New to View: Feb. 26
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released
on Tuesday, Feb. 26, unless otherwise noted:
Ralph Breaks the Internet (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2018, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, action, rude humor
The lowdown: “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is a fun movie, but its running time — and some of its subject matter — may be over the heads of the youngsters who will probably clamor to see it.
The simple plot could have been condensed by about 20 minutes without losing much.
The story basically finds Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and his best friend, Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman), at a crossroads at Litwak’s Arcade.
Ralph is happy doing the same video-game actions day after day, while Vanellope is bored by the monotonous predictability of her Sugar Rush racing game.
Trying to help his friend, Ralph creates a situation that breaks Sugar Rush and threatens Vanellope’s very existence.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” at times, feels too adult. Also, it seems to meander from kid-friendly to more mature satiric jabs.
The movie is basically a sweet confection that, like this year’s “Ready Player One,” relies heavily on nostalgia and pop-culture references to propel it.
The picture and audio transfers are spot-on, with no loss of color or distortions.
Critics seem to enjoy the movie, giving it an 88 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English 2.0 descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette on how Disney animators brought the Internet to life, deleted scenes, an option to surf the Internet for Easter eggs, a look at the movie’s music, deleted scenes, two music videos and a look at the BuzzzTube cat compilation.
The Little Mermaid: 30th Anniversary Edition: Walt Disney Signature Collection (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 1989, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: G
The lowdown: After 1973’s “Robin Hood,” the Walt Disney Studios’ animation output became rather stale and dated. Sure, some of the releases, such as “The Rescuers” and “The Fox and the Hound,” proved popular, but many did not seem to gel.
The studio was in transition from the older animators who had worked on the classic releases from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to “Sleeping Beauty” were retiring or had passed away to a new generation of animators who were trying to find their own voices and styles.
They hit pay dirt with the release in 1989 of “The Little Mermaid.” The movie was a hit with audiences and critics alike, and went on to win two Academy Awards, one of original score, the other for original song, “Under the Sea.”
More importantly, the movie paved the way for such future hits as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.” “Mermaid” also helped spark a renewed interest in animated features that carries on to this day.
This 30th anniversary release of this contemporary classic features an upgrade in the color composition from the earlier “Diamond Edition” release. The sound remains very clear.
The movie, of course, charmed critics who gave it a 92 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus components include leading ladies sharing their memories of composer Alan Menken, a sing-along option, a look at the cast’s original recording sessions, a “Stories from Walt’s Office: Gadgets and Gizmos” featurette, four archival, classic bonus features, a music video and exclusive digital bonus features.
“Legally Blonde Collection” (Blu-ray)
Details: 2001, 2003, Shout! Factory
Rated: PG-13, language, sexual references
The lowdown: Reese Witherspoon turned expectations on their heads with her performance as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.”
Elle storms Harvard Law School trying to win back her fiancé, but instead, finds a love and aptitude for the law as well as a new love in her life.
The movie, which was a hit with audiences and earned a 69 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com, was popular enough to earn a sequel.
In “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde,” Elle is off to Washington to push for a bill against animal testing. She, of course, sets the Capital on its ear. The sequel, though, charmed neither critics nor audiences like the original — which is the usual case with sequels.
However, you get both in this Shout Select release, making it easier for comparisons.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, “Legally Blonde,” 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles; “Legally Blonde 2,” 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with actress Jessica Caulfiel, deleted scenes, a gag reel, featurettes, commentary tracks and music videos.
The Vengeance of She (Blu-ray)
Details: 1968, Scream Factory
Rated: G
The lowdown: This weak Hammer Films entry is a tepid sequel to that studio’s 1965 “She,” but without such star power as Ursula Andress, Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee.
Olinka Berova stars as Carol, a beautiful young woman who is having hallucinations in which she hears voices calling her Ayesha. She is drawn toward the east. On her journey, she meets Dr. Philip Smith (Edward Judd), who decides to accompany Carol to her unspecified destination.
They eventually reach the lost city of Kuma where Carol is greeted as the reincarnation of Queen Ayesha, the beloved of King Kilikrates (John Richardson).
Smith is imprisoned, where he learns of the high priest of Kuma’s plan to obtain the secret of immortality by bringing back Ayesha to her beloved king.
You will have to watch to see is Smith can escape, foil the dastardly plot and save Carol.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.66:1 picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with the film’s assistant director, visual effects artist and its camera clapper/loader; a commentary track by the “Monster Party Podcast” hosts and a “World of Hammer” episode.
