New on DVD:
This week’s new DVD releases show how good and bad a movie can be. “Jane”; 4 stars: Documentary filmmakers often spend their entire lives searching for a single photograph or tiniest bit of film they can use as the central core for their project. Brett Morgen’s plight was he had an abundance of footage to use to create “Jane,” a documentary that looks at the life and work of Jane Goodall. The productions, produced with National Geographic Documentary Films, was made using more than 140 hours of never-before-seen 16 mm footage that has been in the National Geographic archives for more than 50 years. The majority of the film was shot by Hugo van Lawick, the renowned nature photographer who was married to Goodall from 1964-1974. That footage has been blended with Goodall’s own words and set against a majestic score by Philip Glass. “Jane” stands out because it puts viewers in a similar place to where Goodall sat and observed for so many years. They get to watch her go from a newborn researcher who grows through each blade of knowledge observed along the way. She’s lived a life the way most people can only imagine, and that alone is enough to appreciate the power of “Jane.” “Father Figures”; 0 stars: The urge is to reveal what happens when bickering fraternal twin brothers Kyle (Owen Wilson) and Peter (Ed Helms) go on a quest to discover the identity of their father to save as many as possible from wasting time and money with “Father Figures.” Just because this ill-conceived film is a comedy that’s almost void of humor is no reason to spoil the experience for those who opt to see this train wreck (literally) instead of the numerous other holiday season film options. Just remember. You’ve been warned. The crassness of the attempts at humor in “Father Figures” would have come at least a little closer to working had director Lawrence Sher gone for the kind of over-the-top approach that made movies like “The Hangover” work. Instead, Sher treats this fiasco like a sweet tale of brotherly love being guided by a manipulative universe. Once you have an adult urinate on a child, there’s no way to regain the cuddly feeling he tried to inject into the movie. Also new on DVD April 3 “Insidious: The Last Key”: Dr. Elise Rainier returns to her family home to face the unrelenting demons that have plagued her since childhood. “A Place to Call Home: Season 5”: Marta Dusseldorp plays a nurse who becomes involved in the affairs of the wealthy Bligh family. “Trouble Is My Business”: Los Angeles private investigator’s efforts to solve a mystery only draw him deeper into the action. “13 Reasons Why: Season One”: Box of cassette tapes provides the reasons for a young person’s suicide. “Ballers: The Complete Third Season”: Spencer (Dwayne Johnson) looks to forge bonds with new players across the country while improving his relationships with existing clients. “Sweet Virginia”: Mysterious stranger sends shockwaves through a close-knit community. “Looking Glass”: Motel in the middle of the desert hides multiple mysteries. Nicolas Cage stars.