Welcome to the inaugural DVD FIX, where we cover all your current DVD releases, along with some food for thought on older (and sometimes forgotten) favorites and not so favorite.
NEW & NOTABLE RELEASES
June 16, 2009
-Fiday the 13th Killer Cut (2009)
-Transfomers Season 1 (G1)
-Ghosbusters (Blu-Ray)
- Burn Notice Season 2
-Famly Guy Vol. 7
-Dr Strangelove (Blu-Ray)
-Lost Season 1 (Blu-Ray)
June 23, 2009
-Inkheart
- Pink Panther 2
- Waltz with Bashir
DVD REWIND
In this part of DVD FIX, I take you back and review a DVD from past years. With the lackluster selection for this edition, as well as have not viewed the majority of these films, perhaps a dual trip down memory lane is on order…
Ghostbusters (1985)
Ghostbusters played a large part, of my childhood growing up, as with any other child that grew up in the 1980’s. I had numerous action figures, including my favorite Egon, my very own proton pack and of course the packaged slime that always seemed to get everywhere. They were iconic, their theme song to this day is tilled played in some form every Halloween and I am willing to bet that a majority of you readers out there have dressed up as one at some point in your life.
For those living under a rock and have no idea what I am talking about (which I find hard to believe), Ghostbusters stars Dan Akroyd (one of the brains behind the creation of the film), Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, as the Ghostbusters with Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis co staring as well. The film details the origins of titular characters and the rise of paranormal activity in 1985 New York city.
Ultimately what makes this film such a classic, is the fantastic writing, the perfect comedic timing by all the actors, particularly Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd, and in the same token, the performances given by each performer. The writing was witty and well thought out. Ackroyd (Ray Stanz) and Murray (Peter Venkman), both SNL alumni, were spot on in their delivery with Murray stealing the show. Initially, Harold Ramis, one of the films writers, had wrote the part of Egon with no particular actor in mind and had no intention on playing the part. After no suitable actor was cast, he signed on the play him and due in part to knowing the character, pulled off a memorable display, nearly stealing the show, whenever Murray was off screen.
Hudson was a late edition, after Eddie Murphy, who the part was written for, turned the offer down in favor of Beverly Hill Cop. With Murphy out of the picture, the story was rewritten and reduced the role of Winston Zedemore. Hudson, though not in the film until the latter part, brought a more grounded character, this helped to balance out the wide spectrum of characters represented in the four protaginists and when your cast and characters are balanced, it leaves more room for the story to move forward, as was the case for Ghostbusters.
My personal recommendation, if you have not seen Ghostbusters, make time and see it, it is a worthwhile investment of your time and you will not walk away with disappointment.
Man of the Year (2006)
I believe that had this film been advertised properly and promoted more as a political dramedy with a little thriller thrown into the mix, rather then a full out comedy, it would have performed better. Given the false advertising and the horrible word of mouth that followed, Man of the Year was not seen for what it truly was, an incredible what if scenario played out, with stellar performance by every one involved.
Man of the Year also stars, political stand up comedian Lewis Black (one of my personal favorites), Christopher Walken, Jeff Golblum and Laura Linney. Robin Williams plays Tom Dobbs, a late night political talk show host, who is jokingly asked why he is not running as a presidential candidate in the upcoming election. After some serious thought, he decides to throw his hat in the ring and run for President. This is where a lot of the comedic context of the film takes place, is during his campaign trail, with his appearance at the debate being the pinnacle of the humor and then leads us into the more serious and dramatic tone. After the elction, it looks as though Tom Dobbs has won the elction and is set to become the next President.
Meanwhile, in diferent sub plot, during the election campaign, Eleanor Green (Laura Linney), a software programmer for Delacroy, stumbles upon a glitch that selects the same candidate, regardless of the number of votes cast, in the software being used in the upcoming election. When she approached the company head (Jeff Goldblum) with the news, she is ignored and then is pursued by company agents in an effort to silence and discredit her. She is able to meet with President Elect Tom Dobbs and explain to him that he is only in that position because of the glitch.
