Ninja Assassin: Blu-ray (2009)

After months and months of wait I finally got to see Ninja Assassin! N.A.R.D. (Ninja Assassin Release Day) was being hyped in certain circles as more important than Thanksgiving but I was unable to make it to the theater to see this masterpiece. Then when it was finally released on video N.A.R.D. 2 was ruined for me by Warner Brothers and Netflix new 28 day delay on rentals. I almost cancelled solely because I wanted to see this so bad but couldn't justify paying for it outside the money I already give to Netflix. So it was with great excitement that I popped Ninja Assassin into my PS3 this afternoon and proceeded to be amazed by how truly awful the movie is. I couldn't have hoped for anything more.

The title pretty much tells the whole story, Ninja Assassin deals with a Ninja who is also, wait for it, an Assassin! Throw in some useless side characters, a backstory that is way too long and drawn out, something resembling a love angle and blood, lots and lots and lots and lots of really fake looking CGI blood. That's the movie and why would anyone want anything more?

Ninja Assassin is not a movie for everyone and I knew going in that I probably wasn't going to like it but in all honesty I did get a kick out of the ridiculousness of it all. The action scenes are so far over the top they would be comical if the movie didn't take itself so damn seriously. For a movie with a violent level as heightened as this has you would think it would be done somewhat tongue-in-cheek but that is definitely not the case. There's way too much time spent on Ninja's (that's how I will refer to the main character since I don't remember his name) backstory and it really doesn't add anything to the the plot or character. There's no intentional humor found at any point and the action scenes are edited in that choppy, quick-cut style so it's really hard to tell what's goin' on and it gets annoying.

Ninja Assassin is not a total loss. There are plenty of severed limbs and decapitations scattered throughout the movie and while none of it looks remotely realistic it is entertaining on a very basic and bloodlusty level. If your whole reason for watching is to see a bunch of dudes die ultra-violent deaths you'll probably get a good level of enjoyment out of it.

The blu-ray transfer is top notch. Video quality is excellent with deep blacks, insanely bright reds and a good level of detail. There is nothing to complain about visually. The audio, much like the movie, is nowhere near realistic but still very powerful. ninja stars sound like gunfire when they hit and they come from all angles. There is tons of low end and surround use is constant with directionality being spot on. Dialouge is a mixed a little soft, especially early in the film, but what people are saying is not all that important anyway.

Ninja Assassin is pretty much the greatest movie ever made or maybe it's the worst, I'm not entirely sure. Either way some people will love the insanity of it all and others will absolutely hate it. I lean toward the latter but I'm not gonna try to argue with someone over it for fear of them chopping off my head with a ninja star from out of nowhere. I wouldn't want to piss off any wanna-be ninjas out there because if this movie is any indication they do not have a sense of humor.

Ratings:
Movie: 2/5
Blu-ray: 4.5/5

The Slammin Salmon: Blu-ray (2009)

The Slammin' Salmon is the latest movie from comedy troupe Broken Lizard of Super Troopers fame. While it's nowhere near as funny as Super Troopers it is on par (although probably a bit below) with their other 2 follow ups Club Dread and Beerfest. While not a comedy classic by any means, The Slammin' Salmon is a good enough time waster with enough one-liners and gross out gags to make most Broken Lizard fans happy.

The plot involves a restaurant owner/former heavyweight boxing camp (Michael Clarke Duncan) initiating a contest amongst the wait staff to see can earn the most money to help save the restaurant from his outstanding debts to the Yakuza. The winner gets $10,000 and the loser gets his or her ass kicked by the champ. Needless to say, many hijinks ensue. There's also a lot of recognizable people who pop up in the cast at various times. Aside from the members of Broken Lizard and Duncan there is Colby Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), Will Forte (SNL), Jim Gaffigan, Vivica A. Fox, Morgan Fairchild, Olivia Munn and Mohinder from Heroes.

If you're looking for an original plot or for well developed characters this is not a movie you want to watch. If you want to see some dumb comedy done competently and with energy you could do worse than The Slammin' Salmon. There are tons of gags throughout the movie and while it is very hit or miss throughout, it does succeed on it's own terms. There were numerous times I laughed out loud at a sight gag or more commonly a random line. Truthfully a lot of the jokes and situations are pretty played out and not overly original but they are executed well enough. It feels like Broken Lizard the writing team let down Broken Lizard the performers and with some more time spent on writing the script the movie could have been
much better.

