What It’s About: Eddie Cibrian tries to become a movie star in this bad action flick about ancient monsters deep under water. The cast tries to be serious and attractive and deep but it doesn’t work out for them. The acting is bad, the storyline is worse and it’s just a plain old snooze. We were hoping it would at least be so bad it’s good but it’s just bad.
Synopsis: A sexy bunch of underwater explorers are summoned to Romania's Carpathian Mountains, where scientists have discovered a gigantic cave network containing a lengthy underground river. Cutting-edge breathing gear gets unpacked, camaraderie and budding romances develop, and then everyone becomes trapped in the depths, where monsters start picking off cast members, one by one. Escape depends on Jack, played by the dependably steely-eyed Cole Hauser (PAPARAZZI), who picked up a bad monster bite that may have infected his mind. Super-vixen Charlie (Piper Perabo) stands by him and displays a soothing screen presence as the tomboy rock climber in the crew, while Leana Headey plays the sexy Romanian biologist who fears that Jack is turning into a monster himself.
Technical Stuff: Since the movie takes places in deep caves under water with minimal light, a concern here was that the picture might be as bad as the movie but here’s where this little dvd earned itself another star. The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is stunning and Sony did a fantastic job with the picture. The black is perfect, the detail is sharp and the brightness levels are ideal without losing any of the spooky claustrophobic feeling.
Again, the technical stuff is what makes this DVD get two stars instead of none. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is solid, with dialogue that’s clear, sound effects that are spooky and good use of all speakers.
Extras?
· 2 commentaries: director & producers and the writers
· "Into the Cave" featurette
· "Designing Evolution" featurette
· trailers
Final Verdict: A crappy movie with a lovely DVD presentation. If you’re a fan of monster flicks this might be worth a rental.

What It’s About: The movie was sold as a creepy Exorcist-type movie with plenty of chills and screams. Instead, it’s more of a courtroom drama with some scary moments popping in here and there. As someone who dislikes scary movies, I was freaked out by the cover, and as I popped this in the DVD player I was steeling myself for the inevitable two hours of watching through my fingers. I was pleasantly surprised to find this was an intelligent drama-thriller that I could safely watch and enjoy. Okay, so I had to cover my face a few times. But not the whole time which was a real treat.
Synopsis: Based on a true story, this film is both a riveting courtroom drama and a first class chiller. A Catholic Priest (Tom Wilkinson) is on trial for homicidal negligence after performing a failed exorcism on Emily Rose, devout college girl (Jennifer Carpenter) now dead from assorted wounds and malnutrition. Laura Linney plays Erin Bruner, the priest's defense lawyer, and Campbell Scott plays the chief prosecutor, who argues persuasively that Emily was likely suffering from psychotic epilepsy and could have been saved with hospitalization and medicine. The demonic possession unfolds in a series of spine-tingling flashbacks and as it does so, the initially doubtful Erin is visited by evil forces and her own soul seems to be at stake. More than a criminal negligence case, the trial becomes about the importance of recognizing the limits of rationality and the possibility of a world beyond the visible. In portraying the extent to which wildly different belief systems have splintered modern society this film couldn't be more relevant or timely. Linney and Campbell are first rate, as is to be expected, creating great depth for their characters even though the script grants them almost no personal lives; it's a very "stick to the facts" sort of tale. Each character lives a life of apparent near-isolation, which adds to the cumulative effect of unease. The house where Emily grows up is spookily oppressive, the scenes of possession are truly scary and a dark sense of foreboding may follow viewers long after the credits have rolled. Carpenter earns a place as a 21st century scream queen with her hair-raising, fearless performance; Mary Beth Hurt plays the judge.
Technical Stuff: Sony does it again with a beautiful transfer in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is sharp, detailed and has some lovely rich colour.
Amazing sound here as well. The Dolby Digital 5.1 keeps the dialogue in the courtroom scenes perfectly balanced with the super-scary sound effects.
Extras?
· director's commentary
· deleted scenes
· "Genesis of the Story" featurette
· "Casting the Film" featurette
· "Visual Design" featurette
· trailers
Final Verdict: Not your typical spinning head exorcism movie and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. This one has an engrossing story, fantastic acting and a stunning DVD presentation.

