Topic: Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews

[Tom]

We are introduced to a new lady with a black ball and an investigator who both have an impact on the Gantz participants.

Doesn't sound like the manga either. I will be able to tell more, after I have seen the movie.

[Tom]

Karthik calling Karthik

Year: 2010
Director: Vijay Lalwani
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone
Overview: MEET KARTHIK: an introvert by nature and shy by choice. Karthik suffers with huge confidence issues and is miserable at his less than average job. His boss treats him like dirt. Shonali, his colleague who he secretly loves doesn't even know he exists. Karthik is a loser, knows it, and accepts it.

And then one day the phone rings. Karthik speaks to someone who also claims to be Karthik, and promises to change his life.

Soon begins the thrilling and soulful journey of this lovable loser's victory against all odds with the help of his mysterious friend.

Watched: 9th Apr. 2011
My Thoughts: I quite enjoyed this film for the first hour and three-quarters where initially it showed the loser character Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) who then changes once he starts to get the 'phone calls from Karthik. The film then progressed through Karthik gaining and exuding confidence in the office and with the woman he loved Shonali (Deepika Padukone) then to the fateful day he disobeyed the 'phone Karthik's orders whereupon he loses all. We next see Karthik commence to rebuild his life again but then in the last 25/30 minutes of the film we are rushed through to a conclusion which to me seemed to be a bit of a cop-out.

My Rating: A 3 for me but would have been 4 with a better handled ending

I just watched this. For me it was the other way around. The movie would have been a solid 3, but the ending pushed it to a 4 for me.

[dfmorgan]

I just watched this. For me it was the other way around. The movie would have been a solid 3, but the ending pushed it to a 4 for me.

  wish I could remember more about this now. Still in both cases the ending made us change our rating 

[Tom]

We are introduced to a new lady with a black ball and an investigator who both have an impact on the Gantz participants.

Doesn't sound like the manga either. I will be able to tell more, after I have seen the movie.

I have seen now "Gantz 2". And yes, this movie has almost nothing in common with the manga. It has more similarities with the last mission of the anime (which was the only part of the anime not based on the manga), than it did with the manga. The whole plot with the small black ball is completely original to the movie (at least as far as what I have read of the manga. I have read the first 20 collected volumes so far).

[dfmorgan]

We are introduced to a new lady with a black ball and an investigator who both have an impact on the Gantz participants.

Doesn't sound like the manga either. I will be able to tell more, after I have seen the movie.

I have seen now "Gantz 2". And yes, this movie has almost nothing in common with the manga. It has more similarities with the last mission of the anime (which was the only part of the anime not based on the manga), than it did with the manga. The whole plot with the small black ball is completely original to the movie (at least as far as what I have read of the manga. I have read the first 20 collected volumes so far).

Thanks for that Tom 

[dfmorgan]

Immortals: 3D (2011/United States) Universal Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Tarsem Singh Writing: Charley Parlapanides (Writer), Vlas Parlapanides (Writer) Length: 110 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1 Subtitles: English

Stars:
Henry Cavill as Theseus
Mickey Rourke as King Hyperion
Stephen Dorff as Stavros
Freida Pinto as Phaedra
Luke Evans as Zeus

Plot:
Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares. Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king's hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man's conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion... until a peasant named Theseus comes forth as their only hope.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

I quite enjoyed this film. I watched the ordinary 2D version as I don't have a 3D TV. I have got and watched "The Fall" by Tarsem (Singh) and although I enjoyed that film more I felt that there were some similarities between them with the way in that both films seemed, to me, to have a touch of style over substance. This I feel was confirmed in one of the featurettes where Tarsem said, something along the lines of, that he preferred to let the colours tell some of the story rather than words or action.

Rating:

[dfmorgan]

Super (2010/United States) G2 Pictures (United Kingdom) Director: James Gunn Writing: James Gunn (Writer) Length: 92 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1 Subtitles:

Stars:
Rainn Wilson as Frank Darbo
Ellen Page as Libby
Liv Tyler as Sarah
Kevin Bacon as Jacques
Gregg Henry as Detective John Felkner

Plot:
When Frank's (RAINN WILSON - THE OFFICE (US), TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) ex-junkie wife Sarah (LIV TYLER - LORD OF THE RINGS, THE INCREDIBLE HULK) leaves him for the arms of sleazy drug-dealer Jacques (KEVIN BACON - X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, APOLLO 13), he is touched by the finger of God and decides to take the law into his own hands, becoming his own crime fighting superhero: 'The Crimson Bolt'. What Frank lacks in superpowers he makes up for with his trusty wrench in his one-man war on petty criminals. Powers or not, every superhero needs a sidekick! Enter Libby (ELLEN PAGE - INCEPTION, JUNO), a cute psychopath working at the local comic book store. Transforming into 'Boltie', Libby teams up with Frank to take Jacques down in his quest to win back his wife.

