DVD REVIEW: Fantastic Mr. Fox (Fox)

What happens when you mix Wes Anderson, George Clooney, and Roald Dahl? Something wonderful. Fantastic Mr. Fox delivers a poignant story that is well-acted and handmade.




If you've seen any of Wes Anderson's other films, you know what to expect: quirky characters, a fun soundtrack, and a heartfelt story that is funny and sweet without being heavy-handed. This time he's adapting Roald Dahl's children's novel (Anderson and fellow indie scribe Noah Baumbach wrote the screenplay). If not for the stop-motion menagerie of forest creatures, I would have thought this was a Wes Anderson film. George Clooney's Mr. Fox reminds me of his work on O Brother, Where Art Thou, as a family man trying to live on the up and up. Felicity, his wife, is beautifully voiced by the multi-talented Meryl Streep. She plays Mrs. Fox as a savvy vixen who just wants her family to be happy and her husband to keep his promise to stop stealing chickens.



Anderson movie staples Bill Murray (Badger), Owen Wilson (Coach Skip), and Jason Schwartzman (Ash Fox) lend their voices to the film. Schwartzman shines as the Foxes' awkward son, who is always living in the shadow of his cousin Kristofferson. Ash is described throughout the film as different. He just wants to be an athlete. I am a huge fan of Schwartzman as an actor, a musician, and now as a fox.



The first thing you notice about this film is its beauty. As a fan of stop motion animation, I am always mesmerized by the painstaking detail and handmade look it entails. In one of the extras on the DVD about the animation, we learn that Wes Anderson took his inspiration from the original King Kong film. So much so, in fact, that Anderson wanted the fur on the creatures to "boil", or move from frame to frame. The humans in the film are beautiful as well, but the most impressive screen presence is with the animals and their underground world. I loved the autumnal color palette Anderson used--it set a warm tone for the film that complemented the story.



As with most animated films, there's an element of adventure, but again, it's very Wes Anderson action. Anderson's action usually begins with a lot of dialogue (see Bottle Rocket or The Royal Tenenbaums). And that makes it better. Sometimes when I watch an animated film, I can appreciate it for what it is (a kids' movie), but the story doesn't really grab me. This film made me laugh, almost made me cry, and made me wish it was a half-hour longer. Like Coraline or Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox had an adult element to it but is totally accessible to the kiddos. I think for younger children it would be more about seeing the cute animals, but for more mature kids (and kids at heart), this is a phenomenal movie experience. One of the things that made me laugh was Anderson's use of the word "cuss" in place of curse words (like "What the cuss was I thinking?" or "Are you cussing with me?").



This film is a definite buy for Anderson's fans, but it would be a bright spot in any film collection. Its depth and handmade look make it one of the best films of 2009 and one of the best animated films I've ever seen.

Stacey Rader
Review Editor
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PENDRAGON'S POST IS LOOKING FOR WRITERS!!

Want a chance to review or write?

Then Pendragon’s Post wants you!

Currently Pendragon’s Post is looking for creative, mature and dynamic reviewers and columnists in the following categories:

• Comic Reviews - DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, and Indie Labels
• Writer & Artist Interviews
• Opinions
• TV Shows Reviews
• Conventions Coverage
• And much, much more.

For further inquiries, Please send a message to Pendragonspost@aol.com.

ATTN: Brian Isaacs

Please include a contact email, along with what you would be interested in writing.

We will be looking for capable writers, able to express themselves and their opinions, both clearly and maturely.

Experience is not necessary. Just need to be able to express yourself.

Please note this is an unpaid, volunteer position.

So come join the Pendragon's Post staff!!!

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DVD Review: PLANET HULK (Lionsgate)

When I first heard that "Planet Hulk" was next in Marvel Animation's series of DVD-release movies, I felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Marvel Animation's movies have been a mixed bag; I have thoroughly enjoyed all their "Avenger" efforts, but fell asleep halfway through "Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme." The choice of "Planet Hulk" was an odd one to me, however. I like the fact that it would have to veer away from the traditional Marvel settings, stories, and characters - how many times can we see an origin story we already know - and represented a push into a wider "universe" in these movies, I was skeptical of the movie's ability to recreate the epic feel of its outstanding source material.




