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THE DRAGON PEARL (DVD)

June 21, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Action-Adventure, Children's, PG rated Leave a comment

DragonPearlcoverGrade:  B-
Entire family:  Yes, and no
2011, 95 min., Color
Rated PG for adventure action and peril
Ketchup Entertainment
Aspect ratio:  1.78:1
Featured audio:  Dolby Digital 5.1
Bonus features:  None
Included: DVD, Vudu Digital Copy
Trailer

The difference between a movie everyone in the family can watch and a “family movie” is that the latter deliberately tries to steer clear of anything offensive or problematic for small children. Often, that results in a film that young children can enjoy with parents, but older children will find too facile or boring. The whole family could watch this, but not all would want to.

The Dragon Pearl is the perfect adventure for families with children who are too young to experience the intensity of dragons and such in Eragon or the Harry Potter films. There are plenty of thrills and mild peril here, but no growth-stunting scares. Shot entirely in China, The Dragon Pearl is a treaty (bound by international law) co-production between producers from China and Australia, with the visual effects handled by two Australian-based companies.

Yes, we’ve seen a “chosen one” plot before, and the idea of a dragon that’s missing the pearl that serves as its power source is similar to so many mythic talisman stories that it’s about as original as two kids meeting on summer vacation and finding adventure together. But The Dragon Pearl has solid enough execution to make it enjoyable anyway.  More

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (Blu-ray combo)

June 15, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Entire Family, PG rated, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Leave a comment

OzcoverGrade: B+
Entire family: Yes
2013, 130 min., B&W and Color
Rated PG for sequences of action, scary images and brief mild language
Disney
Aspect ratio:  1.33:1 (beginning), 2.40:1 (remainder)
Featured soundtrack: DTS-HD MA 7.1
Bonus features: C
Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy
Trailer

It seemed almost sacrilegious to mess with a classic like The Wizard of Oz, so my family was a little apprehensive to watch Disney’s prequel that explained how the Wizard actually came to Oz. But it didn’t take long before everyone was caught up in the fantasy. Disney spent more than $200 million on this special effects film, and while the pacing and the visuals captivate, it’s really James Franco’s performance as the Wizard and an abundance of allusions to the 1939 classic that make it fun.

Franco really nails his character, a small-time two-timing traveling magician who comes to the Land of Oz via a hot air balloon propelled by a Kansas twister. In apparent tribute to the original film, director Sam Raimi opts to withhold color until Oscar (whose stage name is Oz) comes to that fantasy world. Purists will wonder, though, why he didn’t go with sepia over black and white for the Kansas sequences, to match the original, and anyone with a smaller television will wonder why he decided to tell the Kansas part of the story using a 1.33:1 ratio—smaller than that, actually, since the small square picture is bordered on all four sides by black bars.

It can become annoying, but as when the plot sags just a bit in the second act, it’s all those connections to the original movie or to elements of L. Frank Baum’s books that make you smile and help to pick up the slack. China Doll never made it into the movie, but she’s here in the prequel, and it gives Raimi another chance to play with the dual roles that we saw in the 1939 film. Joey King, who appears as a girl in a wheelchair in the first part of the movie, gives voice to China Doll, whose legs have been broken. Michelle Williams is both Annie, the magician’s former girlfriend who got tired of waiting for a real relationship, and Glinda, the good witch. And Zach Braff is Frank, the magician’s behind-the-scenes assistant, as well as Finley, the flying monkey who pledges a lifetime of service to Oz’s newcomer. Like Franco, he seems to really have a good time, and that translates into onscreen energy.  More

ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE / ATLANTIS: MILO’S RETURN (Blu-ray combo)

June 3, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Animation, PG rated Leave a comment

atlantisGrade:  B,  C-
Entire family:  Yes
2001, 2003; 95 min., 70 min.; Color
Rated PG for action violence and G
Disney
Aspect ratio:  2.35:1, 1.66:1
Featured audio:  DTS-HD MA 5.1
Bonus features:  C
Includes: Blu-ray, DVDs
Trailer

When our son was four and Atlantis: The Lost Empire was first released on DVD, he watched it five times in two days. Our little science-minded guy was hooked, and it’s easy to see why. It’s the kind of film Disney usually produces as a live-action blockbuster. The plot is a hybrid that combines elements from two Jules Verne novels—20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth—with a sprinkle of Indiana Jones and Star Trek thrown in for good measure.