The best part of The Slammin' Salmon is easily Michael Clarke Duncan. He shows off great comedic timing whether it's his ridiculous mispronunciations of words, his ability to fly off the handle with rage at a moments notice or just his overall presence, Duncan is comedy gold. The rest of the cast isn't given as much to do but each member of Broken Lizard has at least one or two great moments interspersed throughout. The movie also moves along at a brisk pace and with so many jokes if the last one didn't do anything for ya the next one might.

The blu-ray is much like the movie, perfectly acceptable but nothing spectacular. The video looks fine but a low budget comedy like this obviously isn't a movie that's going to be a "WOW" transfer. Likewise the audio is fine as well. Dialogue is the most important aspect and it's always understandable. There's nothing to open up the soundscape at all so the track is very front heave but the movie sounds fine.

No one is going to be mistaking The Slammin' Salmon for a comedic masterpiece any time soon but it's a serviceable comedy that you don't really have to pay attention to. Put it on amongst a group of people (preferably drunk people) and I'm sure it will get some laughs. I will also point out that every Broken Lizard movie so far (with the exception of Puddle Cruiser) has grown on me with multiple viewings so it's very possible this one will as well but for now I can't say it's anything more than an OK excuse to not go outside if it's raining.

Ratings:
Movie 3/5
Blu-ray 3/5

Ranking the Albums: Bob Dylan Version

If I could only listen to one artists discography for the rest of my life that artist would be Bob Dylan. I wouldn't say he's my favorite artist of all time but he's in the top 5. Obviously picking Dylan isn't entirely fair since he's put out about a million albums worth of material but you'd be hard pressed to find an artist with a more eclectic range of material of such varying quality. The highs he has reached throughout his career are only equaled by the horrendous lows he has suffered as well. I also consider him to be one of the greatest vocalists of all time. I'm not talking about the traditional, pretty voice that can hit notes kind of singing. I'm talking about delivering raw emotion and conveying feeling through vocals. Combine that with his knack for inventive phrasing and there aren't a lot of artists who can match what Dylan brings vocally, even if he has never possessed a "pretty" voice. Hopefully this article will help those uninitiated with his work find a place to start as well as give my personal overview of what I consider his best work. I will add that I am personally a much bigger fan of his electric full band work than I am of his early folk days and the list represents that. I also left out live albums and compilations and only focused on his studio work (with one exception).

Click the jump to get a quick rundown on 21 Dylan albums worth checking out.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Blu-ray

Lord of the Rings on blu-ray! These are words fans have been waiting for pretty much since blu-ray hit the market. The trilogy seems tailor made for high-def viewing on large screens at home. I'm not going to get into the movies themselves too much due their extreme popularity but I will say that while I think they are amazing movies, I don't worship them either. The focus here will be on the blu-ray's and whether or not you should upgrade from the DVD's.

The first thing to note is that these are the theatrical versions of the films and not the extended versions. At some point the extended editions will be released on blu (probably when The Hobbit hits theaters in 2011) so if you pick this set up you will eventually have a choice of whether or not to "double dip."

There's more bad news as well and it comes in the form of the picture quality on Fellowship of the Ring. The easiest way to describe it is SOFT. There's a severe lack of detail present throughout the movie. Faces look scrubbed and waxy, and the costumes don't reveal any intricities that the best high def transfers do. Black levels are not very deep either and appear more as dark gray's throughout. The transfer is not a total loss however as colorization is fine and some of the wide shots look exceptional. It's been reported that a lot of the problems are the fault of the way the picture was shot and post processed, not necessarily with the transfer itself but the bottom line is that, for a high profile release such as this, the picture quality on Fellowship just isn't great.

Things get better in the other two movies. Both The Two Towers and especially Return of the King while not being 5 star video transfers are still excellent. Blacks are much deeper and the costume detail lacking in Fellowship is generally exceptional. Close ups of faces still can look like shots out of a wax museum from time to time but are also much improved over Fellowship.

