Mission accomplished

The Impossible A story so incredible it could only be true, this film based on the real-time experiences of Maria Belón during the 2004 tsunami pulls you in from the first scene and never lets you go. Part of the suspense is generated by expectation: We know the wave will hit. But in true disaster movie style, we get to know our central characters before terror strikes. Thanks to JA Bayona’s sharp direction and star Naomi Watts’s riveting mix of survival imperative and compassionate humanity, we’re right there in the moment, when the only thing of real value is the one you love, another human life. A stellar and moving piece of cinema that tells a monolithic story in singular detail, The Impossible proves you can still make a disaster movie that doesn’t feel plastic or gratuitous. Special features include audio commentary with Bayona, behind the scenes, deleted scenes and more.

Promised Land Given the high-profile politics of natural gas extraction and “fracking,” not to mention the charisma of stars Matt Damon, Frances McDormand and John Krasinski, Promised Land was met with a lot of anticipation when it hit theatres last fall. Yet, this script based on the story by David Eggers and penned by Damon and Krasinski, and brought to the big screen via Gus Van Sant, fails to exploit the resources it claims. The central problem is shifting empathy. We’re never given enough real information to figure out who the hero is, and by the time we put it all together the movie has twisted itself into a narrative pretzel to make all the pieces fit into a highly predictable, formulaic place. You can feel the good intentions gurgling beneath the surface. You can also feel the latent desire not to preach. And yet Promised Land still feels incredibly preachy, which means even members of the envirochoir may feel a little red-faced by the arm-twisting. Special features include extended scene and making-of featurette.

Jurassic Park 3D Once upon a time, Steven Spielberg made movies that were undeniable popcorn fun. Scary enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, and fantastic enough to transport the viewer to another, childlike universe, Spielberg’s cinematic talents all came together in the first Jurassic Park and now, you can relive the magic at home on this new combo pack containing the new, three-dimension version that was a year in the making. Opting for a more subtle brand of stereoscopic viewing, technicians don’t make things “pop out” as much as they add depth and texture. It’s a nice, clean update that takes nothing away from the original, and reminds the masses that once upon a time, Spielberg did what he was good at — not what he believed would cement his star on the walk of fame. Special features include several featurettes, such as Return to Jurassic Park, The Making Of, Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park, locations, foley, ILM and Jurassic Park, early pre-production meetings, downloadable content, digital copy and more.