Producer Don Hahn said that they thought of Atlantis as an animated adventure drama, not a cute cartoon. Their operational philosophy was “Less music, more explosions.” Hahn said they envisioned Atlantis as a “moving comic book,” with the chief design influence being the Hellboy comics. In fact, they brought Hellboy artist Mike Mignola onboard.

Driving the plot is the Shepherd’s Journal, a fictional artifact that points the way to Atlantis, an ancient civilization which thousands of years ago sank into the ocean and now exists somewhere near the center of the earth. Museum linguist Milo (Michael J. Fox) is obsessed with finding Atlantis to prove his grandfather was right—that it DOES exist. Threatening the mission bankrolled by eccentric billionaire Preston Whitmore (John Mahoney) is expedition leader Rourke (James Garner), a mercenary whose true colors don’t take long to show.  More

LILO & STITCH / LILO & STITCH 2: STITCH HAS A GLITCH (Blu-ray combo)

June 1, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Animation, Entire Family, PG rated Leave a comment

Lilo&StitchGrade:  A-, C 
Entire family:  Yes (and no)
2002 / 2005; 85 min. / 68 min.; Color
Rated PG for some mild action
Aspect ratio:  1.66:1
Featured audio:  DTS-HD MA 5.1
Bonus features:  C
Includes:  Blu-ray, DVDs
Trailer

Ohana means family, and family in this fun and feisty 2002 animated Disney feature means a little Hawaiian girl, her caretaker sister, the sister’s boyfriend, and a mutated monster of an alien that little Lilo adopts, thinking he’s a dog.

Just when you think it can’t get any more dysfunctional than that, the multi-eyed alien mad scientist who created Experiment 626 (whom Lilo names “Stitch”) and his companion show up, charged with eliminating or bringing back the tiny blue creature that looks like a deranged koala bear, but with a lionfish spine and an extra pair of arms. And when their failure seems imminent? A gigantic intergalactic henchman shows up to finish the job . . . and because of all the sparks that fly, a man-in-black from the U.S. Government threatens to take Lilo out of Nani’s custody.

It seems like an odd combination—a Hawaiian family trying to make it on an island paradise, and a mutant alien programmed to destroy things—but after the little guy crash-lands into their lives, it somehow works. Maybe it’s because Lilo’s behavior isn’t much better than Stitch’s. Since her parents died, she’s had anger management issues of her own—even to the point of biting friends and conjuring up voodoo dolls to “punish” them.

Stitch may be more destructive and quick to blast things with his plasma gun, but anyone familiar with the behavior of four to six year olds will find her character dead-on:  the gestures, the melodramatics, the expressions, the quick fuse. Whether she’s trying to explain why she’s late for a hula lesson or squirting Stitch with a water bottle to try to train him, she evokes full-on sympathy. What’s refreshing is that everything in Lilo & Stitch isn’t all sweetness and light. The relationship between Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and Nani (Tia Carrere) isn’t exactly the model behavior one finds on The Cosby Show, and Lilo and her sister have real issues to resolve following the death of their parents. The little alien, ironically named “Stitch” (as in sewing), tears them apart before he ends up helping them to mend.   More

CLEOPATRA (50th Anniversary Blu-ray)

May 25, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Drama, Entire Family, PG rated Leave a comment

CleopatracoverGrade:  B
Entire family:  Yes (and no)
1963, 251 min., Color
Unrated (would be PG for some violence and sensuality)
Aspect ratio:  2.20:1
Featured audio:  DTS-HD MA 5.1
Bonus features:  A-
Trailer

Until 1993, Cleopatra was the most expensive film Hollywood produced, and it’s also the last of the BIG Hollywood spectacles—which makes it a film every movie-lover ought to see at least once.

Cleopatra would probably merit a PG stamp because of some violence and sensuality—though it all seems tame by today’s standards. There’s more drama than action, with the most violence occurring when Julius Caesar is stabbed on the Ides of March. Other killings are offstage, and while there’s talk of a rival general’s head, only the top is shown pulled from a jar, not the features. As for sensuality, star Elizabeth Taylor is shown in a bath and it’s clear she’s nude, though you can’t see anything. She also appears in several scenes nude but artfully covered with drapery. The most revealing shot shows the full-length contour of her body from the side, with her buttocks covered. African dancers later wear what could be called oversized “pasties,” but many families will find nothing here to prevent younger family members from watching. It’s all pretty tastefully handled.