There is absolutely nothing to complain about in regards to the audio. The DTS-HD 6.1 mix is completely amazing for all three films. Low end shook my floors when it was called upon (which is quite often). Surround use is constant, not just in action scenes but also in supplying ambiance in quieter moments. Directionality is perfect and nothing seemed out of place. Dialogue is never overshadowed either with every word, whether yelled or whispered, being completely understandable. This is a reference grade track that really puts the viewer into the middle of the action.

I don't usually go into a releases extra features but it is worth noting that there's not much in the way of new stuff here. Apart from some new trailers for various things, almost everything is copied over from the original DVD releases What's worse is that apart from those new trailers it's all presented in standard definition..

All in all the blu-ray's do offer a considerable upgrade in picture quality from the DVDs, even though Fellowship is very flawed. Also the audio tracks for all three are simply stunning. A total lack of new extras is also very disappointing. Personally I will not be picking this up (I rented these from Netflix) due to the flaws I mentioned as well as not wanting to double dip but I'm sure a lot of people will not be able to wait.

Ratings:
Movies 4.5/5
Blu-ray picture: 3.5/5
Blu-ray audio: 5/5

Where the Wild Things Are: Blu-ray (2009)

Adapting Where the Wild Things Are into a full length movie was certain to be a daunting task. Not only is it one of the most beloved children's books of the last half century, but the book is also 38 pages long with a little over 300 words. It was going to take someone with significant imagination to not only make the movie good but just to make it at all. Luckily director/co-writer Spike Jonze was completely up to the task.

For anyone that doesn't know, the basic plot it centers on a young boy named Max (Max Records) who becomes angry with his mother (Catherine Keener) and her new boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) and runs away to a distant island full of "wild things."  While there Max bonds with the wild things (voiced by James Gandolfini, Forrest Whitaker, Chris Cooper, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano and Catherine O'Hara) and convinces them he is their king. The movie greatly expands on Max's back-story and fleshes out all the wild things into full characters who speak and have personalities of their own, with each one representing a different aspect of Max's personalty.


The first thing to realize is that Jonze did not make Where the Wild Things Are to be a children's movie but rather to be a "movie about children." There are some very adult themes running throughout the movie and it's possible that small children could be scared by some of the imagery. I doubt it will be too much of an issue and most children should really enjoy the film but there's more going on underneath the surface than in a standard kiddie flick.

I can't say enough good things about the technical aspects of the film, they are amazing. The world Jonze creates is simply stunning and totally engrossing. There are beautiful set pieces everywhere and the imaginary world the film takes place in is completely original and totally believable. The wild things themselves were brought to life with a mix of live action puppeteering and CGI. They are very expressive and lifelike. The entire movie is really Jonze showing off his film-making ability and showing it off in style.

Of course all the technical skill in the world doesn't mean much if the story and the cast don't hold up. The cast in particular is excellent throughout. I usually am not a fan of child actors but Max Records gives an excellent performance. He shows off a very wide range of emotion, from rage to fear and sadness. He holds the movie together very well in challenging role for an actor of any age. Gandolfini plays Carol, the most impulsive of the wild tings and the one most easily comparable to Max. While I often could only hear Tony Soprano coming out of Carol he shows a lot of depth in his voice and much like Max displays rage and sorrow in equal measure. The rest of the cast is excellent as well although most are not given as much to do.

There's not much that doesn't work for me in the film but Jonze's decision to make it a fairly deliberately paced movie is the main thing that keeps it from being great. There  action is intentionally scrapped in favor of contemplative looks at childhood and anger. While these are themes are definitely a positive for the film overall it does slow the pace down significantly in more than a few spots. I suspect adults and kids alike could get bored at times. This is still a pretty minor issue as more often than not the film is brimming with excitement.

The blu-ray is technically amazing as well. While the movie focuses more on browns and grays than a lot of color it's all represented very well. The image isn't one that's really going to "pop" but it matches the tone of the movie extremely well. Detail is outstanding as you can pick out individual hairs on the wild things costumes  and some of the wider shots of the wild things world are truly breathtaking. The audio track is fantastic. While Where the Wild Things Are is not a non stop action movie when the movie calls for it the sound can be overwhelming. Low end is abundant and surrounds are used very well, not only in action scenes but for ambiance throughout the film. Dialogue as well is very well represented and I didn't have any problems understanding anything being said.

