The Family has come home on DVD and Blu-Ray and features Robert De Niro returning to the mob in an action comedy from acclaimed director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, The Professional).

As seen in The Family trailer, De Niro is a former mobster who is stuck in the witness protection program. When the film commences, he and his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter (Dianna Agron) and son (John D'Leo) have gotten into some trouble in the south of France where Federal Marshall Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) has placed them. They move to Normandy and Stansfield hopes the family can finally lead a somewhat normal life while De Niro’s former business associates can’t find him and kill him and his kin.

Our theatrical The Family review found the film great fun, and De Niro in particular has a blast as a mob character unlike any he’s ever played prior. His mobster has dreams of being an author, and even breaks out an old typewriter with hopes of penning his memoirs. Of course, Stansfield knows that will only further enrage the mobsters he is trying to protect him from.

Director Besson too has a ball with the format and effortlessly mixes action with comedy in the darkest of ways that makes the film feel more French than Hollywood, and that is a very good thing. See, you can take The Family out of the mob, but it seems you can’t take the mob out of The Family!

When it comes to bonus features on The Family DVD and Blu-Ray, there aren’t that many. But, what is included is fascinating. The Making of The Family featurette is a treat witnessing Besson and his game-for-anything cast have a literal blast making their dark comedy in the filmmaker’s home country. The interviews with the ensemble are a treat, particularly with Pfeiffer who takes special delight in her first mob wife role since she was Married to the Mob.

The best bonus feature by far chronicles De Niro and his character's many ways of using the expletive that starts with the letter “F.” The Many Meanings of FU*%! not only features dozens of De Niro utterings of the phrase, but has his castmates chiming in on what it is about the actor that he is so good at saying the naughty word. Of course, audiences know that De Niro has made a career of uttering the word, yet no one has ever put it into context as this brilliant bonus feature does.

The Family DVD and Blu-Ray is one to get for the joy of watching the movie itself. We find it lacking without a director’s commentary as this film is pure Besson -- it would have been a nice addition. But even without a bevy of bonus features, The Family is one clan we wouldn’t mind having over for the holidays. 

Director Peter Segal had the utmost challenge of making Grudge Match and having its story be believable about two old boxers who finally have a score-settling rematch 30 years after their glory days have passed. As shown in the Grudge Match trailer, those two boxers are veterans of boxing films… Robert De Niro of Raging Bull and Sylvester Stallone of Rocky.

Segel phoned Movie Fanatic for an exclusive chat to discuss the finer points of making a movie like this work, as well as how Stallone proved priceless in his ability to craft a boxing match that not only worked and felt real, but also reinforced the uplifting themes of the film. He also dishes what it is about the boxing movie that keeps audiences coming back, year after year.

Movie Fanatic: Choreographing action sequences is one thing, but a boxing match over 12 rounds that has to be believable when the fighters are older like Stallone and De Niro is another. Was that one of your biggest challenges?

Peter Segal: I knew when I got the script that I wanted it to be a funny movie, but I also wanted it to be a story of redemption, and if I could work that emotion into the comedy and top it off with a very realistic fight, we’d have something. And if the fight could be taken seriously and come off silly, I knew it would work. The only two people, actors, who could pull that off were Bob De Niro and Sylvester Stallone. There was a gravitas to them in their subtext because of the iconic characters that they’ve played in Raging Bull and Rocky in the ring. The next challenge was getting both guys into fighting shape. Nobody had done a movie about boxing with guys this age. Sly normally keeps himself in fantastic shape, but still had to drop about 15 pounds to get in the same weight class as De Niro. Bob, on the other hand, he had the harder time because he had to drop 30 pounds and had to be willing to commit to getting into shape. I wanted to bring a realism to the fight, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

Movie Fanatic: One thing that is striking is the early footage of them as boxers. How were you able to get the film of them from Raging Bull and Rocky, and in fact, was that where it came from?

Peter Segal: It was a challenge. We looked at doing it a number of different ways. From buying footage of those guys in their early films to using doubles. At the end of the day what was really intriguing was to deliver on the promise of Rocky and Raging Bull going at it, subliminally. The only way to do it was a very technologically advanced aging process. It was the same company that aged Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button. That was combined with some rare footage from De Niro and Stallone training for Rocky and Raging Bull. This is never-before-seen footage!

Movie Fanatic: Mr. De Niro and Mr. Stallone are both actors who also direct. For you as a director, what kind of benefit is it to have actors who keenly know the craft of directing?

Peter Segal: There was an understanding about the process, but it was a little intimidating for me working with two legends in a square circle. I had never directed a boxing movie before, so I wanted to be as respectful as possible. I wrote the story for the fight, but had never choreographed a fight. I needed the help of one of the great choreographers of fights, and that was Sly. I asked for his help filling in the beats in the fight scenes, in addition to throwing the punches.

Movie Fanatic: De Niro seems to be having a true blast in the last several years showing his ability to do it all -- be goofy, serious and just let it all hang out. What impressed you most about that legend?

