One of the best comedies in some time (Ted) arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD this week, as well as a surprise hit thriller (The Bourne Legacy), a fine family film (Ice Age: Continental Drift) and a cult classic (Miami Connection).
Ted:The Seth MacFarlane-created comedy blockbuster comes home with a bevy of extras that is probably expected for a comic disc, but filmmakers have gone the extra mile on this one. The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack has the original theatrical version as well as the uber-naughty unrated cut. There are a slew of deleted scenes and alternative takes that one can easily see could have been included but were cut for time and content.
Gag reels are a standard on home video releases, but with the zany hilarity that comes from MacFarlane, the Ted gag reel is astoundingly hilarious. Also, not to be missed is the commentary by the cast, but especially the genius behind the film, MacFarlane.
Of the featurettes that are noteworthy, the most is the Teddy Bear Shuffle spot. It is a fascinating look at how they choreographed the teddy bear and Mark Wahlberg fight scene. Check out our Ted review for more on the film itself.
The Bourne Legacy: Bourne is back… well kind of. Jeremy Renner steps in for Matt Damon and doesn’t miss a beat. As stated in our The Bourne Legacy review, the film is a white-knuckle thriller with smarts. Renner is Aaron Cross and the bonus feature Enter Aaron Cross shows how the star got in action-ready shape to prepare for the role.
The Bourne series is known for its globe-trotting ways, and Legacy is no different. The featurette Crossing Continents: Legacy on Location shows how filmmakers took Renner and co-star Rachel Weisz across the world from the frozen tundra of Canada to the busy streets of Manila. Some animal lovers may have cringed at the wolf fight scene with Renner, but in the feature Man vs. Wolf, filmmakers show how movie magic was achieved without a single cute hair on the wolves being harmed.
The Bourne Legacy Blu-Ray/DVD continues the series’ outstanding work bringing their film to home video and giving fans hours of extra footage to continue the thrills.
Ice Age Continental Drift: The gang is back for a fourth go-around in the Ice Age series. As first reported in our Ice Age Continental Drift review, the film satisfies kids of all ages. The movie brings back Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo and Queen Latifah. Joining the cast is newbie Seann William Scott and one of Movie Fanatic’s faves, Simon Pegg.
Of the standout extras is one that kids will adore: The Sing Along Mode. The film’s many songs are presented in such a way that fans can literally sing along with their favorite characters. There are also brilliant bonus featurettes, highlighted by the Through a Pirate’s Spyglass: Voices Ahoy and Capturing the Crew that looks at the new to the series pirates, Granny and the Stink of the Sloths, the We Are extended music video and The Sid Shuffle Dance Along.
Miami Connection: The 1980’s cult film Miami Connection had a short theatrical run in November and now comes home on DVD and digital download for the first time. The film tells an outlandish, but truly satisfying, story about a man (Y.K. Kim, who also wrote and produced the film) who seeks to bring peace to the world through his Ninja ways. It’s highly effective and easy to see why the film has caught fire anew.