Where the Wild Things Are probably isn't the easiest movie for children to digest but they should be entertained throughout almost the entire movie. Adults will find plenty to love in it as well. It's full of imagination, energy and excitement while still maintaining a deeper meaning underneath the surface. It's a visual marvel and the few reservation I have should not dissuade anyone from seeing the movie.

Ratings:
Movie 4/5
Blu-ray 5/5

Brothers: Blu-ray (2009)

When is a seemingly great movie not actually all that great? Watch Brothers and find out. Brothers has all the things in place to be a great film: an acclaimed director (Jim Sheridan - My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) a capable cast who give outstanding performances (Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhall, Natalie Portman) and an emotional script but is weighed down with some very melodramatic sequences straight out of a soap opera and some odd directorial choices.

Sam Cahill (Maguire) is an honorable family man and a marine about to embark on his 4th tour of duty in Afghanistan. His younger brother Tommy (Gyllenhall) is a ex-convict with a drinking problem. They have a loving but adversarial relationship with Tommy feeling like he can never live up to the expectations Sam has set for him.  When Sam's helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead, Tommy takes it upon himself to step in and be there for Sam's wife Grace (Portman) and 2 daughters. Tommy and Grace eventually overcome their differences and start to develop feelings for each other. The tricky part is that Sam isn't actually dead, he's been captured and forced to endure extreme physical and mental torture. The movies main conflict arrives when Sam is rescued and returned home.

While there are a lot of great things about the movie the finest aspect of Brothers is easily the performances of the three leads. Maguire shows a darkness I never would have thought he was capable of. The depths of emotion he reaches in the second half of the film is pretty amazing for an actor who's previous dark side consisted of parting his hair different and going "emo" in Spiderman 3.  Gyllenhall's performance is more subtle but still very affective. He elicits a considerable amount of sympathy for a character that starts out anything but sympathetic. Portman isn't given as much to do but she makes the most with what is there.

The script also has a very strong emotional core at the heart of it. Brotherly competition and family issues are universal and the effects of a captured soldier with young children is something that will be sure to draw emotion from pretty much everyone.

For all the good things the movie has to offer there are a bunch of things that keep it from being a must see movie.There are a number of moments when I cringed with the dialogue being spoken. Also I swear there are scenes lifted straight out of soap opera 101 with melodrama being a complete understatement. Some of the choices in music are questionable at best. A scene involving Grace and Tommy bonding over ice skating has a terrible, synthetic and totally distracting song playing over it. It completely took me out of the movie. Supporting characters offer suffer from questionable actions as well. The lowlight involves one of Tommy's friends becoming ridiculously upset that his choice to wear brand new pants while painting a kitchen backfires when they end up covered in paint. I'm sure it was supposed to be a humorous moment in a film without many but it just came off as pathetic and nonsensical.

The Blu-ray is technically great regardless of my reservations with the film. The movie isn't shot in a flashy style and the color palette is pretty reserved. Even without striking colors it's well worth seeing in HD. Individual detail is excellent, you can see the stitching in clothing as well as individual strands of hair throughout and the outdoor scenes while drab are very well represented. It's not the prettiest movie ever made but the video transfer seems very faithful to the directors intent. The audio as well is not going to bow you away but it fits with the tone and style of the film. Dialogue is very well represented and the few action oriented scenes really open up the soundscape, with low end and surrounds coming alive in those instances.

There are a lot of reasons to go see Brothers. The emotional core of the story along with the tremendous performances being the prime examples but there are enough things wrong with it that keep it from being a must see. If nothing else Tobey Maguire has earned a lot more respect for his acting abilities from me.

Ratings:
Movie 3.5/5
Blu-ray 4/5

Weekend Video: The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"

The Black Keys have released the first video form the upcoming album Brothers which will be available May 18th. The song is "Tighten Up," it's the only song Danger Mouse, who produced their last album 2008's Attack and Release, and the song continues with the sound found on that album. It's got a cool interplay between guitar and organ, the first use of whistling in a Black Keys song (that I can recall) and some pretty sweet staccato drumming. The video is nothing more than a puppet dinosaur singing along and dancing with some entertaining text scrolling across the screen. I love pretty much everything the Black Keys have ever done and this is no different. I'm pretty pumped for Brothers to be released.

Rating: 5/5