There is variety and there is what we have with this week’s Blu-Ray and DVD premieres. There’s the ultra-violent, ultra-awesome The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jason Segel’s bringing Kermit and the gang back in The Muppets, Jonah Hill’s hilarious The Sitter, the uber-dramatic Carnage with its all-star cast and Gary Oldman riveting in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Rooney Mara sizzles in the title role of David Fincher’s electric version of Stieg Larsson’s bestseller. Daniel Craig co-stars and the tandem of the actor and Mara is astounding. Visually arresting, intensely emotional and powerful beyond belief, fans of the book series will delight in the American film adaptation. The film lands on Blu-Ray and DVD with four hours of bonus footage that takes fans further into the darkness that is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The Muppets: Segel and writing partner Nick Stoller more than succeeded in bringing Jim Henson’s creations into the 21st century with The Muppets. The film is funny, heartwarming and has more sing-a-long songs than any Muppet movie I remember. The extras on the Blu-Ray/DVD Wocka-Wocka Value Pack Movie Fanatic received were mind-blowingly good. Not only did we get the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, but also the stellar soundtrack. Among the standout extras is The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made, a making-of documentary that Muppet fans will rejoice over and a video of the first table read of the entire cast, including Amy Adams, that push this film from the should have… to must have!
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Oldman earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the big-screen adaptation of John le Carre’s classic book of the same title. It is one of the most intelligent films of 2011 and requires much of its viewer. Don’t look away for one second or you will be left behind. The film features an all-star cast including Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Toby Jones.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Trailer
The Sitter: Jonah Hill may be earning raves for his dramatic work in Moneyball, but in The Sitter, he reminds us how talented he is at comedy. The classic babysitter comedy gets an R-rated incarnation with The Sitter that finds Hill’s character babysitting neighbor kids so his single mother can go on her first date in years. Hilarity… and madness ensue.
Carnage: Based on the stage play, Carnage features Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz as parents of two children who got in a schoolyard fight. The film very much feels like a stage play in its character-driven mode of plot motion. It falls flat, but we give it an “E” for effort.