What It’s About: It’s a B-movie version of Grease. And it’s darn entertaining. The acting is over-the-top, the music is great and it’s incredibly, 70’s teenage film cheesy. But that’s what makes it so great.
The movie is a Roger Corman production ( and one of a series of new editions of his movies to be released by Buena Vista), co-written by Joe Dante (Gremlins) and directed by Alan Arkush (Caddyshak II). It never takes itself seriously and it just plain a lot of fun.
Synopsis: At this high school, rock and roll has been banned by the oppressive new principal, Miss Evelyn Togar (Mary Woronov). Things get out of hand when the adults want to burn rock records, while the kids rebel and take over. When the police arrive, it's a generation war set to great rock music. This high-octane film includes music and appearances by the legendary band The Ramones.
Technical Stuff: The production value of the film wasn’t great to begin with so don’t expect any sort of brilliant remastering. The cover says it is 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. It’s solid for its age with some grain and softness but nothing too terrible.
The mono Dolby 2.0 Mix is great, without any hiss and distortion. The dialogue is clear and the fantastic soundtrack comes through nicely.
Extras?
· "Back To School Ð The Making Of Rock N Roll High School" featurette
· audio commentary with Roger Corman and actress Dey Young
· audio commentary with director, producer & writer
· Ramones concert footage audio outtakes
· radio spots
· trailer
Final Verdict: Lots of extras and a nice new release make this B-movie classic one well-worth checking out!

What It’s About: Sick of all the feel-good happy stuff you were forced to watch over the holidays? Get sucked into this psychological thriller with plenty of spooky parts, but not your typical slasher blood-fest. I normally hate horror movies (nightmares, you see) and I quite enjoyed this one thanks to its originality. It’s fairly slow-paced and there are a couple of points where it gets kind of boring but otherwise is quite gripping. The acting is spectacular and we love Connelly (Labyrinth was one of our favourite movies growing up).
Synopsis: Acclaimed director Walter Salles ("Central Station," "The Motorcycle Diaries") helms and Academy Award¨-winner Jennifer Connelly stars in DARK WATER, a psychological thriller featuring a stellar cast, including Academy Award¨-nominees John C. Reilly, Tim Roth, and Pete Postlethwaite, as well as Dougray Scott and newcomer Ariel Gade. Based on a film by the creators of the Japanese version of "The Ring" comes this haunting, chilling film about a young mother who goes to extreme lengths to solve a mystery and protect her daughter. Dahlia Williams (JENNIFER CONNELLY) is starting a new life; newly separated with a new job and a new apartment, she's determined to put her relationship with her estranged husband behind her and devote herself to raising her daughter, Ceci. But when the strained separation disintegrates into a bitter custody battle, her situation takes a turn for the worse. Her new apartment - dilapidated, cramped, and worn - seems to take on a life of its own. Mysterious noises, persistent leaks of dark water, and strange happenings cause her imagination to run wild, sending her on a puzzling and mystifying pursuit to find out who is behind the endless mind games. As Dahlia frantically searches for the links between the riddles, the dark water seems to close around her. But one thing trumps all others in Dahlia's world: no matter what it is that's out there, she'll stop at nothing to find it.
Technical Stuff: This unrated edition comes in an anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and the picture is stunning. Dark, dreary and moody, it never looks grainy or shadowy and is rich and crisp.
The sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 with optional subtitles in English, French or Spanish. The score is quite lovely to listen to sound while this isn’t a shoot ‘em up flick with lots of explosions, the soundtrack remains moody, creepy and eerily effective.
Extras?
· Deleted Scenes
· Featurette on the movie's sound design
· Viewing options of specific scenes
· Making of "Dark Water" featurette
· "An Extraordinary Ensemble" featurette
Final Verdict: Be prepared—if you’re looking for The Ring, this ain’t it. Instead, it’s a slow, spooky movie with great acting and a subtle, yet terrifying story.