Peter Segal: He’s fearless. When he runs out of the bar in the movie and the camera is up high and he’s screaming, “Yes!” Razor has finally agreed to the rematch after 30 years -- the day we shot that in New Orleans, there were tour buses in the French Quarter and crowds of people watching. It can be a really embarrassing moment for an actor to come out and scream your guts out. But, Bob has no hesitation and gave it his all. I just thought, “That takes balls.” I think his choices in the latter few years -- he has let his hair down.

Movie Fanatic: You’ve had experience with the sports film, with The Longest Yard (one of our Top 10 Football Movies) and now Grudge Match. What do you think it is about the sports film and how it can be a metaphor for so many different things and how audiences can’t seem to get enough of this sub-genre of film?

Peter Segal: Someone once described sports films as chick flicks for guys. I do agree. Ironically, it is this film… the number one demographic we’ve found in testing it, is women over thirty. That was a big surprise for me. They can be uplifting and invigorating as they are usually stories about underdogs. But, I think what works so well historically about boxing films is they are a metaphor for life. Can you get up when you’re knocked down? That builds character. We get knocked down in our daily lives all the time. But, the key is do we come back swinging. That is why people identify with boxing movies. 

Kevin Costner is no stranger to sports films, what with his work on the legendary Field of Dreams. Costner is back in a sporting mood as the trailer for Draft Day has arrived. The sports comedy features Costner, along with Jennifer Garner, in a film that follows the actor as an NFL general manager who has the chance to save football in the pigskin-crazy city that is Cleveland when he pulls off a trade for the number one pick in the titular draft.

Draft Day Trailer

The action takes place within one day as he must sort out his feelings about his life professionally and personally that mirrors the feelings of those eligible to be chosen number one.

Draft Day also stars Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Chadwick Boseman (42) and Sean Combs. Look for Draft Day April 11, 2014. 

The final poster for I, Frankenstein is here and it features a very scarred Aaron Eckhart giving us the stare down. Eckhart stars as Frankenstein’s monster, who is still kicking it 200 years after his creation. The film takes place in modern day where demons have emerged from the bowels of hell and Eckhart is our only hope of survival.

From that first I, Frankenstein trailer, we have to admit this flick looks pretty intriguing. We’ve long felt that Eckhart was a huge movie star in the making and perhaps this is the movie that launches him into another stratosphere.

I, Frankenstein also stars Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Jai Courtney and is based on the graphic novel of the same name. Look for it January 24, 2014. 

The international The LEGO Movie trailer is here and it asks a very important question: Who are you? Chris Pratt stars as an average guy, well... a LEGO guy, who lives his days toiling at a job he appears to love. Through a series of mishaps, he winds up being confused for someone who can change the world. Once he digs deep, he realizes that in fact he can be the one who saves his world.

The LEGO Movie International Movie Trailer

The LEGO Movie brings together some of the company’s most popular toys, from those in Star Wars to Will Arnett as Batman and Channing Tatum as Superman!

Look for The LEGO Movie, also starring Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks and Morgan Freeman, when it opens February 7, 2014. 

There is something oddly compelling about the characters at the heart of Martin Scorsese’s latest, The Wolf of Wall Street. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the real life financial tycoon Jordan Belfort, who spent two dozen months in federal prison for fraud. Scorsese’s movie chronicles the wild and debaucherous ride that put him there. What’s crazy is how the audience pulls for him every step of the way, and it's thanks largely to the firestorm of a performance given by DiCaprio.

DiCaprio is an Oscar-nominated actor who most would agree is a supreme talent. Yet, he gives a career best performance, even teased in The Wolf of Wall Street trailer, which commands the viewers’ firm and attentive attention for exactly three hours. Yes, Scorsese’s film clocks in at a minute under three hours, but due to the filmmaker's storytelling power, a powerful script based on Belfort’s book by Terence Winter, and a cast who delivers on such a high level, it never feels long at all. In fact, when the credits rolled, we wanted to spend more time with these cats.

The Wolf of Wall Street takes us to the beginnings of Belfort’s rise. He lands on Wall Street as a wide-eyed 22-year-old ready to make his mark and his fortune. Belfort’s first job is with a firm that has him working for Matthew McConaughey’s Mark Hanna. All he needs to know about making it in the stock trading biz, he learns from Hanna. But, when the October 1987 crash hits, Belfort loses his job.

How he responds is truly what sets the hurricane that is The Wolf of Wall Street into motion. Belfort scores a job pushing penny stocks on those who probably can’t afford it. He meets Jonah Hill’s Donnie Azoff and the two start their own company where they up the ante. Why just sell penny stocks to small-time investors when with the talent these guys possess with sales, they can go after big fish with questionable stocks where the investor is none the wiser? And… we’re off, and as DiCaprio says in the full The Wolf of Wall Street movie trailer, “is this legal?” Not exactly!

Scorsese keeps a manic pace throughout the film, which is no easy task at three hours in length. It’s a huge story he tackles with The Wolf of Wall Street and it is a complete and utter twisted triumph. And as the filmmaker likes to do, there seems to be a soundtrack song for every moment, and it is glorious. He keeps you on the edge of your seat as what is witnessed feels like a giant party that is raging out of control, only you have no idea when (or how) it will end. Yes, you know Belfort is sent off to jail. But as he dodges bullet after bullet, the way in which Kyle Chandler’s agent will nail him is a fascinating mystery. In fact, his downfall is more a study in ego than it is in legality.

