Tuesday
25Nov2008
New to Home Video: 'Hancock,' 'Space Chimps,' and 'Meet Dave'
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 6:02AM
I'm slightly surprised that we don't have more DVD
options this week. After all, isn't it Black Frickin' Friday this week? Nothing
against what we do have...OK, that's not true; this is a really lousy week of
new releases, at least as far as the recent theatrical fare is concerned.
Hancock
Space Chimps
Meet Dave
The Spy Who Came In From the Cold
24: Redemption
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
If there's good news out of all of that, I guess it's that the next month is predictably stockpiled with big, big movies. And there is one legit heavy hitter this week, so perhaps we should stop complaining. (But really, it's the everything but the new movies that have my interest.)
HancockWill Smith as a superhero. I mean, that's all you need for a summer movie, right? Trouble is, Hancock just isn't as good as it could be. I loved the surly superhero approach, but if there was a blockbuster this year that really lost it in the third act...OK, that was Indiana Jones. But if there was another movie that was better on paper, it was this one.
There are four different versions of Hancock in stores today, the PG-13 rated single disc and double disc editions, the unrated double disc, and the Blu-Ray version. Why the hell are they trying to market an "unrated" version of Hancock? Do they really think people are that convinced Charlize Theron gets naked for any movie?
(Here's our review)
Space ChimpsI regret that I didn't get a chance to see Space Chimps, not that I heard too much positive about it. However, I slogged through the similar Fly Me to the Moon, which is the worst animated movie since Happily N'Ever After, so I'm sure this would've seemed like Fantasia by comparison.
I think the movie would've been better served if it had remained an animal in space affair, but then I guess the chimp (Ham III) has to save the universe or something. That's two separate movies. You can't ask an eight-year-old in the audience to go along for that kind of ride.
Meet DaveHey look - Meet Dave. Again, I regret that I didn't get a chance to see Space Chimps, because I slogged through Eddie Murphy's latest...uh...comedy. On the plus side, it was not the worst movie this year featuring a dramatically overpaid and decreasingly entertaining and relevant Saturday Night Live cast member (see: The Love Guru).
It was, however, completely banal and unfunny, and those are generally bad ingredients for a comedy. Murphy was so awful in this that people learned calligraphy just to pen notes of apology to Norbit for being too harsh. And it's directed by Brian Robbins, who is Hollywood's worst director. And honestly, if one of the kids from Head of the Class had to keep going, why him? Wouldn't we all prefer more Robin Givens?
(Read our review)
The Spy Who Came In From the ColdI told you there were better DVDs this week than just the new releases. Seriously, if anyone's considering getting me a Christmas present: A) The Criterion Collection version of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold would be an excellent pick, and B) I hope you don't expect anything in return; odds are I don't know you.
Let's assume you're not familiar with this one. It's a great John Le Carre spy caper starring Richard Burton, who got an Oscar nomination here. He plays a British spy who is transferred from the field to a desk top in East Berlin, but he puts together pretty quickly that his mission might not be all it's cracked up to be. I love this movie and Burton in it. In fact, here's a note of spy movie irony, I reviewed the Daniel Craig movie Enduring Love back in 2004 and said, "Craig has shown a great deal of promise in his career, in The Power of One and as Paul Newman’s malicious son in The Road to Perdition, and he exudes a certain Burton-esque gravitas."
I've not seen The Spy Who Came In from the Cold since Craig became Bond, but I wonder if I'll see any points of similarity when I do.
24: RedemptionWait just a second...wasn't this just on TV two nights ago? Yup. And since it can't do anybody any good waiting around, Fox has decided to further push the next season of 24 and get some holiday dollars - no doubt enough to pay for the production of this weekend's two-hour movie event - by releasing Redemption on DVD.
I can't say it's a bad strategy; in fact, it makes more sense to do it now than in six months or even three months. Incidentally, I can't wait for the episode of 24 when Daylight Savings kicks in; an entire episode of Jack just setting the clock forward. Who wouldn't pay to see that.
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of AllDitto. On pretty much all counts, minus the Daylight Savings thing, although that would probably be equally fun to watch when you stop to think about it. It aired Sunday, it's out today, and it doesn't make any sense to release it months from now.
Stephen Colbert's Christmas special features everyone from Elvis Costello to Toby Keith, though presumably not in the same room at the same time. I don't want to be the one who says it (at has it come true), but a Christmas special? Could that be a shark Mr. Colbert is jumping in his parka and snow shoes?
Reader Comments (2)
I respectfully disagree, I felt Hancock was a better movie simply because of the surprising final act. I know many felt the opposite, though. Also, I think you meant to say that Charlize Theron doesn't get naked anymore. Check out Two Days in the Valley for a young, hot, naked Charlize.
Another idea
24: The Next Day
Jack Bauer sleeping.
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