What It’s About: It’s about Jessica Alba’s bum. Seriously. You would think her bum was spouting Shakespeare with all the screen time given to this often wedgied booty. Throw in Paul Walker, who makes Ashton Kutcher seem Oscar-worthy, and you have yourself a bland, pointless movie about pretty people getting confused in water. Yes, some of the underwater cinematography is quite nice, but it’s not enough to carry the movie and this one is quite a stinker.
Synopsis: Red-hot action superstars Paul Walker and Jessica Alba heat up the screen as two sexy young divers who dream of finding hidden treasure. When they take some friends (Scott Caan and Ashley Scott) on an extreme sport adventure, the last thing they expect to see below the shark-infested waters is a legendary pirate ship rumoured to contain millions of dollars in gold. But their incredible good fortune is short-lived, as a ruthless gang of deadly criminals gets word of what they have uncovered. The discovery of a lifetime could just cost the treasure hunters their lives, in the exciting new thriller from the director of Blue Crush.
Technical Stuff: The picture is quite impressive. The anamorphic widescreen has a ratio of 2.35:1 and is crisp and clear and the water scenes can be quite mesmerizing. If only the darn actors and plot wouldn’t keep getting in the way…
The sound is also great (seems they put more work into the DVD release than the entire film) with Dolby Digital 5.1 English or 2.0 French and optional subtitles in the same languages.
Extras?
· director's audio commentary
· "Diving Deeper Into the Blue" featurette
· deleted scenes
· screen tests
· trailers
Final Verdict: Not very good unless all you’re looking for is to stare at Alba’s butt for two hours. Then, maybe rent it.

What It’s About: Huge car chase explosions. That’s basically what The Island is about. This is Michael Bay’s first movie without Jerry Bruckheimer and it’s not very good. He tried to create an intelligent sci-fi thriller and ends up creating Bad Boys 2 in the future. Sure, it can be entertaining at times, but there only so many cars you can watch explode before your mind goes numb. While Scarlett Johansson sort of holds her own in the film, Ewan McGregor seems lost and not convincing. And there is absolutely zero chemistry between them. The movie is also too long and has way too many product placements. The beginning is interesting but unfortunately tapers off into a mind-numbing series of pyrotechnics and unnecessary explosions that end up boring the audience more than anything.
Synopsis: Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) and Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson) are among the hundreds of residents of a contained facility in the mid-21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, everything about their day-to-day lives is monitored, seemingly for their own good. The only way out -- and the hope they all share -- is to be chosen to go to The Island, reportedly the last uncontaminated spot in the world following an ecological disaster that took the lives of everyone on the planet... except them.
Recently plagued by unexplained nightmares, Lincoln is restless and increasingly questioning of the restrictions placed on his life. But he is unprepared for the truth when his growing curiosity leads to the terrible discovery that everything about his existence is a lie, that The Island is a cruel hoax... and that he, Jordan and everyone they know are actually more valuable dead than alive. With time running out, Lincoln and Jordan make a daring escape to the outside world they've never known. Once they are away from the prying eyes of the institute, the innocent friendship the two shared begins to deepen into something more. But with the forces of the institute relentlessly hunting them down, Lincoln and Jordan have one overriding mission: to live.
Technical Stuff: The Island is presented in a widescreen anamorphic with a ratio of 2.40:1. It’s pretty much perfect with the exception of a few instances of edge enhancement which were quite noticeable but don’t ruin the entire presentation.
The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound packs a wallop and every single explosion (all million billion of them) sounds loud and in charge. Too bad there’s no DTS.
Extras?
· Commentary by: Michael Bay (Dolby Digital 5.1)
· The Future in Action (a look at the creation of one of the car chase scenes)
Final Verdict: Entertaining to a degree but not original and has some pretty bad dialogue. If you like explosions, this is for you.

