The Expendables blu ray Review

Sly Stallone pulls off a testosterone fueled tribute to the yesteryear of action films and partially succeeds.  He has a cast that is dreamt of if you’re a fan of action films, but he hangs it on the barest skeleton of a plot - not that the films that he’s paying tribute to had much of that anyway. 

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is the leader of a mercenary team consisting of Christmas (Jason Stratham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), and Gunner (Dolph Lundgren).  On their latest assignment, Gunner goes a bit wacky and has to be subdued until he can cool off. 

When Barney returns stateside he goes to see his mentor/contact Tool (Mickey Rourke) who tells him that he has a gig lined up.  He meets “Mr. Church” (Bruce Willis), but finds that his competition is old rival Trent (Arnold Schwarzenegger).  Trent quickly turns down the job.  The assignment is to go to the island of Vilena and overthrow the dictator General Garza (David Zayas). 

Barney and Christmas fly down to the island under the guise of an environmental group to see what the situation is and meet their contact Sandra (Gisele Itie), who Barney takes a liking to.  They also discover that there is a more sinister force behind the general, ex-CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts) and his henchmen Paine (Steve Austin) and The Brit (Gary Daniels). 

The pair barely escapes with their lives, but the compromised Sandra chooses to stay with her people, again earning Barney’s admiration.  Barney realizes that their real target was Munroe, who is setting up a drug empire via Vilena, and they decide not to do the job after all. 

However, Barney has second thoughts about abandoning Sandra and decides to go back on his own and rescue her.  His buddies won’t let him go it alone though. 

Speaking of buddies, you have to give Stallone credit for the cast he’s assembled.  It’s a roster of action heroes that would be to die for, especially for fans of the genre.  Many of them had their heyday back in the 80s, such as Stallone himself, Dolph, Arnold or Bruce.  Not that the younger crowd doesn’t get its due as Li or Statham got their stars later than the elder statesmen. 

The problem arises in that the plot really doesn’t make much sense and the dialogue is even worse.  It’s not going to bother many of the genre fans as those problems are part and parcel with the genre, but it moves The Expendables from epic territory more into potential misfire territory. 

Certainly the film doesn’t qualify as a misfire but you long for what might’ve been if the script would’ve worked better.  The meeting of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis is certainly the highlight, but the third world country bit has been done to death. 

The script does have some good stuff there, for example, Rourke has a nice dialogue about why he got out of the business.  The film is certainly action packed enough that maybe the plot isn’t supposed to matter and the novelty of seeing so many action stars in the mix is hoped to make you forget about it. 

However, that high roster even works against the film as you really don’t have much character development and you have to shoehorn a bit for each actor into the plot (even a groan inducing bit where somebody we thought dead pops up for the after-movie coda).  From all that complaining I’d imagine you think that I hated the film. 

I’ll have to admit that I ended up liking it, just thought that with some more polishing that you’d have the action film for the ages.  Stallone may get another run at it since he’s shopping around Expendables 2 (hoping to add even more action stars).  I hope he gets the chance since I really like the idea that Expendables postulates. 

Of course it could all be moot since maybe all those things I had trouble with from the script where put there to homage all the other action films that used them…  I’d rate the film three stars, but I’m going to give the overall disc a higher rating for the specialfeatures and great transfer. 

The Expendables is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.40:1).  Specialfeatures are in high definition unless noted.  First up is a commentary from Stallone.  There’s also a picture-in-picture “Ultimate Recon Mode” that adds behind-the-scenes documentaries to the mix. 

Next is the 92 minute “Inferno” expansive making of, 45 minute “Comic Con Panel,” 26 minute “From the Ashes” about postproduction, a 5 minute, standard definition gag reel, a 45 second, standard definition deleted scene, and a marketing archive containing posters, the trailer, and TV spots.  The disc is also BD-Live enhanced.  Disc two is a DVD copy of the film and disc three is a digital copy. 

The Expendables is a fine idea done well, but not as good as you think such a great idea could’ve been done.  Some script tweaking may have helped matters, but beyond that you’ll be excited to see your favorite action stars back in the saddle again. 

Tangled Review

Rating: 5 out of 5

Disney’s latest 3D animated feature film is Tangled, the story of Rapunzel starring the voices of Mandy Moore and Zach Levi.

Though it's set in a fairytale kingdom, Tangled offers a modern twist on the traditional Disney film, with contemporary humor that will make viewers laugh non-stop.