Even though I was disappointed that this was not another Robin Williams comedy, what kept me invested was some phenomenal acting by the supporting cast. And you would expect nothing less with the likes of Linney and Walken, surprisingly Black really stole it for me, not just because I am a fan of his, but how serious he can be, while still maintaining his comedic punch. I never thought I would live to see the day where Golblum played the villain, but he pulls it off with such ease, and played a real convincing prick.
If you decide to view Man of the Year with the expectation of a comedy, like it was advertised, then either change your expectations or prepare to be disappointed. It is a Dramatic-thriller with comedic impulses. If you go into it with that frame of mind, you should walk away with very little disappointment.
Until next time, keep watching
A long Time Ago, in a galaxy far away……….Fanboys was released (FINALLY) in Canada! Star Wars Geeks nationwide were able to sit back and enjoy a comedy that was tailor made just for them. Finally, there would be a period where it would be acceptable to be deep into Star Wars. The debate on who shot first Han or Greedo could be addressed without repercussion. What was George Lucas on when he went forth created the abominable creature known as Jar Jar Binks, could be discussed in greater detail. Ok, so maybe nothing has changed , and it is still unacceptable to discuss such things with your close, non Star Wars friends. But as an immense fan that has taken his fair share of lumps for his fascination of Star Wars lore, it is hard to find any sincere film that rewards such dedication. Most of the time when a film references Star Wars or its fan base, they merely poke fun at the fans or the series and become the butt of the jokes. But here and now, we fanboys have a film to call our own, where we can come together and kick some Trekkie (sorry, Trekker) ass!
Back in 1998, there was an aura of mystery surrounding the Skywalker Ranch, as George Lucas was moving into post production on his new feature Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Fans debated back and forth as to the caliber of such an endeavor, many expected, with the recent advances in technology, this new Star Wars film would blow its predecessors out of the water. Everyone, fan and non fan alike were curious to see how the story would play out. Security around the project was tight (oh how things have changed, Wolverine Origins anyone?) and very little was revealed. This 
brings us to Fanboys.
What do you do when your best friend is diagnosed with cancer and not expected to live to see the premiere of a film you all have been waiting to see since childhood? You take a plan you and your friends concocted and break into the Skywalker Ranch to steal yourselves a copy of the film. Enter the premise of Fanboys.
Fanboys is a fairly simplistic and predictable story and does not break any new ground, but that’s not why we watch the film. The development of each core character, Eric (Sam Huntington), Linus (Chris Marquette), Hutch (Dan Folger), Windows (Jay Baruchel) and Zoe (Kirsten Bell) and their journey throughout the film are what keeps us engaged and why we watch. Each character has a “Death Star” or obstacle they must overcome. Eric struggles with guilt and abandoning his friends for the “Real World”, while Linus battles cancer and only wishes to see all his friends talk and get along like they used to. Hutch, struggles with moving on and leaving Star Wars behind, Windows, your stereotypical dork, has trouble with the opposite sex and is complacent with internet dating. And finally Zoe has a hard time expressing her feelings to Windows, and just wants him to notice her as more then just a friend.. Really what the film breaks down to is moving on while still retaining those things that are important to you.
The journey itself, is quite funny as they encounter mishaps, much like any road trip movie does. What sets Fanboys road trip a part from similar cross country films, is the cameos. There are some great cameos from both Star Wars actors and gurus. As well as some from the Star Trek persuasion. The numerous Star Wars references are enough to keep your head spinning, tossed with a few Trek references and some subtle comic book tidbits. My personal favorite scene has to be the Trek and Star Wars showdown in the center of Captain Kirk’s birthplace in Iowa, classic! Even better was the cameo of Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, later on.
