Angels and Demons (3 out of 5 stars)
Sony/ November 24, 2009

Tom Hanks returns as Dan Brown's symbologist Robert Langdon in his first adventure Angels & Demons, which Hollywood decided to make after The Da Vinci Code, given the latter's more controversial subject striking a raw nerve on the faith itself. The Catholic Church was up in arms over the first film, but seemingly nonchalant about this one. And it's not hard to see why, this is pretty much just an action flick.

So I guess with the bulk of the budget going toward the sets, the ensemble cast had to be correspondingly scaled down. Ayelet Zurer tried to step into the female void left by Audrey Tautou, but given Tautou's character then having a lot more stake in the earlier film, Zurer's scientist Vittoria had a lot less to do other than just waiting in the wings to change some batteries on a canister filled with anti-matter. In the book she's the fodder of course for Langdon to converse his vast knowledge of the Vatican, the Illuminati and the great feud between the two, but here she's neither love interest, nor his intellectual equal.

Ewan McGregor on the other hand, chews up each scene he's in as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, who is temporarily taking care of the Papal office while the other prominent cardinals are in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope. And he plays Patrick with that glint in the eye, with nuances enough to let you know there's more than meets the eye. There are no surprises here for readers of the novel, but McGregor's performance here is one of the highlights of the film as Hanks plays, well, Tom Hanks.

Nothing new for those who have read the book other than to see it come alive, but for those who haven't, this film may just compel you to pick up Dan Brown's novel just to read a bit more about the significance about the landmarks, and characters such as Galileo, Michelangelo and Bernini who are intricately linked to the plot, but much left unsaid. Satisfying pop-corn entertainment leaving you with nothing spectacular to write home about. Sound and picture and excellent, as one would expect from a recent release.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Blu-Ray Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4 out of 5 stars)
Warner/ November 3, 2009

This may be my favourite Christmas move of all time and so I was excited to see the Blu-Ray coming out and in a special tin, no less.  I remember watching it as a kid and feeling shocked that this could in fact be a Christmas movie (needless to say, I didn’t watch it at my house).
It’s an old flick so despite the fact that it looks good on Blu-Ray it’s not going to look amazing. Sound was great so movie presentation gets a solid 4 out of 5. On to the goodies. The tin includes a “Holiday Survival Kit” which is an adult-size Santa hat, a small box of novelty "snow powder" ("just add water!"), four durable coasters with images from the film, an "I Survived a Griswold Family Christmas" button, and a "collectible Moose Mug figurine." The latter is disappointing: it's tiny with a thimble-sized cup and made of cheap plastic. While I appreciate the sentiment behind these items I find them a complete waste of money and resources because there are maybe three losers out there who will keep any of this stuff or use it for that matter (and if you’re one of them, sorry.)
So I would just buy the Blu-Ray because it’s about ten buck cheaper and you don’t need the extra crap. Mele Kalikimaka to you all! Oh—and you don’t see any boobies—sorry.

TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams Vol. 2 (5 out of 5 stars)
Warner/ October 6, 2009

Oh, did I ever love Esther Williams. I have no idea who introduced me to her originally but I just thought she was the most glamorous thing that I’d ever seen. The way she swam and looked perfect and her lipstick always stayed on…As a young girl I thought she was fabulous. Then I sort of forgot about her until this landed on my doorstep and I had myself a mini-marathon (as much as I could during naps!)
This set features some movies I hadn’t seen before. They’re all presented in their technicolour glory and look fabulous for their age!  Here is info from the press release on the films:
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952)
Esther Williams portrays real-life Australian swimming champ Annette Kellerman. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy and costarring Victor Mature, this film was nominated for Best Color Cinematography. The movie includes a Busby Berkeley choreographed water ballet extravaganza. This is considered to be Esther's signature film.
BONUS FEATURES:
AUDIO ONLY: Lux Radio Theater Presentation of Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams and Walter Pidgeon
Classic M-G-M Tom & Jerry Cartoon The Little Wise-Quacker (1952)
Classic M-G-M Short Subject Reducing (1952)
Original Theatrical Trailer

Thrill of a Romance (1945)
Van Johnson and Esther Williams star. The film includes performances from Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra and operatic grandeur from famed Wagnerian tenor Lauritz Melchior in his film debut.

