Blogcritics

Blu-ray Review: Wanted

Matt Paprocki — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:01:59 EST

Definitely a movie that should be wanted, much like this subhead is wanting.
For fans of Crank and Shoot-em-Up, Wanted should appeal to their very core. However, Wanted is both larger scale, better produced, and far more ambitious than those other films. It’s quite possibly one of the best action movies of the year. James McAvoy stars as a truly average guy. He plays the role convincingly, and the film’s little...

Blu-ray Review: Transformers

Matt Paprocki — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:15:24 EST

Still a dud film, but a spectacular hi-def showcase.
Way too long with numerous unnecessary scenes, Transformers is excess in the worst way. The Transformers themselves are a sight to see, but it’s difficult to make them out when locked in combat. The thousands of parts used to create them end up being a mass of metal. Still, it is funny at times and when the action is controlled it’s...

Blu-ray Review: The Mummy - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Matt Paprocki — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:01:42 EST

Entomb this thing forever.
It took seven years following the last Mummy for this third film in the franchise series to appear, and this is the best they could do? To the producers' credit, the first two were fun, energetic, over-the-top adventures. Sure, they missed a step or two along the way, but they never went this far from the path. Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a...

Blu-ray Review: The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

Matt Paprocki — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:11:34 EST

heartbreaking only in that it doesn't live up to previous Farrelly Brothers films.
When going into a Farrelly Brothers comedy, you can expect some hefty gross-out humor. In the case of The Heartbreak Kid, it delivers in that sense. Unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired elsewhere, and if it’s not being disgusting, it’s not being entertaining. Ben Stiller plays a character he’s played in countless other...

Blu-ray Review: Tropic Thunder

Matt Paprocki — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:24:08 EST

Offensive, immature, vile, and completely hilarious mockery of Hollywood.
For a movie all about being inside Hollywood, and the ridiculous inner-workings of it all, Tropic Thunder never loses its audience, or forgets to laugh at itself. This low-brow, crude comedy stars a cast of known faces who all “get it.” They become involved with their characters, most of whom lack an ounce of common sense, and have a...

Blu-ray Review: The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian

Matt Paprocki — Tue, 9 Dec 2008 23:06:26 EST

Narnia's not as fresh as it used to be, but this disc is a showcase when the action hits.
While not the powerhouse adventure the original was, Prince Caspian is a fun, enjoyable Chronicles of Narnia follow-up. The action is bigger, visual effects (mostly) stunning, and the scale feels more involved. However, it’s lengthy, with drawn out dialogue that doesn’t feel necessary and the action is sparse. Despite its flaws, this...

Blu-ray Review: Hellboy II - The Golden Army

Matt Paprocki — Sun, 7 Dec 2008 14:57:32 EST

A definitive film for the term "roller coaster ride."
Hellboy II is a sequel that does exactly what sequels should do. It’s bigger, louder, more entertaining, and loads of fun. It’s in every way an improvement over the original, offering up a stunning array of visual effects along with character development worth watching. It’s hard not to enjoy Hellboy’s goofy sense of humor...

Blu-ray Review: The Guardian

Matt Paprocki — Thu, 4 Dec 2008 14:13:30 EST

Plenty of demo material still left in this early Blu-ray release.
Replace the Coast Guard with basketball, football, or swimming, and you have the basic Disney formula behind The Guardian. This isn’t a revolutionary film, but it’s a story that Hollywood has surprisingly avoided, and the Coast Guard deserves way more credit than they get. Politics aside, there’s an average tale of someone going...

Blu-ray Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Matt Paprocki — Thu, 4 Dec 2008 13:47:38 EST

A Burton classic that finally looks like it should.
In all the years of holiday films, one would think every concept has been explored. Family dysfunction, romance, John Candy and Steve Martin, BB guns, ghosts of Christmas past, and George Bailey takes care of everything… or so you would think. Leave it to Tim Burton to take the Christmas holiday and do something with it no one had ever seen....

Blu-ray Review: The Dark Knight

Matt Paprocki — Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:05:30 EST

Easily the biggest hi-def release to date doesn't come off perfectly.
It’s hard to fathom a movie with more hype behind it than The Dark Knight. This is the point where the comic book movie has truly come into its own, surpassing the usual boundaries to become something more. It’s impossible to give full credit to anyone here, although names can certainly be tossed out as to who made this more special...