There was not too much I could say I disliked about the film, but one aspect I still can’t quite wrap my head around was how they had planned on stealing the film since they were five years old. When Episode I was only announced a few years prior to the 1999 release date and I am assuming that the characters were in their early to mid twenties when the film takes place, which means that when they were five, sometime aroung Return of the Jedi theatrical release or VHS release, somewhere in that time frame. If anyone has any thoughts in this discrepancy, feel free to share them, as I still can get my math to work. And one other minor thing that would have made the film that much better, would have been a cameo by Lucas himself, I kept waiting for it and it never surfaced, to my disappointment.
All in all, Fanboys is a great film for those Star Wars aficionados and might be interesting to the rest, I won’t say it’s a strictly fanboy only film, because I don’t think it is, but having that title of Star Wars geek, will definitely enhance your viewing pleasure.
Holy blast from the past, we finally have the 90’s Fox X-Men animated series on DVD!
This news is great for fans of the much loved series; a proper DVD release of this show has been on the top of fanboy wish list for nearly a decade.
Well Buena Vista Home Entertainment answered the call, and this week Volumes 1 & 2 (out of 4) were released to the eager hands of mutant fans.
Each volume contains 2 discs, with 16 episodes – that’s 32 episodes of one of the greatest comic book cartoon adaptations ever. One of? Try ‘it is’. Here’s the episode guide for Volumes 1 & 2:
VOLUME 1
Disc 1
Night of the Sentinels (Part 1)
Night of the Sentinels (Part 2)
Enter Magneto
Deadly Reunions
Captive Hearts
Cold Vengeance
Slave Island
The Unstoppable Juggernaut
Disc 2
The Cure
Come The Apocalypse
Days Of Future Past (Part 1)
Days Of Future Past (Part 2)
The Final Decision
Till Death Do Us Part (Part 1)
Till Death Do Us Part (Part 2)
Whatever It Takes
VOLUME 2
Disc 1
Red Dawn
Repo Man
X-Ternally Yours
Time Fugitives (Part 1)
Time Fugitives (Part 2)
A Rogue’s Tale
Beauty & The Beast
Mojo Vision
Disc 2
Reunion (Part 1)
Reunion (Part 2)
Out of the Past (Part 1)
Out of the Past (Part 2)
The Phoenix Saga (Part 1): Sacrifice
The Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud
The Phoenix Saga (Part 3): Cry of the Banshee
The Phoenix Saga (Part 4): The Starjammers
The Phoenix Saga (Part 5): Child of Light
At this moment I’m sure of any special features, if there are any. Each volume retails for around $18 – or you can pick up both volumes together over at Amazon for a mere $30.
No release date has been set for the concluding 3rd and 4th volumes of the series, but one could assume it will be sometime this year.
Now if they’d only get on the 90’s Spider-Man series…
Hey Kids, Ryan here taking over From the Vault this week. For this edition, I thought I’d showcase a film I recently watched with one of my all-time favorites; both fantastic additions to any home video collection. So without further ado, here’s this week’s double-feature.
Oldboy
2003
Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang
Where do I begin how amazing this flick is? Hands down my favorite film to come out of South Korea, if not all of Asia period; a wonderfully executed and brilliant display of technical film-making, acting and master storytelling.
Oldboy tells the story of Oh Dae-su, an average middle-aged businessman who is imprisoned with no reason or explanation for 15 years, with literally no human interaction. One day, Oh Dae-su is released back into the world where he is faced with an even bigger mind-game: does he try to unravel the mystery of his imprisonment, or quench his thirst for revenge?
From the opening frame to the emotional ending, I found myself magnetized to the screen and on the edge of my seat. Director Chan-wook Park created a beautifully haunting thriller that keeps you in the front row of this emotional roller-coaster. We’re taken right beside Oh Dae-su throughout his struggle, feeling every bit of hurt and despair as he tries to put the pieces together. The film is meticulously shot and scored, and Min-sik Choi’s performance is nothing shy of phenomenal. Oldboy features some fairly graphic violence, I wouldn’t say in excess, but the major fight sequence is something to mark in the history books as one of the greatest of all times.