Rampant (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 2018, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A supernatural Korean thriller about creatures called Night Demons who have overrun the country.
When King Ganglim returns from a long imprisonment abroad and learns of the menace, he devotes his entire kingdom to stopping the spreading rampage.
The movie is a new take on the zombie horror film, though it has a few drawbacks, such as focusing more on the historical period rather than the monsters.
Genre fans, though, will enjoy the usual copious spurting of blood that accompanies such features.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 16:9 widescreen picture; Korean DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; DVD: 16:9 widescreen picture; Korean Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette and behind-the-scenes looks at the movie comprise the major bonus components.
Year of the Dragon (Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 19
Details: 1985, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: R, language, violence, nudity, adult situations
The lowdown: Mickey Rourke portrays police Capt. Stanley White, a Vietnam War veteran, determined to end the corruption and influence of crime families and drug cartels in New York’s Chinatown in director Michael Cimino’s action-thriller, which includes Oliver Stone as one of its screenwriters.
White is single-minded in his crusade, despite opposition from within his department and city officials. White faces off with John Lone’s suave Chinatown crime boss.
The movie seems a bit uneven in stretches, but, overall, it’s Rourke’s performance that holds your attention.
The release, a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, received a 59 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
The movie can be ordered at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other Internet retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The main extra is a commentary track by Cimino.
Willard (Blu-ray)
Details: 2003, Scream Factory
Rated: PG-13, terror, violence, sexual content, language
The lowdown: The always-interesting Crispin Glover stars in this remake of the 1971 cult favorite about a young man whose life changes when he discovers he has a bond with the rats that infest his basement.
This new power gives Glover’s Willard the ability to get even with those who always have had their feet on his neck, especially his nasty boss.
Glover provides his patented creepy, demented performance, which keeps the movie from flailing, since it seems to plod along at various junctures.
Still, critics were kinder to the movie, giving it a 64 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com, as opposed to the 57 percent that the original garnered.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include three commentary tracks, a documentary on the making of the movie, a music video, deleted and alternate scenes and a “Rat People: Friends or Foes?” featurette.
Wild Rovers (Blu-ray)
Release date: Feb. 19
Details: 1971, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: GP, language, violence
The lowdown: William Holden and Ryan O’Neal star in this Western written and directed by Blake Edwards.
The movie centers aging ranch hand Ross Bodine (Holden), who, after many years, is tired of being a ranch hand and cowpuncher.
Bodine convinces Frank Post (O’Neal), a young cowboy, to help him rob a bank and get the money each needs to improve their lives.
After the robbery, a posse gives chase as the cowpokes realize their dreams may be difficult to fulfill.
The movie details some of Edwards’ brilliance as a writer and a director, but also takes a few too many detours into the comedy in which the director specialized.
The release, a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection, can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online dealers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A movie makers featurette is the major extra.
The Mole People (Blu-ray)
Details: 1956, Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This sci-fi-horror pastiche is one of the last gasps for the myriad of creature feature and science fiction programmers produced by Universal in the 1950s.
During the decade, the studio’s output in these genres was prolific: “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” and its two sequels, “Tarantula,” “The Deadly Mantis,” “The Incredible Shrinking Man” and “The Monolith Monsters,” were just a few of the titles released during that time.
“The Mole People” starred two dependable actors associated with sci-fi offerings — John Agar and Hugh Beaumont. They, along with character actor Nestor Paiva, play a trio of archaeologists who come upon a strange race of albinos who live underground and shun all forms of light. They also have mutant mole men as their slaves.
The scientists are treated as gods because they have flashlights, which the albinos consider “magical cylinders of fire.”
The trio decide to help liberate the mole men, incurring the wrath of the albinos’ high priest.
Everything, of course, works out by the end credits as nature’s usual way of dealing with lost civilizations comes into play.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.00:1 picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track by historian-author Tom Weaver and David Schecter and a “Mystery Science Theater 3000” episode on “The Mole People.”
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Between Worlds (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Holiday (DVD + VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Pinsky (Breaking Glass Pictures)
The Unseen (Monarch Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
We Die Young (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, March 1)
Soldier of War (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Accused, Series 1 & 2 (Acorn TV, March 4)
The Boy with the Topknot (Acorn TV, March 4)
Murdoch Mysteries: Series 12, Episode 12 (Acorn TV, March 4)
My Welsh Sheep Dog (Acorn TV, March 4)
COMING NEXT WEEK: Creed II
Burning
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.