Saturday, November 12, 2011

New Releases on DVD/Blu-ray: November 8th

By Tanner McCullough, Terry Cleveland, and Jason Haskins


Better late than ever, eh? This week we saw an adaptation of a beloved Ayn Rand book, an adaptation of another beloved book (by nerds), a movie by a bunch of hippies for hippies, and another faceless romantic comedy. Check out what's new after the jump.



Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged is the monumental undertaking of producer John Aglialoro and director Paul Johansson to adapt Ayn Rand's beloved dystopian novel of the same name. Trouble is that the movie just isn't very good. The book is thick; full of concepts and ideas that really are preposterous to even think about filming. This is supposed to be the first part of a trilogy that adapts the behemoth book, but after floundering at the box office and coming across as shockingly dull...I can't really see this as the next 'big' franchise. I'd rather read the book instead.

2 out of 5 stars


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

The long awaited conclusion to the juggernaut that is Harry Potter is finally here. And honestly it’s not much of a standalone film. I really feel that if it weren’t the second part of a two part “Mega Blockbuster” it wouldn’t even be able to stand on its own. Don’t get me wrong, the film is still decent and kept me entertained until the epic conclusion that was the centerpiece of the film. The responsible parties seemed too caught up in the epicness and didn’t spend enough time on character development or story. Overall if you like the books or the films I recommend it.

4 out of 5 stars


The Change Up

Two old friends whose lives have taken different paths meet up for some beers. Dave(Jason Bateman), a married lawyer, wants nothing more than the irresponsibility of being an unemployed single man again. Mitch (Ryan Reynolds)  wants a family and a steady life. After a drunken wish for the other's life, they wake up to discover that they've changed bodies. Anyone who's seen a body switching comedy before will recognize a lot of familiar elements, as this movie is pretty unoriginal. That said, it's surprisingly funny. Both Bateman and Reynolds know how to deliver their lines well. The supporting cast is also pretty strong, with Olivia Wilde being especially memorable as Dave's hot assistant. It's not the best comedy I've seen this year, but I've also seen far worse.

3 out of 5 stars


Life in a Day

I hate hippies. Especially hippies that make movies like this. Life in a Day has a similar premise as that Babies documentary from 2010. Eight directors chronicle the lives of various peoples all over the world during one specific day to hopefully prove that we are all one and the same. This naivety comes across in strides as you watch this unsurprisingly dull film that on the surface sounds plain dumb and is signed, sealed, and delivered for the people who tune into the Hallmark Channel.

1 out of 5 stars

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