Comedy

Horton Hears a Who (Widescreen and Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition)

When a kindly elephant hears a faint cry of help from a floating speck of dust his attempts to protect the tiny particle cause his neighbors to question his sanity in this animated adaptation of dr seuss classic 1954 childrens book of the same name. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 12/09/2008 Starring: Voice Of Jim Carrey Voice Of Steve Carrell Run time: 174 minutes Rating: G

Dr. Seuss's classic 1954 book Horton Hears a Who has entertained generations of children and served as the inspiration for a 26-minute, 1970 television special Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who and the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical: The Musical. This 2008, full-length animated movie features the voice talents of Jim Carrey as Horton, Steve Carrell as the Mayor of Whoville, Carol Burnett as the Kangaroo, and Jesse McCartney as JoJo and promises to delight a whole new generation of children and their parents and grandparents. The technological wonders of computer animation have allowed 20th Century Fox Animation to bring to life the wacky, colorful Whoville with its minute inhabitants and the lush Jungle of Nool with its host of distinctive animals and the result is a rich, fantastical world of wonder worthy of Dr. Seuss' own imagination. All the major plot elements of Dr. Seuss' book are present, with Horton hearing the faint cry for help from a tiny dust speck atop a small clover and doing his best to protect the inhabitants of that small civilization of Whoville despite the disbelief, disdain, and persecution of his fellow animals. The feel of Dr. Seuss' original rhyming prose is partially preserved in the sparse narration by Charles Osgood that's interspersed throughout the film's dialogue and the overarching themes of staying true to one's convictions and the celebration of the power of perseverance, imagination, and kindness come through loud and clear. Horton Hears a Who is a fun rendering of a classic Dr. Seuss story that's sure to entertain viewers of all ages. --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Horton Hears a Who ! on DVD

Nim's Island on DVD

Alvin and the Chipmunks on DVD

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium on DVD

Stills from Horton Hears a Who! (Click for larger image)

Tropic Thunder

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 11/18/2008 Run time: 107 minutes Rating: R

It's not really a knock to say that nothing in Tropic Thunder is funnier than its first five minutes, so sly that--especially for people watching in theaters--you don't realize right away they are the opening minutes of the movie. This outrageous comedy begins with a series of fake previews, each introducing one of the main characters in the film-proper (not that there's anything proper about this film) and each bearing the familiar logo of a different motion picture studio: Universal, DreamWorks SKG, et al. Such playing fast and loose with corporate talismans verges on sacrilege, but it's an index of how much le tout Tinseltown endorses the movie as a demented valentine to itself. The premise is that the cast of a would-be "Son of Rambo" movie shooting in some Southeast Asian jungle get into a real shooting war with drug-smuggling montagnards. Don't ask--though the movie does have an answer--why such highly paid, usually ultra-pampered personnel as superhero Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Mozart of fart comedy Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), hip-hop artist Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), and five-time Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus from Aus-try-leeah (Robert Downey Jr.) should be running through the jungle unattended and very vulnerable. It matters only that the real-life cast has a high time kidding their own profession and flexing their comedic muscles. Bonus points go to Stiller for co-writing the script (with Justin Theroux) and directing, and to Downey, brilliant as a white actor surgically turned black actor for his role and utterly committed to staying in character no matter what ("I don't drop character till I done the DVD commentary").

Be warned: The movie, too, is committed--to being an equal-opportunity offender. Its political incorrectness extends not only to Lazarus's black-like-me posturing but also Speedman's recent, Sean Penn-style Oscar bid playing a cognitively challenged farmboy--or, in Lazarus's deathless phrase, "going the full retard." Others in the cast include Steve Coogan as a director out of his depth, Nick Nolte as the Viet-vet novelist whose book inspired the film-within-the-film, Matthew McConaughey as Speedman's sun-blissed agent back home, and Tom Cruise--bald, fat-suited, and profane--as an epically repulsive studio head. Two hours running time is a mite excessive, but otherwise, what's not to like? --Richard T. Jameson




Stills from Tropic Thunder (Click for larger image)

Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)

Romantic hilarious uplifting & always real this all-star cast will take you on a breathtaking tour of all of loves ups & downs. Catch loves spell & share the romance laughs & charm. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 01/15/2008 Starring: Hugh Grant Liam Neeson Run time: 135 minutes Rating: R

With no fewer than eight couples vying for our attention, Love Actually is like the Boston Marathon of romantic comedies, and everybody wins. Having mastered the genre as the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary, it appears that first-time director Richard Curtis is just like his screenplays: He just wants to be loved, and he'll go to absurdly appealing lengths to win our affection. With Love Actually, Curtis orchestrates a minor miracle of romantic choreography, guiding a brilliant cast of stars and newcomers as they careen toward love and holiday cheer in London, among them the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who's smitten with his caterer; a widower (Liam Neeson) whose young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer (Colin Firth) who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother (Emma Thompson) coping with her potentially unfaithful husband (Alan Rickman); and a lovelorn American (Laura Linney) who's desperately attracted to a colleague. There's more--too much more--as Curtis wraps his Christmas gift with enough happy endings to sweeten a dozen other movies. That he pulls it off so entertainingly is undeniably impressive; that he does it so shamelessly suggests that his writing fares better with other, less ingratiating directors. --Jeff Shannon