As for the “twist ending”… well… if M. Night Shyamalan had any sense in his brain he’d watch this flick and realize he can’t write a script to save his life and finally quit. Oldboy sets the bar for the genre and shows just how shockingly often these films really do fail.
If you’re a fan of revenge/thriller/mind-fuck type films, you must add Oldboy to the top of your list.
Special Features:
-
Director & Cinematographer Commentaries
-
Interview with the Director
-
Deleted scenes with optional commentary
-
Trailer
Dawn of the Dead: Ultimate Edition
1978
Directed by: George A. Romero
Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross
I can honestly say that not only is Dawn of the Dead my favorite film of all time, I also consider it to be not only one of the most important films in the horror genre, but one of the most important social commentaries of all time. If there’s one drawback to being a zombie film in the 70’s, its that the film is typically written off as a cheesy gore-fest. Yes there’s a fair amount of cheese and gore, but I presume this merely serves to entertain the dim and the dull unable to look past this layer and see the satire and subtext. Is Dawn of the Dead a zombie film? I say quite the opposite. If anything it’s a human film.
DotD explores what a small group of humans do to survive in the midst of a zombie outbreak, this group in particular seek refuge in a shopping mall. Zombies and survival themes aside, the film serves to examine consumerism, human reaction and self-indulgence. Dawn of the Dead is in some ways playing on a multitude of human fantasies. Imagine living in your own self-contained world, where money is not an issue and everything is at your fingertips. Your only obstacles are the slower-than-molasses walking undead, who for the most part exist as a way to spend your ammunition and spare time.
The film doesn’t waste its opportunity to fully flesh out its story and take the audience through every cycle of emotion. It’s scary. It’s funny. It’s worrisome. And the score, provided by Goblin – the incomparable Italian prog-rock band – is something for the ear to behold.
There’s been a few home video releases for DotD, but this Ultimate Edition is the definitive must own for every fan. This gorgeous little box-set comes with three different versions of the film: the US theatrical version, the Extended version and the European version.
US Theatrical Version:
127 minutes. The original, unrated cut that was released in theater. George A. Romero has referred to this as his preffered version.
Special Features:
-
Audio commentaries from George A. Romero and special effects legend Tom Savini
-
Theatrical trailers
-
TV spots
-
Radio spots
-
Poster and advertising gallery
-
George A. Romero bio
-
Comic book preview
Extended Version:
139 minutes. Created for the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, this version contains 12 extra minutes of extended scenes and additional gore. This version is often referred to incorrectly as the ‘director’s cut’.
Special Features:
-
Audio commentary with Producer
-
Monroeville Mall commercial
-
Behind-the-scenes photo gallery
-
Memorabilia gallery
-
Production stills
European Version:
118 minutes. The European release of the film was re-edited by Italian horror film master Dario Argento, with a shorter run-time. This cut’s main difference is its quickened pace and additional music from Goblin.
Special Features:
-
Audio commentary with the cast
-
International trailers
-
UK televison spots
-
International lobby card gallery
-
International poster and advertising gallery
-
Pressbook gallery
-
Home video and soundtrack artwork
-
Dario Argento bio
Bonus Documentaries Disc:
-
The Dead Will Walk – A 75 minute documentary featuring the cast and crew.
-
Document of the Dead – The original feature documentary filmed during the making of Dawn of the Dead.
-
On-Set Home Movies
-
Monroevill Mall Tour with Ken Foree
Watchmen: Tales of The Black Freighter Review
Bringing the comic book to life, literally…
When I heard about them doing this DVD for Watchmen I thought wow, this could be really cool. As a big fan already for the book I thought this was a great idea, but why didn’t they just include it in the movie. As we all found out that it would just be too long, it was a shame because this would have really brought together the story in a different way I think. Maybe even give the movie more of the same feel of the comic book then it already has.
