Marley and Me: 3-Disc Bad Dog Edition (Blu-Ray)
20TH CENTURY FOX
MOVIE B+
SPECIAL FEATURES B+
DVD GEEK FACTOR 7.5
(OUT OF 10)
The previews for this one had me preparing for maximum
suckage—and it didn’t help that the unreliable Owen Wilson and
Jennifer Aniston were starring. The two of them, though talented, have
been getting on my nerves. I went to the theater thinking I might just
witness something akin to Beethoven 13: Big Stinky-Assed
Dog!
Color me stupid, because this movie is not only cute as heck, but
also heartwarming and ultimately heartbreaking. Yes, the dog Marley has
some moments when he takes center stage, but this is really a movie
(and a very good one) about family, marriage and the way a pet is
integrated into that system. It has some slapstick, with Marley eating
jewelry and drywall, but it has some seriously good scenes of marital
discourse and career struggles.
It’s sort of The Notebook with a dog involved. Wilson’s final
speech to his beloved Marley at the veterinarian’s office had me
bawling both times I’ve seen it. It’s shockingly good, with some of
Wilson’s best acting since Bottle Rocket. Aniston gets to remind
us that she can act as well, and the two make a convincing couple.
Of course, the movie wouldn’t have worked so well if they hadn’t
cast some of the cutest dogs ever to play the world’s worst puppy. The
canines are true winners, with sterling personalities and great
expressions on their faces. This movie is easily one of the best family
films of the last 10 years.
SPECIAL FEATURES: The Blu-Ray package also comes with a
standard DVD and a digital copy. Deleted scenes, commentaries,
behind-the-scenes featurettes and gag reels make this one a worthy
watch.
The Tale of Despereaux (Blu-Ray)
UNIVERSAL
MOVIE C+
SPECIAL FEATURES B-
DVD GEEK FACTOR 4
(OUT OF 10)
This well-meaning animated film, based on the Newbury Award-winning
book, is a little bit on the slow side. While the animation looks OK in
spots, it is also herky-jerky at times. It looks like the animators
took some short cuts and sometimes didn’t quite finish their jobs.
It’s the story of a mouse with big ears named Despereaux (the voice
of Matthew Broderick) who refuses to be afraid like other mice. He
befriends a sad princess (Emma Watson) and must race to save her from
rats who plan to eat her. Blecch!
The film comes off as a mishmash of too many different stories.
While it might have some cute and clever ideas, many of them are not
fully realized.
There are far worse animated movies out there, but this one failed
to hold my interest.
SPECIAL FEATURES: The most interesting special feature is a
couple of songs (set to sketches) that were cut from the film. Judging
by these tracks, producers made the right choice to keep this music out
of the movie.
Tell No One
MUSIC BOX/MPI
MOVIE B+
SPECIAL FEATURES C-
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6
(OUT OF 10)
This French thriller has enough twists and turns to throw off even
the savviest mystery filmgoer. A meek pediatrician (François
Cluzet) may or may not have had something to do with the lakeside
murder of his wife. Around the eight-year anniversary of her death, he
starts getting weird e-mails, and he becomes a suspect in her murder
again.
Because I’ve watched so many mystery movies, I often work—too
hard—to guess what’s going on. When I guess the ending well
before it is revealed, it kills the fun. I tried to guess what was
going on here, and I didn’t quite get it right. The film is good at
throwing you off the trail, and while it’s possible to guess part of
what’s going on, good luck guessing it all.
This is a good-looking movie that has one of the better foot chases
I’ve seen in recent years. A lot of critics put this on their top 10
lists last year, and it’s easy to see why.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Deleted scenes and some outtakes. Not a lot
of stuff.
Quantum of Solace (Blu-Ray)
MGM
MOVIE B-
SPECIAL FEATURES B-
DVD GEEK FACTOR 6
(OUT OF 10)
Wow, I’ve been watching a lot of Bond the last few weeks. This
second Bond flick with Daniel Craig in the lead isn’t as good as
Casino Royale, but it’s still good. It picks up where Craig’s
first effort left off, with Bond hell-bent on revenge for the death of
a girl he sort of liked. The movie lacks the coolness of a good “Bond
Girl,” and it’s a little short in the fun department. It’s serious,
dark Bond, and Craig plays it well. Here’s hoping they let him smile a
little more in the future.
SPECIAL FEATURES: A bunch of behind-the-scenes featurettes,
including one about the epic boat-chase scene, and one about director
Marc Forster.
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2009.