Our The Wolf of Wall Street review finds the film utterly astounding. It has a firm place on our Top 10 of 2013 and is absolutely the best DiCaprio-Scorsese collaboration of the five they’ve done. Is it Best Picture material? Absolutely, yes. 

As the movie year 2013 comes to a close, we’ve got the top 10 highest grossing movies of the year. Although what is number one is not a shock, some of the films that fill out the top 10 box office winners should surprise.

Iron Man 3 easily won the year, banking $409 million. However, it made quite a bit less than Marvel’s previous film, The Avengers, which was 2012’s highest grossing film with $623 million. Second place belonged to the sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. The continuation of the adventures of Katniss Everdeen scored $371.7 million and it too was less than the studio’s previous release. The Hunger Games came in third in 2012 with $408 million.

A surprise lands in third place with Despicable Me 2. The animated sequel starring Steve Carell and those scene-stealing minions took in $367.5 million, making it the highest grossing animated movie (and comedy) of 2013.

Fourth place belonged to another superhero, the rebirth of Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. While the world awaits its sequel, Batman vs. Superman, Warner Bros. has to be more than pleased with Man of Steel’s $291 million 2013 gross.

Closing out the top five was Pixar-Disney’s Monsters, Inc. sequel, Monsters University. The story of how Mike (Billy Crystal) met Sully (John Goodman) made $268.5 million. It was certainly a blockbuster, but it too made less than the first film that scored $289.9 million.

The rest of the top 10 is highlighted by Gravity (which landed atop our Top 10 Movies of 2013) and its $253.6 million, Fast and Furious 6 ($253.6 million) and the prequel Oz The Great and Powerful in eighth place with $234.9 million.

A film that people thought would tank given its pre-release reshoots and behind-the-scenes drama, World War Z, closes out the top 10 in tenth place with an impressive $202.4 million… which surely is why World War Z 2 is currently in pre-production.

2013 Box Office Top 10:

1. Iron Man 3, $409 million
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, $371.7 million
3. Despicable Me 2, $367.5 million
4. Man of Steel, $291 million
5. Monsters University, $268.5 million
6. Gravity, $253.6 million
7. Fast and Furious 6, $238.7 million
8. Oz The Great and Powerful, $234.9 million
9. Star Trek Into Darkness, $228.8 million
10. World War Z, $202.4 million

Felicity Jones met Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview where the star of The Invisible Woman talks about her co-star and director, Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes plays iconic author Charles Dickens, and the story, shown in The Invisible Woman trailer, follows the little known affair between Jones’ Nelly and the famed writer. We wondered what is so special about Fiennes… the director?

“It was the first time I worked with someone who was an actor-director,” Jones admitted. “It was very intense!”

The Invisible Woman Exclusive: Felicity Jones Interview

Jones also has a unique position to let us know what it is about Dickens that the man remains one of the most popular authors of all time.

“He understands human nature,” Jones said. “When you read his books, you recognize those character traits that you see in people around you.”

We also wondered what her favorite Dickens work was… her answer is one that is shared by millions!

47 Ronin tells a story of revenge... well, perhaps it’s actually a tale about justice and honor. Keanu Reeves stars as a “half-breed” who runs away from a wickedly magical forest as a boy and is adopted by a mid-1800s kingdom in feudal Japan. Reeves’ Kai is an outcast and constantly over his life told that he doesn’t belong, that he is less than a person in the eyes of his community. But, Mika (Ko Shibasaki), the princess of the land, takes an interest in him and they develop a friendship and more over the years.

The action truly picks up with Reeves’ Kai as a grown man, toiling at whatever his adopted clan needs him to do. The Shogun is coming to their principality and so are other clans for the annual games that pit each community’s best samurais against each other in feats of strength and talent. Something happens (no spoilers here!) and the kingdom is taken over by an evil prince who wishes to take Mika’s hand in marriage and thus rule over her land. Kai and the 47 samurai are banished, told to never return. A Ronin is a samurai who has been disgraced and banished, thus… the title.

The film picks up a year later with the de facto leader of the Ronin determined to fight for justice. He doesn’t know why, but he knows he needs Kai and starts his journey to justice by finding him and breaking him out of the slavery chains he is bound in. It is here that the difference between revenge and justice is laid out by 47 Ronin’s director Carl Rinsch and his screenplay, penned by Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini. In Japanese culture, the concept of honor is as serious as it comes. And this desire to have the 47 Ronin take back their kingdom is laid out as more of a journey towards restoring honor than extolling revenge.

The action, teased in the 47 Ronin trailer, is top notch and fans of martial arts have themselves quite a Christmas present with the arrival of Reeves’ latest. And the star doesn’t disappoint. Reeves is best when he portrays characters that are men of few words and he has that with Kai. Kai is a man of action who knows to play the part given to him, even if it means sacrificing what his heart wants (i.e. Mika!). And for the first time since The Matrix, Reeves has an action film that fits his skill set. He executes his samurai moves with the best and as such, his place among the 47 Ronin can never be questioned.

