DVD Reviews 4-30-09 (Ratings are out of Four Stars)

EARTH
(2007)
* * *1/2 (Grade A-)
Directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield
Narrated by James Earl Jones
Disney//Rated G//Documentary//99 min

Documentary filmmaker, Alastair Fothergill, knows that bear cubs are about the cutest baby animals on the planet. Following several large shots to establish the springtime reawakening of arctic animal life, "Earth" narrows its focus to a mother polar bear and her two-month-old twins emerging from their den. Positioned high on a steep bank, the cubs struggle to find their footing. They are desperate to reach mother's milk, expressing their displeasure with a torrent of angry growls. Some yards down the slope, mother ignores their cries as she rolls with abandon in virgin snow to cleanse five months of denning from her fur.
Down on the pack ice, a larger bear, introduced as the cubs' father, is having little luck in his quest to find food. His story, one that will not end well, testifies to the effects of global warming.
By land and by sea, from extreme heat to bone-numbing cold, "Earth" was filmed for DisneyNature alongside the BBC series "Planet Earth." Approximately 60% of "Earth's" footage has been culled from the 11-hour series widely seen on the Discovery channel. However, viewing this film on the big screen is a vivid experience second only to being there.
Along with the polar bears, the film follows a humpback whale mother and calf on their 4,000 mile migration from tropical waters to feast on arctic krill. Yet another sequence tracks a herd of African elephants making a mad dash to reach an oasis where their thirst can be quenched. Battered by a relentless dust storm a mother and young calf become separated from the herd. Their efforts are heartrending.
Being a "G-rated" Disney film, this and a handful of other dramatic moments are anthropomorphized by narrator James Earl Jones. We see a cheetah run down a baby springbok, a wolf and a caribou calf on an extended chase and a bear lay down for the final time -- but each scene ends moments before either blood or death arrive.
The film cuts back and forth, but I would have preferred seeing each animal tale play out in its entirety. Following the whales, polar bears and elephants comprise about 40% of the footage, reserving the remaining screen-time to highlight some of earth's most spectacular events. From far above, we take in the highland conifer forests producing one-third of the planet's oxygen, or sweep beneath the Amazon jungle canopy to observe elusive bird species engaged in courtship.
"Earth," the first of what Disney promises will be many documentaries of this sort, provides the type of nature experience best captured on film. Dozens of panoramic views document vast animal gatherings and vistas beyond beautiful. Storks embark on a make or break it flight requiring them to breach Himalayan peaks against stormy downdrafts. A million-strong caribou herd all but obliterate the ground from view. Over a 5-year span, more than 30 camera crews filmed in 200 locations and 64 countries to capture intimate and astounding animal behaviors most of us will never see. They were right to call it "Earth," and we are fortunate to call this grand planet home.


BATTLE FOR TERRA
(2007)
CR: * * * (Grade B)
Directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas

Voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, James Garner, Chris Evans, Dennis Quaid
Lionsgate//Rated PG//Animated, Family//Sci-Fi//85 min
Invading aliens have arrived -- and they are -- Us??!!!? Having destroyed our own planet, mankind's remnants wander space in search of a new home. We find it on Terra, a rocky planet we can terraform to suit our needs, however, oxygenating its atmosphere will kill the planet's resident intelligent species. A few conscientious humans defect to help Terra's natives resist our invasion in a tale perhaps too frightening for the very young. Independently produced in Canada, the film thoughtfully examines our aggressive nature. Its animation relies on a muted palette, but simplistically rendered creatures seem misplaced given the film's serious tone.