My skepticism wasn't unwarranted. This movie is fun to watch, for reasons I will enumerate, but die hard fans of the "Planet Hulk" comics had better not cling to any hope of a strict adaptation, nor should people who really enjoy the Hulk/Banner dichotomy and all its attendant whining and self-hatred expect to enjoy this.



And that, to my taste, is one of the best reasons to watch and enjoy this movie; in it, Hulk gets to be Hulk. Banner isn't in this. At all. If I recall correctly, the closest thing to it is Iron Man calling him "Bruce" once. And that's fantastic. Hulk is most fun when he's smashing. Period. Whiny, pouty Bruce Banner has a tendency to ruin most Hulk adaptations (see especially Ang Lee's dreadful version, which mired Bruce in daddy issues and anvil-like geopolitical allegory). Perpetually Hulked-out-Hulk as angry messiah-conqueror figure is a winning play, in my book.



Anyway, about this movie; plenty of Hulk, plenty of smashing. Good and better. This movie is well paced; we jump right into the action and it rarely stops; the "spike" attack on a rebel village is possibly the action highlight of Marvel Animation's efforts so far.

The fast pace does take a toll on the characters. With an 81 minute running time, character depth is going to be pretty limited (and yes, I realize this feels a little contradictory with what I said about Hulk/Banner, but frankly, whining isn't equal to depth, and that's usually what filmmakers have had Bruce Banner do). Hulk's "Warbound" is reduced to a band of four, cutting "No Name of the Brood" out entirely, and each is pretty much a one-note character; Korg is brave, Hiroim is faithful, Miek is reluctant, and Elloe is optimistic. Only Caiera Oldstrong shows any real character development, and her portrayal was easily a highlight of the movie.



About the animation; not a strength, not a weakness. I'm hard-pressed to point out any particular highlights, but can't think of any real weaknesses. Nothing stands out for being particularly well drawn (except perhaps the Red King's battle armor) and nothing stands out for the opposite reasons.

As I said above, the movie is fun, not great. There absolutely zero context for understanding the Illuminati's decision to shoot Hulk into space; when the movie starts it has already happened and Iron Man appears (with a shadowy Dr. Strange and Mr. Fantastic, and a fourth shadowy figure that is unidentifiable, though many want to assume is Black Bolt) to tell Hulk what's happening. Likewise, there is absolutely no reason given for why the crowd at the arena start referring to Hulk as the Sakaarson, their messiah figure. They just do. Now there might be reason for Hiroim to suspect, but it seemed pretty clear that the movie was just interested in getting the messiah story jump started as quickly as possible.

So, who should go out of their way to see this? People who want to see Hulk smash. As I said above, Hulk fans who are really into Hulk's psychological development are not going to find much to really enjoy. Anyone who enjoyed the comic series will probably enjoy this movie, even if they lament the scaling down of some of the comic's epic qualities. Worth the time, worth the rental, certainly. Worth the purchase? Unless you're a die hard Hulk or Marvel Animation fan, maybe not.

One last note; this movie is probably not appropriate for young children. The violence isn't quite as "comic book" as one might expect. Eyes get crushed. People burn to ashes. Parents turn into zombies and attack their children. Potentially scary stuff for youngsters.

WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS.

Spoiler #1: The movie ends before the 'real' ending of the story, as those who have read the comic, know it. Hulk gets a happy ending.

Spoiler #2: The appearance of "the Silver Savage" was one of my personal favorite moments of Planet Hulk. I understand that the Silver Surfer character couldn't be used. Fine. But to replace him with Beta Ray Bill? A questionable choice, at best.

Dan Ford
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DVD Review: Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (Warner)

On February 23rd, Warner Home Video along with DC Comics Animated will release their latest direct to DVD movie, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths. Pendragon's Post was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy. A desperate Lex Luthor from an alternative Earth, comes to our Earth to ask the Justice League for help. On Luthor's world, the Earth is ruled with an iron fist by the Crime Syndicate, whose members are evil versions of the Justice League. The League agrees to help Luthor. But the questions will they be able to free his world without sacrificing themselves? Meanwhile, Batman's evil counterpart, Owlman, has his own agenda that just may destroy both worlds.