The Magical Flower

Long ago, an evil old woman concealed a magical flower that possessed the power to make her young again. But when the pregnant Queen became sick, the kingdom’s men retrieved the flower and used its powers to heal the dying Queen. Their baby girl was born with beautiful blond hair that possessed the same powers as the magical flower, but only when she sang. Enraged, the evil old woman stole the baby girl from her bedroom one night...and the princess was never seen again.

The Tower

Rapunzel was raised by the evil woman. She remained locked in a tall tower for nearly 18 years, watching the flying lanterns soar through the sky every year on her birthday. She wanted to see those lanterns up close more than anything in the world. But she couldn’t leave the tower. As her “mother” always said, the world was too dangerous a place for a young woman like her.

The Thief

Flinn Ryder was a thief with big dreams—he wanted to own his own kingdom and surround himself with lots of money. After stealing the royal princess’s crown, the kingdom’s men were after him, particularly a feisty horse named Maximus. He escaped and hid in a tall tower, where he came face to face with Rapunzel. After knocking him out with a frying pan a few times, Rapunzel convinced Flinn to take her to see the lanterns. Only then would she give him back the royal crown.

The Bottom Line

Tangled is one of the best animated films of 2010. The animation is colourful and realistic. The story line is simple but perfectly executed. And the humor never stops, from the flirty and dirty old cupid, to the spunky horse whose personality seems more human than animal. Tangled is a must see for kids and adults alike!

Tangled Rating: 

Read more: Tangled Movie Review http://www.kidzworld.com/article/25042-tangled-movie-review#ixzz16XsznWPJ

Burlesque Review

I’m a fan of Cher and Christina Aguilera, and Burlesque just seemed like it’d be a little bit sexy and just fun to watch. I was not disappointed.

Burlesque is just an absolutely fun movie. There was nothing unlikable about it. The only thing that was unfun was the three minutes in the beginning where Ali was leaving Iowa, but it was a necessary evil in order to set up the story. It didn’t even last long. Once the movie really got started, it never slowed down. Everything was paced to stay exciting. There were many stories going on in the movie, but they were very clearly told and worked together and allowed all of the characters to shine.

All of the musical numbers were awesome, but I especially liked the first Burlesque song sung by Cher’s character Tess, and the final one that was performed by Christina Aguilera’s character Ali, which was written for her by her love interest, Jack. The songs just had so much energy and soul that made me want to sing and dance.

This was the first movie Christina Aguilera’s been in, and she did wonderfully. Ali as a character is both sexy and innocent, which is not an easy combination to pull off. She was also incredibly determined and was not going to let anyone tell her no when she knew that she could be successful. This was a great debut acting role for Christina Aguilera, who did a great job bringing Ali to life.

I loved seeing Cher on the big screen again as Tess, the owner of the burlesque club. Tess was all things that she needed to be. She was tough as nails, but she truly cared for the girls who danced in her club. She could come off as flighty about finances, but she truly cared. Tess is just as determined as Ali; even with the deck stacked against her, she is willing to do anything it takes to save her club. Cher and Christina Aguilera also had great on screen chemistry.

Stanley Tucci was lovable as Sean, Tess’s friend and the guy in charge of the costumes. Where Tess would be tough as nails where she needed to be, Sean would smooth things over with the girls if he needed to. He was also wise and could see people for what they were, and he was not afraid to call them out on it. Sean and Tess had great chemistry; I honestly believed they’d been the best of friends for years. Sean was also my favorite character in the movie.

Kristen Bell was Nikki. I can’t remember Kristen Bell ever being pure evil; I mean, she was pretty evil in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but nowhere near as vile as Nikki. I liked it. Kristen Bell should be pure evil more often. Nikki is the most popular dancer at the club and she knows it, so she knows that she can get away with anything. Tess tries to save her, but it’s clear Nikki doesn’t want saving. Then Ali comes along and knocks Nikki off of her pedestal, and Nikki flips and goes psycho. She does eventually redeem herself, but it was so fun to see someone who’s usually so clean cut being so bad. She also looks really good as a brunette.

