Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3/5
I had the discomfort of sitting through Cloverfield during its theatrical run and I was actually a bit intimidated by the idea of seeing it again in my own theater room. My discomfort had nothing to do with the story itself, but rather the experience that the camera style offers. My wife and I both suffered from extreme headaches for several hours after the theatrical viewing and my wife thought she would be sick at any moment for quite sometime after. I found myself closing my eyes a lot just to help things during the movie. The film is merely stock footage of the events that happened in New York after a large monster of some sort attacks the city. The footage is taken with a handicam and follows a few young residents as they first try to escape the city and then turn around to try and rescue a friend. The camera work is all over the place and really only provides snippets of the monster and reminded me a bit of The Blair Witch Project at times. While I thought the execution and premise of this film were both excellent, they didn't justify the physical effects watching the film induced. I thought watching this on a smaller screen (120" diagonal in my case) would help, but that just wasn't the case. I would recommend anyone going into this film the first time be prepared.

Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: .5/5
Commando was slated for release on Blu-ray quite some time ago but was pulled at the last moment. A few people still managed to nab a copy at some stores resulting in some interesting prices on popular internet auction sites. This one has always been a pure action popcorn piece that moves along just enough to show a lot of Arnold's muscles and butt kicking. It's definitely mindless fun, but it's lost the allure it had when I was younger. Still, I'm glad Fox is delivering more of its catalog to HD and this is a welcome addition for action and Arnold fans.

Video: 4.25/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5
"Constantine" tells the story of John Constantine, a man who has literally been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.

Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 2/5
A defiant chain-gang prisoner suffers a "failure to communicate" in this searing drama.

Video: 5
Audio: 5
Extras: 3
Tim Burton spins a tale of love and marriage in the worlds of the barely living and the hardly dead. Using stop-motion animation, Burton creates a world that is visually stunning and unlike anything else out there (except for his other creations). The voice acting, from the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Tracey Ullman, is excellent.

Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3/5
Why is it that everything Jerry Bruckheimer touches seems to turn to gold? Seriously, look at his track record! Almost every film he's done has either gone on to create a new trend in entertainment or in this case a complete line of themed bars across the country. Coyote Ugly isn't anything more than a simple "local girl makes good" story that we see recycled over and over again, yet it launched a chain of bars with the same name across the country. The film has energy to spare and you can help but have a good time with it, but I never would have dreamt it would have the popularity and impact it did. Kudos to Jerry on yet another success. This Blu-ray features two cuts of the film, with a slightly "spicier" cut. Don't expect huge changes though as I barely noticed any difference.