What It’s About: Best described as a space western, Serenity is based on the short-lived series Firefly by Joss Whedon, he of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. The movie is original—not your typical shooting, explosions and not much else. The characters are interesting, the plot is well developed and the humour thrown in really adds to the entertainment factor. I’m not a fan of westerns or space movies, but I thoroughly enjoyed this little masterpiece. Whedon makes this a real treat, using clever dialogue, music that tapers off when you think it’s about to blare and what seem like they’re going to be movie clichés get turned on their heads. Brilliant.
Synopsis: Captain Malcolm Reynolds, is a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family--squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal.
When Mal takes on two new passengers--a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister--he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself.
Technical Stuff: The film is presented in a 2.35:1 widescreen and looks great. The colours are clear and the film does have grain but it’s intentional.
The sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 and sounds incredible! I was pretty blown away by how good, clean and evenly balanced the soundtrack was. Very powerful. Who needs to go to the theatre when you have sound like this at home?
Extras?
· Commentary by: Writer/Director Joss Whedon (Dolby Digital 5.1)
· Deleted scenes and outtakes
· Future History: The Story of Earth That Was
· What's in a Firefly
· Re-Lighting the Firefly
· Joss Whedon Introduction
Final Verdict: A truly original movie and a real treat for fans of Firefly and those who have never even heard of it. Serenity is a must-see.

What It’s About: A revenge-drama from John Singleton about four guys raised by the same foster mom who find out she’s been murdered in a convenience store. Now all grown up, they reunite to investigate the crime and seek justice. The four are Mark Wahlberg, Garrett Hedlund, Tyrese Gibson and Andre Benjamin, who all have pretty good chemistry. It’s a decent movie with some good action sequences and although it doesn’t really follow logic many times, it’s not too hard to get past that and enjoy this old school suspense movie.
Synopsis: After their adoptive mother is murdered during a grocery store holdup, the Mercer brothers -- hotheaded Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), ladies' man Angel (Tyrese Gibson), family man and businessman Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin), and hard rocking Jack (Garrett Hedlund) -- reunite to take the matter of her death into their own hands.
As they track down her killer, they quickly realize that their old ways of doing business have new consequences, and discover that they are bound by ties thicker than blood.
Technical Stuff: Paramount presents Four Brothers in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen that looks fairly good but does have some edge enhancement. The movie is very dreary-looking but that was Singleton’s choice.
Good sound here with a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack that delivers clear action sequences as well as a well-balanced dialogue.
Extras?
· Commentary by: Director John Singleton (Unknown Format)
· 9 Deleted scenes
· Commentary by Director John Singleton
· 5 Behind the Scenes and Making Of Featurettes
· Theatrical trailer
Final Verdict: Probably a rental. It’s not very original or thought-provoking but the DVD presentation is top-notch and it will entertain for a couple of hours.

What It’s About: Pretty much anything Steve Carrell does is hilarious. He was the only reason to watch Anchorman, and makes us cringe constantly on The Office thanks to his oblivious, deadpan style. The 40-Year-Old Virgin takes full use of Carrell’s comedic talents and uses them to create a seriously funny movie.
This is his first starring role and he doesn’t disappoint. He plays the straight man to a bunch of goofy characters and consider yourself warned—the humour here is full out raunchy. There are rude lines, rude characters and seriously rude situations. Great fun for all above the 18 year mark!
Synopsis:
40-year-old Andy Stitzer (Steve Carrell) has done quite a few things in his life. He's got a cushy job stamping invoices at an electronics superstore, a nice apartment with a proud collection of action figures and comic books, good friends, a nice attitude. But there's just one little thing he hasn't quite gotten around to doing yet--something most people have done by his age. Done a lot. Andy's never, ever, ever had sex--not even by accident. So is that such a big deal?
Well, for Andy's buds at the store, it sure is. Although they think he's a bit of an oddball, there's certainly a planetful of stranger (and homelier) guys who've at least had one go at having a go. They consider it their duty to help Andy out of his dire situation and go to great lengths to help him. But nothing proves effective enough to lure their friend out of lifelong chastity until he meets Trish (Catherine Keener), a 40-year-old mother of three. Andy's friends are psyched by the possibility that "it" may finally happen...until they hear that Andy and Trish have begun their relationship based on a mutual no-sex policy.
Comedy writer and producer Judd Apatow (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, TV's Freaks and Geeks, Kicking & Screaming) makes his feature film directorial debut with The 40 Year Old Virgin, starring Steve Carrell (Anchorman, Bruce Almighty, TV's The Daily Show) and Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, The Interpreter) and an ensemble cast including Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Gerry Bednob, Shelley Malil, Chelsea Smith and Nancy Walls. Apatow also co-writes the script with Carrell and produces along with Shauna Robertson (Elf) and Clayton Townsend (The Skeleton Key).
Technical Stuff: A beautiful transfer from Universal here with anamorphic widescreen picture. There aren’t any super-cool effects or anything, but the picture is rich, crisp and solid.
Again, this is a dialogue-driven movie so we weren’t expecting any DTS and the Dolby 5.1 track does a dependable job with the sound keeping things balanced and clear. Language options also include Spanish and French 2.0 tracks, with subtitles available in English, Spanish and French.
Extras?
· audio commentary with main cast
· deleted scenes
· extended segments
· "Line-o-rama" featurette
· gag reel
· "My Dinner with Stormy" short film
· waxing featurette
Final Verdict: A hilarious and touching film. We haven’t seen a comedy this funny in a long time. A definite must-have for the comedy lover and a stellar stocking stuffer!