This original movie was written by veteran comic writer and former writer/producer of the Justice League cartoon, Dwayne McDuffie. It appears to be an adaptation of the graphic novel JLA: Earth-2. McDuffie is really at the top of his game once again. In this ensemble piece, McDuffie is able to give each character his own unique voice. The story just flows at a great pace, with the right balance of action and drama. Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery do a brilliant job directing this story and bringing it to life.



As usual, voice director Andrea Romano shows why she's the master of her craft. The characters are amazingly cast as usual. William Baldwin as Batman, Mark Harmon as Superman, Chris Noth as Lex Luthor, James Woods as Owlman, and Gina Torres as Superwoman headline the cast. Though not as well-known, Nolan North as Green Lantern, Josh Keaton as the Flash, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, and Jonathan Adams as Martian Manhunter all do a great job rounding out the Justice League.



Like all the DC Universe animated features the animation style has it's own unique style, but it seem similar to the Wonder Woman DVD. The style really works for this story.



Without giving anything away, there are some great supporting roles by other members of the Justice League, and evil versions of characters in the Crime Syndicate. I really felt like a kid in a candy store watching this movie. As great as the Justice League TV show was, this was the League I always wanted to see. This is a story that I will watch over and over again.



Also included was the animated short DC Showcase: The Spectre.



Gary Cole provides the voice of Jim Corrigan & the Spectre. While I wasn't thrilled with the overall story, I did love the fact it was a great homage to the Spectre comics from 1974 by Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo. Also a great touch to the short was the "grindhouse" feel to it and the picture was intentionally made to look grainy and old, like an old hardboiled detective story.

Extras on the DVD included the short documentary DCU: The New World. Writers and artists including Brad Meltzer, Geoff Johns, and Rags Morales, talking about the DC Universe and how it fits into these troubled times today.

Included are two bonus episodes of the Justice League cartoon show, handpicked by Bruce Timm.

And finally, an exclusive first look at DC Universe Animated's next project: Batman Under the Red Hood. It's based on Under The Hood by Judd Winick, which told the story of the return of Jason Todd as the new Red Hood. It stars Jensen Ackles as the Red Hood, Bruce Greenwood as Batman, and Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing.

Bottom line if you're a DC Comics fan, a Justice League fan, or just a plain action fan, go out and get this DVD.

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths will be available on DVD, Special Edition DVD, and Blu-Ray on February 23rd.

Brian Isaacs
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DVD REVIEW: HALO LEGENDS (Warner)

It's hard to believe that Halo has been with us for less than ten years. Halo: Combat Evolved was first released for the original Xbox system back in 2001 and quickly became that system's killer ap, a must-own game that helped Microsoft's console compete with the established systems from Nintendo and Sony. The original Halo game told the story of a military confrontation between humanity and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant from the point of view of the Master Chief, the last of a breed of augmented supersoldiers. In Halo: CE, the Master Chief and a group of marines evade the Covenant on a mysterious ring world built by a long-gone civilization, the Forerunners, to contain a race of parasites known as the Flood. Aside from being a tight and intense first person shooter, the game was supported by a satisfying science fiction story.

Since then, there have been two direct sequels, a side-story game, an RTS game, an aborted attempt at a movie, a toyline, and a whole series of novels. Halo Legends is the newest entry into the rapidly-expanding Halo universe. This eclectic collection of seven animated short films is new to DVD and Bluray in a format which will be familiar to anyone who has picked up The Animatrix or Gotham Knight; it is an anime-infused take on a familiar Western property.






The great thing about Halo Legends is that it shines some light on some unexplored corners of the Halo world. The first two pieces, "Origins I" and "Origns II," begin after Halo 3 as the AI, Cortana, basically recounts the long and epic history of the Halo Universe to the sleeping Master Chief. This is a story that players of the game have heard in bits and pieces over the course of the games but here it is recounted in its entirety and represented with breathtaking visuals. While we've seen plenty of their monolithic constructions, this is the first time we've seen the Forerunner race depicted visually in any Halo media. Here we see their initial encounters with the Flood and their construction of the Halo rings. These first two pieces dig deeply into Halo's rich and epic backstory.