Kit Kittredge - An American Girl

Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 10/28/2008 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: G

A period piece set in the Great Depression and based on the extremely popular American Girl book series, Kit Kittredge is a moving and believable story about a smart 10-year-old girl whose family is profoundly affected by the Depression. May, 1934 finds Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin) living a very comfortable life in a nice home with her mother (Julia Ormond) and father (Chris O'Donnell) despite the Depression that is affecting many of her neighbors. When her father's auto dealership is taken back by the bank, Kit's father is forced to head for Chicago to look for work, leaving his family struggling to make ends meet by taking in borders. Kindhearted and generous by nature, Kit's nose for news and her aspirations of becoming a great reporter lead her to write a portrait of the boardinghouse run by her mother, essentially a kid's view of the Depression as well as an article about hobos that challenges many commonly held prejudices. Kit determinedly submits her articles to the local Cincinnati Register paper, regardless of the chief editor's stern ways and obvious lack of interest. When her own family and boarders become the victims of a crime, Kit's must utilize her investigative skills to solve the crime and exonerate her friend Will (Max Thieriot). Breslin's performance in this film is stellar--viewers can't help but believe that she is Kit Kittredge. The filmmakers' attention to detail ensures that everything from scenery props to music and dialogue seem completely authentic, and performances by Joan Cusack as the mobile librarian, Stanley Tucci as the traveling magician, Jane Krakowski as the desperate-for-love dance instructor, and Zach Mills as Kit's young friend, are all impressive. Serious American Girl fans, period film lovers, and viewers just looking for a good story will love this film. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

The Bishop's Wife

A bishop trying to get a new cathedral built prays for guidance. An angel (cary grant) arrives but his guidance isnt about fundraising. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 10/17/2006 Starring: Cary Grant David Niven Run time: 109 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Henry Koster

Perhaps if The Bishop's Wife had lapsed on its copyright and fallen into the public domain like It's a Wonderful Life, it would be as much a Christmas staple as that classic. It certainly deserves to be. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent down by the prayers of a new bishop (David Niven). The bishop is trying to build a new cathedral, and he's so entrenched in his fundraising that he's watching his own marriage crumble around him. Loretta Young is devoted, moist-eyed, and basically a great date for the tempted Dudley. They drink in the afternoon, go skating at night, and make impulse buys. The skating sequence beats mightily on one's suspension of disbelief, but the rest of the film is an absolute joy. Grant is suave, worldly, and enchanting. A wonderful present for anyone who has not seen it. --Keith Simanton

Tropic Thunder (Unrated Director's Cut + BD Live) [Blu-ray]

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 11/18/2008 Run time: 122 minutes Rating: Ur

It's not really a knock to say that nothing in Tropic Thunder is funnier than its first five minutes, so sly that--especially for people watching in theaters--you don't realize right away they are the opening minutes of the movie. This outrageous comedy begins with a series of fake previews, each introducing one of the main characters in the film-proper (not that there's anything proper about this film) and each bearing the familiar logo of a different motion picture studio: Universal, DreamWorks SKG, et al. Such playing fast and loose with corporate talismans verges on sacrilege, but it's an index of how much le tout Tinseltown endorses the movie as a demented valentine to itself. The premise is that the cast of a would-be "Son of Rambo" movie shooting in some Southeast Asian jungle get into a real shooting war with drug-smuggling montagnards. Don't ask--though the movie does have an answer--why such highly paid, usually ultra-pampered personnel as superhero Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), Mozart of fart comedy Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), hip-hop artist Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), and five-time Oscar-winner Kirk Lazarus from Aus-try-leeah (Robert Downey Jr.) should be running through the jungle unattended and very vulnerable. It matters only that the real-life cast has a high time kidding their own profession and flexing their comedic muscles. Bonus points go to Stiller for co-writing the script (with Justin Theroux) and directing, and to Downey, brilliant as a white actor surgically turned black actor for his role and utterly committed to staying in character no matter what ("I don't drop character till I done the DVD commentary").

