“DVD reviews: 'Book of Eli' drifts, then loses hope”

DVD reviews: 'Book of Eli' drifts, then loses hope

Posted: 15 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Seems like Hollywood can't get enough of post-apocalyptic theme as this ever-growing genre continues to finds its stride. The latest is "The Book of Eli," a feature from the Hughes brothers starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis. A lonely drifter named Eli (Washington) travels through horrific mayhem to fulfill his destiny and deliver the last King James Bible in hopes of relieving a ravaged humanity. Along the way, Eli comes across a small town comparable to one of those gold-rush camps seen in Westerns run by a dictator named Carnegie (Oldham). The tyrant has been looking for a Bible since the unexplained apocalypse wiped out most humans. Carnegie thinks he can use the book as a symbol of hope to capture the attention of the masses for a power play. This puts the two men on a collision course to a violent ending that might just set back the face of humanity once again. A good reason to check out "The Book of Eli" is the performances of Oldman and Washington. But the movie is lacking, in that the filmmakers weren't sure if they wanted something like recent DVD release "The Road" or 1985's "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome." "The Book of Eli" doesn't hold the wretchedness of "The Road" nor the hard-hitting toughness of "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome." The viewer's essentially left with a confusing film that plods along as the protagonist wanders around in a dusty world with little hope. Warner Bros. released this picture in one of its combo packs, meaning Blu-Ray, standard and digital copies of the film are in one set for consumers. While single-standard discs only house a few extras, the combo pack holds plenty. Decent featurettes on the settings, Washington's Eli and the soundtrack are worth checking out. R; 2010. 2 Stars.

Three years ago, blood flowed on the streets of Burma, or the Union of Myanmar, as the people took to the streets to protest the military-backed government. These protests, and those journalists brave enough to cover them, are at the center of "Burma JV: Reporting from a Closed Country." This documentary, nominated for an Academy Award this year for Best Documentary Feature and a winner at the highly regarded Sundance Film Festival, is an incredible piece of work. The film gives viewers insight into the horrendous conditions in Burma as of 2007. Protests broke out initially after the government doubled the price of fuel, and the revolts resulted in a challenge against government rule as a whole. The Myanmar regime is described as a repressive one, and the military has run things since the 1960s, leading the country into a state of poverty. Bringing this way of life to the world was the job of the Democratic Voice of Burma, an outlawed group of journalists capturing the clashes between the military and protesters. The DVB was responsible for getting most of the video to news organizations such as the BBC or CNN in 2007 and essentially, for this picture, because foreign news crews were banned from entering the country and the Web was shut down. The documentary displays a heightened suspense as these reporters take risks such as hiding cameras in bags and jackets to get their shots. It's their work that makes the film a gripping and powerful statement. There are some great special features to team with the picture. "Fighting for Freedom" is an extensive video interview with an experienced Burmese video journalist, and it gives viewers more insight into this important work. "Crossing Midnight" is another stellar extra. The film covers the lives of refugees on the Thai-Burma border, and it's a great companion piece for the feature film. Another featurette on the Burmese monks during the 2007 protests and audio commentary from director Anders Ostergaard and film critic John Anderson are also available. NR; 2009. 3.5 Stars.

Michael Cera, sometimes pointed to as a one-trick pony comedic actor for his reticent style, gets to show what he's got in "Youth in Revolt," a surprisingly good coming-of-age comedy that gathers laughs and endearing moments through intelligent writing and superb performances. Next to Cera, newcomer Portia Doubleday, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta and Jean Smart are superb in their roles. The film follows an awkward high schooler named Nick, who's plenty different from the other kids. The one thing he does have in common with the other kids is his attempts at landing a special lady. Things don't look too good for Nick until he heads to camp with his mother (Smart) and her loser boyfriend (Zach Galifianakis). There, he comes across Sheeni (Doubleday), a beautiful girl who shares a lot of the same interests. Unfortunately, Sheeni is looking for a guy who can be a bad boy. In love and willing to do anything, Nick decides to create an alter ego named Francois and make his way as a fellow willing to cross the law. This leads Nick on an adventure into the world of love-inspired malice, as he tries to show Sheeni that he can be the guy she's looking for in the long run. The feature film, based on C.D. Payne's 1993 epistolary novel "Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp," follows a familiar theme with the whole guy-does-anything-to-get-the-girl plot, but, as a romantic comedy, it's not formulaic. It's a bit darker than most members of the genre, but it does well with its brand of offbeat humor. The chemistry between Cera and Doubleday sells this brand of fun. Credit goes to screenwriter Gustin Nash and director Miguel Arteta for painting outside the lines, and making a picture that, it could be argued, has the cult-classic potential of a "Napolean Dynamite" or "Garden State." A set of deleted and extended animated sequences carries the special features. Arteta uses a few instances of animation to work transitions in the film. These sequences work in the film, as they offer fresh fun in their use. Another positive is the audition footage, and the viewer gets to see the talent of Doubleday and the hilarious Galifianakis try out for their parts. Deleted scenes and commentary from the director and Cera are also included. R; 2009. 3 Stars.