X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE [Open Midnight, April 30]
(2009)
PR: * * *
Directed by Gavin Hood
Starring Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan
Fox//Rated PG-13//Fantasy//107 min

Because Hugh Jackman is a major box office draw and because his character Wolverine is such a crowd-pleaser, it was inevitable he would get an X-Men movie of his own. Born in the Mid-1800s, Logan, aka Wolverine, and his brother Victor, aka Sabretooth (Schreiber), put their immortality and superpowers to good use as soldiers fighting in many wars. Eventually, the brothers are recruited onto a black ops squad of mutants. Wolverine tires of the violence, but his brother Sabretooth can't get enough. After Wolverine quits the squad, Sabretooth comes gunning for his brother, forcing Wolverine into spectacular battles. Sabretooth's fingernails grow super-long, a match for Wolverine's clawlike metal knuckles. Schreiber is Jackman's screen equal in a moody film that stages knockout confrontations from different eras and around the globe. The video game spin-off possibilities are mindboggling.


GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIEND'S PAST
(2009)
PR: *1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Waters
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, Robert Forster, Breckin Meyer
New Line Cinema//Rated PG-13//Comedy//102 min

Using the format from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" as the foundation for a romantic comedy, sounded promising but doesn't pan out. Michael Douglas plays a deceased womanizer, returning as a spirit attempting to show his playboy nephew Connor (McConaughey) the error of following in his uncle's footsteps. It all happens one fateful weekend when Connor attends his brother's (Meyer) wedding. On hand for the event is Jenny (Garner), the one woman savvy enough to avoid Connor's bed, despite their longtime flirtation. After making a pass at the bride's mother (Archer), Connor falls under the spell of dead uncle Wayne (Douglas), who compels him to tour his own past, present and future, guided by three girlfriends. Though McConaughey and Garner sport matching dimples, there's little chemistry there and we can't help hoping Jenny will leave the insufferable jerk for a better guy, preferably in a better movie.


FIGHTING
(2009)
CR: * *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Dito Montiel
Starring Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao
Universal//Rated PG-13//Action//105 min

Small-town transplant Shawn (Tatum) is hawking counterfeit goods on NYC's streets when his fight prowess garners the attention of hustler Harvey Boarden (Howard). What at first glance appears to be a thugged-up version of "Rocky," the film scores points for its brutal vision of bouts waged on the illegal fight scene. Director Dito Montiel uses fly camera-batics, but gets in close to bring his lead characters to life. If that seems like a tall order where Channing Tatum is concerned, that actor is excellently cast as the slightly dim Shawn. After becoming a hit in the fight world, Shawn falls for Zulay (Henao), a pretty single mom. If Shawn's going to make a life with her he needs to extricate himself from the fight scene -- but doing so means fighting his way out.


OBSESSED
(2009)
CR: * (Grade D)
Directed by Steve Shill
Starring Idris Elba, Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Bruce McGill, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Screen Gems//Rated PG-13//Drama

The ongoing effort to make an actress of singer Beyonce Knowles reaches fever pitch in this "Fatal Attraction" look-alike. Knowles appears as the beautiful wife of a beset executive (Elba), while Larter stretches her resume as a stalker-azzi in the guise of a temp secretary. Though her cowardly husband fails to confide his difficult situation, wifey stands by her man after the dejected secretary threatens to sue him for sexual harassment. The interloper's ambition finally leads to a catfight-and-a-half, but we've seen this one 18 ways from Sunday on the Lifetime Channel.


THE SOLOIST
(2009)
CR: * * * (Grade B)
Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener
DreamWorks SKG//Rated PG-13//Drama//109 min

The true story of the friendship between LA Times reporter Steve Lopez (Downey Jr.) and homeless Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), was scheduled for a November, 2008 Awards season release, then bumped to this spring. While seeking a subject for his column, Lopez stumbles upon Ayers playing a 2-stringed cello in the park. Astounded by what he hears, Lopez discovers that Ayers attended Juilliard until mental illness robbed him of a promising career. Moved by Ayers's plight three decades later, Lopez embarks on a journey to earn his trust, and bring Ayers closer to his dream of playing Walt Disney's Concert Hall. Adapted from Lopez's memoir, the film benefits from striking characters, classical music, a touching story and hundreds of homeless people appearing as themselves.