Newlywed swimming teacher Cynthia Delbar (Williams) has everything a girl could want for her honeymoon in the mountains. The only thing missing is her tycoon groom, who is in DC closing a deal. A pretty sorrowful situation - until a good-looking war hero staying at the hotel decides he needs swimming lessons.
BONUS FEATURES:
Outtake Musical Numbers:
Gypsy Mattinata (Lauritz Melchior)
I Should Care (Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra)
Please Don't Say No (The King Sisters)
Classic M-G-M Short Subject The Great American Mug (1945)
Classic M-G-M Tex Avery Cartoon Wild and Woolfy (1945)
Original Theatrical Trailer

Easy to Love (1953)
With the Cole Porter classic as the title tune, Esther Williams and Van Johnson star in their fifth film together. Julie Hallerton (Esther Williams) knows how to win the affection of indifferent Ray Lloyd (Van Johnson): Be his office secretary; be the star of his Florida aquacade and the heart's desire of a Manhattan crooner to make Ray jealous. Tony Martin lends his smooth vocal styling; Busby Berkeley guides Esther's aquatic routines, including a legendary sequence involving Florida's Cypress Gardens, dozens of water skiers, ramps, pyramid formations, gushing geysers, a helicopter, a trapeze and Esther in the air. Also note that this is Carroll Baker's screen debut.

BONUS FEATURES:
Classic M-G-M Short Romantic Riviera (1953)
Classic M-G-M Barney Bear Cartoon Cobs and Robbers (1953)
Original Theatrical Trailer

This Time For Keeps (1947)
This musical is centered on Esther's romance with an ex-GI (Johnnie Johnston). Settings include Michigan's Mackinac Island, with notable supporting stars providing specialty numbers. Famed tenor Lauritz Melchior brings his artistry to La Donna E Mobile, Xavier Cugat is there (with signature tea-cup Chihuahua at hand), and Jimmy Durante dismantles his piano.

BONUS FEATURES:
Outtake Musical Number: Little Big Shot (Jimmy Durante)
Classic M-G-M Short Subject Now You See It (1947)
Classic M-G-M Tom & Jerry Cartoon Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse (1947)
Original Theatrical Trailer

Fiesta (1947)
Williams portrays Maria, disguising herself as her twin brother Mario (Ricardo Montalban in his first credited U.S. film) and enters the ring in his place after he abandons bullfighting for classical music studies. The score was Oscar-nominated (including a restyling of Aaron Copland's "El Salon Mexico"). Cyd Charisse plays Mario's partner in dance and romance.

BONUS FEATURES:
Classic M-G-M Short Goodbye, Miss Turlock (1947)
Classic M-G-M Tex Avery Cartoon Hound Hunters (1947)
Original Theatrical Trailer

Pagan Love Song (1950)
Esther Williams and Howard Keel star.
Half-Tahitian beauty Mimi Bennett (Williams) is eager to leave the easygoing life of Tahiti for the excitement and bustle of the United States. But when Ohioan Hazard Endicott arrives to manage his late uncle's coconut plantation, her travel plans may be delayed.

BONUS FEATURES:
Seven Deleted Musical Outtakes:
Why Is Love So Crazy
Sea of the Moon
Tahiti Version One
Tahiti Version Two
Music on the Water Version One
Music on the Water Version Two
The House of the Singing Bamboo

Classic M-G-M Cartoon The Chump Champ (1950)
Classic M-G-M Short Subject Curious Contests (1950)
Original Theatrical Trailer
**
My fave was Million Dollar Mermaid but I loved the others too including Thrill of a Romance. Sigh…I wish my life was so posh and glam and romantic.

I Love You Beth Cooper (2 out of 5 stars)
Fox/ November 3, 2009

I’ve reviewed the book on this site and wasn’t really impressed with it despite its accolades. I was interested in checking out the movie to see if it really was as unsatisfying as I’d heard. Oh Hayden Panettiere, what made you think this movie would further your career?
There’s a germ of a good idea in I Love You, Beth Cooper (Fox), a teen comedy about a high-school super-nerd (Paul Rust, a 30-year-old who looks his age) who uses his valedictory speech to declare his love for a cheerleader type (Hayden Panettiere) to whom he’s never spoken. How does the girl of his fantasies square with the real thing? An intriguing question, but director Chris Columbus, working from Larry Doyle’s novel and screenplay, doesn’t produce a single honest, true, well-observed moment. This film is almost mesmerizing in its cluelessness…
Fox sent a screening version so I can’t comment on picture or sound. I don’t imagine they make the movie any better though.