Our 47 Ronin review reports that it is not the greatest samurai film we’ve seen. But, it is a unique take on the sub-genre of film, and with Reeves in the lead and a story about justice, honor, and yes… revenge, it is a nice journey to take. There are some slow spots, but for the most part, 47 Ronin rivets. 

Anchorman 2 is now here, and given that those Anchorman quotes have become iconic in the almost decade since that first Will Ferrell film landed, some wondered if there would be as many fantastic quotes in Anchorman 2.

Well, as we stated in our Anchorman 2 review, that is certainly the case. Now, it may take years for them to take hold like the first film has in popular culture, but, make no mistake, the latest quotes from the anchorman who could not be more clueless will dominate pop culture.

So to get us started, we have compiled a list of what we think are the best Anchorman 2 quotes.

Ron Burgundy: I’m so lonely, I paid a hobo to spoon with me. | permalink

Brick Tamland: Your hair looks like wet popcorn.
Chani: I like the parts of your face that are covered with skin. | permalink

Champ Kind: I believe in two things: Chicken, and that the census is a way for the UN to make your children gay. | permalink

Freddie Shapp: We’re starting a 24-hour news channel and we want you.
Ron Burgundy: I’m going to do the thing that God put Ron Burgundy on this earth to do, have salon-quality hair and read the news. | permalink

Ron Burgundy: You’re not black or Asian.
GNN Reporter: I’m gay.
Champ Kind: Do you sleep in a coffin?
GNN Reporter: No, that’s vampires.
Brian Fantana: Are you allowed to be out in the sun?
GNN Reporter: Those are also vampires.
Brick Tamland: Are you a vampire? | permalink

Ron Burgundy: I don’t read Jet magazine or, uh, Jheri Curl Daily.
Linda Jackson: What are you doing?!
Ron Burgundy: I’m breaking down the barriers of race by assimilation and on that note, which one of you convicts with the longest record can pass me the mashed potatoes? | permalink

Jack Lime: Welcome to the station. Just wondering what time you feed that mustache.
Ron Burgundy: Maybe I’ll feed it a ham sandwich.
Jack Lime: Hey, don’t make jokes off my jokes! | permalink

Ron Burgundy: By the hymen of Olivia Newton-John! | permalink

Ed Harken: We all loved Brick.
Ron Burgundy: Sweet Brick.
Ed Harken: I’m told the next speaker was very close to him.
Brick Tamland: Why?! Why did you take him from us?!
Ron Burgundy: Brick, you’re not dead.
Brick Tamland: I’m alive?
Ron, Champ and Brian: Yes
Brick Tamland: I’m alive! | permalink

Ron Burgundy: Who the hell is Julius Caesar? You know I don’t follow the NBA! | permalink

Brick Tamland: I can always guess how many jelly beans are in a jelly bean jar, even if I’m wrong. | permalink

Ron Burgundy: Linda Jackson, how are you my friend?
[Shakes hand of Linda's male assistant]
GNN Producer: This is Linda.
Ron Burgundy: Oh, black… Black
Brian Fantana: Ron!
Ron Burgundy: Black! | permalink

Champ Kind: That’s Jack Kind. Look at him. He’s a prince.
Ron Burgundy: He’s not that great.
Jack Lime: What’d you say?
Brick Tamland: [yelling] He said you’re not that great!
Ron Burgundy: Brick! | permalink

Brick Tamland: Let’s take a look at the big map. Where’s the map?
Ron Burgundy: Take a look at the monitor.
Brick Tamland: Oh God, Ron, where’s my legs? I don’t have any legs, Ron. Ahhh! In 93, 93… | permalink

Veronica Corningstone: If you touch Ron, I will burn your face with a curling iron.
Ron Burgundy: Meow! | permalink

Ron Burgundy: Brick, can you hear me?
Brick Tamland: I can’t hear you.
Ron Burgundy: You’re answering so I think you can hear me.
Brick Tamland: No, I can’t. | permalink

Ron Burgundy: We’ve got a job in New York City.
Brian Fantana: Hey Ron, who’s driving?
Ron Burgundy: It’s okay. It’s on cruise control.
Champ Kind: Why do you have this bag of bowling balls and this terrarium filled with scorpions?
Ron Burgundy: It’s a crazy story.
Brian Fantana: Cruise control just regulates speed. It doesn’t steer.
Baxter: [barks]
Brick Tamland: He says we’re all gonna die!
[Motorhome crashes]
Ron Burgundy: That is going to make one hell of a story. | permalink

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty director Ben Stiller has truly evolved as a filmmaker. From his first film, Reality Bites, through his work on the under-appreciated The Cable Guy, there has always been a unique stamp that says, “This is a Stiller film.” That could not be more the case with his latest, in which he also stars, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

As shown in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty trailer, Stiller stars as Mitty, a man who toils in the basement photo offices of Life Magazine. Not satisfied with his own life, he escapes into daydreams that take on the most epic of proportions. Where he is too timid to talk to Kristen Wiig’s Cheryl Melhoff, we instead see Stiller as a Spanish speaking explorer busting through a wall and sweeping her off her feet. Meanwhile Mitty’s new boss (Adam Scott) sees his charge daydreaming and flicks a paper clip at him. Yeah, you can see how Walter is not altogether pleased with his current situation and who he has become as a human being.