Of more concern for family movie night is the film’s length—more than four hours—and the talky nature of many scenes. Though Cleopatra is an epic, the emphasis is the politics and relationships among three historical figures: Cleopatra, Caesar (Rex Harrison), and Marc Antony (Richard Burton). Children under 13 may need an explanation of what’s going on, as director and co-writer Joseph Mankiewicz stayed pretty close to Plutarch’s published account of Julius Caesar’s life. Most of what you see really happened, but Caesar’s interests in Egypt and senatorial politics in Rome can seem confusing.

In the first half (there’s an intermission) Caesar is charmed by Cleopatra, and their relationship runs parallel to each of their political ambitions. The second half of the film picks up after Caesar’s death, with Cleopatra leaving Rome for Egypt again. She’s pursued romantically by Caesar’s trusted lieutenant, Marc Antony, who wants to build a political base for himself and his army in Egypt, because of the threat to his own dreams of empire posed by Caesar’s nephew, Octavian (Roddy McDowall).

If the action is dwarfed by politics, the plot seems secondary to the spectacle itself. Cleopatra earned nine Oscar nominations and also won for cinematography, costume design, and special effects. Our teenage son, who enjoyed the film despite its length and overlong scenes, said he’d give it three-and-a-half stars, while our ‘tween daughter appreciated the glam but found it too slow-going.  More

DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 2, VOL. 1 (DVD)

May 24, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Entire Family, PG rated, TV Drama Leave a comment

DanceAcademy2.1coverGrade:  A-
Entire family:  Yes
2011, 325 min. (13 episodes), Color
Unrated (would be PG for mature themes)
New Video
Aspect ratio:  1.78:1
Featured audio:  Dolby Digital 2.0
Bonus features:  D+
Trailer 

I frankly don’t know why New Video is marketing the first two seasons of Dance Academy as four separate DVDs, because this teen/’tween series—intelligent enough for adults but still acceptable for younger family members—has a continuing storyline. If you get hooked, you’re going to buy all of the DVDs. And Season 2, like the first, has a definable arc.

The Australian-made half-hour TV drama gets a little soapier the second time around, with a serious injury, divorce, a life-threatening illness, a domineering stage mom, a false claim of sexual harassment, a search for a birth father, and a death all written into the script. In the first half of the season, the emphasis seems more on relationships and personal dramas than on dance, and that can turn off older boys in the family who aren’t into (or who don’t want to appear as if they’re interested in) that sort of thing. Season 2 has lying, backstabbing, and more of an OMG feel to it than the first. But it’s just as addictive. The characters are interesting, the writing is believable, and the direction nothing short of a marvel, if you consider that believable drama develops, unfolds, and plays itself out in effective 22-minute chunks.   More

DELHI SAFARI (DVD)

April 15, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Animation, PG rated Leave a comment

DelhiSafaricoverGrade:  C-
Entire family:  No
2012, 97 min., Color
Rated PG for violence, menacing action, rude humor, suggestive content, and thematic elements
Arc Entertainment
Aspect ratio:  Letterboxed 1.78:1
Featured audio:  Dolby Digital 5.1
Bonus features:  None
Trailer

Here’s another one that bears the “Family Approved” Dove symbol, and PETA is reportedly behind it as well. But I can’t recommend Delhi Safari, and my children were even harder on it.

I was excited to watch this film because it’s the first animated feature from India that I’ve run across. Curiously, though, writer-director Nikhil Advani hardly showcases India. A single parrot sings a Bollywood song, the countryside is either generic or it resembles the backdrop of The Lion King, and few details ring true.