Aliens in the Attic (3 out of 5 stars)
Fox/November 3, 2009

I have to admit, when this screener arrived and I looked up what it was, I practically groaned out loud. I was convinced it as going to suck big time. I was kind of right but a little wrong.
 It is a little cheesy but I actually found the movie to be somewhat humorous and ended up really enjoying watching it with my family. The silly humour is best suited to 4 to 11 year olds (and apparently 30-something moms) and the whole movie has that “Kids Rule, Adults Drool” mentality that a lot of kiddie flicks have.
 There is a part at the end of the movie that makes me laugh out loud though so it isn’t all bad. I can’t comment on the picture or sound quality since this is one of Fox’s famous screening copies. So while it’s sort of tiresome for the big people,  at least the film doesn’t go out of its way to insult anyone’s intelligence, and apart from the occasional crotch-focused attack, it’s about the cleanest kids’ adventure around. That’s always a good thing.

Orphan Blu-Ray (4 out of 5 stars)
Warner/ October 27, 2009

Frequent readers of the site know that I hate horror movies. They make me cry and curls into a ball in the corner of the room, rocking. But on Halloween I make an exception and watch one (with hubby of course who tells me when I can look again). This year I picked Orphan since it arrived in a timely fashion this week in Blu-Ray. Plus, I thought, how scary can a little girl be?
Mmmm….right. So John and Kate (hee hee) decide to adopt a little girl and find Esther at the orphanage—cute as a button, great fashion sense and even an accent! Yay! But of course, no tall is perfect and we soon find out that Esther is all kinds of crazy. Besides the violence, I admit to digging Orphan. The trailer made it look like cheap-city but it’s surprisingly well-made. The acting is generally quite good but breakout star still goes to Isabelle Fuhrman as the batshit crazy Esther.
The blu-ray is excellent although the sound could be a bit more powerful at times. So for a fun scare check out Orphan—a movie I went into expecting to HATE but ended up kind of enjoying.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (4 out of 5 stars)
Fox/ October 27, 2009

I have to admit that I thought the first Ica Age was kind of boring and the second was dumb. But this one—the third in the series was great! The animation is stunning as always but I found the story funny and charming. Maybe because it revolves around babies and so so freaking baby-minded these days, I don’t know…
In a nutshell, mammoths Manny and Ellie (Ray Romano and Queen Latifah) prepare for the arrival of their baby, the saber-toothed tiger Diego (Denis Leary) begins to feel his age and decides to leave the "herd." Feeling left out, Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) decides to hatch his own family from a trio of eggs he finds hidden in a crevasse. They hatch, and Sid finds himself raising three baby T-Rexes. Their mother, however, returns and seizes them, along with Sid. The herd gives chase and winds up in a vast underground cavern - a Doyle-inspired "lost world" of dinosaurs. There, they team up with a one-eyed weasel called Buckminster (Simon Pegg) and face a series of challenges in rescuing Sid and getting back to the surface alive. Through all of this, of course, is the saber-toothed squirrel Scrat, forever chasing the elusive acorn, only this time a female of his species complicates matters.
The only thing that bugs me is that the science is completely inaccurate. Dinosaurs did not live with mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers. But it’s for the wee-ones and a cartoon so I’ll get over it. I received a promotional screening DVD so I can’t comment on picture and sound. Overall, it’s a cute film that made me laugh and I know the kiddies will enjoy it as well.

Numb3rs: The Fifth Season (4 out of 5 stars)
Paramount/ October 20, 2009

While Numb3rs started off as a boring and predictable show, it’s really picked up over the past few seasons. This one, the fifth, introduced a new main character, had some great guest stars and really interesting storylines. The whole math thing is still going strong and is basically what makes this show stand out.
At the start of the season there is a new character introduced to replace Megan Reeves. Sophina Brown joins the cast Nikki Betancourt. Nikki is a former LAPD cop with a law degree. Does she bring anything spectacular here? Not really, but she’s okay. The strongest episodes happen near the end of the season which makes it interesting to see where they will go next.
The picture unfortunately some a bit of grain and at times suffers from compression artifacts. These moments are rare though but one feels Paramount didn’t give this show as much care as they would, say, CSI. Sound is solid.
The fifth season is quite good overall and the show manages to remain interesting and fresh. If you’ve never watched it and like crime shows, definitely give it a shot.