What It’s About: Would you believe I’d never seen this movie until the DVD screener came in the mail? Eagerly, I popped the film into the DVD player, hoping for 90 minutes of laughs. I got them. Airplane! is one of those classic films people are in awe if you haven’t seen. It paved the way for films like Hot Shots! and Naked Gun—films all about constant humour, gags and silliness. There are probably hundreds of great jokes in this movie but I don’t want to ruin them for those of you who haven’t seen it. Those of you who know the movie and love it—you’ll adore this special edition of the film.
Synopsis:
The spoof comedy that set the gold standard for all that followed it, AIRPLANE takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that peppered cinemas in the 70s. When the passengers and crew of a jet are incapacitated due to food poisoning, a rogue pilot (who has a drinking problem and is afraid of flying) must cooperate with his ex-girlfriend turned stewardess to bring the plane to a safe landing. No disaster flick cliche is left unroasted, and the musical score itself takes a less than reverent look at overly melodramatic compositions.
Technical Stuff: It’s an older film but the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks surprisingly sharp and rich. There is a little grain on occasion but Airplane! has aged surprisingly well! It’s also enhanced for 16:9 TVs.
Sound comes in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which is fantastic for what it is—a front-heavy dialogue driven track. It also comes in 2.0, French Mono, and English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras?
· audio commentary with filmmakers
· "Long Haul Version" with video snippets of various cast members
· deleted scenes
· trivia track
· trailers
Final Verdict: A stellar DVD release of a classic laugh-a-second comedy.

What It’s About: Although The Emperor’s New Groove didn’t do that well in theatres, it found a bit of a cult following on DVD Thanks to that, Disney thought it fitting to release a straight-to-DVD sequel. Yes, we know that these are never up to par with the originals and this one fits that mould, but the kiddies will certainly get a kick out of it.
Most of the original voices are back and the animation is quite impressive for a straight to DVD release.
Synopsis: It's time to get your groove back when Walt Disney Home Entertainment presents an all-new motion picture, KRONK'S NEW GROOVE, the feature-length animated sequel to Disney's hilarious "The Emperor's New Groove," premiering only on Disney DVD on December 13, 2005. Loaded with laughs, this outrageous comedy stars Kronk, that lovable hunk, on a riotous adventure that's filled with hysterical mayhem and mishaps. Kronk cooks up a get-rich-quick scheme to impress his Dad, whom he can never please. But when things go wrong, Kronk kicks into comical gear and discovers the true riches in life are his friends and being "true to your groove."
The entire voice cast from "The Emperor's New Groove" returns, with Patrick Warburton as Kronk, David Spade as Kuzco, John Goodman as Pacha, and Eartha Kitt as that villainess of villainesses, Yzma. Plus, there are fantastic new characters including Kronk's dad Papi (John Mahoney) and Miss Birdwell (Tracey Ullman).
Technical Stuff: Another lovely Disney picture in its original 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. The colours are bright and rich with an almost unnoticeable bit of shimmer.
The tracks available are a Dolby 5.1 and a DTS version. It’s a dialogue driven movie with a few musical numbers and the sound is more than enough for that.
Extras?
· making-of featurette
· interactive game
· trailers
Final Verdict: Nowhere near as funny as the original but Kronk’s New Groove seems purely geared at the little ones and they’ll be delighted to find it under the tree!