Another standout piece is "The Duel," which explores the world of the Elite race, which has played a huge part in Halo from the very first game. For the first time, we see their world and their very Japanese-inspired culture. Halo fans have been wondering about the mysterious Arbiter since the role was introduced in Halo 2 and here we get a real explanation as to how that title came to be as well as how the Elites joined the Covenant. This piece gave me a new appreciation for the Arbiter missions in Halo 2.



As most of these pieces are set before Halo: Combat Evolved, we get to see the Spartan supersoldiers in their prime, well before most of them were killed off and the results are somewhat mixed. A running joke in the Halo games was that Master Chief was never shown without his helmet, so it was a little jarring to see so many Spartans whipping of their helmets revealing very normal or even model-like faces. I had always pictured them looking pale and hairless after all of their surgeries and physical augmentations. The Spartans are also shown doing all kinds of acrobatics which is very at odds with the very tank-like Master Chief. The single worst piece in the collection is "Odd One Out," which features a very hyperbolic Saturday morning cartoon style that is very much at odds with the normally somber tone of Halo.



In "Homecoming" we get a glimpse of Spartan psychology as a candidate tries to run away from the training facility only to encounter a clone living in her home and having taken her place. In "The Babysitter," we see the interactions between a Spartan and a group of ODST, with whom she is assigned. These two pieces take a very nuanced view to the Spartan experience and do not shy away from the great price that these characters have paid to become Spartans.



While the first six pieces are traditionally animated the very last piece, "The Package," is beautifully animated in full CGI and actually features Master Chief himself on a daring mission to reclaim an important item from a Covenant ship. MC and his squad of Spartans use ridiculously stripped down fighters to infiltrate a Covenant blockade and board the capital ship, in a sequence straight out of a Star Wars movie. This is a fun entry and shows us something unexpected from Halo, which has not featured any real space combat before. Once on the ship, there is a ton of Spartan action, which is still quite fresh as most of the games have featured only one Spartan, so seeing a squad of them is very novel.



Halo Legends is a must have for any fan of Halo. Aside from the rather annoying "Odd One Out" and the slowness of a couple of the other entries, the only gripe I have with the collection is that the exaggerated Japanese style is not a great match for Halo. It is a little disconcerting to see a heavily armored super-soldier take of its helmet to reveal a pair of enormous Anime eyes and a full head of luxurious hair. That basic criticism aside, these short films are a great supplement to the games and novels that have already been released and should hold people over until the Halo movie gets made.

Patrick Garone
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DVD Review: SURROGATES (Disney)

FBI agents (Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves—fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles—enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who's real and who can you trust?





The Film: Surrogates, directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), is an interesting film that raises particular questions. The film takes the idea of Avatars (not the Cameron film), which have been popularized by online video games and social networks, and takes it to the next level. Civilization no longer interacts face to face. Everyone plugs into a specialized chair that allows him or her to link up with his or her surrogate. They then pilot the surrogate out into the world, while they stay tucked away in the safety of their home.



The safety of surrogates comes into question when two surrogates are attacked with an electrical device. Not only are the surrogates shorted out, but the device overrides the fail safe between surrogate and controller, killing the human being connected to the surrogate as well. This sends our main characters on a search for answers, and leads to some fairly intense action sequences. For the most part, the film is entertaining. While I wouldn’t rank it up there with recent action movies like Star Trek, it’s still a decent action adventure movie.

Video: The blu-ray version of the film presents a nice video transfer. There are a few soft shots, but the majority of the film is crisp and clear. The film employs contrasting color schemes for the surrogates and the real world. Whenever surrogates are present and dominating the frame, the color scheme is a cold blue. However, when scenes take place out in the open, particularly in the camp filled with people who reject the use of surrogates, the color palette is warm with browns and oranges. The strength of the transfer really enhances these color differences and makes the viewer take notice.