Romantic comedies don't get much worse than "When in Rome." The chemistry between the two leads pretty people Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel is non-existent, the writing is littered with unfunny lines and rom-com cliches, and the supporting players (Jon Heder, Will Arnett and Dax Shepard) are largely annoying. It's hard to fathom how talented stars Anjelica Huston and Danny DeVito were lured to this project. Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the same filmmaker responsible for the 2007 flop "Ghost Rider," "When in Rome" follows a young New Yorker named Beth (Bell) who is unlucky in love. On a trip to Rome for her sister's wedding, Beth comes across Nick (Duhamel), a sports writer who takes a liking to her. Beth has feelings for Nick, too, but a misunderstanding during the wedding leads her to believe he is not worth it. Down in the dumps, she tests the magic of love in Rome, and is met with four hopeless romantics who, along with Nick, follow her back to New York City. In the process, she begins to fall for Nick again, but only hopes he's not under the same type of magic as the other losers. Music videos from Katy Perry and Friday Night Boys, along with a blooper reel and deleted scenes make up the extras for standard DVDs. Blu-ray buyers will find an alternate opening and ending to the film and a special feature detailing mischief on the set. PG-13; 2010. 1 Star.

In this documentary from Chris Smith, visionary journalist Michael Ruppert details the darkest of days he expounds on impending global disaster and the world's reliance on oil. Before dismissing the credentials, consider that this is the same fellow who claims to have predicted the current financial crisis before anybody else. Ruppert, who's been doing investigative journalism through his newsletter "The Wilderness" since 1998, does have his fair share critics. This documentary is simply an 80-minute interview with Ruppert as he discusses his theories, background and work and it's enough to scare the heck out of anyone. Ruppert might be a crackpot conspiracy theorist, but he might also be a dark prophet with the ability to foresee doom. A few good extras are available including an update on Ruppert, a former member of the Los Angeles Police Department, exploring his feelings about the reaction to the film and how his life has changed since its release. He also provides a key ingredient that was missing from the feature presentation some enlightening ideas as to how these problems can be fixed. Deleted scenes and a trailer are also included. NR; 2009. 3 Stars.

"World Cup Soccer in Africa: Who Really Wins?" (Documentary, NR, 2010, The Disinformation Company): Just in time for the World Cup comes an eye-opening documentary from filmmaker Craig Tanner. The film sheds light on the people, poverty and additional social issues pushed to the side in order for South Africa to play host to this popular soccer tournament. Tanner focuses on the country's efforts in cost and manpower in hosting the World Cup and what happens after the tourney is over. This is eye-opening stuff, and it immerses itself in the problems largely ignored for South Africa to host a world sporting event. Extras.

"Mary and Max" (Philip Seymour Hoffman, NR, 2009, IFC Films): This stop-motion-style picture marks the full-length feature debut of Adam Elliot, the 2003 Oscar-winning director of "Harvie Krumpet." In addition to Hoffman, Eric Bana and Toni Collette bring their services to this flick that looks in on the relationship between a young Aussie girl and an older fellow in New York City. It's a random relationship, but that's where the story finds its stride. This pen-pal relationship moves between comfortable fun and a handful of strained moments. While the story is entertaining, Elliot's visually arresting backgrounds add plenty of punch to the motion picture. Extras.

"Happy Tears" (Demi Moore, R, 2009, Lionsgate Pictures): Moore, Parker Posey, Rip Torn and Ellen Barkin star in this straight-to-DVD flick that follows two women (Moore and Posey) returning home to take care of their aging father (Torn). Their stay brings back a flood of good and bad memories for the two women as they navigate around their aggravating father and his new girlfriend (Barkin). In the process, they're able to re-examine their lives and grow closer as a family. Mitchell Lichtenstein, the same fellow responsible for the sharp horror feature "Teeth," directs the motion picture. Extras.

"Adopted" (Pauly Shore, R, 2009, Phase 4 Films): Shore wrote, directed and starred in this politically incorrect laugher about the man himself. Compared to "Waiting for Guffman" or "Borat," Shore believes he can leave his playboy past behind him by starting a rather large family through international adoptions. Hijinks ensue. Extras.

"Control Alt Delete" (Tyler Labine, R, 2008, E1 Entertainment): Cameron Labine wrote and directed this pic about a lonely computer programmer (Labine) who's given up on woman and decides to venture into a relationship with his computer. Yes, his computer. Extras.

"Air Bud: World Pup" (Kevin Zegers and Dale Midkiff, G, 2000, extras, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment).

"Circle of Pain" (Kimbo Slice and Frank Mir, R, 2009, extras, Lionsgate Pictures).

"HawthoRNe: The Complete First Season" (Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan, three discs, 10 episodes, extras, Sony Pictures).

"Sanctuary: The Complete Second Season" (Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne, four discs, 13 episodes, extras, E1 Entertainment).

"The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume Four" (Shailene Woodley and Mark Derwin, three discs, 12 episodes, extras, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment).

"Everwood: The Complete Third Season" (Treat Williams and Gregory Smith, five discs, 22 episodes, extras, Warner Bros. Pictures).

"My Three Sons: Season Two, Volume Two" (Fred MacMurray and Stanley Livingston, three discs, 18 episodes, no extras, Paramount/CBS DVD).

"MacGyver: The TV Movies" (Richard Dean Anderson and Sophie Ward, one disc, two movies: "The Lost Treasure of Atlantis" and "Trail to Doomsday," no extras, Paramount/CBS DVD).

"Supernatural: The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray" (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, four discs, 22 episodes, extras, Warner Bros. Pictures).

"Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black" (Comedian Lewis Black in one-hour stand-up set, extras, Comedy Central).

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