Let’s start first with the animated film Tales of The Black Freighter. I personally really enjoyed it. The animation was great and wasn’t done as just some cheap put together to get this out there. With Gerard Butler doing the voice for the film it definitely brought something to the table. I had read somewhere, and I can’t remember the source, but Gerard Butler really wanted a part in the Watchmen movie, and after working with Zack Snyder on 300, he had asked if he could have one. Well Zack told Gerard that he would see what he could do, but nothing came of that. Then when Zack Snyder put forward the idea to Warner Brothers for this animated short, he automatically brought Gerard into the picture. Which I thought was great. At times as you are watching it you can hear 300 Gerard, and at others you can hear RockNRolla Gerard, but most of the time the voice in unrecognizable and that’s a good thing. The voice by the end becomes its own and really works.
Although the animated short is not shot for shot, word for word, it is pretty damn close. I really enjoyed it for what it was, but for some reason it really didn’t connect to me like the story in the Watchmen comic did. So I’m very curious to see how the extended directors cut will come out with this animated version laced through the original film.
Now I heard of the Under The Hood bonus feature and although it sounded interesting, I didn’t really get too excited about it. Well interesting enough, I actually enjoyed that more than the animated short. It was really great and kept my attention for the whole thirty something minutes. I actually felt like the Watchmen world was really alive and that this was a real documentary. It was too cool. I mean they interviewed all the actually actors from the film, which what more can you ask for. Plus characters that we got such a little glimpse of in the movie, got full parts in this documentary. It was great to hear from Bernard the news vendor, Edgar Jacob aka Moloch the Mystic, and Wally Weaver to name a few. Then even having Hollis Mason doing the whole Under The Hood thing, and Silhouette making such a big appearance really made this better than I could’ve ever imagined.
The first time I read through Watchmen I have to admit that all the extra book clips and what not at the end of each chapter really didn’t catch my interest. Don’t get me wrong, I read them, but after reading them the third or fourth time after reading the actual story three or four times, I really got into it. The opening chapter in Under The Hood is one of the best written pieces I think in the Watchmen book all together (I admit, most of the writing in that book was the best, but this was just one of many.) So to see these few chapters from Under The Hood brought to life was really great. I just enjoyed believing for thirty something minutes that all this stuff whether it be the book of the movie, could somehow be real.
For extras it includes Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen, which is a documentary of the making of both Tales of the Black Freighter and Under The Hood. It’s cool and definitely worth watching. Also in has the Watchmen Motion Comic Chapter One, which if you haven’t already seen it, worth checking out. Last is a First Look at Green Lantern which is very cool and worth a watch.
So as you can tell by this, and my Watchmen movie review, I love anything Watchmen. I’m not the type to nitpick and bring it down, I just really like to enjoy what we get served. If you’ve seen the movies, let me know what you think, or any questions or comments just post them. Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did.
Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace… has anyone figured out what that means yet? As the first true sequel of a James Bond film, it’s the follow up of what most claim to be the best bond film ever, Casino Royale. So how do you go from the best and make it better? Well in this case, you don’t. While Casino Royale was an action movie, it was still layered with character growth and relationships that shaped a character that we all know and love today. Casino Royale really gave us the feeling that we know where James Bond is from and why he is the way he is. Quantum of Solace just lacked all of this and was just a straight action film.
Not that there’s anything wrong with action, quite the contrary. I really do love great action sequences and explosions and shoot outs just as much as the next action junkie, but the fact that Casino Royale was so damn good, Quantum of Solace just felt lacking in the story department. Marc Foster who directed it did an amazing job with what he had. Shot for shot it was great. The opening sequence of the car chase with the Aston Martin was the most edge of your seat experience I’ve had in a long time. The opening chase with Bond and the double agent during the interrogation was great. And the boat sequence was something you have to see to believe. But then where did this all go wrong? Well like I said it lacked any emotional attachment to the characters. Especially when I heard that Marc Foster was doing this I thought great, this is the guy that brought us The Kite Runner and Monsters Ball, both great character building pieces where you are able to invest your feelings into the characters. Boy was I wrong.