Sound: The sound design and implementation on the blu-ray is every bit as nice as the video transfer. The sound mixing is appropriate for each scene. During conversations, the dialogue is mixed high, and is easy to understand. During action sequences the bass is amped up and shotgun blasts, helicopter blades, and motorcycle engines sound as if they are in the same room with you.

Features: This is where the blu-ray falters. The special features are very basic and don’t take advantage of the blu-ray format, other than being presented in HD.

Features include:
- Audio commentary with director Jonathan Mostow
- A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates (15 mins)
- Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life (7 mins)
- Deleted Scenes (6 mins)
- Music Video: “I Will Not Bow” by Breaking Benjamin (4 mins)

Value: Listing at around $24 (Amazon), the lack of special features really hurts this release. When compared to recent blu-ray releases like Star Trek (3.5 hours of special features) and Up (1.75 hours of special features), both of which include two blu-ray discs and a digital copy (Up also includes a DVD version of the film), and can be purchased for under $20 on Amazon, the single disc, almost featureless Surrogates blu-ray seems like a rip off at $24. However, Disney is offering a $10 off coupon to be used in retail stores for the first week of the films release, so you still have a few days to take advantage of that if you really want the movie, but like me think $24 is a bit high. At around $15 the price is right for this blu-ray disc. The coupon can be located at:

http://video.movies.go.com/surrogates/couponoffer/

Terry Barnhill
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DVD Review: FAMILY GUY: SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING DARK SIDE (Fox)

Recognizing they've found an audience, the people behind Family Guy have followed up on 2007's "Blue Harvest" send-up of "Star Wars - A New Hope" with "Something, Something, Something Dark Side."



This time, the parody of "The Empire Strikes Back" has been released on DVD first, with broadcast not planned until spring. Family Guy has taken this route before with the "Stewie Griffin - the Untold Story" and the series has fared so well on DVD that sales famously resurrected the canceled show.



"Something ... " follows the successful formula of "Blue Harvest" by sticking mostly to the source material, using the inconsistencies and impossible situations to take barbs at the George Lucas franchise. Because the writers are so familiar with and obviously fond of the Star Wars saga, even the most hard-core fans wouldn't be so offended to not laugh along at the notion of thinking it's a good idea to attach power lines to walls made of ice.



Although firmly set in the Star Wars universe, the characters also retain much of their personalities from the show and there are enough running gags/moments to remind you that is Family Guy after all.



I've soured a bit on Family Guy over the years - running gags get stale and you reach a limit of how much of always trying to outdo itself or shock the audience you can take. But, as with "Blue Harvest," creator Seth MacFarlane and his crew are at the top of their game. Two releases in, I'm excited about seeing the finale of the original trilogy in "We Have A Bad Feeling," a table read from which is included as one of the DVD's extras.



The feature runs 54 minutes, 38 seconds and there are two full-length extras, a commentary and a "Pop-Up Video"-style version with all sorts of Family Guy "factoids."

The full list of extras:

Commentary by executive producers Seth MacFarlane, Mark Hentemann and David A. Goodman, writer Kirker Butler, director Dominic Polcino and actor Seth Green.

Family Guy Fact-Ups (Pop Up-Video style)

(9:13) The Dark Side of Poster Art Featurette - making of painting/art

(6:39) Animatic with commentary by Dominic Polcino

(49:24) Table read of Acts 1 and 2

(2:25) Sneak preview table read of "Episode VI: We have a Bad Feeling about this table read"

The Collector's Edition Gift Set also includes a nice (although plastic rather than metal) Thermos-brand lunchbox featuring the Family Guy characters in their Star Wars personae.
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DVD Review: Farscape Megaset

It’s been ten years since we first travelled across the universe with astronaut John Crichton. To celebrate the show’s tenth birthday A&E Home Entertainment, alongside the Jim Henson Company, have released a box set that’s almost perfect. I’ll get to why it’s not quite perfect later.



The set is gorgeous to look at even with out cracking it open. Black, blue and silver really give the packaging depth. This isn’t the first time the series has been released on DVD, and I credit the poor design work done on the original releases accountable for that.

While the outside sure is pretty, its what’s on the inside that counts (just like you’re mother always told you). All 88 episodes of the series are split between four boxes, the fifth is dedicated solely to bonus material and documentaries.