The L Word: The Complete Final Season (3 out of 5 stars)
Showtime/ October 20, 2009

Oh Lord, where to begin? Fans of The L Word were generally not impressed with this, the sixth and last season. I will try to review this without any spoilers but that’s going to be super-difficult. I have to say that there are only eight episodes in this set so I’m not sure why there had to be three discs but I guess it looks beefier?
The whole thing really centers around who killed Jenny? The mostly negative reviews of the season center around the final episode which is always tricky for some people. I don’t think you’ll ever please everyone with the final episode of a show; that said, this one leaves too many unanswered questions for me. You want more info, you’ll have to watch it.
Technically, the series looks and sounds great and I’m sorry to see this series go. It was quite ground-breaking and had some amazing plots. It also focused on a lot of issues you don’t normally see on television. I somehow doubt we’ll ever see a movie like Sex and the City with this one but I’m hoping these fabulous women do get together again someday.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition (5 out of 5 stars)
Disney/ October 6, 2009

Snow White is one of Dinsey’s best-selling movies of all time and no doubt this will be repeated with the latest and greatest offering so far—a Blu-Ray. Is it worth the upgrade from the high-def dvd? Abso-freaking-lutely! I can’t believe how great this looks. It looks like they dug up the original images and reshot them all.
The issue is a little confusing though. I received the DVD+Blu-Ray package to review which  somewhat confusingly packages one standard DVD along for the ride, with everything on that disc plus a whole lot more packed onto two Blu-ray discs - one with the feature and some of the bonus material, the other with nothing but supplements. Further confusing matters, consumers can choose between DVD or Blu-ray case packaging, or they can buy the "Collector's Book Edition," which seems to come with a book in place of the standard DVD, or go premium with a "Plush Gift Set" (SRP: $79.99) or "Limited Edition Collector's Set" (SRP: $249.00).
The sound is also stellar and another bonus is that you can now bypass the gazillion ads that Disney always adds to the front of their releases. The navigation also seems less confusing.
There are bonus features out of your ying-yang, my favourite being the Princess and the Frog first look—Disney`s next animated feature. This is a must-buy people. Never mind all the hype—the movie is so worth it.

House: Season Five (5 out of 5 stars)
Universal/ August 25, 2009

Thank goodness House brought the jizzy back. By season three I was ready to give up on the formulaic episodes. The in season four, everything was turned upside down and that magic has continued into season five. The original three punching bags have been replaced (although they’re all still around in various capacities) and the new docs are interesting. One even bites the dust this season, rather suddenly too.
All 24 episodes are great and I especially enjoyed the House/ Cuddy relationship finally building. The season finale wasn’t a cliff-hanger like last year’s, but it was still decent. I just watched the first episode of season six and am glad to say it was very well-done. Overall,  season five is a very strong one and House has kept its bite. The dvd set has beautiful picture and sound that is super-crisp. I highly recommend this show. It’s interesting, funny and dark and this season was no exception.

Ugly Betty: The Complete Third Season (5 out of 5 stars)
Buena Vista/ September 22, 2009

Whenever I’m blue, Ugly Betty puts a smile on my face. It’s so damn sweet and hilarious. I think they’ve moved it to Friday nights this season which scares the crap out of me because that’s usually a kiss of death. While I do think the show does need to grow a little to keep its audience, I would hate to see it disappear.
In this season, Wilhelmina is plotting as usual to take over Meade. Her and Daniel bring in a new CFO, Connor, to watch over the finances of the magazine. Willie falls for Connor while Daniel falls for Connor’s fiancée, Molly.   Betty starts the YETI program in hopes of getting out of assistant territory and becoming an editor herself. There, she meets Matt, her love interest for most of the season. I don’t want to give things away, but the Baby William storyline was one of my favourites along with the Molly/ Daniel story.
I think it was a good season but things need to change a bit next season to keep people’s attention. The show seems a little repetitive at times and some big changes ARE happening. I hope to see Betty for a few more years.

The Mentalist: The Complete First Season (5 out of 5 stars)
Warner/ September 22, 2009

So this could have been just another new procedural crime show. When The Mentalist premiered on television last year, I wasn’t too excited and wasn’t expecting much as there are so many crime shows out there—how many can one person watch? The show is a huge success thanks mostly (I think) to Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) who is a former fake psychic whose wife and child were killed by the vicious serial killer Red John, to "teach him a lesson". Baker is great in the role and his subtle humour is contrasted with the torment he endures feeling he is to blame for his family’s murder.
The supporting characters are extremely endearing and you find yourself rooting for them. Cho is the sarcastic one, Rigsby is the goof and Van Pelt is the newbie—unsure of herself but really wanting a chance to shine. Though there is occasional cheesiness and the show is somewhat constricted by its formula, it’s still a real breath of fresh air and one of my absolute faves on television right now.
The dvd set is solid. Picture is great and the sound is available in spoken English and Portuguese, in Dolby digital 5.1. Subtitles are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Thai. Extras are not plentiful and as always, my favourite is the 7 minute gag reel.