about a pastor/farmer who watches over the spiritual life of 25 villages in the French Pyrenees.
“Game Changers”: Two friends try to regain the fame they had as gamers.
“American Fable”: Young girl must decide whether to do the right thing or ignore a crime in support of her family.
“The Tunnel: Sabotage: Season 2”: Two French detectives try to solve the mystery behind the death of a politician. Stephen Dillane stars.
“Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer”: Richard Gere plays a man who finally gets his chance to make the biggest deal of his life.
“Spark: A Space Tail”: Monkey, pig and fox must stop a deadly threat in this animated adventure story.
“Species”: Collector’s Blu-ray edition of the sci-fi film starring Natasha Henstridge is being released.
“Alive & Kicking”: Documentary that takes a look inside the resurgence of and interest in swing dancing.
“Their Finest”: A film is produced in London in 1940 to lift the spirits of the people and push the United States to become involved in the war. Gemma Arterton stars.
“The Magicians: Season Two”: Syfy network series about a group of young people attending a school for magic.
“The Missing: Season 2”: Search for a missing boy continues to take a devastating toll on the family.
“The Saint”: Adam Rayner takes on the role of the suave man of mystery who rights wrongs. Eliza Dushku co-stars.
“SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock”: Rock ‘n’ roll photographer Mick Rock looks at his life from the glam rock of London to New York’s punk scene.
“A Quiet Passion”: Cynthia Nixon stars in this look at the life of Emily Dickenson. Also new on digital “Gifted”: A man (Chris Evans) disagrees with his mother on how his niece should be raised. Will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 25.