His publication is going through changes, as the internet has essentially forced the mag's hand, and it is announced they will be producing their final issue. He is in charge of securing the final cover photo from their go-to award-winning photog, Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn). O’Connell has sent the photo, but it is missing. The photographer is one who criss-crosses the globe, so what’s Mitty to do? He does something he’s only done in his daydreams -- he takes off for an international adventure in search of O’Connell and the missing photograph that holds the key to his final statement as a worker at Life Magazine.

Although he has not always starred in his films that he directs, Stiller made the wise choice of casting himself in the title role. The actor creates such sympathy for him through the first part of the film that when he finally embarks on an adventure, the audience is so pulling for him, and his triumphs feel like ours. And Wiig is no wallflower, as she is (sometimes unknowingly) his confidant and someone who wills him on when roads seem to be filled with roadblocks in his epic search for O’Connell.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty support cast is top notch, with a particular standout arriving in the form of Shirley MacLaine as Walter’s mother, Edna, and Kathryn Hahn as his sister Odessa. And if there was a role that was custom made for Penn, it’s O’Connell. He is rugged, a renegade and an international man of mystery and Penn plays him perfectly.

Stiller painstakingly works on a look that is supremely unique in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Each shot is carefully crafted, giving the production design almost a supporting role all its own. The director filmed his epic journey on several continents and gave it a timeframe that feels like it could be any time and no time at the same time.

Our The Secret Life of Walter Mitty review finds that Stiller has done the original film starring Danny Kaye some serious justice with a heartfelt story about finding the strength within oneself where it seemed it never existed. The score is sweeping, and in fact, you could easily find yourself leaving the theater wanting a copy of the soundtrack -- if nothing else, to remind you of a journey that is possible.

The script for Grudge Match existed before stars Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro were attached. What a stroke of luck then that the two actors signed on, given their history of boxing in movies with Stallone in Rocky and De Niro in Raging Bull. Each won an Oscar for their respective boxing films and to see them come together in Grudge Match is a unique idea to say the least.

Stallone plays Henry “Razor” Sharp and De Niro is Billy 'The Kid' McDonnen. The two were bitter rivals, both out of Pittsburgh, over 30 years ago. They fought twice, each notching a victory. On the eve of their third fight, Razor surprisingly retired and each has spent the last three decades wondering, “What if?”

When the two have a brawl in neon green motion suits recording moves for a video game that goes viral, the demand for a rematch heats up. McDonnen wants it badly, Sharp not so much. See, something happened before that third fight back in the day that has Sharp possessing an unmatched disdain for his former rival that goes deeper than boxing. And it still lingers.

Kevin Hart plays the son of the promoter who put together the original fights and he could not be more persuasive in his effort to get these two men back in the ring. As seen in the Grudge Match trailer, it clearly happens. But the fun in Grudge Match is how the two men, and their subsequent family and friends, make the journey to a ring of redemption.

Director Peter Segal told us that when he received the script he pumped up several elements of the story and the film is better because of it. One aspect that is particularly charming is the storyline between McDonnen and the adult son B.J. (Jon Bernthal) he just learned he has. The chemistry between Bernthal and De Niro is as real as it gets. It’s fantastic to see Bernthal blowing up of late with his roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, Mob City and Grudge Match after he was killed off The Walking Dead!

For Stallone’s Sharp, the heartwarming storyline arrives in the form of an attempted rekindled relationships with Kim Basinger’s Sally and his former trainer Louis “Lightning” Conlon (Alan Arkin). See, that’s the most surprising aspect of the entire Grudge Match experience, is that it has some serious heart. And it pays off in droves when the two men finally get in the ring for the last part of the film. All the emotions that were touched on throughout by Segal and his cast come to a satisfying fruition by the time that final bell sounds.

Our Grudge Match review knows that this is lighter fare when it comes to the long lineage of boxing movies. But for the holiday season where movies can be anything but light, as they vie for last second Oscar attention, the De Niro and Stallone boxing rematch of old titans is just the Christmas treat many audiences crave. 

Director Kenneth Branagh’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit has unveiled a new TV spot that aired over the Christmas holiday. Chris Pine is Jack Ryan and steps into the character’s shoes that were created by Tom Clancy and once filled by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit works like an origins movie and tells us how he used his higher education background to become one of the CIA’s most intelligent intelligence officers.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit TV Spot

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit also stars Branagh, Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley. Look for it January 17. 

Warner Bros. has released a fantastic behind-the-scenes featurette on how director Alfonso Cuaron created the astounding Gravity. His Sandra Bullock-George Clooney starring film is on our Top 10 Movies of 2013, and being able to get a glimpse into the magic of his masterpiece is simply priceless.

And a warning… the end of this video spoils the end of Gravity!

