New on DVD and Blu-Ray | Iron Man Goes Greek

It's a big week for home video.

 

Several new titles hit retail shelves this week, with the majority of them being great and only a few misses.  First up is the fantastic summer hit, Iron Man 2.  

 

The sequel features a bit more talking than is preferred in a summer blockbuster of this nature, but make no mistake about it, Iron Man 2 is a must see.  Robert Downey Jr returns for his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and his portrayal of the playboy Stark is worth the price of a rental alone.  For fans on the first, it's an instant purchase.

 

Also seeing release this week is the comedy Get Him to the Greek, a follow up on the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  The movie has Russell Brand continuing his performance as the rocker who Jonah Hill must get to the Greek Theater for a anniversary performance.  The movie is essentially a road trip movie, with hilarious moments of comic genius thrown in.  If you liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you'll love Get Him to the Greek.

 

Also releasing this week is the film adaptation of the popular Jim Thompson boom The Killer Inside Me.  Make no mistake about it, the movie does not tread carefully over the source material.  The movie is a very disturbing movie and certainly not for everyone.  However, the movie will stick with you after viewing it and film buffs will certainly want to watch Casey Affleck ascend into the abyss.  

 

The movie is similar in nature and in tone to American Psycho, so those who enjoyed that classic Christian Bale flick will certainly want to give it a watch.

 

There are two duds being released this week in the form of Frozen and Batman/Superman Apocalypse.  Although Warner Bros. is trying hard to release a more adult-themed Batman/Superman adventures as of late, the movie's writing needs quite a bit of work to overcome its obvious obstacles.  

 

The latest animated adventure falls well short of classic, and is only recommended for those die-hard Batman/Superman fans (remember, both Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy return for their respective voices here).  Frozen is the latest 'horror' movie from writer/director Adam Green (Hatchet, Hatchet 2) and much like his other horror movies, this attempt is mostly amateurish at best.  

 

Frozen tells the story of three friends stranded overnight on a ski lift.  Faced with freezing to death or falling, the three friends struggle to grasp their reality.  It's a forgettable watch, with mostly horrid dialog and incredibly inept characters.  

 

For those who can't get enough of infants, make sure to check out the French documentary Babies, which finally hits home this week.  The documentary follows the lives of three babies as they grow to their one-year birthday.  The documentary is an interesting watch, and of course, features some very adorable newborns.   

 

 

 

 The Best

 

Iron Man 2

 

 

Buy/Rent/Skip: Buy – Read the Review

 

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, the wealthy playboy whose exploits as Iron Man are now public knowledge after his admission at the close of the first film. In the follow-up, Stark is pitted against his Russian arch nemesis, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), and corporate rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Also making their Marvel debuts are Scarlett Johansson as the sexy Russian spy Black Widow, and Don Cheadle, who takes over the role of Colonel James Rhodes from Terrence Howard. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

 

 

Director: Jon Favreau 

 

Starring: Robert Downey Jr

MPAA Rating:  Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

 

Official Website: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

 

(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Him to the Greek

 

Buy/Rent/Skip: Buy – Read the Review

  

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Nick Stoller writes and directs this buddy comedy starring Jonah Hill as an insurance agent who's forced to follow a rowdy rock star (Russell Brand) on a trip from London to L.A. in this Universal Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

 

Director:  Nick Stoller

 

Starring:  Russell Brand, Jonah Hill

MPAA Rating:  Rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language.

 

Official Website: http://www.gethimtothegreek.net/

 

   

(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Killer Inside Me

 

 

Buy/Rent/Skip: Rent 

 

The second feature-length adaptation of author Jim Thompson's acclaimed 1952 crime novel, Michael Winterbottom's unflinching, psychosexual post-noir stars Casey Affleck as Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford, a stoic small-town lawman leading a secret life as a serial killer. His West Texas jurisdiction plagued by a series of unsolved murders, Deputy Sheriff Ford does his best to maintain a cool facade while working to deflect the suspicions of the locals. When those suspicions grow too strong to ignore, the psychotic sheriff begins to buckle under the pressure. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

 

Director: Michael Winterbottom

 

Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson

MPAA Rating: Rated R for disturbing brutal violence, aberrant sexual content and some graphic nudity.

 

Official Website: http://www.killerinsideme.com/

 

(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)

 

 

 

The Rest

 

Babies

 

Filmmaker Thomas Balmes offers an adorable glimpse at the first phase of life in this film following four newborn babies through their first year of life. Ponijao, Bayar, Mari, and Hattie were born in Namibia, Mongolia, Japan, and California respectively. By capturing their earliest stage of development on camera, Balmes reveals just how much we all have in common, despite being born to different parents and raised in different cultures. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

 

(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Superman/Batman Apocalypse

 

Superman and Batman join forces rescue an elusive Kryptonian from the malevolent Darkseid in this adaptation of author Jeff Loeb's popular Superman/Batman storyline. Shortly after a space craft carrying a powerful Kryptonian crashes down into Gotham Harbor, Darkseid kidnaps the extraterrestrial visitor and imprisons him in Apokolips. Rescuing the Kryptonian from Darkseid's grasp won't be easy, but thankfully Superman and Batman have just what it takes to get the job done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frozen

 

Director Adam Green (Hatchet, Spiral) takes the helm for this relentlessly tense tale of three snowboarders who must fight for their lives in the freezing cold after getting stranded on a ski lift. As the trio rides up the mountain in preparation for their final run of the day, the night lights suddenly go dark, and the lift chairs grind to a sudden halt. Realizing that the resort will be closed until the following weekend, the three friends decide to take their fate into their own hands, and find their way down to terra firma. Once they do, they realize that hypothermia isn't the only thing they have to fear. Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers, and Emma Bell star in the film.

 

 

 

 

 

Recent DVD and Blu-ray Releases

 

September 21st – Robin Hood and more…

September 14th – Prince of Persia and more

September 7th – MacGruber and more…

August 31st – Harry Brown and more…

August 24th –  The Back-up Plan and more…

August 17th – The Last Song and more…

 

Article written by Matt Wehner on GotchaMovies.com. Reposted with permission.