From the warped imagination of writer-director JAMES GUNN (SLITHER) comes Bolt and Boltie, a crazed crime fighting duo here to save the day, or at least to beat you up!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

I decided to watch this after it came up in another thread. I did enjoy it, not as much as "Kick-Ass" though with which there are a number of similarities, and liked the twist within Frank's rationalisation at the end.

Rating:

[Achim]

I think Super is better than a comparison with Kick-Ass will make it appear to be. Kick-Ass is just way too much fun and here they go for a more serious tone (basically like Defendor). So, in comparison most of us will choose the one we had more fun with

[dfmorgan]

I think Super is better than a comparison with Kick-Ass will make it appear to be. Kick-Ass is just way too much fun and here they go for a more serious tone (basically like Defendor). So, in comparison most of us will choose the one we had more fun with

Cheers Achim, I did like Super, even with its more serious tone. I've not seen or got Defendor which Sony decided not to release on Blu here in the UK. Maybe I need to get hold of the DVD and give it a go.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Maybe I need to get hold of the DVD and give it a go.

I'll support this.
Defendor is a great piece of film.

[Najemikon]

I think Super is better than a comparison with Kick-Ass will make it appear to be. Kick-Ass is just way too much fun and here they go for a more serious tone (basically like Defendor). So, in comparison most of us will choose the one we had more fun with

I don't think that's entirely true, though I know what you mean. Kick-Ass is definitely the better film, by some margin. I enjoyed Super and appreciated it's more serious, but also rather naively sentimental and rough tone, which made it effectively disturbing. I had to wonder though how much of that tone was by design or accident, because I think it could be very uneven. For instance, Ellen Page's character was so annoying until she suited up at least, and the plot doesn't stand any real attention. On one hand, the fact we recognise that the guy is a nutter with a very skewed sense of justice is what makes it so cool and disturbing, but I don't think the writing is sharp enough to suggest the film recognises that fact itself. Again, that accidental nature.

Kick-Ass is at once a very different approach, but it's leagues ahead as a production on all counts. The one thing it loses is the documentary hand-held style, so Super found the more disturbing edges, but still, Kick-Ass is genre defining while Super is just interesting.

Dave, have you seen the trailer for God Bless America in Jimmy's thread? I still find it has an uncanny resemblance to Super.

[dfmorgan]

Dave, have you seen the trailer for God Bless America in Jimmy's thread? I still find it has an uncanny resemblance to Super.

Yep, it was your remarks there that made me get Super out of the ever-growing TBW pile. And yes aspects appear similar.

[dfmorgan]

Maybe I need to get hold of the DVD and give it a go.

I'll support this.
Defendor is a great piece of film.

An order has been placed

[dfmorgan]

Lakshya (2004/India) Excel Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Farhan Akhtar Writing: Javed Akhtar (Writer) Length: 185 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: Hindi: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Other

Stars:
Amitabh Bachchan as Col. Sunil Damle
Hrithik Roshan as Karan Shergill
Preity Zinta as Romila Dutta
Om Puri as Subedar Maj. Pritam Singh
Sharad Kapoor as Maj. Binod Sengupta

Plot:
"You never know where life will take you." These words could not have been more true than in the case of Karan Shergill, the protagonist of Lakshya. Karan Shergill, born to rich, affluent parents, lives life not worrying about tomorrow. In most case, one can only be worried if they know what they want to do. Karan hasn't a clue! He is forever at the crossroads of life. The only thing stable in his life is Romila Dutta, a bright and ambitious, young woman. Romi, as she is known, loves Karan and believes that someday, he will find his calling.

Here begins his journey.

A journey that will test Karan, physically, mentally and emotionally.
A journey that will stretch him far beyond his limitations.
A journey that will force him to make bitter choices.
A journey that he will start as a boy but will end as a man.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Music Videos

My Thoughts:

Another recommendation from Tom and another excellent film. A young man is told by his girlfriend that he has no objectives in life so he decides to join the army on a half-hearted whim. We then follow him as finds his way and gains some objectives.

Rating:

[Tom]

Glad you enjoyed it