Gravity Behind the Scenes

From the moment the first Gravity trailer premiered, viewers had to know that this film would be something special. After seeing it, as stated in our Gravity review, one knows that we’ve seen something truly extraordinary. To see how Cuaron has made his movie that looks and feels like it was really filmed in outer space in the above video is like the curtain being pulled back on The Wizard of Oz!

Don Jon is an astounding directorial debut by Joseph Gordon Levitt, and as the film arrives on home video on January 14, we have an exclusive giveaway where two of our readers can take home the Blu-Ray!

Levitt wrote, directed and stars in the story of Jon Martello. He is a handsome, good old-fashioned guy known as Don Jon for his ability to score with beautiful women. But even the most thrilling fling doesn’t compare to the bliss Jon finds alone watching porn on his computer.

Someone who can change all that is Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). She is an old-fashioned woman who is well-versed in the romance of the movies and she’s determined she has found her man in Jon, even if something is a bit off. Don Jon is a unique take on the classic tale of boy meets girl and brings it into the 21st century.

As our Don Jon review stated, it is an incredible and surprisingly heartfelt debut for Levitt and shows off that a filmmaking talent has arrived.

Use the widget below to enter on Facebook or Twitter. There are three unique ways to enter, and by entering all three ways you can increase your chance at winning! And enter now as our contest ends January 13. 

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug won the box office for the second week in a row. And if the Christmas holiday receipts are any indication, the Peter Jackson film will make it three for three -- although it looks as if a new release might overtake it by the time all is said and done by the end of Sunday.

The second chapter of Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy banked $9.3 million on December 25, followed closely by the fifth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. The Wolf of Wall Street finished second with $9.2 million, showing that pre-release buzz met positive critical response (check out our five-star The Wolf of Wall Street review). And given word of mouth that can only grow as we head into the weekend, Scorsese’s latest may close out the Christmas-through-the-weekend period at the top spot.

Third place belonged to Anchorman 2, last week’s number two, which banked nearly a third of what it made all of last weekend on Christmas Day alone with $8.1 million. In fourth place was another new film, Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which debuted with a $7.8 million haul, while fifth place found American Hustle hustling up another $7.4 million to bring its total earnings to $34.1 million.

Christmas box office top 10:

1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, $9,320,000
2. The Wolf of Wall Street, $9,150,000
3. Anchorman 2, $8,100,000
4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, $7,825,000
5. American Hustle, $7,400,000
6. 47 Ronin, $7,000,000
7. Frozen, $6,340,000
8. Saving Mr. Banks, $5,330,000
9. Grudge Match, $3,965,000
10. A Madea Christmas, $3,050,000

With the arrival of Insidious Chapter 2 on DVD and Blu-Ray, we’ve got a case of the home video release actually being better than the film itself when it landed in theaters. In our theatrical Insidious Chapter 2 review, we found some thrills in the film, but felt it lacked the punch that the first film delivered. With the fascinating and harrowing bonus features on the Insidious Chapter 2 DVD and Blu-Ray, the overall quality of the film is much higher.

As teased in the Insidious Chapter 2 trailer, what haunted the Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne family in the first film is clearly not done with them. And as the second chapter shows, the terror has more to do with Wilson’s character’s past than anything else. They may have survived the horror in Chapter 1, but in Chapter 2 things get amped up a bit. The thing that bothered us about the second film is that what made the first film so horrifying is how so much of the scares were left as unanswered questions.

The crux of the second film, unfortunately, is to answer those questions. Movie Fanatic believes audiences would have been better served to perhaps answer a few of those questions, but to in fact add more mysteries to the equation.

We also know that director James Wan (now working on Fast and Furious 7) and writer Leigh Whannell see this story as one that will continue, but clearly the haunts will go someplace completely different in the third chapter, given all the answers provided in Chapter 2.

The bonus features on the Insidious Chapter 2 DVD and Blu-Ray are sure to thrill fans of the series, as well as horror fans in general. Leading the way is Insidious: Spectral Sightings 3-Part Webisodes which follow Specs and Tucker in their early days of supernatural sleuthing. They find an unexpected ally in their early days as paranormal investigators. The Specs and Tucker storyline is our favorite part of Insidious Chapter 2, and to have an entire series of shorts devoted to them and their initial efforts as paranormal investigators is an utter and joyous (and scary!) treat.

Three other featurettes are quite compelling as well. Haunted Hospital: On Location takes viewers inside the chilling locale where much of the film was shot. The cast and crew talk about the experience of working in a legendary haunted landscape. Movie Fanatic has toured the facility and has to admit, this featurette gets it spot-on. It is not a location that should be scoffed at.

Given that the Insidious world is a product of the wicked mind of writer Whanell, the Leigh Whannell’s Insidious Journal featurette is a killer look at the making of the film through the eyes of its creator. And lastly, the Work in Progress: On Set Q&A adds the cast’s take to the filmmaking process of making Insidious Chapter 2, and hearing the insight of Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson, Jason Blum (producer), Wan and Whannell is even more compelling.

The last bonus feature that truly caught our attention is Ghostly Transformation. Ever wonder how actors become ghosts in paranormal films such as Insidious Chapter 2? This feature shows how, through make-up effects and the talents of the thespians themselves, everyday people can turn downright ghoulish.