He did try to develop the relationship with Bond and Camille, who like Bond, is seeking revenge, but it never pans through. Bond is so disconnected after losing Vesper in the first one that he has no feelings for anyone and has become a cold hard killer. What I thought was interesting is that the trailer made it look like there was going to be so much more to it, but again, just seemed to lack.
As for the DVD itself it looked great. I really felt that the colors were bright and the transfer from the big screen was spot on. And if you have a nice sound system, turn up the base, trust me, it’s worth it. For extras they pack in a few. It has its trailers, two to be exact and a music video called Die Another Day which is worth one watch at least. Then it has a feature that is called Bond on Location which are really cool videos of where all the locations were and watching the stunts being performed is really cool. Start of Shooting is a feature that is a short documentary styled video of the cast and crew talking about their parts in making the film. Then there’s On Location which is another short docu style of the camera set ups and the difficulty behind them. Last of the Bond on Location features is Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase which is a cool short on how they shot just that, the boat chase. Another short video is called Director Marc Foster Featurette which is another interesting short video with some cool info. The Music Featurette is a short video on the composer David Arnold who I thought did an amazing job of working on the music. Last is something called Crew Files which is the longest of the features and offers some great outtakes.
Now after beating up the movie so much I come to this. I really did enjoy it, I know I complained about the lack of character development, but that’s the screenwriter side of me lashing out for something that bothered me. The film junkie side who loves everything movies did really love this movie. I thought overall it was a great ride that keeps you going from beginning to end with fast paced action that is a ride that I really think everyone should get on board once. If you’re a Bond fan do yourself a favor and see it. If you just want a good action movie to sit down and watch then definitely consider this. Let me know what you think.
Welcome to week two of From the Vault. This weeks edition features my favorite Western and Comic book character with western origins. This week it was hard to decide what films to put in here my initial choices I could not use. But after some feedback and recommendations I narrowed it down to these two you see before you. So lets get to it.
Tombstone
“You going to do something or stand there and bleed?”
-Wyatt Earp
Stars: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot
Director: George P. Cosmatos (Rambo II, The Beloved)
There are many genres of film I will watch, Film Noir, Sci-Fi, action and even animated. But one genre I do not watch regularly is The Western. It was one genre that never fully captivated my interests. But there are a few that I will watch and have amongst my collection such as 3:10 to Yuma (the remake), Unforgiven and Tombstone. In my opinion Tombstone si the best one, though it is a very close race.
Tombstone depicts the events that occurred prior to and after the shootout at the OK coral involving the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday and the Cowboy gang. The Earp brothers are made up of Wyatt (Russell), Virgil (Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxton). I found this film to very entertaining, a very manly movie, it contains all the right ingredients, gunfights, tough men and a love affair just for the ladies. I will admit that there a few cheesy lines of dialogue, delivered for the most part by Russell, in particular the river gun battle when he yells no in super slow motion, it really took away from a pretty good movie up to that point. But it did manage to bring me back shortly after.
Tombstone has a pretty solid cast, as well as some fairly good cameos from Billy Bob Thornton, Charleton Heston , Jason Preistley, Billy Zane and Thomas Hayden Church. The standout performance has to be Val Kilmer, in what I believe to be his best role to date, as Doc Holliday. He delivers a sophisticated and suave gunman and Professional Gambler, many of my favorite lines were delivered by Doc. Powers Boothe and Michael Biehn provide us with some excellent contrast to Doc and Wyatt, as Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo respectively. Sam Elliot, as always, provides us with some great support. Kurt Russell was just ok, I found that he was playing the same role that he typically plays, “the tough bad ass, who does not take crap from nobody, hell bent on revenge.” The most disappointing acting came from Bill Paxton. He came across as out of place and looked like he struggled with his part as Morgan Earp, I typically enjoy most of Paxtons roles, just not this one.
