JAM Reviews Limitless from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Limitless: Blu-Ray with Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Ever thought life could be better with just one little boost, one little break, one little pill? One little pill that enhances the portion used within the brain turns Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) into a super genius power machine.

A down on his luck author, Eddie finds his world falling apart as writer’s block has stifled any creativity he has, his girlfriend can take no more of his life, and everything is falling to pieces. Then through one chance meeting with a former relative through marriage, Eddie finds exactly what he needs. One little pill changes everything, and not always for the best. Money, prestige, and more come his way even as his life starts tumbling out of control. Side effects, insidious characters, and himself as his worst enemy conspire to take him down before he can learn to control his destiny and his own life.

Also starring the amazing Robert DeNiro, Limitless looks at the lengths a man will go to change himself and his life all around.

JAMS Ink on Limitless

Man has always searched for the means to make himself better in a myriad of ways. Whether through the use of pills or any other shortcuts, it seems like we have been searching for the miracle which that can change our lives. It almost seems that NZT is like a souped up version of Viagra in that it completely changes how Eddie is able to accomplish things in his life. It is a poor commentary on a society that searches so often for the easy way to succeed in that Eddie finds himself so addicted to the drug that even death threats, manipulative businessman, and the warnings of an ex-wife cannot keep him from the need to pop the little clear pill.

The idea of the Hollywood ending was a bit much for me as well, as Eddie is able to manipulate addiction and side effects out of his perfect escape. It has the feelings of a super hero film, yet the addiction aspect of it rears its ugly head but is then supposedly bypassed but not conquered. There is too much of a perfect world ending when dealing with the addiction side of things for my taste, but any other ending would have been too depressing to make a movie someone would want to watch.

BLU-RAY Aspects

I have to say that a psychedelic tripout while under the sway of a brain altering drug definitely looks even brighter and more LiteBrite crazy in Blu-ray. With it mainly being a storyline based movie, the Blu-ray aspect is not absolutely needed as much as in an actionbased thriller, but it is pretty nonetheless. BLU-RAY IF WANTED on this one.

EXTRAS

Not too many extras included on this one which is kind of odd for a fairly large theatrical release, but having the extended cut is kind of cool, so that you can either watch it as shown in the theater or watch it with extended story lines. The alternate ending included is not really all that exciting and the Man Without Limits is pretty much just an intro to the character of Eddie himself. The making of is just an added extra, so the extras really do not give you any reason to splurge necessarily.

LIMITLESS Features:
• A Man Without Limits
• Taking it to the Limit: The Making of LIMITLESS
• Alternate Ending
• Unrated Extended Cut

LIMITLESS Blu-Ray:
Street Date: July 19, 2011
Screen Format: 16:9
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, Spanish
U.S. Rating: PG-13

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Dumbstruck from Magnolia Home Entertainment

Dumbstruck: DVD: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Everybody loves a dummie. Or at least they do if they are ventriloquists or their fans. Dumbstruck takes a look at the serious side of showmanship and voice throwing as it follows five ventriloquists after an annual visit to the mecca of ventriloquism, the Vent Haven convention.

The first and foremost of the followed is the America’s Got Talent winner Terry Fator who is a fun and interesting fellow. His stage presence commands the camera as well as he moves through present details and past stories with a smooth transition throughout his pieces. His backstory is interesting as he never let the lack of total success shut him down, and just happened to find the right place, right time to win the lottery as he said. The second compelling story is Dan, a cruise ship regular who has put his life and his family’s lives on hold as he makes money on the cruise ship circuit. A true pro, Dan has even influenced Terry previously and seems to be a master of the movement and manipulation of the mannequin. His subtle artistry with the simple movements is amazing to watch and seeing him torn apart between his career and his family is so tough to see, especially when things take an unseen turn. Third on the list is a former Beauty queen Kim trying to get herself onto the cruise circuit. She comes off as both likeable and committed , and her story is one that is interesting and worth the time. Working professionally as an entertainer already, she wants more and seems to miss that final step throughout her story. But she will be a success sometime. Friend four is a teenage vent named Dylan just starting out. While not as compelling, his story highlights some of the challenges faced when choosing a path that seems so strange to others in your life. And finally is Wilma, a dedicated ventriloquist who has the heart strings tugging story but less compelling aspects than the other focuses.

Meeting again at the end at the Vent Haven, these five stories intertwine once more as we receive some resolution, entertainment, and ventriloquism.