Action movies have to be thought of as the bread and butter of Hollywood. Just look at the Top 10 Highest Grossing Movies of 2013 and you’ll see that two thirds of them are bona fide action movies, and several other contain scenes of intense action. But, just because the movie moves at a frenetic pace with moments of death-defying flair doesn’t mean it is a good movie. It takes the whole package. So, what are the best action movies of the year that was?

Movie Fanatic continues its year-end Top 10s, after our Top 10 Movies of 2013 and Top 10 Animated Movies of 2013… and we present our Top 10 Action Movies of 2013.

10. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
For that ninjas-scaling-a-mountain-while-fighting sequence alone, G.I. Joe: Retaliation lands on our list. The fact that there are at least a dozen other action scenes that frankly up the ante from the first film is also a reason the entire film is so good.

Director Jon Chu took his experience with making dance movies and put that innate sense of choreography to use by giving audiences violence as ballet throughout the film that added up to one surprisingly decent thrill ride.

9. Olympus Has Fallen
In the battle of "White House under attack" films, Olympus Has Fallen easily bested White House Down. It wasn’t just the fantastic performance of Gerard Butler in a nail-biting thriller that compelled us. The film was well-crafted from beginning to end. Butler has toiled in romantic comedies and true stories of late, but his success with this action flick proves that where audiences most want to see him is being the action hero.

Achieving effective action scenes within a confined space is hard to do, and a few have done it so well they’ve gone on to iconic status (Die Hard). But Antoine Fuqua managed to score with his Die Hard in the White House theme by giving us characters that we cared about, coupled with moments of heart-stopping battles that worked on every level.

8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
It may take a little while to actually get our Tributes into the arena, but once Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is there, along with a group of Hunger Games all-stars, the fighting sequences take what was given to us in The Hunger Games and bumps it up a few notches in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

7. Pacific Rim
Few movies in 2013 made you feel what monumental size the big screen can emit like Pacific Rim. Guillermo del Toro’s love letter to action films of old that inspired him to pick up a camera in the first place features fights between the largest fighters seen on screen in years.

The idea of having monsters, who emerge from the sea, battling skyscraper-sized robots built by humans to turn the tide of war is the most epic of action we could have hoped for. Will we get a Pacific Rim 2? Let’s hope so… as sometimes bigger is better.

6. Man of Steel
There are action sequences sprinkled throughout Man of Steel, but the reason the Zack Snyder reboot of the Superman story lands on this list is the tete-a-tete between Henry Cavill as Superman and Michael Shannon as General Zod in the final moments of the film.

Their epic fight is a full story in the making and not only triumphs in its action execution, but in the emotional power that had audiences invested in what they were witnessing. It wasn’t just the fate of Metropolis or Superman in question in that city-wide destruction that was the final fight between two former Krypton residents -- it was the future of a franchise. Judging by all the hub-bub about the upcoming Batman vs. Superman sequel, we’d say Snyder and Warner Bros. came out victorious.

5. Star Trek Into Darkness
There is considerable debate as to the effectiveness of J.J. Abrams' sequel to Star Trek. But one thing is for sure, regardless of how the story fit into the larger mythology of the Gene Roddenberry world, Star Trek Into Darkness had some of the most entertaining action of the year.

It is almost as if the entire movie was one fantastic thrill fest after another. The scene where Khan and Kirk are careening through space debris towards the smallest of holes is astounding. Spock chasing, and then fighting, Khan in the streets of San Francisco is among the better choreographed brawls on screen this year. And then [SPOILER] how the Enterprises comes crashing down to Earth… well, those are some frames of film that will leave you breathless.

4. The Wolverine
The Wolverine was so much better than the last solo outing for Hugh Jackman and his X-Men alter ego. James Mangold took his action sequences seriously and there are so many that thrilled. But, few were as compelling as The Wolverine bullet train scene. Watching Logan and his martial arts foe flying through the Japanese landscape at hundreds of miles an hour, avoiding things flying at them while trying to come out of the experience alive should set the standard for all fight scenes done on trains from this point on!

And don’t get us started on the atom bomb explosion that begins the movie!

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A bunch of dwarves and a Hobbit going down some river rapids in barrels sounds like it would be more funny than fierce. But, in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, it qualifies as the action scene of the year, as we stated in our The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review.

Our dwarves and Hobbit have to fight off the Orcs coming at them with blinding frequency, but they have help in the form of Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) shooting arrows at the attacking Orcs, while running down the banks of the river fighting them hand-to-hand as well. It all adds up to a thrill ride that has the best amusement park roller coaster beat on so many levels.

But The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has many more action scenes as well, and in fact recalls what we adored about the first The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the first place. 

2. Iron Man 3
Perhaps inspired by that killer final battle at the end of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 packed more action into two hours than the first two films managed. Tony Stark and the United States as a whole came under attack by a villain known only as Mandarin, who seemed to make his beef personal and directed it firmly at Stark and his Iron Man with everyone around him an unfortunate casualty.

Shane Black stepped into the director’s chair for Jon Favreau and took this character to all-new heights of harrowing danger. Iron Man 3 was a worthy first film out for Marvel after the blockbuster success of The Avengers and one of the best full-on action movies of 2013.

