Keanu Reeves returns as ‘John Wick’
Other releases this week include “Alone in Berlin,” “A United Kingdom,” and 1948’s “They Live By Night.”
In the explosive “John Wick: Chapter Two” (2017, Lionsgate, R, $30), a gangster forces retired hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) back into the killing business. But being tasked with murdering an Italian mob heiress is just the beginning of John’s problems.
Returning director Chad Stahelski once again proves he knows how to stage action scenes for ultimate impact. Expect plenty of car chases, bullet ballets and hand-to-hand throwdowns. But it’s really Reeves who sweetens the deal.
As Wick, there is no strut or flash in his manner. The actor plays the assassin as a man so bad-ass he never has to prove anything to anybody. Extras: deleted scenes, featurettes and commentaries. Also New To DVD Alone In Berlin (2017, IFC, unrated, $25): In this refreshingly modest World War II drama, a middle-aged couple (Brendan Gleeson, Emma Thompson) become symbols of resistance against the Nazis. Following the death of their son in the war, the Quangels grow disillusioned with Hitler and begin leaving cards with anti-Nazi slogans all over Berlin. This small act of defiance enrages the regime, including a police officer (Daniel Bruhl) tasked with cracking the case. In addition to a powerful subplot about one of the Quangel’s Jewish neighbors (Monique Chaumette), “Alone” benefits from Gleeson and Thompson’s superb performances. They find nuance in the simplest of situations. Extras: featurette. A United Kingdom (2017, Fox, PG-13, $30): Based on a true story, this wellmeaning but underwhelming drama unreels the saga of Prince Khama of Botswana (David Oyelowo) who, in 1947, caused an international stir when he married Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), a white law clerk from London. Khama winds up being banished from his own country thanks, in part, to his disapproving uncle and the British government. The movie’s first act is a lovely romance between Khama and Ruth, both of whom adore jazz and swing dancing. But as soon as the action switches to Africa, nearly every scene turns into an occasion for speechifying. “A United Kingdom” winds up feeling like a missed opportunity. Extras: featurettes. Kill ‘Em All (2017, Sony, R, $20): Jean-Claude Van Damme is back for an actioner which pits him against a gang of elite assassins who boldly storm a hospital where Van Damme is recovering from gunshot wounds. Can a wounded Van Damme stay alive against an army of bad guys? Autumn Reeser co-stars as a nurse on hand to witness the mayhem who must recount it all for two investigators (Peter Stormare, Maria Conchito Alonso.) There’s a few cool action scenes, as you might expect, but “Kill ‘Em All” is best enjoyed by Van Damme fans. Extras: none. They Live By Night (1948, Criterion, unrated, $30): A precursor to every fugitives-on-the-run movie from “Bonnie and Clyde” to “Thelma and Louise,” this surprisingly tender love story finds the bank-robbing convict Bowie (Farley Granger) falling for the innocent Keechie (Cathy O’Donnell) as he tries to outrun the cops and his accomplices. Director Nicholas Ray (“Rebel Without a Cause”) finds poetry in a romance set against the backdrop of dingy bus stations and run-down motels. And even though a sense of doom hangs over the picture, Granger and O’Donnell make such a touching, soulful couple that it’s impossible not to be moved by their unlikely connection. Extras: commentaries and featurettes. Those Redheads From Seattle (1953, Kino, unrated, $30): The first 3-D musical is an unpretentious charmer which boasts some nifty dance numbers, a star-crossed romance and a unique Yukon setting. Agnes Moorhead stars as the wife of a newspaperman who takes her four unmarried daughters (Rhonda Fleming, Teresa Brewer, Cynthia Bell, Kay Bell) to Alaska in the midst of the Gold Rush only to discover her husband has been murdered. Could a seemingly-kindly club owner (Gene Barry) be responsible? The occasional odd shifts in tone aside, “Those Redheads” is an entertaining diversion which smartly doesn’t take itself too seriously. Extras: commentary track and featurettes. Edge of Eternity (1959, Twilight Time, unrated, $30): About a decade before shooting “Dirty Harry,” director Don Siegel took his cameras to the Grand Canyon for an actioner about a sheriff (Cornel Wilde) investigating a string of murders. Wilde can be an exciting actor but he never connects with this underwritten role nor generates a jot of chemistry with leading lady Victoria Shaw. That said, there’s much to enjoy about this new-to-Blu-ray outing including fine work by a handful of character actors and a pulse-pounding chase sequence that takes place in buckets suspended over the Grand Canyon. Extras: commentaries. Where The Buffalo Roam (1980, Shout Factory, unrated, $30): Nearly forty years since this ode to drug-addled Rolling Stone journalist Hunter Thompson (Bill Murray) bombed in theaters, the largely forgotten flick arrives on Blu-ray. It’s still a hot mess, with no momentum, little feel for the counterculture it purports to celebrate and a tone-deaf turn by Murray. The lone bright spot is Peter Boyle whose performance as Thompson’s wild-eyed lawyer and drinking partner captures some of the gonzo spirit sadly lacking from the rest of the misbegotten movie. Extras: featurette. Ophelia (1962, Olive, unrated, $25): One of the most obscure of all movies directed by the great Claude Chabrol (“Story of Women”), this new-to-Blu entry pivots on the callow Yvan (André Jocelyn), a wealthy man who comes to believe that his mother (Alida Valli) and uncle (Claude Cerval) are responsible for the death of his father. After Yvan stumbles upon a screening of “Hamlet,” he identifies with the tortured Dane and begins trying to turn the groundskeeper’s daughter (Juliette Mayniel) into his Ophelia. The stark blackand-white cinematography is stunning but Chabrol can’t seem to decide if he’s directing a tragedy or a farce. Extras: none. Vampire Diaries: The Eighth And Final Season (2016, Warner, unrated, $30) Last year, the series not only proved that it could sustain the loss of Elena (Nina Dobrev) but that it could continue to sink its teeth into plenty of vamp drama. In the latest batch of episodes, Stefan (Paul Wesley) begins his complicated relationship with Caroline (Candice King) while Damon (Ian Somerhalder) deals with the fallout of his vendetta against his mother (Annie Wersching.) Extras: featurettes and unaired scenes.