The DVD releases for the week of December 20, 2011.

 

DOLPHIN TALE

*** (OUT OF ****)

What can I say about Dolphin Tail other then my grandmother would probably love this movie? Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. It would be surprising to find anyone who hates this movie. I can see people really not liking it, but it’s almost impossible to hate.

This “family drama” is the prototypical family drama, with a formula you’ve seen time and time again. However, their are aspects to this film which stand above most others in this genre.

To start the film has that key element of “based on a true story,” which bumps  any movie up a few notches. It helps to lend credibility to the story, by allowing the viewer to constantly think “well, it could be true.”

The story and plot are fairly well constructed and delivered. For those unfamiliar, Dolphin Tale is the story a boy who saves a dying dolphin on a beach shore, and through the help of determined marine biologists, the boy rehabilitates this tailless dolphin while helping to teach it to use a prosthetic tail.

One aspect of the film which stands out the most are the actors and acting. You have nice sublet performances from the boy’s mother, Ashley Judd, and the girl’s grandfather, Kris Kristofferson. The boy and the girl (Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehisdorff) come on a little strong and just slightly one dimensional; although, for child actors they are quite good, and after a while you find yourself becoming invested in both of these performances. Harry Connick Jr. is quite entertaining and believable, which I believe is hard to pull of in a children/family film.

Though, far and above (as one might imagine), the best performance was Morgan Freeman. So much so, the film becomes exponentially better when his character is introduced. The film becomes more fun, more playful, and my enjoyable the second Freeman’s character speaks in the movie. The only down side is he doesn’t show until slightly after the one hour mark.

Not everything about this film was good, however. Many cheesy and cliché “family film” moments occur throughout the film, distancing me from full enjoyment. Right away you see the main kid has no friends and likes spending his time building things in the garage. This is the same story for every young boy who is the main character in every family film. We also find out the boys father is gone and the girls mother has died. What perfectly matching parts to an equation for when the remaining parents meet. The father’s business is going into debt and they need one big event to try and save it. The grandfather is wise and slightly foul mouthed (PG foul mouthed that is). And at one point the dad randomly busts out a sax and just starts free styling on his porch. No rime or reason.

Yes the silly cheesiness was bad, but it wasn’t too bad. What was bad however, was the computer graphics. Now, in looking at the posters for this film, I noticed it was meant for 3D and I could see how that would have helped the films visual effects. I did not watch the film in 3D and some of the cg seemed almost terrible without it (or maybe with it too, but I’d like to think not). The opening for example, when a bunch of dolphins are swimming around and I forgot I was watching live action for a moment. I had the mind set that this was a kids film, so I truly thought I was watching an animated film until the first human appeared. Also the random mechanical helicopter scene. It looks like they photoshoped the thing together. The visual effects were probably the biggest let down of this film.

Overall, how could you not enjoy this film. I mean, sure you could not, but why would you even be watching it anyway? You know by the trailer if this is a film for you are not; and if you feel like it is, you will be quite satisfied. If you feel like it looks terrible, your probably exactly right about how you will feel about it. This movie really is great for the whole family, and as I mentioned earlier, I’m truly going to show my grandmother Dolphin Tale. -KM

MARGIN CALL

*** (OUT OF ****)

Margin Call takes place over a 24 hour period in which an investment bank essentially learns about the coming recession, and how they helped to cause it. Luckily for us, the higher your position at a firm like this, the less you know about banking, so the first act has each character explaining the situation to each person ahead of them on the ladder, until all of us know what’s going on. From there, we get a drama with almost no action and all talking, but is still gripping, not just because the director and the actors keep it intense, but because of how much this particular premise hits home, as the stakes couldn’t be higher. Kevin Spacey stars, not just because of screen time, but because he stays dialed down, more Glengarry Glen Ross Spacey than American Beauty Spacey. Everyone here is good, except for Demi Moore, who apparently forgot how to act. Margin Call doubles as both a recent history lesson you should learn, and a horror movie. – RH

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Download this week’s PopFilter podcast to see what the gang thought of Midnight in Paris.

https://popfilter.co/2011/12/popfilter-ep-22-in-which-the-friends-feel-la-petit-mort/

WARRIOR

*** (OUT OF ****)

If you’re someone who has an opinion in the great debate over which is better, boxing or MMA, Warrior at least settles part of it. MMA and boxing movie cliches are exactly the same. But alas, cliches are cliches for a reason (itself a cliche), and, for the most part Warrior, much like last year’s The Fighter, rises above them. Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy star as brothers who have spent their lives in and out of fighting, in the ring, for their country, and with each other. They both enter The Biggest MMA Tournament Of All Time, and who knows, maybe they will have to face each other. Nick Nolte is their deadbeat father, and what better way to make a tear-jerker for guys than to make it all about brother and fathers. Everyone involved with this movie takes it way more seriously than the straight-to-DVD premise should allow them, and they collectively make it much better than the sum of its parts. – RH

 

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GLEE: THE CONCERT MOVIE

STRAW DOGS

 

BLU RAY/TVD

 

FUTURAMA: VOLUME 6

If anyone skipped the first Futurama season to air on Comedy Central because of how awful those straight-t0-DVD movies were, fear no longer. Volume 6 can rightfully hold its place next to the rest of the FOX-aired DVDs on your shelf. Less in-your-face scathing as South Park, but just as necessary, it felt good to have Futurama back, as they tackled targets such as Apple, evolution, and same-sex marriages, instilling in all of us the fear that, even 1000 years from now, everyone will be just as dumb. It’s rare that a show can take a seven year break and still work at all, if not be just as good, but this last season of Futurama gives hope to all those patiently awaiting the returns of Arrested Development and Joey. – RH