1. Fast and Furious 6
There is something extraordinary about the Fast and Furious franchise that it keeps getting more popular with each successive installment. I mean, can you remember a film series that was getting even better than ever with its sixth movie?

When Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin and the filmmaking team behind the series thought up the idea of sending our anti-heroes to London to help Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in his effort to bring down an international baddie, it was a stroke of brilliance. You know given the team of drivers led by Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, that car chases would ensue. But, if you have ever been to London and know the insane traffic of the city, you had to know that the car chase scene in general would be given a shot in the arm.

Lin not only got us with those killer car chases through the English capitol, but also the hand-to-hand fighting sequences towards the end. There are several pairs of adversaries going at it at the same time, and with Lin’s camera capturing the action, it is nothing short of brilliance. Then, top it off with Diesel driving one of his cars through the back of an exploding aircraft, and what more can you want from an action movie? Absolutely nothing.

And where they go with Fast and Furious 7, with the tragic death of Paul Walker, is anyone's guess. But, to have his last full Fast and Furious movie end with this gem -- it is a true gift.

Honorable mentions: Thor: The Dark World, World War Z, Elysium, White House Down, Riddick, Red 2, Kick-Ass 2, 2 Guns, Rush, 47 Ronin and Homefront

It was kind of surprising that there was a sequel to Kick-Ass, the tongue-and-cheek salute to all things superhero. But, fans had made the film starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson a cult hit, and therefore in hindsight, it should not be a surprise that we have Kick-Ass 2. Now, Kick-Ass 2 has arrived on DVD and Blu-Ray, and for those who missed it in theaters, it is a fantastic chance to witness a worthy follow-up to a fan favorite.

The Kick-Ass 2 trailer introduced us to a world that finds Taylor-Johnson’s title character after he has hung up his superhero suit. He has inspired many and they are patrolling the streets. But when Christopher Mintz-Plasse seeks to avenge what Kick-Ass did to his father and becomes the ultimate baddie, aka the Mother(expletive), Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) must help Kick-Ass get back into fighting shape.

He meets some of those fellow average Joes and Jills who become superheroes, highlighted by Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes and Donald Faison as Dr. Gravity, and together they hope to make the city’s streets safe again.

If it appears the ante has been upped from the first film, that is because it has been… as we reported in our theatrical Kick-Ass 2 review. It is a fun flick, although Nick Cage’s character is sorely missed, and it seems that no one truly steps into his place in the emotional spectrum of the film.

Writer-director Jeff Wadlow was given the chance with the Kick-Ass 2 DVD and Blu-Ray to add in his alternative opening, and give his commentary though it as well. It’s fascinating to see another way that Kick-Ass 2 could have opened, although we favor the version that made it to theaters. It is always nice to see what the director had to work with and how he came to the conclusion to run with what we saw in theaters.

Another bonus feature that needs highlighting is An Ass-Kicking Cast. The reason this documentary featurette works so well is it’s nice to get insight from the returning cast, such as Taylor-Johnson, Moretz and Mintz-Plasse with the new-to-the-series thoughts from Carrey and Olga Kurkulina.

What set Kick-Ass and now Kick-Ass 2 apart from other action flicks (what are our Top 10 Action Movies of 2013?) is how these are real people who are pretending to be superheroes. They obviously have no special powers, yet attack bad guys with the same verve reserved for those in the DC Comics and Marvel universe. The bonus feature that showcases Wadlow guiding his actors through his outrageous action set pieces and how they were able to fight evil while still staying true to who their characters truly are, is also a highlight.

As any good superhero movie does, there is a final confrontation where all bets are off and the Street Rules: Showdown At The Evil Lair shows viewers how the climactic scene in Kick-Ass 2 took over two weeks to shoot. You get a firsthand look at the fight choreography that went into shooting a scene that looks like controlled chaos.

And lastly, given their closeness to the series, the commentary track by Taylor-Johnson, Grace Moretz, Mintz-Plasse, and Wadlow is a terrific way to get inside the magic that is this movie series that has charmed millions.

People might not have been quite as shocked when it was announced that Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman as they were when it was announced that Ben Affleck is Batman.

But, people were still a little surprised that the Fast and Furious actress was picked, given her lack of resemblance to the physique of Wonder Woman portrayed in DC Comics. Gadot addressed those complaints on the Israeli entertainment show Good Evening with Gai Pines.

"I represent the Wonder Woman of the new world. Breasts anyone can buy for 9,000 shekels and everything is fine,” Gadot said. “By the way, Wonder Woman is Amazonian, and historically accurate Amazonian women actually had only one breast -- so, if I’d really go 'by the book,' it’d be problematic."

Gadot is already deep in the workout preparation to play Wonder Woman, and from the sounds of it, she’ll be ready to don her iconic costume when Batman vs. Superman starts filming in Michigan in the New Year. She clearly is ready to play a Wonder Woman who is a strong, modern woman.

"It’s the physical preparations that I’m starting now -- a very serious training regimen – Kung Fu, kickboxing, swords, jujutsu, Brazilian, a thousand and one things,” she said. “I’ll gain body mass."