JAMS Ink on Dumbstruck

I wasn’t sure what I was going to think on this one, but to be honest the storylines in this documentary often had me hooked. Terry, Dan , and Kim kept me wanting more as they flashed in and out of the focus and even Dylan had his times where I could see the difficulty faced in choosing a career on the fringes. It was interesting to see the success versus the longing for success versus the beginning aspects of the journey versus an overall obliviousness to needs and necessities.
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EXTRAS

Further interviews with Terry and two other sets of characters make up the extras on this release. The Terry portions are good extras that I guess really had no place in the release but enhance it nonetheless, and the other are interesting characters again but without the invested backstory of the others, so they make for interesting addition but not overall necessary.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

Natalia from HTZ Reviews Winnie the Pooh from Walt Disney Studios

HTZ's junior reporter joins us once again and shares her thoughts on the new adventures of Winnie the Pooh on the big screen. Out in theaters now, take a look at what Natalia thought of Disney's newest animated Pooh feature.

JAM Reviews 13 Assassins from Magnolia Home Entertainment

13 Assassins: DVD and Digital Copy: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Swordplay, honor, and evil fill this release from Magnolia Pictures. Lord Naritsugu, the younger brother of the Shogun is prepared to take a greater role in the politics of empire, yet he is not the man for the job. Devoid of any kind of conscience, moral code, and believing the people of his land are worth nothing more than playthings that serve his every whim, there are those who will unite to hinder his ascendance into power.

Shinzaemon, a samurai of great honor is tasked with the assassination of Lord Naritsugu for the sake of his people, his country, and the future of the empire. Recruiting a small group of like minded individuals who pledge their lives to the cause, Shinzaemon stakes his gambit on Lord Naritsugu passing through one small village which they turn into a death trap for the expected small contingent of soldiers. When Naritsugu’s army has been greatly increased, the men do all they can to fulfill their obligations as the bloody battle begins.

JAMS Ink on 13 Assassins

This was a movie about duty and obligation, about honor and what is right, about power and when to use it. It is all about the value of a man’s life relative to the requirements of his country. In true David and Goliath fashion, the men of honor sell their lives for the chance to save their country and destroy an evil man who revels in the suffering of others. Chock full of action with enough character development to make things interesting, this is definitely in the must watch again category.

EXTRAS

Deleted Scenes which give a little more insight into the characters involved and a Interview with the director in which we get to see some background into his creativity. But that’s it.

Honor, responsibility, and sacrifice leads this amazing look into the life of a samurai in 13 Assassins from Magnolia Pictures. Check it out on July 5, 2011 when it hits stores near you.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews Season of the Witch from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Season of the Witch: Blu-Ray with Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Love him or leave him, Nicolas Cage is an actor who can elicit so many responses for his acting yet has had and continued with a successful career. Season of the Witch is one of his latest, with a setting in the medieval times with Behmen (Cage) and Felson (Ron Perlman) knights in service of the church during the Crusades who find themselves tiring of the endless destruction especially when ordered to eradicate a number of seemingly innocent women and children in the name of God. Feeling the need to not follow blindly the words of men, they find themselves back in a tumultuous homeland beset by the Black Plague, in the thralls of a witch hunt, and suspicious of strangers of any kind. Discovered by the Church, they are coerced into an escort mission to take an accused witch (Claire Foy) to a distant abbey where rituals and blessings, and the trial of this witch, shall remove the plague from their lands.

Behmen and Felson believe that the accused witch deserves the fairness of an actual trial rather than this seeming witch hunt and agree to accompany her more as protectors rather than escorts. Accompanied with a small group of men, all is not as it seems with this young girl as the party is turned against itself and placed in danger every step of the way leading to a crazed climax as her protectors must make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the accused witch from herself.

JAMS Ink on Season of the Witch

I actually really enjoyed this movie. I’ve had two violent medieval movies lately with this and Black Death from Magnolia Pictures, each of which deals with the plague and witchcraft. Black Death is obviously more realistic, violent in its truth and vicious in its actions. It dealt more with the witch hunt and the preying on the populace through fear and the unknown, while Season of the Witch ends up being a supernatural foray into fear, corruption, and CGI. And while Black Death will hold up to the historical perspective when I need the true violence of the time, Season of the Witch will be like a guilty pleasure, or an escape from reality movie which is needed from time to time as well.

Nic Cage. Yeah, he overacts, yes he can be hard to take sometimes, but I like him and his movies. There, I admitted it. This one is much the same in the Nic Cage vehicle, but the supernatural flair, Ron Perlman’s gruff witty mentality, and some cool CGI makes this a movie I enjoyed. If you don’t mind the Nic Cage school of movies, this could be a fun romp for you through the swords and sorcery of medieval Europe.