What It’s About: Pretty much one of the funniest movies ever, Sony is releasing a Deluxe Edition of the original The Producers before the new version hits theatres next week. Written by Mel Brooks, the is a movie about the worst musical ever made—“Springtime for Hitler.” Zero Mostel is brilliant as Max Bialystock, a producer in search of a hit, and Gene Wilder is perfection as his partner in crime, Leo Bloom, who suggests more money could be made in producing a huge flop. Hence the singing Hitler.
Synopsis: Low-rent Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his high-strung accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), discover that, with the help of a few gullible investors, they can make more money on a flop than on a hit! Armed with the worst show ever written ("Springtime for Hitler") and an equally horrific cast, this double-dealing duo is banking on disaster. But when their sure-to-offend musical becomes a surprise smash hit, they find themselves in the middle of a Broadway blitzkrieg!
Technical Stuff: This DVD is pretty much identical to the release a few years back as this new one is mainly to push the new version with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. The picture is a gorgeous anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) with bright and crisp colour. There is also a full frame version but who wants to watch that nonsense?
A flawless 5.1 Dolby track for your listening pleasure or the original mono if you so desire. There are subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Extras?
• Featurette: A Look at the New Theatrical Release - The Producers
• Featurette: Peter Sellers' Statement Read by Paul Mazursky
• Photo Gallery
• Deleted Scenes: Playhouse Outtake
• Storyboards: Sketch Gallery
• The Making of The Producers: Act I
• The Making of The Producers: Act II
• The Making of The Producers: Closing
• The Making of The Producers: Intermission
• The Making of The Producers: Opening
• Theatrical Trailer
Final Verdict: Seriously one of the funniest movies ever with a fantastic DVD release. Plus, you’ll want to see the original before you watch the new one won’t you?

What It’s About: We can’t quite figure out what went wrong with Valiant, a 3D animated World War II film from Disney about carrier pigeons. No songs, no edgy comedy, not much at all here, except the superb animation.
The cast of voices is impressive and includes Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais and John Cleese, but somehow, the script they’re given doesn’t really allow them to make full use of their incredible comedic talents. Sure kids might enjoy it, but there’s really nothing to this film that hasn’t been done before.
Technical Stuff: As always, Disney has some of the best DVD releases out there. The picture here is in a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer and is incredibly crisp, bright and impressive. This is the best part of the DVD.
The sound is available in a Dolby 5.1 track and while it’s good, it’s not perfect. The war scenes aren’t as dynamic as they could be and sometimes the sound does seem a little uneven. Also available in an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track also in Spanish and French, while subtitles are available in English, Spanish and French, along with closed captioning.
Extras?
· bloopers
· "Valiant Training Challenge" game
· trailers
Final Verdict: The World War II script is a little over the kiddies heads but leaves something to be desired to the adults. This leaves Valiant stuck in a strange place where rental might be your best option.