STATE OF PLAY
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Starring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren
Universal//Rated PG-13//Thriller//132 mins

Adapted from a highly-rated BBC mini-series, this dramatic thriller returns Russell Crowe to a thinking man's role. He portrays Cal McCaffrey, an established Washington reporter and friend of Stephen Collins (Affleck), rising star U.S. Congressman serving on the defense committee. When Collins's assistant dies mysteriously and violently, McCaffrey investigates. Teamed with rookie reporter Della (McAdams), and under the scrutiny of his tough editor (Mirren), McCaffrey finds links to corporate wrongdoing and cover-ups. Assassins come crawling out of the woodwork, prompting McCaffrey to question his longtime association with Collins.


CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins, Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, David Carradine, Reno Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Corey Haim
Lionsgate//Rated R//Action//85 mins

Intense action, and maximum pain inform the efforts of protagonist Chev Chelios (Statham), who works overtime just to stay alive in this sequel. Viewers of the original "Crank" will recall a final scene depicting Chev's death, but as we learn in chapter two, he has been saved by technology. This includes an artificial heart that needs to be recharged regularly -- and more often when Chev is extremely active. The Chinese Triad has harvested Chev's heart and he'll do anything -- kill anyone -- to retrieve it. Central characters from chapter one are back, most notably a scantily clad Amy Smart who gives Chev a shag for good luck. He'll need it.


17 AGAIN
(2009)
CR: * *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Burr Steers
Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight
New Line//Rated PG-13//98 min

Having forsaken his basketball and college dreams on one fateful day in high school, Mike O'Donnell (Perry), now 37, is separated from his wife (Mann), estranged from his teen kids (Trachtenberg and Knight) and stuck in a dead end job. After reliving his glory days during a visit to his old school, Mike is magically transformed into a 17-year-old boy (played by Efron). Now a student at his kids' school, Mike befriends his children who take him back to their house. His body may be that of a teen, but Mike's still in love with his wife and feels compelled to keep his kids on the straight and narrow. Capitalizing on his do-over turns out to be harder than Mike ever imagined.


THE BLACK BALLOON [limited Release]
(2008)
CR: * * * * (Grade A)
Directed by Elissa Down
Starring Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson
NeoClassics//Not Rated//Drama//97 min

As if being an army brat isn't hard enough, 15-year-old Thomas Mollison (Wakefield) is repeatedly embarrassed by the behavioral problems of his severely autistic brother Charlie (Ford). Thomas' world comes crashing down when he develops a crush on Jackie (Ward), but must care for Charlie while his heavily pregnant mom (Collette) follows strict orders of bedrest. Co-writer and director Elissa Down draws on her own experience with autistic brothers, to paint an unsentimental, but affecting portrait of Thomas's crisis. The humor the Mollisons employ as a coping mechanism, coupled with Jackie's real affection for Thomas, contribute to an uplifting tale that documents the wondrous and confusing years known as the teens.


THE CLASS [limited release]
(2008)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Laurent Cantet
Starring Francois Begaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baquela, Cherif Bounaidja Rachedi, Juliette Demaille
Sony//Rated PG-13//Drama, French with English subtitles//128 min

Director Laurent Cantet daringly casts teacher Francois Begaudeau as himself in a film based on Francois's autobiographical novel. The gamble pays off. We meet Francois as his new class begins in an ethnically diverse Parisian school serving a low-income neighborhood. Francois is given the difficult task of molding seemingly unremarkable 16-year-olds into good citizens, despite their belief society has thrown them away. Can Francois ignite a hopeful spark, or will the kids' cynicism overwhelm him? Cantet shoots for realism and his naturalistic film never feels manufactured. There are tough questions to consider as we gaze into these beautiful young faces.


HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE
(2009)
CR: * *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Peter Chelsom
Starring Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams
Disney//Rated G//Comedy//102 min

Expanding on her sitcom show and incorporating her music videos, Miley Cyrus takes to the screen -- again -- as Hannah Montana. Miley's growing up and her father, played by Miley's real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, is worried. Miley's pop-star alter-ego Hannah Montana, is becoming a testy diva, losing her temper in public. To halt Miley's downward spiral, Dad spirits her off to Crowley Corners, Tennessee, home of the family ranch. Along for moral support is Miley's best friend Lily (Osment) and Miley's screw-up brother (Earles). Just as Miley begins to gain perspective, a local boy (Till) catches her eye and Hannah's antics rear an ugly head. Featuring 12 new songs including Miley's hit, "The Climb," the film cashes in on Disney's highly profitable asset while positioning Miley for bigger and better things to come.


OBSERVE AND REPORT
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Jody Hill
Starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, John and Matthew Yuan, Celia Weston
Warner//Rated R//Comedy//86 min

An unexpectedly violent comedy, "Observe and Report" relies on a bevy of gross-out gags. Rogen appears as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar mall security guard stirred to action by a flasher ruining many a shopper's spree. But there's a silver lining to the problem since Ronnie plans to use the flasher threat to get closer to cosmetics counter-girl, Brandi (Faris). To catch the perp Ronnie marshals help from his fellow security guards -- only to be pushed aside by a police detective (Liotta). Between living with his alcoholic mom (Weston), Ronnie's own bipolar disorder and the detective's efforts to sideline the security team, Ronnie's success is far from assured. Additionally, Kevin James beat Rogen to the security guard theme with his highly successful "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." Nevertheless Rogen gives a disquieting performance that should cement his status as the Hollywood's oddest security guard.


FAST & FURIOUS
(2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Justin Lin
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso
Universal//Rated PG-13 //Action//107 min

No expense was spared on the $85 million dollar four-quel starring everybody who was anybody in the other three. Vin Diesel returns as ex-con and street racer Dominic Toretto (Diesel), primed for a hardcore feud with agent Brian O'Connor (Walker) -- that is until the pair agree to an uneasy truce to take down a common enemy. Brewster and Rodriguez return as love interests, joining the guys in their efforts to relieve a trucker of his million dollar fuel-train while keeping their muscle cars tuned up for each street race. Fans of "Tokyo Drift" will be glad to know that Sung Kang reprises his role. Tensions run high, but expectations are even higher for the latest installment of a $600 million dollar franchise based on Ken Li's "Vibe" magazine article, "Racer X."


ADVENTURELAND
(2009)
CR: * * * (Grade B)
Directed by Greg Mottola
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds
Miramax//Rated R//Drama//107 min

Set in the 1980s, collegiate and carnival cultures intertwine in an atmospheric dramadey. Eisenberg plays James, a Renaissance studies graduate whose dream of a European vacation goes bust when his family's fortune takes a turn for the worse. To earn graduate school tuition James gets a summer job at an amusement park. There he falls for tomboyish, acerbic Em (Stewart), unaware of her clandestine affair with an older man (Ryan). Period ambience is captured by a soundtrack trolling "Poison," "Yo La Tengo," "Crowded House," and others along with big-haired girls and carnie tricks for hanging onto those prized stuffed animals. Using humor to highlight the best and worst of the '80s, "Adventureland" is writer-director Greg Mottola's semi-autobiographical ode to coming of age through lost innocence.


MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
(2009)
* * 1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon
Voices of Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert
DreamWorks//Rated PG//Animated, Family//94 min

Reese Witherspoon headlines this animated science fiction entry voiced by an all-star cast. The plot, spoofing '50s sci-fi flicks, finds a 4-eyed alien (Wilson) threatening to destroy earth. To save our planet, the government releases monsters held in a secret hangar. Susan (Witherspoon), made into a 50-foot-tall-woman by an accident, leads efforts by earth's monsters to repel the aliens. She works with the brilliant Dr. Cockroach (Laurie), a gelatinous blob (Rogen), a fishy primate and a 350-foot grubworm. Fun and scares arise from action-packed, humorous confrontations that rarely let up. I smell sequel-bait.


THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
(2009)
CR: *1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Peter Cornwell
Starring Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Kyle Gallner, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Sophi Knight, Ty Wood, Erik Berg
Lionsgate//Rated PG-13//Horror//92 min

Though reportedly based on a true story, and boasting first-rate special effects, "Haunting" has received middling early reviews. Virginia Madsen makes a welcome return to the screen as Sara, a mother devoted to helping her eldest son, Matt (Gallner), overcome cancer. Experimental drugs appear to be working, but frequent trips to the treatment center compel Sara and her three children to move closer to the facility. Husband Peter (Donovan) must stay behind to work, leaving Sara and the kids to battle angry spirits that are drawn to Matt in their home away from home. The film pulls out all the stops to depict Matt's torment, but uneven storytelling fails to create tension in this instantly forgettable horror.


KNOWING
(2009)
*1/2 (Grade C-)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Starring Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Terry Camilleri
Summit Entertainment//PG-13//Sci-Fi//115 min

Directed by Alex Proyas of 1998's "Dark City," and 2004's "I, Robot," "Knowing" is a hollow sci-fi/thriller. Cage appears as a professor who comes into possession of a paper containing mysterious numbers. Close study reveals that the numbers correctly predict the time and place of various impending disasters, including one that could spell mankind's demise. When officials refuse to listen, the professor searches for both the paper's author, and a means of warning those in danger. Although the big action set pieces are well-orchestrated, the film's final act is a huge letdown.
A pair of lovers, CIA Agent Claire (Roberts) and MI6 Agent Ray (Owen), quit their jobs to work for competing multinational corporations. The duo plans to make a fortune stealing corporate secrets, but trusting one another is a harder than they predicted. The film cuts together scenes from various points in time, a strategy that is both wearying and brilliant. Owen and Roberts look terrific as they size one another up and ingratiate themselves to their bosses (Wilkinson and Giamatti), but they can't quite summon the witty repartee the film strives for. We hope for great things from Tony Gilroy, writer-director of "Michael Clayton," and screenwriter for the "Bourne" movies. Fortunately, "Duplicity's" pleasures are more numerous than are its many flaws.


I LOVE YOU, MAN
(2009)
CR: * * * (Grade B)
Directed by John Hamburg
Starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly, Jane Curtin, Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari
DreamWorks//Rated R//Comedy//110 min

Newly engaged realtor, Peter (Rudd), isn't what you'd call a man's man, in fact, he hasn't got a male friend to his name. Hoping to find a best man for his wedding, Peter lets his gay brother Robby (Samberg) set Peter up on a series of disastrous man-dates. Then, out of the blue, Peter meets carefree investor, Sydney Fife (Segel). Where Peter is scared, reserved and dorky, Robby is bold, unguarded, and sloppy. Robby takes Peter under his wing, and soon they are always together, leaving Peter's fiance (Jones) on her own. The comedy includes the standard issue of doo-doo jokes and embarrassing sexual revelations, but much of the humor is on target and J.K. Simmons is a riot.


RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
(2009)
* * *
Directed by Andy Fickman
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Everett Scott, Billy Brown, Richard "Cheech" Marin, Garry Marshall, Kim Richards, Iake Eissinmann, Whitley Strieber
Disney//Rated PG//Sci-Fi//99 min

Remaking the not-so-hot-so 1975 movie, this new version amps up the special effects and casts Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock") in a comedy-action role. Sara and Seth (Robb and Ludwig) are a pair of alien siblings who hire Jack's (Johnson) cab to take them to their spaceship at Witch Mountain. Gugino shows comic potential as an astrophysicist agreeing to help the kids out. When pursued by a shady division of our own government, and by a Cyborg assassin from their own planet, Sara and Seth harness special powers to avoid capture. It's a fast-paced ride that manages to hang onto a PG-Rating despite a dozen major scares and explosions. A box office winner, it's fair to say audiences have been bewitched.