BLU-RAY ASPECT

The CGI on this movie retains its clarity on the blu-ray, but otherwise the grittiness of the film overall makes it seem that the high definition aspect is not really needed. The smaller portion of the film in daytime yields clear lights and darks, but the nighttime portions just seems not as clear, probably due to the absolute over abundance of darkness. I would still say BLU-RAY YES due to the digital copy included, but it is not an absolute necessity as with other films.

EXTRAS

The Deleted Scenes included on this set give some insight into both Behmen and Debelzaq which is kind of cool while Becoming the Demon shows the studio working on the creation of the demon for the climactic battle with both visual work and behind the scenes information provided. On a Crusade is another worthy addition to the extras with its discussion on the opening action scenes. And finally the Alternate Ending that is supplied shows the original incarnation of the demon with much less CGI. Overall, a good set of extras for the film, along with the digital copy that once again makes the Blu-ray purchase worthwhile.

SEASON OF THE WITCH Blu-Ray:
Street Date: June 28, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
French Dolby Digital
Spanish Dolby Digital
Languages: Dubbed English, French, & Spanish; Subtitled English, French, & Spanish
MPAA U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 95 minutes


Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

JAM Reviews The Warrior's Way from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The Warrior’s Way: Blu-Ray with Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Two rival clans have pursued each other to the death, with bloodshed and destruction being the end goal as the greatest warrior in the world fights his way to the last living member of his rival’s clan, an innocent baby. Finding that his heart paled at the loss of life of the innocent, he gives up his sword and heads off to the New World, the Old West to be exact.

Searching for a former friend, he stumbles upon a non-traveling circus down on its luck which is facing its own crisis of violence as a western gang of ne’er-do-wells has its sights set on revenge for a past act of rebellion. Caught in the crossfire of this viscous gang and his own blood out for his blood, this lost ronin must find his own path whether through violence or protection… or both.

Starring Dong-gun Jang as Yang, the centerpiece of our story as the greatest warrior in the world, Kate Bosworth as Lynne a young woman broken in ways but with a great inner strength, Geoffrey Rush as Ronald a former gunslinger set to atone for his past mistakes, Danny Huston as the Colonel an evil sadistic bastard coming back for a second run at the run-down old town, and Tony Cox as the carnival leader Eight-Ball. All in all an odd crew to put together, but they put on a guilty pleasure type of fun movie.

JAMS Ink on The Warrior’s Way

Talk about a kinetic, slashing, bloodbath of a good time. This movie has so many aspects of so many genres, that it makes it hard to put a finger on what Warrior’s Way really is. The Old West setting hearkens back to the lone gunman cowboy movie when the hero is one against the world. The samurai honor that Yang finds lends to the movies dealing with the code of the samurai, protecting those weaker than himself. The bloodshed and hyperkinetic violence reminds one of a video game full of gratuitous violence and blood filled gore. This is a guy’s matinee movie, a chance to sit down and not have to worry about the plot all that much, to revel in the violent blood work and enjoy a movie with a flawed hero, a flawed heroine, a bunch of messed-up carnies who need a hero, and a fast action packed climax to a movie that is pretty fun.

Kate Bosworth’s character is an interesting conundrum in this movie. Her accent is interesting with a flair for the period, yet overdone a bit. It truly stands out a bit too much as her accent takes over the character at times. It is a bit of a nuisance as her character is actually interesting due to the back story, but the accent can seem to detract from the overall rooting for her.

The sword play in the movie is outstanding, even if much of it is hyperkinetic and greenscreened. The stunt coordinator on the movie must have had his work cut out for him as the genre mixing of the old west and the samurai swordplay are two completely different aspects of violence that needed to translate on screen together. And much like peanut butter and chocolate, they go together well for those that enjoy those flavors.

BLU-RAY Aspects

The sandy undertones of the old west stand out in great clarity in this release. With the filming seeming to be in the dust bowl of the not so distant past, the clarity of dusty dirtiness seems like an oxymoron, but the blu-ray clarity heightens the enjoyment of the film in a cinematic way. Extreme explosions, hyperkinetic swordplay, and overall mayhem suffers no visual issues as the action remains in great clarity throughout the film. Definitely happy to recommend BLU-RAY YES on this one.

EXTRAS

Unfortunately only two extras included on this disc in the Behind the Scenes Montage and the Deleted Scenes. The Behind the Scenes is a quick look at some neat aspects of the film, but it is fair too short to make any impact on choosing to buy the film. The deleted scenes are interesting but not necessary overall to the film.

The Warrior’s Way
Street Date: June 28, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Languages: Dubbed English & French; Subtitled English, French, and Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 100 minutes


Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.