At what train station in India, for example, would we find only a handful of passengers waiting for a train? And is there a train in India that doesn’t have people riding on the roofs of cars or hanging out the windows? Even shots of Delhi are remarkably open and airy, with only enough cars and people to populate the frame. To me, it felt like a wasted opportunity. My wife, who’s half Indian, felt the same. We would have preferred Indian actors to the usual American voice actor suspects: Christopher Lloyd, Cary Elwes, Jane Lynch, Brad Garrett, Vanessa Williams, and Jason Alexander.  More

THAT THING YOU DO! (Blu-ray)

April 6, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Comedy, Entire Family, Musical, PG rated Leave a comment

thatthingcoverGrade:  B+
Entire family:  Yes
1996, 108 min., Color
Rated PG for some language
Fox
Aspect ratio:  1.85:1
Featured audio:  DTS-HD MA 5.1
Bonus features:  C+
Trailer

Somehow I missed That Thing You Do! when it came out in 1996, but now that it’s out on Blu-ray this musical comedy from Tom Hanks (who wrote the screenplay, directed, and appeared in the film) seems like a great choice for family movie night. Call it a sanitized version of The Commitments.

It’s also a love letter to the Sixties and one hit wonders, filled with plenty of old-time products, signage, fashions, and attitudes—a richly atmospheric film about a time when every unknown rock group was hoping for the same meteoric rise as “British Invasion” pop groups like The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and Herman’s Hermits.

Guy (Tom Everett Scott) works at his father’s appliance store in Erie, Pa., but his love is music and his dream is to play the drums again in a band—this time a more successful one. He gets his chance when the drummer (Gioivanni Ribisi) from a local garage band breaks his arm and the group need a fill-in for a college talent show they’re competing in. Guy ups the tempo on the band’s only good, original song and forces them to snap it up, turning a ballad into a pop song that leads to better and bigger things . . . for a while.  More

THE SANDLOT (20th Anniversary Blu-ray combo)

March 28, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Comedy, Entire Family, PG rated Leave a comment

sandlotcoverGrade:  B+
Entire family:  Yes
1993, 101 min., Color
Rated PG for some language and kids chewing tobacco
Fox
Aspect ratio:  2.35:1
Featured audio:  DTS-HD MA 5.1
Bonus features:  C-
Includes: Blu-ray, DVD
Trailer

The Sandlot always struck me as a more kid-friendly version of Stand by Me. It’s a frame story narrated by an adult who recalls one extraordinary childhood summer and a very special best friend. However, instead of a quest to find a dead body, it’s a signed Babe Ruth baseball the kids are after, and what stands in their way isn’t a bunch of older hoodlums with switchblades, but an enormous animal they call “The Beast.”

More than coming of age, The Sandlot is about baseball . . . or the love of baseball. So what better timing than to release a 20th Anniversary Blu-ray the Tuesday before the 2013 season openers?

The year is 1962. Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved to a small neighborhood outside L.A. with his mother (Karen Allen) and new stepfather (Denis Leary). Isolated and friendless, he finds his whole summer changing after a boy who lives across the street takes him under his wing.  More

H2O: JUST ADD WATER – SEASON 2 (DVD)

March 17, 2013

James Plath, Family Home Theater Comedy, Drama, Entire Family, PG rated Leave a comment

coverGrade:  B+
Entire family:  Yes
2007, 26 episodes (650 min.), Color
Unrated (would be PG for mild thematic elements)
New Video
Aspect ratio:  1.78:1
Featured audio:  Dolby Digital 2.0
Bonus features:  F
Trailer

When Lost was on television, my wife and I stayed up to watch episodes with our son—much to the dismay of our young daughter, who was excluded because it wasn’t appropriate for her age level.

H2O: Just Add Water has the same addictive quality, only every member of the family can watch. Lost was pitched at adults, but teens also got caught up in it; this show about three teen girls who become mermaids targets teens and ‘tweens, but it hooks pre-‘tweens and parents as well. We’ve watched in marathon sessions of six or so episodes in a row, and the kids will still say, “One more.”  They’re not alone. Only two seasons with a 52-episode arc were planned, but fan demand forced the producers to come up with a third series.

In this show, as in Lost there’s a mysterious island that holds a secret, and like Bewitched those with powers use them secretly and try to conceal them from others. That leads to both comic situations and also tension over whether they’ll be discovered.

And of course there’s a bit of The Little Mermaid and Splash in this series, which was first broadcast on Australian television, then went the TV equivalent of “viral” after being syndicated worldwide.

H2O: Just Add Water is about three teens who end up transformed by an event at Mako Island so that every time water touches any part of their skin they change into mermaids. It sounds gimmicky, but the mermaid angle really adds a fun level to an otherwise typical teen and family comedy-drama. More

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