What It’s About: It’s not exactly innovative, and sure, Russell Crowe did mess things up a little by chucking that phone at a girl so close to release time, but all things considered, Cinderella Man is still a pretty good movie.
The acting is stellar despite the fact that we would like to rip Renee Zellweger’s lips off. Paul Giamatti does a terrific job as the manager and Crowe himself, well, the man can act. The story has some severe ups and severe downs as boxer Braddock goes from being the top of the heap to a reject during the Depression. It’s moving and powerful—all the things you expect from a Ron Howard film. So why did it do so poorly? We’re not sure, but we have a theory: it was too full of itself. The movie was calling itself the best thing of the year before it even opened and was positioning itself for the Academy Awards more than Paris Hilton for the paparazzi. It basically alienated itself from the audience. But still, it should find a whole new audience on DVD who might now appreciate it for the sweet and powerful movie it really is.
Technical Stuff: It’s a new release so we’re expecting great things and we were a teeny bit disappointed. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is good but not perfect. Most of the time the picture is super, but the dark scenes do have a little grain and murkiness.
The sound comes is Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and French) and is fantastic all the way through. We were a little surprised there wasn’t a DTS track but I guess they’re saving that for the Super-Duper Edition. The DVD includes an English DVS track which we throught was super-cool—it’s a detailed narrative track for those with visual impairments, something we’d like to see more of.
Extras?
· Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard; Feature Commentary with Writer Akiva Goldsman; Feature Commentary with Writer Cliff Hollingsworth
· Deleted Scenes with (On/Off) Commentary by Director Ron Howard
· The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man
· The Man, The Movie, The Legend: A Filmmaking Journey
· For the Record: A History in Boxing
· Ringside Seats
· Jim Braddock: The Friends & Family Behind The Legend
· Kodak Partner Spot
· DVD ROM

Final Verdict: It set itself up for failure with all its boasting as people expected the greatest movie ever made which its not. Still Cinderella Man is a quality film that will excite you as well as possibly make you cry—the best type of movie.

What It’s About: Woo-eee, where do I begin? A few grievances: as you watch this season you can actually see their marriage disintegrate before your eyes, Jessica gets really annoying in these episodes, and the back of the DVD cover hopes for many more years of wedded bliss for Nick and Jess (uh, way to spin it Papa Joe). For those of you who have no idea what I’m referring to, please head right over to laineygossip.com and catch yourselves up on your celeb gossip.
The timing of this DVD is either pathetic, or brilliant. The fact is, fans will buy it anyway and others will want to see if they can spot the “breaking point.” I’ll admit, I actually really enjoyed this show the first two seasons, and looked forward to getting this one on DVD to watch, as I hadn’t seen any episodes on TV. Even my shallow, celeb-obsessed self couldn’t enjoy this one.
Nick and Jess are apart for most of the season as she’s filming Dukes of Hazzard (and possible bonking Johnny Knoxville). So it’s pretty boring. And annoying. And misleading. Sigh.
Technical Stuff: Since it’s a new TV show, the picture is quite good. There are some moments where it’s too bright or dark, but you do have to keep in mind this is reality TV.
The sound is also good with the dialogue clear and the sound dispersed well among the speakers.
Extras?
· All 10 Hilarious Season 4 Episodes
· Never-Before-Seen Footage
· Behind-the-Scenes Nick & Jessica Featurette
· Newlyweds Moments

Final Verdict: We had high hopes for these two and they just disappointed us by separating. Although, if we were Nick we’d want to get the heck away from Jess as well. So we can’t blame him. We blame the publicity geniuses that managed to keep them together this long.

What It’s About: This was a big year for Law and Order as they experienced some big cast changes. Original members Dann Florek (Captain Cragen) and Richard Brooks (Assistant DA Robinette) have left and we get to meet some female leads. This was the year of Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), and DA Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty) got a new assistant in Claire Kincaid (future Crossing Jordan star Jill Hennessy). This was also Michael Moriarty’s last season as he will be replaced by Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy who is still on to this day.
This is a great season with terrific episodes and fans of the show will consider this one a must-have. Law and Order is still one of the most intelligent shows on television today and a real breath of fresh air from all the reality stuff choking up the airwaves.
Technical Stuff: The video here comes on full screen 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The picture is vibrant and looks great for something almost ten years old. The show has a soft quality to it but that’s always been the way it’s presented.
The sound comes in Dolby 2.0 and is just fine for the dialogue driven soundtrack. No issues at all.
Extras? Nothing all too impressive here. Each disk has Extended and Deleted scenes and that’s it. Nothing else. We would have liked some more.
Final Verdict: It’s a stellar season of a fantastic show. Highly recommended despite the limited extras.