Cam Gigandet was Jack, the main love interest of Ali. He’s the first friend Ali makes and is always there for her when she needs him, even if she doesn’t realize she needs him. Great demonstration of this is when she’s waiting for a bus in the rain when she has nowhere to go outside of his apartment. When she refuses to go back inside, he literally picks her up and carries her back in. The chemistry between Jack and Ali is just great, and it was fun to see the relationship grow organically. It wasn’t love at first sight for either of them; they were friends who ended up falling in love, and we got to see the whole thing on screen.

Overall, Burlesque is just a super fun movie that tells a pretty good story while being a little bit sexy. The music is awesome, the performances are great, and it’s a movie I’m excited to see again.

Love and Other Drugs Review

"Love & Other Drugs" is an old-fashioned romance-and-sickness pic, a publicity-grabbing sex pic, an Apatow-lite horny-boys pic, and a liberal satire on pharmaceutical-industry excesses committed in pursuit of pill sales -- all in one.

Each ingredient has its uses in treating a specific audience. But the side effects of such an unstable "Drugs" cocktail on a general population may include episodes of queasiness and loss of appetite.

Consider the case of Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Maggie (Anne Hathaway). It's 1996, and these two exorbitantly attractive singles meet under conditions right up the alley of director and co-writer Edward Zwick, here harking back to the emotionally chewy content of TV series he used to produce, including "thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life."

Maggie is a freewheeling artist with stage 1 Parkinson's disease who doesn't let illness get in the way of a lusty bedroom life. In the tradition of the genre, the heroine's degenerative disease expresses itself discreetly, in a hand tremor, without marring her bohemian beauty. Jamie, the black-sheep son of an overachieving family, is a slick and likable pharmaceutical representative who is in the business for the money -- and also because the script takes its vague muckraking agenda from the tell-all book "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman," by Jamie Reidy. (Prepare for many, many, many boner-related jokes.)

After hours, though, Jamie is an impressive bed-hopper with believable skills, given Gyllenhaal's charm and his excellent white teeth. So when the sales rep happens to sit in while one of his doctor clients examines Maggie (don't tell the AMA about that little irregularity), and the lady flashes her breast, then throws Jamie a "Howdy, salesman!" smile, well, what's a player to do?

Soon Maggie and Jamie are having sex -- lots and lots and lots of sex, shot this way, and that, and then this way again. Grown-up shagging is probably what you've heard most about in the flirtatious promotion of "Love & Other Drugs." (Gyllenhaal and Hathaway posed nude on the cover of the November 26 issue of Entertainment Weekly.)

But it's also the point at which things start to go wrong -- and not because it's a hardship to watch famous actors get naked and practice fake sex. Rather, it's because, at just about the time Hathaway drops her garments, the movie begins to lose focus, unsure of what really matters to the filmmakers. Is it the sex angle, and the thrill of, how you call it, ''European-style'' attention to bodies? The sick-person story that might once have starred Bette Davis? (Is Jamie strong enough to commit to a woman who can't expect a cure, and is Maggie tough enough to let a man care for her?) Or is it the pharma-reform angle that formed the basis of this project in the first place and is, in its humanitarian agenda, probably closest to Zwick's heart? This is, after all, a ''hot'' movie willing to chill while Maggie attends a Parkinson's support group in which real people with far more visible symptoms than hers make sharp jokes about the quality of their lives.

And then, in the midst of all this tonal whiplash, Zwick & Co. court another, younger, coarser constituency entirely. In a repellent role that ought to stop the comedy trend of fat, crude, immature Jonah Hill-y sidekick characters dead in its tracks, Josh Gad (a "Daily Show" irregular) barges in as Jamie's younger brother, also named Josh.

The guy is a gross, unsocialized, obnoxious boor who happens to be a multimillionaire thanks to a recent dotcom killing. Despite the moneybags, Josh's wife kicks him out. (Can you imagine?) So Josh crashes his large, unkempt carcass on Jamie's couch, spreads his rank collection of T-shirts and sweatpants around Jamie's apartment, and, well (spoiler alert!), masturbates while watching a videotape of Jamie and Maggie getting busy.

The character's participation in the story contributes nothing, except maybe mild spasms of nausea on the part of the majority of the audience for whom "Love & Other Drugs" is presumably made. The movie trades on the kind of antique, sweethearts-in-a-clinch imagery suitable for stories of lovers bravely facing adversity. But what's likely to linger in your memory after this romance-and-illness-and-sex-and-drug-company drama is the crude stuff, rather than the tender. Which is depressing. But there are pills for that. C+