All in all the collected array of content is standard for a box set release, but unlike other sets this one’s pretty interesting. Rockne S. O’Bannon, the show’s creator and Brian Henson, producer and son of the legendary Jim Henson really give some interesting insight into what it took to put the show together and keep it on the air for as long as they could.

Of course, the really good stuff is the show itself. Farscape wasn’t the first bit of original programming on the SyFy Channel had on the air but its what set the tone for what was to follow. With out Farscape we wouldn’t have hit shows like Eureka or Warehouse 13. Heck, we might not have been given the chance for the re-envisioned Battlestar Galactica.

Farscape lasted from 1999 until 2004. It would have continued if not for its’ production cost. NBC, SyFy’s parent company, has been known in the past ten years to be notoriously cheap, and as a result they don’t like putting too much money into their programming.

As a result Farscape got the axe. That didn’t mean it was the end though. Due to a huge fan response to the show being canceled with out notice, a special mini series, The Peace Keeper wars was made in 2004 to tie up loose ends and give some closure to the series.

The Peace Keeper Wars is not included in the set, making the series incomplete. Anybody who goes into committing to this box set thinking it’s the complete picture will be sadly mistaken.

Here’s where the problem is. With out the Peace Keeper Wars series its incomplete. The fourth season of the show was cut short by the cancelation and to the uneducated viewer will just end, and strangely at that.

Is the box set worth picking up? Yes. If you’re a die hard fan of the series. If you’re new to Farscape? The individual seasons are available for sale as well. If you like good science fiction this is a show for you.

The set retails for anywhere between $59.99 and $159.99. If you decide to buy it you might want to think about getting the Peace Keeper Wars as well. You won’t be disappointed. Share in the wonders John Crichton saw on the other side of the universe.

Carl Keyser
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DVD Review: WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN VOLUMES 1-3 (Liongates)

Everyone's favorite mutants come home in a 3 volume box set.



Lionsgate has released a 3 DVD box set of Wolervine and the X-Men. The DVD's include Heroes Return Trilogy, Deadly Enemies, and Beginning of the End. the first 13 episodes on 3 DVDs.

This is a great compilation of the series, with having episodes 1 to 13. If you missed beginning of this series then this will catch you up.

I found it quite interesting is the episode Wolverine vs. the Hulk, as it's a follow up to the direct DVD movie Hulk Vs. While Hulk Vs. Wolverine segment is geared toward adults with it's excessive violence, the Wolverine vs. the Hulk has been toned down for children. But still, like the rest of this series, is extremely well written, and you don't need the prior knowledge to enjoy it.

Extras include on all 3 DVDs include commentary with the creators on each episode. Vol 1 also includes Character Profiles: Wolverine and the X-Men, “Making of Wolverine and the X-Men” featurette, “Nicktoons Network Going InScene” Wolverine and the X-Men. On the slipcase it says that Vol 3 includes Astonishing X-Men: Gifted – The Motion Comic, Episode 1, but it's not on the DVD or the DVD's case either. But that's minor.

Also included is a small limited edition laser cel. It's a pretty cool bonus.

If you're a fan of Wolverine & the X-Men or a fan of the X-Men comics, then you'll truly enjoy this box set.

Wolverine and the X-Men: Volumes 1-3 is available in stores now.
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DVD Review: Kevin Smith Blu-ray Box Set

Either you like Kevin Smith’s work, or you don’t. That’s just the simple truth. Smith is one of those polarizing talents that either you love or hate; there isn’t much middle ground with his films. Now that we have that bit of information out of the way, I’m assuming that you’re a fan since you’re still reading. Since these films have been around for a while, I’m going to concentrate on the Blu-Ray presentations, rather than the films themselves.

Kevin Smith fans should be excited that two of his most popular films, Clerks and Chasing Amy are available for the first time on Blu-Ray. The previously available on Blu, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, is also included in this Blu-Ray three pack, but if you already have the later, Clerks and Chasing Amy are both available as separate Blu-Ray offerings. If you’re a Kevin Smith fan, not only have you seen these, but you probably also already own them. So, the real question here is, “If I already own these films on DVD, is it worth upgrading to Blu?” Let’s find out.