I highly recommend viewing Tombstone if you have not, it is action packed with some real good quips from Val Kilmer.
Versions:
1) Single disk with the theatrical version. (Available in WS and FS)
2) Two Disk Vista Series Directors Cut. (Available in WS only)
Special Features:
Single Disk:
1)Theatrical Trailers.
Two Disk Vista Series Directors Cut:
1) Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
2) 3 Part The Making of Tombstone series
i) An Ensemble Cast
ii) Making an Authentic Western
iii) The Gunfight at the OK Coral
3) Audio Commentary by director George P. Costmatos
4) Interactive Tombstone Timeline.
5) Directors original storyboards: OK Coral sequence.
6) The Tombstone Epitaph: Actual newspaper account.
7) Faro at The Oriental: Game of Chance (DVD ROM Feature)
8 ) Collectible Tombstone Map.
I find that that Making of featurettes are hit or miss, depending on the film, for Tombstone I found the making of features to be quite good and well worth watching, in particular the “An Ensemble Cast” part, it was interesting seeing how each actor cast prepared for their roles and researched their character. As well the comparisons done to their counterparts. “The Gunfight at the OK Coral” was also worth watching, just to see how it was all set up and done. Also checkout the interactive Tombstone Timeline, as it gives you a better understanding on the story and gives small insights as well. The rest of the features are pretty good for a one time viewing. As for the differences between the directors cut and the theatrical version, I can not say since I have only ever watched the directors cut, but if I had to guess, it would maybe some extended scenes and some more blood and violence.
Ghost Rider
“Yeah, I’m good. I feel like my skull is on fire, but I’m good”
- Johnny Blaze
When it comes to comic book films not every one meets the expectations of the comic book readers, It’s a fickle market, where few have treaded gently and many have trampled. Studios try and cash on in a name that everyone recognizes, regardless if it stays close to the source material. There have been some great adaptations and not so good, Ghost Rider, in my opinion fits somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed the film for good block of actions and a seeing one of my favorite comic book characters materialize on the big screen. But it lacked on so many levels, which made it a disappointment.
What made it disappointing was the lack of story and character depth. Everyone and everything came off as one dimensional and just there for show. The acting was deplorable in all aspects, there were no outstanding or great performance from any of the cast. Nicolas Cage looked like he was reading off a teleprompter and looked constipated during some of the more emotional scenes. Eva Mendes was disinterested and flat. Even Sam Elliot and Peter Fonda were terrible by comparison to other roles they have had. The saving grace, at least for me, was the excellent graphics, especially when it came to Ghost Rider himself. The story was predictable and really fell short, but almost made up for it in some pretty cool fight and action sequences.
You should enjoy Ghost Rider for what it is, not what it was suppose to be, an enjoyable popcorn flick. If you go in expecting it to be a great comic book film, will sadly be disappointed. Watch it with lowered expectations and you will end up alright.
Versions:
1) Single disk contains theatrical version. (Available in FS and WS)
2) Two disk extended cut. (Available in WS only)
Special Features:
Single Disk:
1) Trailers and TV Spots
2) Audio Commentary.
Two Disk Extended Cut:
1) Trailers and TV Spots
2) Audio Commentary
3) 3 Making of Featurettes:
i) Spirit of Vengeance
ii) Spirit of Adventure
iii) Spirit of execution
4) Sin and Salvation: Chronicling Forty years of Comic Book History
5) Animatics
I had bought the two disk extended cut because with a large portion of comic book based films, the special feature are pretty darn good and well worth the extra cash. Ghost Rider fell through the cracks. Aside from the animatics feature and the Sin and Salvation features, they all are rather boring and thrown together. The Animatics, goes through the process of turning Cage into Ghost Rider. Sin and Salvation goes through the entire Ghost Rider canon of history which I found quite entertaining. Again I have only seen the extended cut of the film, and I do not know what difference there are.
