Hollywood once again has aliens on the brain, and with today's Blu-ray release of
Battle: Los Angeles, we once again get to watch the human race defend itself against a conquering alien race. The lack of originality should be obvious based on the title, training, and theme, but this is actually a plus for a film that would have suffered tremendously with higher expectations. This is a "popcorn flick" to its core, which means anyone picking up a copy should be prepared to sit back and enjoy the ride.
For the
Battle: Los Angeles Blu-ray review , staff reviewer Martin Liebman commented, "It's entertaining, even if it's flawed from every angle, and it tries hard -- and succeeds a good deal of the time -- to find a balance between gritty War movie and semi-safe PG-13 entertainment. More forgiving general audiences should like it enough, and Action junkies and War movie enthusiasts should enjoy it a great deal." He continues, "As expected, Battle: Los Angeles looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray. The quality assortment of extras round this into another tip-top Blu-ray from Sony."
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After directing
Twilight, a film that is sure to define a generation, director Catherine Hardwicke follows up her huge success with the disaster that is
Red Riding Hood. You will notice the Blu-ray released today also includes an "alternative version", which, when provided during the initial home video release, can be translated to: "The original version was so horrible, that we need to convince the general public a better version exists." Unfortunately, it doesn't.
Staff reviewer Kenneth Brown commented in the
Red Riding Hood Blu-ray review , "Red Riding Hood is a tough slog; one that rarely, if ever, sinks its teeth into the possibilities. There are a few decent ideas buried in this mess, I know it. I just had a hard time digging them up. At least Warner's Blu-ray release makes it all go down a bit easier."
The Farrelly Brothers – best known as the directors of
Dumb & Dumber and
There is Something About Mary - have been caught in a bit of a slide since their early hits. Their latest film,
Hall Pass doesn't do much to halt the decline as it further cements a style that has struggled to keep up with the times. Fans of the Farelly Brother's work will find another gem of a film with today's Blu-ray release, but those who haven't been fans since Ben Stiller was a little quick on the zip will want to skip this film as well.
For the
Hall Pass Blu-ray review , staff reviewer Kenneth Brown commented, "Hall Pass didn't do it for me, and there's little else I can offer other than a warning: if you haven't enjoyed the Farrelly Brothers' post-Mary comedies, you probably aren't going to enjoy Hall Pass all that much either. Warner's Blu-ray release is problematic as well. While its video transfer is solid, its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track tends to be a bit too front-heavy and its supplemental package is a six-minute bore."