Picture:

Clerks: Being that the film is in black and white, there aren’t exactly any HD colors popping out at you. Now, that’s not to say that a film done in black and white can’t look amazing on Blu-Ray, but considering that the film was shot on a very minimal budget, it wasn’t exactly captured with the kind of precision that shines on Blu-Ray. That being said, this is the best the film has ever looked. Despite the lack of detail, the transfer is clean, and presents some nice blacks without darkening the overall picture.

Chasing Amy: The picture here fares about the same as it did on Clerks. While the film is in color, they seem a bit bland and washed out. As with the previous film, Chasing Amy had a very small budget, so the picture quality here is understandable. One of the drawbacks with Blu-Ray is that, while it emphasizes great picture quality with HD footage, older footage of a lesser resolution has its weaknesses emphasized as well.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: The picture on this Blu-Ray is the best of the set, but also the least acceptable. How’s that, you ask? Because this is the exact same Blu-Ray version of the film released in 2006. Did I compare the standalone Blu-Ray disc to the box set disc? Nope, I didn’t have to, because the Blu-Ray copy of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back included in the box set stands apart from the other two films as soon as you remove it from the box. The first thing that you notice is that the JASBSB cover art doesn’t use the same format as the other two films. Then it becomes painfully obvious that the previous Blu-Ray version has been stuffed into this box set when you turn the case over and clearly read, “2006 Blu-Ray Release”. Three years have passed since the original release of the film on Blu, yet no effort was put into this release for a better transfer. They could have at least tried to fool us by giving us some new, matching cover art. Why should they have put in the effort to redo this film, when it was already out on Blu? We’ll get to the special features in a minute.

Sound:

All three films feature similar 5.1 mixes. All three are adequate and have the dialogue mixed pretty high, which is good since these movies thrive on the dialogue and character interactions. None of these films are the kind of films you would use to show off a sound system anyway, so no problems here.

Special Features:

Clerks: Though “15th Anniversary Edition” is stamped on the front, all but two of the special features are carried over from the Clerks 10th Anniversary DVD Edition. So what are the two Blu-Ray exclusive features? An Introduction by Kevin Smith (how special), and Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party: The Making of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Wait-What? Why is this on the Clerks disc? Oh wait, that’s right, they just stuffed the three year old version of JASBSB in the box without bothering to update it.

Chasing Amy: The original DVD release was almost barebones. It included Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, and the Trailer. All of these have been included again with the Blu-Ray release; however, the good news is that there are an ample amount of Blu-Ray exclusive features. These include audio commentary with Kevin Smith and Producer Scott Mosier, Tracing Amy: The Chasing Amy Doc, Was It Something I Said? – A Conversation With Kevin And Joey, 10 Years Later Q&A – With Kevin Smith And The Cast.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: As previously mentioned several times already, this is the same Blu-Ray release of the film that we got in 2006. Same transfer, same box art, and you guessed it, same features. Actually, same lack of features, would more accurately describe what is presented here. What we get is audio commentary with Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, and Producer Scott Mosier, as well as an option to jump to certain scenes that were magically selected as being worthy of this feature by the makers of the disc. The later feature seems particularly useless; don’t we already have scene selection if we want to jump to a certain scene? This lack of special features is particularly frustrating when you consider the original 2-Disc DVD release, which included the following: - Feature Commentary Track with Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier and Jason Mewes, Deleted Scenes with Intros by Kevin Smith and members of the View Askew family, Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash w/Intros, Gag Reel with intro, Internet Trailers with intro, TV Spots, Still Galleries, Storyboards, Behind The Scenes Featurette, "Morris Day and The Time - Learnin' the Moves"
Featurette, Afroman "Because I Got High" video, Stroke 9 "Kick Some Ass" video, Comedy Central's Reel
Comedy special, Cast and Crew Filmographies. All of these features, which were included on the original 2-Disc DVD release, were left off the 2006 Blu-Ray release, and by extension, are still missing. This box set was a golden opportunity to correct that error, but sadly they went the cheap route instead.