Be warned: The movie, too, is committed--to being an equal-opportunity offender. Its political incorrectness extends not only to Lazarus's black-like-me posturing but also Speedman's recent, Sean Penn-style Oscar bid playing a cognitively challenged farmboy--or, in Lazarus's deathless phrase, "going the full retard." Others in the cast include Steve Coogan as a director out of his depth, Nick Nolte as the Viet-vet novelist whose book inspired the film-within-the-film, Matthew McConaughey as Speedman's sun-blissed agent back home, and Tom Cruise--bald, fat-suited, and profane--as an epically repulsive studio head. Two hours running time is a mite excessive, but otherwise, what's not to like? --Richard T. Jameson




Stills from Tropic Thunder (Click for larger image)

Journey to the Center of the Earth

On a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother a scientist his nephew & their mountain guide discover a fantastic & dangerous lost world in the center of the earth. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 10/28/2008 Starring: Brendan Fraser Anita Briem Rating: Pg

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is full of whizz-bang demonstrations of how far 3D technology has come--trilobite antennae quivering towards the audience, a T-rex lunging out of the frame, even affable star Brendan Fraser spitting on us--as well as a half-dozen action sequences clearly destined to become videogames or theme park rides. The plot is incidental: When a seismic geologist (Fraser) discovers his lost brother's notes in a copy of the titular Jules Verne novel, he and his nephew (Josh Hutcherson, Bridge to Terabithia, Zathura) head to Iceland. There, joined by a fetching mountain guide (played by Icelandic actress Anita Briem), they get trapped in a cavern and go down, down, down, finally arriving in a primeval underworld full of prehistoric beasts and carnivorous plants. It would be pointless to complain about the empty-headedness of it all; Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D aspires to be a kinesthetic experience. It wants to engage your adrenal glands, not your brain or your heart (the dialogue and characters are so generic, the script may have been cut-and-pasted from previous versions of Verne's book). Fraser, with his goofy handsomeness and accessible presence, provides a reasonably human axis around which all the frantic flying and swooping CGI effects revolve. The movie is as hollow as the world it depicts, but as mindless action movies go, you could do a lot worse. --Bret Fetzer

August Rush

Cellist lyla and rock musican louis meet at a party spend the night. Lyla learns she is pregnant. Her father forces them apart she gets pregnant. Lyla has an accident her father tells her the baby died the child survives and is give up for adoption the child(evan)11 now embarks finding his parents through music Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/30/2008 Starring: Freddie Highmore Jonathan Rhys Meyers Run time: 113 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Kirsten Sheridan

Music has long been considered a universal language with the power to bring people together, but can the simple act of playing music possibly unite a child with a mother and father who live in two different cities and don't even know of the child's existence? Having shared one extraordinary night, classical cellist Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and Irish singer and songwriter Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) were a union meant to be that was torn apart by circumstances and a protective father (William Sadler). After eleven years, both Lyla and Louis have given up performing only to find that they are unhappy and searching for a sense of fulfillment that will ultimately lead both artists back to music and performing. Evan (Freddie Highmore) is an 11-year old orphan who's grown up hearing music in everything around him and is convinced that his real parents want him and will find him with the help of music. Driven by his innate musical genius and a powerful compulsion to perform before the world, Evan runs away from the orphanage and is initially taken in by a street man known as Wizard (Robin Williams) who encourages his musical talent and renames him August Rush and, later, by a local priest who arranges for August to receive a Julliard education. August is a child prodigy who excels beyond even the wildest expectations and earns the opportunity of a lifetime--a chance to perform in front of an enormous audience in New York's Central Park. The question is; can his performance possibly reach the audience August really craves? While elements of this film are completely unbelievable (take August's instant prowess on the guitar or his immediate and sophisticated grasp of musical notation and musical theory), the message of the universality of music and the notion that "the music is all around us, all you have to do is listen" is both compelling and powerful. --Tami Horiuchi

The Nightmare Before Christmas (2-Disc Collector's Edition + Digital Copy)

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 08/26/2008 Run time: 76 minutes Rating: Pg

For those who never thought Disney would release a film in which Santa Claus is kidnapped and tortured, well, here it is! The full title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which should give you an idea of the tone of this stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy. It is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and the first two Batman movies. His benignly scary-funny sensibility dominates the story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a bizarre and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown! Directed by Henry Selick (who later made the delightful James and the Giant Peach), this PG-rated picture has a reassuringly light touch. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen." --Jim Emerson

The Women

Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 12/19/2008 Run time: 115 minutes Rating: Pg13

For fans of some of America's finest actresses, seeing a film with even one of the cast members of The Women would be a treat. But this remake of George Cukor's famed girl-trouble ensemble film features Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher, Joanna Gleason, and Candice Bergen--whew!--making it a film that fans of these terrifically talented women can savor. The remake may not have the cat-itude or camp factor of the original, but so what? The cast's chemistry really shines; friendship is thicker than water, it turns out--even stronger than the ties that bind women to their men. Ryan is the good-girl Mary Haines, whose husband, she and her friends learn, is cheating on her with the stunning femme fatale Crystal (Mendes, in the Joan Crawford role)--"a spritzer" at the perfume counter. Quelle horreur! The other women rally around the hapless Mary, staging interventions, offering snappy advice, and plotting battles on behalf of their friend. But it turns out that Ryan's Mary isn't quite as fragile as she seems. Gimlets and girl talk--lots of both--go a long way toward getting our heroine through her crisis, and onto a new stage in her life that surprises her husband and more than one of her pals. And the laughs by the appearances of Midler and Bergen, especially, are worth watching the whole film for. --A.T. Hurley