Final Thought:

So, is it worth it? That depends. Are you a Kevin Smith fan who for some odd reason doesn’t own any of these three films on DVD? Then by all means pick up the Blu-Ray Box Set. Are you a Kevin Smith Fan who owns all three on DVD? Then, if you aren’t completely anal about having movies in full HD quality, and can live with up-scaling, Stick with the 10th Anniversary Clerks, 2-Disc JASBSB, and consider whether or not the new features on Chasing Amy justify a $25 price tag. If they do, Chasing Amy is the most worthy of the set for upgrading, but the other two, especially the lackluster presentation of JASBSB, are passes.

Terry Barnhill
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DVD Review: Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - The Complete First Season and The Complete Second Season

Walt shows 'em how it's done

A great philosopher once said that there was nothing new under the sun. Although the stories we tell are ever renewed thru human creativity and evolving culture, the essence of the tales remains the same. In the present day, the phenomenon of the Hollywood blockbuster attempts to lay claim to being the ultimate story but very often resorts to dressing up mediocrity with glitz and leaves the viewer feeling empty and cheated. Similarly, TV viewers have never had more programming choices but still manage to exclaim "nothing's on!" (thank God for Tivo and video on demand...) For this very reason it can be tremendously compelling to revisit a timeless classic of moving pictures such as Zorro.



So here we have the two box sets of the late 1950's Zorro TV series released as part of Disney's Treasures line. Today's viewers might find the black and white images off-putting but that's about the only hurdle a generation X or Y viewer would have to surmount to sink their teeth into this masterpiece. For this is a tale that has been told and re-told countless times, from Robin Hood to Batman: the swashbuckling masked hero who swoops in to put an end to tyranny and deliver the oppressed. In our world of creaky legal systems and dubious political machinations, most everyone has wished to be able to take up the sword and cut a swath thru the injustices of those who abuse the power they possess. Like few other incarnations of the vigilante, Zorro embodies this ideal with flair, finesse and goodness.



From the opening strains of the unbelievably snappy theme song, the viewer is transported to the wild west, forgetting their surroundings and immersing themselves in the world of 1820's California. Right from the get go, Walt Disney and his crack team of storytelling magicians enchant us with excellent production, perfect pacing, engrossing storytelling, humour and adventure. It makes you want to take a crappy film or TV director, strap him in a chair and force him to watch all thirty-some hours of this series in one sitting to make him realize how crummy his work is. Zorro is so good it immediately puts tons of other quasi-adventurous celluloid dross to shame.



Leading man Guy Williams simply devours the scenery as Zorro, enough to make you wonder why some modern actors get as much credit as they do. Williams has a charismatic gleam in his eye without being overwrought. He has that dashing flair that is so instantly recognizable but nearly impossible to emulate. You love him as Don Diego, you love him as Zorro. And he's surrounded by a head-spinningly good cast. It seems that dear old Walt spared no expense to bring these gems to the small screen.



Although of appeal to collectors, I feel that the Zorro pins, promo pictures and certificate of authenticity included in the sets are rather unnecessary, bordering on wasteful. Really, what is someone going to do with a Zorro pin, much less two Zorro pins?



And is anyone truly going to want one set but not the other? I mean, the show is 50 years old for crying out loud, just make a single mega-set. I suppose the Disney execs have got to make a living somehow, so I'll allow them their packaging prerogative.


And really truly, is slapping a blue-screen copyright notice before the main menu going to change anyone's behaviour? Can you imagine a 15-year-old saying... "oh man, I was totally gonna rip the DVD's and post them as torrents until I saw that copyright notice"? I mean the warning is on the DVD box already, why do I need to sit thru it each time?

It's almost a shame that the Disney name is usually associated with animation and theme parks in the mind of the casual fan, because Zorro is the sort of masterpiece for which it has earned its legendary standing in pop culture. Kudos to Disney for taking the time and care to restore these visual delights and have them placed in their proper cultural context by the fascinating Leonard Maltin. I'll take this over half-baked remakes and derivatives any day.

Bravo.

Street Date: November 3, 2009

MSRP: $59.99 each set

Adam Paige
Review Editor

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